What if the only way to be qualified to vote was after serving for 2 years after high school in a field that benefits society?

2014-05-23T23:05:22-04:00

What if the only way to be qualified to vote was after serving for 2 years after high school in a field that benefits society. Military service, teaching, community service, or peace corps. What do you feel would be different in laws and communities as a result?

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made May 23 at 2014 11:10 PM

2014-05-23T23:10:54-04:00

All the party ideology aside...history gets written these days by who controls the media and manipulates the masses best. I think those that would serve their community and country have better clarity and independent thought

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made May 24 at 2014 8:33 AM

2014-05-24T08:33:27-04:00

You mean take away voting rights to those to do not contribute to society? We do it to criminals already. I'm with you, but then how do you suppose we keep proper balance in out society?

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made May 24 at 2014 2:47 PM

2014-05-24T14:47:58-04:00

While I commend your desire to encourage public service, I believe tying it to something like voting rights leads us down a dangerous road. I dislike misinformed voters just like anyone else, but who decides what type of service would count? We need janitors, plumbers, and trash collectors just as much as police, firefighters, and other uniformed personnel.

Response by SSG Trevor S. made May 26 at 2014 6:34 PM

2014-05-26T18:34:51-04:00

This isn't a Heinlein novel, "Do you want to know more?"

Response by MSG Wade Huffman made May 26 at 2014 8:49 PM

2014-05-26T20:49:43-04:00

At this point I'd be happy if they could just enforce that you have to prove your identity to vote!

Response by Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 26 at 2014 11:01 PM

2014-06-26T23:01:08-04:00

Sir, I disagree.

Every job in society has its place or it would not exist. And not only that, but those who must abide by the laws of our nation have a right to speak their voice in whom should govern over them.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Jun 28 at 2014 12:45 PM

2014-06-28T12:45:15-04:00

I believe EXACTLY the same CPT Laflame, This isn't a free country club, membership should be earned. As you give examples its about service, not just the military, but anything that gives pack or pays it forward.

I think you'd see that sense of duty return to and the sense of entitlement retreat from our communities.

Nice question!! I owe you a thumb when I reload!

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Jun 28 at 2014 1:00 PM

2014-06-28T13:00:06-04:00

Living in fantasy land, where every able bodied citizen had a mandatory service obligation:

If I were SECDEF, this is the program I would set up for those who chose the military a their service obligation:

1) Everyone begins their service in a training division - separate units from the deployable full time force. You choose and train in an MOS/specialty that has civilian potential and is translatable across all 5 branches of service. Your aptitude and leadership skills are tested and evaluated. this force supplements the full time force in a CSS type of role.

2) At the 2 year point you have the option of leaving or transferring to the full time force, your choice of branch, enlistment term, OCS, bennies, etc.

Not perfect, but the way I see it from my heavily fortified combat sofa.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 28 at 2014 10:40 PM

2014-06-28T22:40:20-04:00

SPC Timothy Day Did you have something insightful to add, or just down voting for sport?

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 29 at 2014 12:27 PM

2014-06-29T12:27:38-04:00

How about we start weighting votes based on IQ? Say, a 120 or higher IQ gets you 1.5 votes and a 100 or below gets you .75 votes? Or how about we have a quiz on current events as a qualifier? I'm being facetious, obviously.

Response by CMDCM Gene Treants made Aug 12 at 2014 7:07 PM

2014-08-12T19:07:16-04:00

Jay Leno may have said it best, "If God wanted us to vote, he would have given us candidates."

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 16 at 2014 3:05 PM

2014-11-16T15:05:52-05:00

Robert Heinlein would be proud!

Response by Capt Richard I P. made Nov 16 at 2014 3:16 PM

2014-11-16T15:16:50-05:00

As many have said Robert A. Heinlein explores this idea to great effect in his book Starship Troopers, which I strongly recommend. Just about the only way it could be implemented is how he arranges it in his books history.

The idea, while initially pleasing is overridden by my distrust of concentrated power. Any time a minority is disenfranchised over the long term it will become victimized. Balanced, minimal and decentralized power minimizes harm as much as possible, thus, a Constitutional Democratic Republic with as wide a franchise as possible is the least harmful.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 17 at 2014 9:41 AM

2014-11-17T09:41:43-05:00

If you aren't pulling on an oar, why should you have the right to steer the boat? Voting isn't a "right", it's a RESPONSIBILITY, and those exercising it need to have accepted some responsibility before they are allowed to accept this one.

JFK's most famous statement (which you NEVER hear anymore), "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country."

It should be illegal to starve in America, unless that is your choice, but that doesn't mean we owe people a color TV and a cell phone.

To your list, I'd add police officers, firemen, doctors and nurses.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 1 at 2015 6:50 PM

2015-03-01T18:50:26-05:00

Our government couldn't afford that many direct employees. You want to talk about big government, cause that is it! That being said . . . If we could I think it would be epic. Give some character or life experience to people who would not have had the opportunity otherwise.