I see where CA has a policy of allowing just about anyone to vote regardless of citizenship.

The law itself requires citizenship but registers anyone with a driver's as a legal voter. Go figure. If that's not a way to nullify a law I do not know what is.

Actually I am more of a Heinlein type when it comes to citizenship. I don't believe in citizenship by birthright. I believe in citizenship through service and not just military service.

I was talking to a guy the other day that writes eight paychecks every week to his eight employees. He also carries the tab for 8 employees worth of health benefits for his employees. He's providing us a service. That ought to be good for something.

Several years ago I met a woman in Philly that had been a Vista Volunteer and had spent time back in the day working to teach youngsters a skill back in the late 60s. That ought to be good for something. 

I used to sail with a former smoke jumper that was stationed in the northwestern part of the country and had made numerous jumps into various wildfires in the western part of the country. The pay wasn't really all that good when you consider the risks but he was awfully proud of his service as a smoke jumper. That's worth something. It should also be noted that he had learned his parachuting skills as a member of the 82nd Airborne Division and that was military service which should be considered service, also.

I have known numerous volunteer firemen over the years and have also been one myself. Many of these guys have put themselves in harm's way for either little or nothing and many will continue to do so. Most of them train on their own time and many wind up paying for their training out of their own pockets either totally or partially. That ought to count as points towards good citizenship.

On the other hand there is BillyJoeBob sitting on the back porch of his Section 8 housing with a bottle of Boone's Farm wine doing absolutely nothing but taking money and goods from every government program he can find and mooching off the system. The fact that he is permitted to vote is a travesty of justice. It's a slam dunk that he'll simply support more for himself at the cost to those of us that support ourselves. Enough of his type on the voting rolls and the system will collapse in no time.

At the very very least in order to be allowed to vote a person should have a history of being a legitimate taxpayer and of putting something into the pot instead of having made a career of taking from everyone. It's ridiculous permitting people that drain the system to have a say in things.

Incidentally service doesn't end when an enlistment or other contract expires, either. A Navy Cross may certainly be good for something but it shouldn't mean a free ride for life. Even a Medal of Honor winner should be expected to continue to contribute somehow or another. Military or other service can get one through the door but a person should be required to keep on contributing one way or the other afterwards.

There was once a time in a lot of places where suffrage was restricted to landowners and that made sense because as landowners they actually had some skin in the game and had something to lose. On the other hand BillyJoeBob section 8 dweller really doesn't have anything to lose but the free lunch that is paid for by everyone else.

One could argue that restricting BillyJoeBob suffrage is unfair but is it? What has he done to have earned his right to say anything about what the government owes him because he hasn't done a thing to earn the right.

People will say that if suffrage is reduced to those with some skin in the game they will reduce welfare program and social programs. My answer to that is they have every right to say what they want government to do with their tax money. If they want to force BillyJoeBob to become self supporting that's OK. Maybe if BillyJoeBob is forced to get up off his ass he'd start making headway toward earning his citizenship and be able to legitimately gripe like the rest of us.

As for allowing illegal immigrants to vote?

No way in hell. Any non citizen caught voting should be jailed and deported and if they re-enter they should simply be executed.






To find out why the blog is pink just cut and paste this: http://piccoloshash.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-feminine-side-blog-stays-pink.html NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE WRITING OF TODAY'S ESSAY