Is Voting a Right?
There are natural rights and then there are procedural rules designed to protect those rights. Voting is not a natural right.
If your natural rights are being protected/respected, then how is NOT being able to vote an infringement on one's freedoms?
In our country's founding, there were lots of restrictions on who could vote.
As a matter of fact, over two century's we have voted away most of the freedoms enumerated in the Constitution.
On a different front: Often I find myself reminding people who are younger than myself that many freedoms I have lost over my lifetime and the lifetime of my parents, are acutely felt because you had them and took them for granted or the opposite cherished them and they have been taken away. IF you are raised without them, you have no idea what has been lost.
If your natural rights are being protected/respected, then how is NOT being able to vote an infringement on one's freedoms?
In our country's founding, there were lots of restrictions on who could vote.
As a matter of fact, over two century's we have voted away most of the freedoms enumerated in the Constitution.
On a different front: Often I find myself reminding people who are younger than myself that many freedoms I have lost over my lifetime and the lifetime of my parents, are acutely felt because you had them and took them for granted or the opposite cherished them and they have been taken away. IF you are raised without them, you have no idea what has been lost.
Robbie53024 wrote: "It would have to be limited to those that reach the age of majority and legal citizens, otherwise it would encourage lots of babies and illegals."
Moreover, shares (citizenship) could be bought and sold repeatedly. The price of a vote would rise close to elections and fall in the off season. People could change "citizenship" i.e., voting rights often, repeatedly, and for a profit (buy low, sell high). In point of fact voting for President of the USA is pointless but voting in the Mayoral Primary is highly important. So, the shrewd citizen should sell their vote before the one and buy it back before the other.
Robbie53024 wrote: "What would work might be to issue everyone one share and they could sell their share on the open market. Those that value their vote would only sell it for a lot, if at all. Those that didn't would get rid of it at a low price and quickly and live with the consequence."
But it would not be a PERMANENT consequence. Why is citizenship different from any other service or commodity?
I disagree with the statement that we've voted away most of the freedoms enumerated in the Constitution. Rather, we've failed to exercise our right to enforce the protection of our natural rights. We've been cowards and we've been lazy and we've been fools. Anyone that imagines that a vote means anything or serves to protect freedom is living in a fool's paradise. A vote is merely your acceptance of the slavery imposed on you by the power mongers, the manipulators, the user's, and the looters of our society.
The ONLY way you maintain the ability to exercise your rights is to exercise all of them, particularly that right to hold accountable anyone that acts in such a way as to diminish those rights. That accountability is not a simple vote to replace them in office. It must be proportional to the right they tried to diminish or take away as well as any personal or property gains they received or gained from those activities.
But until we learn and accept that our rights exist outside of and despite of governance and that whether or not we voted, we do not owe respect and fealty to any government or representative of such, we have no freedom. Respect is to be earned. Fealty is slavery. The power of your vote is illusion.
For me, it is a sacrifice. Since I have to travel (mostly) for work, telling my boss that I will need to be home one week a month should I win, is going to be a challenge. He's a pretty good sort, and I'm sure won't have a problem, but it will mean that instead of my willingness to travel at the drop of a hat, I will need to have some times blocked out.
Besides just ensuring that county government doesn't veer out of control, I'm also enraged that we own an elder care facility and 2 golf courses. Yes, the county government is in direct competition with private industry. That's not government's role and I want to move to get rid of them.
You are very correct that at the founding of the US there were many restrictions on voting. It was not covered in the Constitution as the Constitution laid that responsibility on the states. Some of those states allowed women to vote, some allowed free blacks to vote, some restricted voting to land-owners.
Congratulations on your efforts. Please keep in mind teh statement by that great philosopher Groucho Marx. "I will never join any organization that would have me as a member." Where are you running for office?
Fred
Perhaps you need to look upon seeking elective office for the purpose originally intended, to protect the Constitution and the citizens that live in this nation under that protection.
I do agree that most elected politicians seem to think that passing laws limiting the lives of citizens should be their purpose. No one could be more wrong than those politicians.. Every law or rule needed was indeed covered by the founding fathers, that's why we used to think of them as being the brightest men that this nation ever produced.
Lets return to their principles and return this nation to its former glory and leadership in the world. I am an immigrant and have seen the changes brought on by these mice of politicians today, and these changes have not been for the better.
Fred Speckmann
commonsenseforamericans@yahoo.com
There are many ways of advancing one's life without voting. To lose the right of complaint because you chose not to exercise a procedural right is wrong. There may be other important opportunities that supersede voting or there may not be a candidate you would choose to vote for. This should not invalidate one's right to complain.
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