Should there be a competency test before you can vote?

[erisi236]

FYI there are Nine(9) supreme court judges, hence all the 5-4 decisions an even better question would be to name just one of them (Alito, Scalia, Thomas, ect), or ask how many members of the house or senete there are. It also make me want to puke when I hear people say they don't know who the Vice President is, that goes way beyond ignorance as that can be fixed, that is just plain stupidity which can't be fixed

[coma]

Another problem with the competancy test idea is that it would be a freat excuse to make the schools even crappier. Ignorance of govt works to many politicians advantage as it is. Even a little knowledge can make the propaganda transparent. People literally don't want to know about their world. When I was a kid in the 80s, if you talked about politics or govt, even in the most absolute general way, alot of people would get really angry. Not at the ideas, but that you brought it up at all. Rather than think, "damn, I'm ignorant, I should learn something", they just insist that you be as stupid as they are. I can't stand how if you say that people should learn even rudimentary English and gain some familiarity with our customs, it suddenly becomes racist. But if you go to South America and won't try to speak Spanish or Have a beer in Saudi, YOU are the insensitive cultural imperialist. When you go into target and every aisle marker is in Spanish and every product label is in Spanish, that's a huge problem. You can tell the attitude change by this. 15 years ago your average liberal type would say "English only, that's racist!" as a knee jerk reaction. Now it's "that's annoying as hell. They should take a class". I think it's treated like some wierd secret club of elitism. I can't see how Speaking the language, not screaming all day and turning down your friggin radio is "forced assimilation". If I went to central American with a big stupid USA shirt and had 10 Old glorys waving on my car,blasting George Jones erevywhere I go I would be a total idiot. But he inverse is OK? Guess what it Ain't. And question 2 is the Bill of rights. A better question than some of those might be What are the 3 branches of Govt? Funny thing is, your average European knows waaay more about US, than we know about ourselves.

[Eyebiter]

Poll taxes and similar voting tests were used to disenfranchise the poor and minorities from the pre-civil war era into the 1960's. See the 14th and 24th Amendments to the US Constitution for details.

[OddDNA]

1. You can not have a test to vote, they are not related. I think our fore-fathers understood some people voting would be less informed than others. They understood also it was more dangerous to exclude people from the voting process than including people. Also, who makes the test? Who decides what is relavent? What if you or I fail the test? Voting is a right not a privilage! 2. As far as child bearing goes...that is a right, no government should have the ability to take it away no matter your situation. 3. English is not the official language of the US and it should not be. USA is not a English country, a christian country nor a white country. If someone is happily existing in the USA without speaking English good for them, it is none of my business. If products are labeled in Spanish and English great, the company pays for the labeling not the taxpayers. However, there is another side of the coin. It should not be a law that any product has to be written in any langauge (example: you cant force Pepsi to label in English and Spanish) As for things that taxpayer does pay for it depends. (Remember Spanish speaking citizens are also paying the taxes) it should depend on the community.Schools should help young children learn English. Most upwardly mobile adults will choose to learn the main languge of the area they live and that language is English. -There should be no law establishing a national language.

[erisi236]

1. You can not have a test to vote, they are not related. I think our fore-fathers understood some people voting would be less informed than others. They understood also it was more dangerous to exclude people from the voting process than including people. Also, who makes the test? Who decides what is relavent? What if you or I fail the test? Voting is a right not a privilage! Hmmm, must have been why back then only White, Male, Landowners could vote... also, those under 18, convicted criminals, non citizens and those not registered to do so are barred from voting, so voting is a privilage NOT a right.

[mista_mo]

Voting is a right with strings attached. Or maybe it's a left...I dunno..

[coma]

3. English is not the official language of the US and it should not be. USA is not a English country, a christian country nor a white country. If someone is happily existing in the USA without speaking English good for them, it is none of my business. If products are labeled in Spanish and English great, the company pays for the labeling not the taxpayers. However, there is another side of the coin. It should not be a law that any product has to be written in any langauge (example: you cant force Pepsi to label in English and Spanish) As for things that taxpayer does pay for it depends. (Remember Spanish speaking citizens are also paying the taxes) it should depend on the community.Schools should help young children learn English. Most upwardly mobile adults will choose to learn the main languge of the area they live and that language is English. -There should be no law establishing a national language. I have lived in Latin neighborhoods about 90% of my life, so it's not like I'm some dude on a hill looking down having zero experienc, driving past going "oh my". I had mixed feelings about this sort of thing for a long time but got fed up. When I can't get a tire fixed, get directions,order food, call a local govt agency or barely understnad what up to 73% of the people in some areas where I live are saying, it IS my business. It is not specialty stores, it is everything. What people do in their home is their buisness, but imposing it on ME (like learning their language is my responsibiltiy) when they are the guest is a problem.. This isn't some tempoery trend, it's been going on for like 40 years plus. Of course White and Christian are lumped in by many, but It's not the same thing. I don't think it's a christian, English or white country. But it is, de facto, an English speaking country. For that matter I don't care if a jillion immigrants come here , legal or not. I just don't like People who come here only for $$ and are, frankly, hostile to the native of all varieties. It exists, alot from my experience, and I am sick of getting treated like the foreigner in my own country. To many, I think that the adversion to (as opposed to the inabilty to) learn english is a slap in the face to all Americans. Obviously many disagree completely as is their perogative. Frankly , I think it's downright rude and they are accomadated way to much. Mutilanguage in Basic services is one thing, but in everything, often to the exclusion of the native langusge? No other country tolerates that. I think blending of cultures is a great thing, but I don't want to live in South America. If I did I would move there. They want to come here? Groovy and do your Latin stuff all you want, but don't try to force me to do it too and don't treat me like crap because it's not my thing. You can't force it on people, but the "speak english, get a green card" it a start. A positive incentive is more helpful. Felons, not any criminal, loses the right to vote, but only in SOME states. "mmm, must have been why back then only White, Male, Landowners could vote." Forgot over 21. In college a teacher discussed that and asked anyone who fit that desription to raise their hand. Not one did.

[Venomous]

And there should also be a competency test before you're allowed to post on homepageofthedead forums too. If you haven't ever seen deathdream, house of seven corpses or bloody new year, and if dawn '04 was your cherry zombie genre film, then you shouldn't really be here, should you?

[Mike70]

Every election year in America there is a spat of "get out the vote" advertisments on TV, radio, papers, and anywhere else they can stick them. All this advertising to vote, but no advertising to actually educate yourself before you do vote. What good is it to say "I'm voting for Bush/Kerry because my mom is"? I believe the country would be in much better shape if we, as a whole, learned about the political situation prior to voting. Bush likely never would've been elected, he would not have even gotten the nomination from the GOP I bet, and Kerry certainly wouldn't have been running against him. If we were educated and we could weed out the morons and the liars, we'd have a much stronger field of future leaders, like Colin Powell and Joe Lieberman. A few questions that should be answered before someone can vote are... 1) How many states are in the USA? 2) As an American citizen, your rights are explained and guaranteed by what bill? 3) The two major political parties are _____ and _____? 4) There are how many Justices of the Supreme Court? 5) What is the US capital? 6) July 4th is what US holiday? 7) Did you complete this form in English, without aid? I believe #4 is the least important question, but #s 7 and 2 are the most important questions to be asked. If anyone cannot answer these questions without googling it or asking someone, you should not be voting in the US. Thoughts? while i totally agree with you on this one i don't think i would support such a measure. i think it would violate the equal protection under the law clause that all citizens of the US are entitled to. otherwise, i would be all for this. if we truely want to live in an open, free society, idiocy is one of the unfortunate things we must deal with.

[mista_mo]

and as has been evident from various things I've read today, Idiocy is quite common. I agree with the majority of those statements (albiet only part of me does) but I'm conflicted.

[coma]

I have conflicted feelings about this stuff too. One side of me is reactionary in a "Ahh, everybody sucks", then I get all bleeding heart "Aww, he isn't that bad, leave him alone." Someone once told me thats a virgo thing, but since I know zero about astrology KI can't really say. If you haven't ever seen deathdream, house of seven corpses or bloody new year, and if dawn '04 was your cherry zombie genre film, then you shouldn't really be here, should you? I haven;t heard of deathdream, saw 10 minutes of House of 1000 corpses, and though it sucked. Bloody New year? You mean that bloody awful 80s slasher junk? Oh wait , you can't reply. Oh snap!

[mista_mo]

Yea, I know what you mean. The part of me, that I shall call ****ed off conservitive redneck, goes "suck it up you pansises, you are foreigners, do what we say" Not exactly how it goes, but that is a basic thought process. Then my other part, who I shall call old liberal hippie douche, goes "They're just here to provide for their families, let them stay" ahh well, such is life. oh, and that was hilarious.

[Tri0xin]

I have conflicted feelings about this stuff too. One side of me is reactionary in a "Ahh, everybody sucks", then I get all bleeding heart "Aww, he isn't that bad, leave him alone." Someone once told me thats a virgo thing, but since I know zero about astrology KI can't really say. I haven;t heard of deathdream, saw 10 minutes of House of 1000 corpses, and though it sucked. Bloody New year? You mean that bloody awful 80s slasher junk? Oh wait , you can't reply. Oh snap! Oh snap! I can to reply. Bloody New Year is an English zombie movie and so is house of SEVEN corpses. Jesus Christ, you really are zombie illiterate. I wouldn't be one bit surprised that Dawn '04 really was your first zombie movie.

[OddDNA]

You should learn spanish...Do you expect store owners to cater to you becaue you were born here? They are going to follow the $ every time, the American way. A citizen is a citizen doesnt matter if you were born here or not(except becoming the Prez and maybe a few other small things 99.9% need not worry about). But back to what we said...Should only English speaking citizens be allowed to vote? No...it is obvious all citizens over 18 should be allowed to vote. I think even felons but that is a whole other arguement.

[MikePizzoff]

1) How many states are in the USA? I **** you not, recently I got in an argument with not one but TWO friends about the number of states there are. They kept telling me there are 52 states. "50 continental states plus Alaska and Hawaii, making 52." It was so hard not to smack them silly. I'm getting angry just thinking about it!