A Literate Voting System
December 31, 2009
In 1975 the U.S. permanently banned literacy tests for voter eligibility based on the view that literacy tests are discriminatory.
In order to vote, one need not know how to read or write (much less have any common sense). One must simply have the fortitude to be an American citizen and turn eighteen.
This would not be a problem if our school systems were producing a voter majority who understand basic principles concerning government and economics.
When our forefathers established our democracy, they did not envision our fine government requiring over 60,000 pages to explain the variety of ways it is entitled to your money. The complexity of the system means voters must be much more intelligent today than the average farmer of 200 years ago. Unfortunately, our schools produce a vastly uneducated populace that continues to vote into office a political class who make promises which either cannot be met or cause other problems that are often worse.
Add in the element that in our two party system, there is only one party that benefits from the underclass that comes out of our public school systems, and we have ourselves a real mess.
