Why the objection to literacy tests for potential voters?

[antagon]

The point is moot. Literacy tests for voting are never going to happen.

roger that. politicians would never endeavor to take the easy votes away

 

[RetiredGySgt]

There is no citizen test for people born in the USA.

Ohh it is better then that. There is no standard for what questions will be ask of immigrants. No set number and no set battery of questions. Each interviewer is free to ask what ever they want and as many questions as they want.

So one Immigrant gets ask their name and the name of the President and is a Citizen while another gets asked a series of questions until they miss one or two and are denied citizenship.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

1. What percent of Americans who vote would you guess are illiterate?

2. What do you suppose the cost would be to literacy test 100% of registered voters to weed out those in 1.?

It does not matter, it would require a Constitutional Amendment to allow the testing of voters and that is not likely to occur. Further since voting is run by the States you would have 50 different tests or some States with tests and some without.

I do not believe it is a racist suggestion by the OP, I think he is just an idiot.

The whole reason we have no such tests now is because they were a con game designed to prevent people of certain races and classes from voting. Not one single such test was ever administered for the purpose of proving one was fit to vote because of Intelligence. And no future test would be any different.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

It appears that the same crowd that doesn't believe education is a right also wants to test people before they let them vote.

A bit of partisan synergy there...

You are aware of course that the Op considers himself a Liberal?

 

[jillian]

It appears that the same crowd that doesn't believe education is a right also wants to test people before they let them vote.

A bit of partisan synergy there...

You are aware of course that the Op considers himself a Liberal?

communist is not the same as liberal.

and a racist is a racist is a racist...

 

[RetiredGySgt]

We don't necessarily have to have a literacy test and by all means we don't need even a test of one's understanding of this nation, our government or the challenges facing us either.

But it would be a grand idea, I think, to know that the people voting are at least competent that they know why they're there and what they're doing.

Or does expecting that modest litmus test of presence of mind from my fellow voting citizens make me an elitist?

We won't let very intelligent, very well informed teenagers vote, but we bus retarded people to the polls?

Something ain't right about that.

A wealthy, well educated person gets to vote for the person who best represents their interests

Shouldn't a retarded person receive the same right?

How?

They don't even know what they're doing when they pull the lever.

And you expect them to vote for candidates who best represent their interests?

All I am proposing is that people who are not mentally competent of what voting even means should not be herded to the polls by unscrupulous people working for candidates.

Not much to ask really.

Simple, get your State to bar them from voting.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

The point is moot. Literacy tests for voting are never going to happen.

roger that. politicians would never endeavor to take the easy votes away

It has very little to do with Politicians at all. The vast majority of Amendments are voted on by the people and I seriously doubt the people of 37 States would agree to limit their own ability to vote.

 

[☭proletarian☭]

It appears that the same crowd that doesn't believe education is a right also wants to test people before they let them vote.

A bit of partisan synergy there...

You are aware of course that the Op considers himself a Liberal?

communist is not the same as liberal.
.

You are aware that the OP is not a communist in anything resembling the classical sense, right?

 

[oreo]

Do you think that human's were dumb before we were able to read and write?

Ummm---Yes--very dumb to government--the constitution, etc.

 

[eots]

It's not like anyone is denied an education nowadays. If you can't read/write English, you don't know what form of government the US has, or you can't name the two houses of Congress, why the fuck should your be allowed to vote and fuck this country up more?

Your question is in fact your answer as it provides proof that literacy does not equate to reasoned thinking

 

[The Rabbi]

It's not like anyone is denied an education nowadays. If you can't read/write English, you don't know what form of government the US has, or you can't name the two houses of Congress, why the fuck should your be allowed to vote and fuck this country up more?

Your question is in fact your answer as it provides proof that literacy does not equate to reasoned thinking

I dont think the test is supposed to be of reasoned thinking. If it were the Democratic Party would become obsolete.
The test is of a base of knowledge. Like what the office you are voting for actually does.

 

[Ravi]

There is no citizen test for people born in the USA.

Ohh it is better then that. There is no standard for what questions will be ask of immigrants. No set number and no set battery of questions. Each interviewer is free to ask what ever they want and as many questions as they want.

So one Immigrant gets ask their name and the name of the President and is a Citizen while another gets asked a series of questions until they miss one or two and are denied citizenship.

Not true.

Questions and Answers for New Naturalization Test

 

[RetiredGySgt]

There is no citizen test for people born in the USA.

Ohh it is better then that. There is no standard for what questions will be ask of immigrants. No set number and no set battery of questions. Each interviewer is free to ask what ever they want and as many questions as they want.

So one Immigrant gets ask their name and the name of the President and is a Citizen while another gets asked a series of questions until they miss one or two and are denied citizenship.

Not true.

Questions and Answers for New Naturalization Test

How many family members have you had seeking US Citizenship? I have had 2. Neither one was asked similar questions. Further when my wife took the test and failed a friend of hers was there at the same time. They ask her friend 2 questions, what is your name and who is the President. They ask my wife about 12 questions until she failed the last 2 and then failed her and made her come back to take it again on another day.

My mother in law who is over 70 failed 3 times. Another friend of the family her 70 year old mother was asked 2 questions, What were the 3 branches of Government and who was President.

Don't tell me I do not know what I am talking about you dumb ass.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

You are a retard. Those are the questions you study. There is no set number they will ask you. So in other words you need to know them all. We used the guide as well. Unfortunately my mother in law panics when being questioned.

Ohh and her friend has not been in the States for 20 years nor has she.

 

[rightwinger]

The US has a long history of using literacy tests

Veterans of the Civil Rights Movement -- Alabama Literacy Test

You had to pass the actual "Literacy Test" itself. Because the Freedom Movement was running "Citizenship Schools" to help people learn how to fill out the forms and pass the test, Alabama changed the test 4 times in less than two years (1964-1965). At the time of the Selma Voting Rights campaign there were actually 100 different tests in use across the state. In theory, each applicant was supposed to be given one at random from a big loose-leaf binder. In real life, some individual tests were easier than others and the registrar made sure that Black applicants got the hardest ones.

A typical test consisted of three-parts. For example:


In "Part A" the applicant was given a selection of the Constitution to read aloud. The registrar could assign you a long complex section filled with legalese and convoluted sentences, or he could tell you to read a simple one or two sentence section. The Registrar marked each word he thought you mispronounced. In some cases you had to orally interpret the section to the registrar's satisfaction. You then had to either copy out by hand a section of the Constitution, or write it down from dictation as the registrar spoke (mumbled) it. White applicants usually were allowed to copy, Black applicants usually had to take dictation. The Registrar then judged whether you were able to "read and write," or if you were "illiterate."

In Parts "B" and "C," you had to answer two different sets of four written questions each. Part "B" was 4 questions based on the excerpt you had written down. Part "C" consisted of 4 "general knowledge" questions about state and national government.
Your application was then reviewed by the three-member Board of Registrars — often in secret at a later date. They voted on whether or not you passed. It was entirely up to the judgment of the Board whether you passed or failed. If you were white and missed every single question they could still pass you if — in their sole judgment — you were "qualified." If you were Black and got every one correct, they could still flunk you if they considered you "unqualified."

Your name was published in the local newspaper listing of those who had applied to register. That was to make sure that all of your employers, landlords, mortgage-holders, bank loan officers, business-suppliers, and etc, were kept informed of this important event.

 

[Ravi]

Ohh it is better then that. There is no standard for what questions will be ask of immigrants. No set number and no set battery of questions. Each interviewer is free to ask what ever they want and as many questions as they want.

So one Immigrant gets ask their name and the name of the President and is a Citizen while another gets asked a series of questions until they miss one or two and are denied citizenship.

Not true.

Questions and Answers for New Naturalization Test

How many family members have you had seeking US Citizenship? I have had 2. Neither one was asked similar questions. Further when my wife took the test and failed a friend of hers was there at the same time. They ask her friend 2 questions, what is your name and who is the President. They ask my wife about 12 questions until she failed the last 2 and then failed her and made her come back to take it again on another day.

My mother in law who is over 70 failed 3 times. Another friend of the family her 70 year old mother was asked 2 questions, What were the 3 branches of Government and who was President.

Don't tell me I do not know what I am talking about you dumb ass.

You don't know what you're talking about. Read the link. They changed and standardized the questions in 2008. I have a friend that recently took it and he showed me the questions they gave him to study.

He passed.

Retard.

 

[Care4all]

my grandmother was asked who our first president was, and she answered Georgio Washingatona!

 

[NYcarbineer]

The point is moot. Literacy tests for voting are never going to happen.

roger that. politicians would never endeavor to take the easy votes away

How many people classified as illiterate are voting?

 

[NYcarbineer]

It appears that the same crowd that doesn't believe education is a right also wants to test people before they let them vote.

A bit of partisan synergy there...

You are aware of course that the Op considers himself a Liberal?

He's obviously not a liberal on this issue.

btw, John McCain considers himself a conservative.

 

[NYcarbineer]

Please answer this question. And be honest.

How many illiterate adults have you known in your life? People who could not read or write.

I've known exactly ONE.

Bonus question. How many illiterate adults have you personally known in your life that you know to have ever voted.

I've known exactly ZERO.