Don't let ignorant people vote

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**Corpsesarefun**

Kilkrazy wrote:
corpsesarefun wrote:Who and who isn't "ignorant" is hugely subjective and as such I strongly disagree with the above statement (that ignorant people should not be able to vote).

Factual knowledge, comprehension and cognitive skills, can all be tested objectively. We require people to qualify for lots of everyday things by such tests.

Many countries test foreign people who want to become citizens. It doesn't seem totally unreasonable to require native born people to pass some kind of qualification to vote.

The tricky thing is who gets to set the standards?

There is a danger of creating a disenfranchised underclass. We already have enough trouble with semi-permanently unemployed people. If they were politically excluded too, the consequences could be serious.

The word ignorant is inherently subjective unless you specify what one is ignorant of.

Leaving the statement as "ignorant people shouldn't be able to vote" I could claim that those ignorant of higher mathematics or the flight pattern of a laden swallow shouldn't be able to vote.

**TheHammer**

Am I the only one that finds it equally ironic and disgusting that a black man is advocating for something that amounts to modern day literacy tests and a poll tax to vote?

I'm not incredibly surprised that a community that is largely white and male fail to even try to see things from any other perspective, but really?

**biccat**

TheHammer wrote:Am I the only one that finds it equally ironic and disgusting that a black man is advocating for something that amounts to modern day literacy tests and a poll tax to vote?

I'm not incredibly surprised that a community that is largely white and male fail to even try to see things from any other perspective, but really?

Damn, I didn't realize that he was black and that his suggestion would lead to the disenfranchisment of black people. I suppose my evil Republican nature requires me to change my opinion that, not only should we prohibit the ignorant from voting, it's a clear and present risk to our democracy if we let them vote.

**Bromsy**

Ha, didn't even notice that.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
but that said... isn't the fact that you are treating him differently based on his skin color a little odd? Black folks have as much right to advocate holding other people down as anyone else. Really, the fact that a black man can straightfacedly embrace holding down the ignorant show that we're finally become equal (ly jerks)?

**Kilkrazy**

corpsesarefun wrote:
Kilkrazy wrote:
corpsesarefun wrote:Who and who isn't "ignorant" is hugely subjective and as such I strongly disagree with the above statement (that ignorant people should not be able to vote).

Factual knowledge, comprehension and cognitive skills, can all be tested objectively. We require people to qualify for lots of everyday things by such tests.

Many countries test foreign people who want to become citizens. It doesn't seem totally unreasonable to require native born people to pass some kind of qualification to vote.

The tricky thing is who gets to set the standards?

There is a danger of creating a disenfranchised underclass. We already have enough trouble with semi-permanently unemployed people. If they were politically excluded too, the consequences could be serious.

The word ignorant is inherently subjective unless you specify what one is ignorant of.

Leaving the statement as "ignorant people shouldn't be able to vote" I could claim that those ignorant of higher mathematics or the flight pattern of a laden swallow shouldn't be able to vote.

If you had read my answer in full you would have seen that while I contradicted your statement about ignorance, I agreed with your overall sentiment.

Everyone knows what is meant in the context of ignorant electors. Let's not pretend we want to exclude colour blind people from referenda about digital TV or something like that.