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Should Voting be a Right or a Privilege?

Is Voting a Right or Privilege?


  • Total voters
    35

repeter

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Straight forward question.

I think it should be a privilege because of its importance in our government. While I don't agree with a poll tax, or something like that, I think we need to tie voting to education. I would suggest that we require a high school diploma, or an equivalent GED (or a naturalized citizen, something similar from their home country if necessary), and remove the mandate that we have to go to high school.

This ties into the other problem I see: a lot of people don't value education enough. In my school, and other schools I've been to, most students waste time, which could be used to help the students who actually want to learn.

What do you think?

EDIT: Question shold be "Should Voting be a Right or a Privilege?
 
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It should be, and is, a privilege, in the sense that you have to register to vote and you may be legally denied the opportunity to vote if you are convicted of a felony.
 
It should be, and is, a privilege, in the sense that you have to register to vote and you may be legally denied the opportunity to vote if you are convicted of a felony.

Ahh I was a bit vague, sorry. Should we have more restrictions beyond that?
 
Ahh I was a bit vague, sorry. Should we have more restrictions beyond that?

Can't think of any, no. I will say this: we put too much emphasis in telling people to "get out there and vote!" If someone has to be talked into it, they probably don't care and aren't paying attention. Let them sit home.

High turnout is usually a sign of political volatility.
 
Voting is a personal resposibility and in my view a necessary political freedom. Voting should be part of the basic set of political rights and freedoms established by a government.
 
a right because its hard to make a test that would properly weed out the mindless without being subject to abuse. however, if we persist in having a tax system that allows the many to vote up the taxes of high tax payers I believe people who pay more taxes should have more votes-much like those who have the most at risk in a corporation get the most votes while the holder of one share (of a million) doesn't get as much say as a guy with 400,000 shares.

of course we shouldn't have such a tax system-if we had a flat tax or a fair tax-the many couldn't vote up the rates of the highest tax payers and then individuals should all have the same vote
 
I don't understand these debates between Right or a Privilege... since rights are nothing more than social constructs
 
It is a right reserved to all citizens who are reasonably law abiding, and should remain so. If the people of a democracy cannot find it within themselves to take their civic duty seriously, then they will, for a short while, have the pathetic democracy they deserve, and then lose it to something more tyrannous. I believe that the franchise itself ought to be enough inspiration to rise to the requirement, and if not, then so be it. I think it is good for the responsible among us to have to cajole lazy people into attending to governance.
 
a right because its hard to make a test that would properly weed out the mindless without being subject to abuse. however, if we persist in having a tax system that allows the many to vote up the taxes of high tax payers I believe people who pay more taxes should have more votes-much like those who have the most at risk in a corporation get the most votes while the holder of one share (of a million) doesn't get as much say as a guy with 400,000 shares.

of course we shouldn't have such a tax system-if we had a flat tax or a fair tax-the many couldn't vote up the rates of the highest tax payers and then individuals should all have the same vote

This makes me wish there was a dislike feature, thats easily one of the worst ideas I have ever heard on voting.
 
This makes me wish there was a dislike feature, thats easily one of the worst ideas I have ever heard on voting.

Welcome to the nightmare of the turtle 'you must pay taxes' to get to vote powergrab scheme Centrist.
 
a right because its hard to make a test that would properly weed out the mindless without being subject to abuse. however, if we persist in having a tax system that allows the many to vote up the taxes of high tax payers I believe people who pay more taxes should have more votes-much like those who have the most at risk in a corporation get the most votes while the holder of one share (of a million) doesn't get as much say as a guy with 400,000 shares.

of course we shouldn't have such a tax system-if we had a flat tax or a fair tax-the many couldn't vote up the rates of the highest tax payers and then individuals should all have the same vote

Ok... As long as the punishments for law breaking are also in proportion to the votes people have. DUI? Zero dollars and no jail time for the person unable to afford taxation. 1 million dollars and a life sentence for the billionaire.
 
I think it should be a duty, everyone should be required to vote.
 
Ok... As long as the punishments for law breaking are also in proportion to the votes people have. DUI? Zero dollars and no jail time for the person unable to afford taxation. 1 million dollars and a life sentence for the billionaire.

that's just plain moronic
 
This makes me wish there was a dislike feature, thats easily one of the worst ideas I have ever heard on voting.

net tax consumers hate the idea-they love representation without taxation Those of us who pay the majority of the two big federal taxes-income and death taxes-tire of those who pay nothing but get the same general benefits and many more direct entitlements often support the idea

of course if we had a tax system that treated each person equally (a flat tax)I would support equal voting rights

but I bet you support UNEQUAL treatment in terms of how much of my next dollar i get to keep vs yours
 
that's just plain moronic

It is based in the same rationale as your idea, so it is only as moronic as the idea wherein it finds it's root.
 
a right because its hard to make a test that would properly weed out the mindless without being subject to abuse. however, if we persist in having a tax system that allows the many to vote up the taxes of high tax payers I believe people who pay more taxes should have more votes-much like those who have the most at risk in a corporation get the most votes while the holder of one share (of a million) doesn't get as much say as a guy with 400,000 shares.

of course we shouldn't have such a tax system-if we had a flat tax or a fair tax-the many couldn't vote up the rates of the highest tax payers and then individuals should all have the same vote

Not consistent with republican principles because there are ways to contribute to society other than paying taxes; anybody who contributes to their society deserves to have input on how it is governed.

Soldiers don't pay taxes when deployed, for example.
 
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a right because its hard to make a test that would properly weed out the mindless without being subject to abuse. however, if we persist in having a tax system that allows the many to vote up the taxes of high tax payers I believe people who pay more taxes should have more votes-much like those who have the most at risk in a corporation get the most votes while the holder of one share (of a million) doesn't get as much say as a guy with 400,000 shares.

of course we shouldn't have such a tax system-if we had a flat tax or a fair tax-the many couldn't vote up the rates of the highest tax payers and then individuals should all have the same vote

So you're for disenfranchising retirees?
 
It is based in the same rationale as your idea, so it is only as moronic as the idea wherein it finds it's root.

No it isnt

the more you are forced to give to the government, the more you should get in return

high tax payers should face Less Punishment as a benefit for being taxed more-not punished more after having more wealth taken
 
So you're for disenfranchising retirees?

most retirees are still paying taxes on their 401Ks or investments

but I tire of those who have no skin in the game demanding others put more in
 
EDIT: Question shold be "Should Voting be a Right or a Privilege?

It should be a right. Making it a privilege leaves open the possibility that the government can eventually take away that privilege.
 
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