At the next constitutional convention, perhaps we should give some real thought to the duties of citizenship, and how just luck of birth is not enough.
Luck of birth (ius sanguini, ius soli) should be sufficient for permanent residence, and all the constitutional guarantees to liberty (freedom of speech, of religion, etc). But citizenship, most notably the right to vote, should entail some educational prerequsites. And the oath previously mentioned ought to be something all voters, as well as all office holders, have to swear at some point, preferably repeatedly.
we can also demand that they all be landowners that should work.
yeah, we can demand that.
Oh, and they have to be heads of the household Yeah that’ll work too.
then it’s real easy to make sure only white, land-owning, adult males vote.
that works right?
-DS
Different objectives. I think anyone who knows what they’re voting for and has some reasonable understanding of the probable consequences of their actions should absolutely vote. I’m not saying we should all have PhD’s before we’re allowed to vote. Hell, my knowledge of history is pretty weak, see also my stated discomfort with my lack of awareness re: Clinton’s wars, posted in response to a comment of yours on.
But do you really want the national agenda set by people who vote with no knowledge of what they’re voting on beyond a warm fuzzy or cold prickly? People who, for instance, will be shocked when they see the burned, bloody corpses of a war they enthusiastically supported?
http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cfm?section_id=9&screen=news&news_id=36568
Because as much as it sucks, democracy is about the lowest common denominator not about the elite. Or at least that’s the idea. It’s about the masses, the mob, the plebians.
that’s why for all their populist leanings, the democratic party has a fuck ton of a hard time with the “common man”.
It’s a dangerous system because ultimately you get what you deserve.
remember that.
-DS
or to put another slant on things, once you have _any_ requirements for voting, you open the door to have requirements like landownership, a college education, more than $200k income, etc.
And as I mentioned to him this morning, no matter how sensible or well-intentioned the criteria are, if my eligibility is to be evaluated by the Katharine Harrises and Kenneth Blackwells of the world, then no thanks.