Should voting be a right or a privilege?

Should voting be a right or a privilege? (Full Version)

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Starbuck09 -> Should voting be a right or a privilege? (6/24/2009 8:07:42 AM)
In British Society we as citizens enjoy enormous power in that we are able to directly influence the manner in which we are ruled through our vote. Despite this liberty voting turnout has fallen consistently to what are now shameful levels. It appears to me that the problem is that despite the terrible sacrifices that were willingly given to bestow this gift upon us nowadays one has to do nothing to exercise this power, it is a right. I wonder if perhaps a token gesture was needed to be eligible to vote our situation would be better. Say a days community service a year not a great sacrifice granted built enough hopefully to remind people of the incredible liberty they possess. In this way the only people voting would be those willing to ape [if only in a very small way] those who granted us the freedoms we enjoy so blithely.

LaTigresse -> RE: Should voting be a right or a privilege? (6/24/2009 8:23:08 AM)
Here in the US it is a priviledge. One that you earn upon adulthood and can lose. I am fine with that.

Politesub53 -> RE: Should voting be a right or a privilege? (6/24/2009 8:49:27 AM)
The reason many dont vote isnt due to apathy, its due to all parties acting the same way once in power.

TreasureKY -> RE: Should voting be a right or a privilege? (6/24/2009 9:25:53 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LaTigresse Here in the US it is a priviledge. One that you earn upon adulthood and can lose. I am fine with that. I agree. And I'm fine with only an interested minority voting. Imagine what horrors we'd be subjected to if all those eligible... but uninformed and apathetic.... actually voted. Oh, yeah. That does happen. [:)] lol... Along with the deceased and the fictitious.

LaTigresse -> RE: Should voting be a right or a privilege? (6/24/2009 9:30:36 AM)
Most certainly Treasure. I don't get bothered by the fact that other voters disagree with me as to who to vote for........when they've taken the time to educate themselves and vote according to their personal belief, based upon the facts they've researched. I hate the fact that anyone, regardless of who, would vote based upon hersay, party, or because of peer pressure. Without doing any research and being certain the people they are voting for, actually is the person they would really want representing them.

pahunkboy -> RE: Should voting be a right or a privilege? (6/24/2009 9:36:02 AM)
this is some happy shit man! dude claps his hands.

Starbuck09 -> RE: Should voting be a right or a privilege? (6/24/2009 9:49:14 AM)
I used to agree wholeheartedly with you polite sub but I now think the dynamic of party policies and voting numbers is slightly more complicated. Voting numbers have steadily declined for the better part of thirty years I think parties have become similar because there are fewer votes going around rather than vice versa. I think the reason people are apathetic is simply because they are consumed by apathy nothing else.

LadyEllen -> RE: Should voting be a right or a privilege? (6/24/2009 10:23:51 AM)
Voting ought to be compulsory, with a "none of the above" option on the ballot papers. Voting ought to be a universal privilege rather than a right - it should certainly be the case that some ought to lose their voting ability for various periods should they demonstrate an unwillingness to participate in society in a civil manner. Voting ought to be weighted to reflect the comparative validity of opinions across individuals; an older person should have greater votes than a younger, an educated person more than an uneducated etc. And above all, voting ought to be on the basis of a proper PR system. E

philosophy -> RE: Should voting be a right or a privilege? (6/24/2009 12:48:48 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LadyEllen Voting ought to be weighted to reflect the comparative validity of opinions across individuals; an older person should have greater votes than a younger, an educated person more than an uneducated etc. ......couldn't disagree more. Not unless you're also going to make it so that the more educated you higher the tax rate you pay. Now you may argue that the more educated you are, the more tax you pay on average......but that isn't always true. Basically, one person one vote.....not one person, more votes depending on whether or not the state recognises you as the sort of person whose opinion matters more.

LadyEllen -> RE: Should voting be a right or a privilege? (6/24/2009 1:19:18 PM)
The point is to award greater weight to the more informed opinion such as one might derive from Elders of a tribe; in this, those with greater knowledge and greater skill to discern better courses of action for the country, such as the educated, can be included as Elders. Anyone is free to disagree with my idea, but they must reconcile the situation where a 20 year old hoodie that frankly doesnt have a clue and frankly couldnt care less for anything but his narrow selfish personal gain and avoiding arrest for recurrent criminality, has the same say as others of long experience and/or great awareness of the shite being peddled by politicians and cares deeply about the greater picture and civic responsibility. The only saving grace we have at present is that said hoodie is far less likely to vote than our comparison voter. In the meantime though, with the bulk of the population falling into neither of these extremes we end up with the same old shite peddled at us every time and swallowed down - after all why should politicans make any effort when their victory relies not on good ideas communicated well but on peddling shite that the majority have neither the interest nor the ability to discern as such. Democracy as mediocrity is responsible for much of our current, recurrent and ongoing problems. E

RCdc -> RE: Should voting be a right or a privilege? (6/24/2009 3:28:21 PM)
If you had that sort of voting criteria, you would end up with a middle aged, university graduate who is a currently a BNP MP with access to expenses having more votes than a retired black ex-london transport ticket office attendant with no formal qualifications. Just because you are educated or older, doesn't make you less of an idiot. What you propose is on the verge of Animal Farm. the.dark.

Politesub53 -> RE: Should voting be a right or a privilege? (6/24/2009 3:39:15 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LadyEllen Voting ought to be compulsory, with a "none of the above" option on the ballot papers. Voting ought to be a universal privilege rather than a right - it should certainly be the case that some ought to lose their voting ability for various periods should they demonstrate an unwillingness to participate in society in a civil manner. Voting ought to be weighted to reflect the comparative validity of opinions across individuals; an older person should have greater votes than a younger, an educated person more than an uneducated etc. And above all, voting ought to be on the basis of a proper PR system. E You crack me up at times. Are you seriously saying uneducated people dont have as much right to vote as educated people. This coming from you who is always knocking the richer section of society, who can afford the best education. How the hell is it a proper PR system if everybody has a different degree of vote ?

Politesub53 -> RE: Should voting be a right or a privilege? (6/24/2009 3:46:47 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LadyEllen Anyone is free to disagree with my idea, but they must reconcile the situation where a 20 year old hoodie that frankly doesnt have a clue and frankly couldnt care less for anything but his narrow selfish personal gain and avoiding arrest for recurrent criminality, has the same say as others of long experience and/or great awareness of the shite being peddled by politicians and cares deeply about the greater picture and civic responsibility. The only saving grace we have at present is that said hoodie is far less likely to vote than our comparison voter. Im sorry if I am about to disagree and not reconcile anything for you. Everyone has the same right to vote, if you are jailed for crime, you lose that right, on release, you regain the vote. Thats how it should be, not some elitist bullshit that you are trotting out.

FatDomDaddy -> RE: Should voting be a right or a privilege? (6/24/2009 3:57:48 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LadyEllen Voting ought to be compulsory, with a "none of the above" option on the ballot papers. No... Liberty and Freedom mean you have the right to stay home and watch Oprah if you so choose. Compulsory voting is the tool of despots.

LadyEllen -> RE: Should voting be a right or a privilege? (6/24/2009 4:03:40 PM)
Actually, those in prison do retain the right to vote. And I'm not saying that the uneducated have no right to vote - I am arguing for those wiser to carry more weight. But I am an elitist yes, but in terms of ability not wealth or inherited position; and the sooner we have that approach in society rather than the low brow and no brow, the celebration and promotion of idiot culture and a preference for mindless titillation so we can all be "equal" according to the lowest common denominator, the better. E

Politesub53 -> RE: Should voting be a right or a privilege? (6/24/2009 4:17:25 PM)
Wealth equals a better education, regardless of ability, just look at Eton and Harrow ect. People with money send their offspring to the best schools, they always have and always will. Check on the right for prisoners to vote. You will find they are unable to do so. Due to a challenge in Strasbourg, Jack Straw is looking at the issue and considering giving prisoners serving less than 4 years the right to vote. That has still not been debated in the commons as far as I know.

slaveboyforyou -> RE: Should voting be a right or a privilege? (6/24/2009 4:43:41 PM)
quote: Here in the US it is a priviledge. One that you earn upon adulthood and can lose. I am fine with that. This is not exactly true. Everyone has the RIGHT to vote upon reaching their 18th birthday. It can only be taken away when convicted of a felony, adjudicated as mentally defective, or dishonorably discharged from the military. However, it varies from state to state. In my state, you get your voting rights back upon completing your sentence if convicted of a felony. You can also challenge government claims of mental defect. I'm not sure about the process involved with dishonorably discharged veterans. All that being said, it's still a right. All of the instances I mentioned involved remove your 2nd Amendment right to own a firearm, your 4th Amendment right to protection from unreasonable searches and seizures, and a few others. However, they are still RIGHTS. They are not priviliges.

FatDomDaddy -> RE: Should voting be a right or a privilege? (6/24/2009 5:13:43 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: LadyEllen Actually, those in prison do retain the right to vote. And I'm not saying that the uneducated have no right to vote - I am arguing for those wiser to carry more weight. But I am an elitist yes, but in terms of ability not wealth or inherited position; and the sooner we have that approach in society rather than the low brow and no brow, the celebration and promotion of idiot culture and a preference for mindless titillation so we can all be "equal" according to the lowest common denominator, the better. E Why should anyone be forced to vote if they do not want too? I have never not voted but I like the option to go play golf if the weather's nice. Everybody should have a basic right to vote unless they forfeit that right BUT the only people who should vote are the people who care enough to make the effort to do so.

Starbuck09 -> RE: Should voting be a right or a privilege? (6/24/2009 5:15:08 PM)
Why should everyone have a right to vote DomDaddy?

FatDomDaddy -> RE: Should voting be a right or a privilege? (6/24/2009 5:18:07 PM)
And I'll add... An elected government where 30% of the population voted is a damn site better than an elected government where 100% voted.

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