Quote:
Originally Posted by afchic
So it doesn't fit the soldiers schedule. What about the fire department, the police department etc. I am sure there are many of them that would say they put it on the line everyday as well.
As far as your statement as to voting rights in the Constitution, that is one of the rights we as military members protect and defend. If we aren't protecting the right to vote for the President, I wonder what you think we are protecting. And why do you believe repealing the 17th Ammendment would give power BACK to the people? The 17th Ammendment actually gives the individuals in the state the right to elect their Senators, vice the State Legislature. How would repealing it do what you suggest?
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Yes, I agree with there being a great many individuals that "put it on the line" everyday, however, the military personnel are unique in as much as they are half way around the world or in route. That is the biggest element that I think lends credence to their being deserving of a few more days. The rule of "best laid plans" and all.
You could argue that if they were more disciplined in using their time wisely then they could surely vote early, but sometimes when your prepairing to be gone for a year or so, the time you WANT and SHOULD be disciplined in using, is that with your family. Voting gets put off. Not saying it makes it right, just that I couldn't fault someone for wanting to spend every waking second with their kids, wife and family, verses going down to the clerks office.
But I digress. As early as 1828 Congress and incoming President Andrew Jackson called for direct popular election of United States Senators
AND PRESIDENTS. Senators were appointed by state legislatures, a practice that would remain unchanged until the Progressive Era of the early Twentieth Century. Ratified by three-quarters of the states, the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution provided for two Senators “from each state", and while the system prior to ratification of the 17th amendment, was thought of as corrupt because it often allowed "pole taxes", disenfranchising the poorer elements of society I know, but the key thing it did well I thought was it didn't allow just anyone with a pulse to walk into a poling place and vote for the President at all, and only allowed the individual to vote for their state legislators, this made the legislators be MUCH more directly responsible to his constituency, and less able to hide behind the excuse of "well theres nothing we can do until the next election, the people elected this president".
The ratification of the 17th amendment, while well intended I'm sure, had the direct opposite effect of government by the people and for the people in the sense that it made it virtually impossible to have your voice (individually or as a group) being heard. Try and get an appointment with the president to voice your opposition to whatever new legislation he may be representing, you can't. But you can with a local legislator. THAT simple as it may sound proposition IMHO, is a much better way to have the peoples voice heard. The guy in Washington doesn't have to give you time, the guys in your state capitol do.
I think that instead of using "polling taxes", as they did prior to the 17th's ratification, there should be a minimal civics test in order to qualify to vote, and it be something similar to what we now have in place for newly patriated citizens. If you don't have a basic, conceptual understanding of free market capitolism, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and be able to name the sitting President, VP, Sec of State, Sec of Defense, etc, then you aren't paying enough attention to the situation that is at hand and in need of understanding in order to vote. IMHO
We have certain segment of our population, unfortunately, that have made careers out of voting in a manor that is easily pandered to, putting our government and its system in a severe downward spiral because they have found a way to vote themselves a pay check and other benefits, and all they have to do is vote for a particular president.
And, lastly, and at the risk of being completely misunderstood, I believe that my dear Grandmother was right when she said "the biggest governing mistake men ever made was allowing women to vote, because they vote with an ever changing heart, not their head".