From a piece by Bob Barr:
Imagine if voter ID laws were as rigorous as gun regulations found in many of America’s major cities. In order to vote in such a scenario, citizens would be forced to take a day-long class (at a cost of $100 or more) about the basics of the U.S. government and electoral process. They then would be required to take a competency test (only available at inconvenient locations during normal working hours) on the current election’s issues. Finally, after paying a non-refundable processing fee of $100 to score the results, they would then be forced to wait months for the actual voter registration card — which could be rejected for any reason — to arrive in the mail. If a voter decided to seek the help of a tutor to help ensure his non-refundable processing fee was not wasted by a possibly failing grade, he would have to be prepared to shell out another $100.
Why not allow all voters to own guns?
Comments
7 responses to “What if rights were treated equally?”
If everyone owned a gun to many conservative republicans would get shot and where could they campaign without being shot? Also if everyone in ferguson missouri owned a gun the young black unarmed teenager would be lying shot dead on the road.
How about only allowing gun owners to vote?
hmmm…. there’s a plot for a science fiction story in that. Baen Books here I am.
Yet the onerous regulations apply to the right originally included in the Constitution while voting wasn’t added until almost 100 years later.
cap A,
If everybody in Ferguson had a gun? You’ve obviously never been to St. Louis.
@MMM:
Starship Troopers, maybe?
To paraphrase Eric Arthur Blair: All rights are equal, but some rights are more equal than others.
Just to stir it up –
How about restricting the franchise to gun owners. And they have the be dedicated owners, no Saturday night specials purchased the day before the election, quality goods only. And they should have to show proficiency with their weapon. Ideally the polling place would also include a shooting range. Voters have an option of voting normally, or just shooting pictures of the candidates they don’t want elected.
Actually, not all that far from the Swiss system. In fact, in some of the mountain cantons owning a sword is a requirement for voting, which they all do every two years gathered in the city square.
In the less mountainy parts the Swiss federal constitution mandates the issue of military weapons to all male citizens between 18 and 36 and they are required to maintain the weapon and demonstrate proficiency with it.