Ban the over 50's from Voting

Wow, what a way to give youth a bad name. I may be only in my 20's myself, but I have colleagues who are over 50, some of them approaching 70 in fact! They're all competent with technology, from facebook use to computer programming and using/designing various computer modelling systems. That's just a small example.

Age is no determining factor of mental capacity - to suggest so is absurd, and offensive. Yes, perhaps the conductors of these polls/surveys should not be so biased in the presentation of their results, but that is no fault of the voters.

reply to post by angus1745


Really? Deny the vote to those with the most world experience? Doesn't make sense. I have a better idea.
Require all voters to pass a simple civics and current events test. Additionally anyone who pays no taxes or is on the government dole should not be allowed to vote.

reply to post by SevenThunders


Just a thought, what would happen in a major economic meltdown? The same people you are now advocating losing their rights instead of yours will be the majority of the population. This is a clear cut case of advocating for feudalism. Lords, kings and the like. Rich landowners (corporations) ruling the peasants who work the land and now their factories. Hey it's not feudalism, it's now called capitalism and it's happening now.

Our money becomes worth less and less. It was done at a slow pace through inflation until recently as people wonder why the same amount of work results in less and less pay as corporations tighten their grip. They don't care about incremental steps any more. If you don't like it..they simply move the jobs overseas. They'll be back when the american people are not so demanding anymore. We'll beg for any job that will put food on the table. Who knows, maybe america will become a third world nation in the future and we'll see how it feels on the other side of prosperity.

I shudder at the thought because the US gov is trying to require voter ID in what I think is their attempt to take more power away from the lower caste/class. What is your purpose in joining a conspiracy site? Haven't you learned anything since you've been here?

warning; incoming rant about senior citizens.....

It's hard not to feel that old people are preventing change - and wasting a lot of money.

I know some relatives who brag constantly of their medicare part a and b and they run to the doctor 5-6 times a week even though they are fairly healthy - going to ER everytime they have an ache in their shoulders even though they KNOW they have arthritis in their shoulders - in front of younger family members with NO insurance and no hope of getting any. I'm middle aged, but it burns me UP to hear these old folks talk about 'kids these days' and how they are a bunch of lazy no good blah blah blah and don't work - but I KNOW these young folks and they've been kicked in the TEETH by this economy - there's not any freaking jobs and they've got huge debt from going to college or trying to.

The old folks have ALL the money around here. Young folks basically exist to serve them their food or carry their bags, and serve them their meds and wipe their butts when they get sick.

It wouldn't be so BAD but then they turn around and insult the younger folks, like you must be crap because when i was your age I worked night and day and I HAD health insurance.

But I know these folks and they didn't work night and day - they worked 5 days a week, no weekends, and didn't half work then. They were able to HIRE people to take care of their cars, homes, cut their hair, beauty shop visits for the women once a week - while the men ran up to the local health spa and to meetings and dinners with their good ol' boy friends. They all had a maid at least once a week.

It's really hard not to resent them. They don't seem to GET that all the manufacturing jobs that paid a decent wage are GONE, and that the lack of raises is NOT tied to poor performance. No one I know has had a raise in YEARS - in fact, around here, most people have taken 15-50% CUTS in pay.

reply to post by hadriana

umm....I'm under 55 but over 50......
I waited over close to a year while crapping blood, lost around 30 pounds because I couldn't eat much of anything during that time.....before I went and took care of the hernia that was causing the problem!! heck, I'm lucky I can walk even......ya, I've really been running to the doctor for every ache and pain!!!
how many are running their kids to the doctor every time they sneeze, or run a fever??? on the taxpayer dime???
ya, the job market is crap, got news for ya, it's been crap since the 70's, but well, it's just been getting progressively worse....we've been griping about it, but well.....
outsourcing, according to the experts, is good for the economy....ya, that turned out real good, didn't it???
there is nothing that you have stated about those over 50 that you cannot say about the younger generation...
they don't want to pay child support, let the taxpayer foot the bill for their kids.....
the just want to stay home and pop the babies out...let the taxpayer foot the bill...
then well, they will just play musical room mates and keep it all hush hush, and all live off the taxpayer's money!!!
hey, let's all play the game!!!! let the tax.....wait a minute here, we are running out of taxpayers here!!!
now, who, in your opinion, should be the taxpayers, 70, 80, 90 year olds who've already spent over 60 years working and paying thier dues, or younger men and women, who have just decided that working wasn't their cup of tea???

reply to post by hadriana
You're talking about my parent's generation not mine. I'm 52 and have busted my butt my whole life and all I have is debt, debt, debt. From putting myself through college, to everything else out there that comes at you, I can't make enough to get out of debt. I never had anybody do anything for me.

Click here for more information.

reply to post by Realms


You posted:

Not a bad idea, considering most over 50 are disgruntled and half brain dead anyhow. More of the problem than the solution. Not to mention a burden on the tax payer with social welfare programs. Had they been all " knowing and wise ", they would have prepared for their own retirement and not been depended on others to support them.

Its not the role or the job of the USG to support those who retire.

Source
I responded with:

I sure hope you're not old enough to vote! Nothing in your post indicates that you are, so I reckon I'm relieved.

"Its not the role or the job of the USG to support those who retire.":
If you're referring to "Social Security", I suggest that you learn what it is first. Otherwise you are going to prove, beyond a doubt, that you are the fool that I already think you are.

I don't feel so disgruntled... perhaps I'm only tired of listening to the bray of self proven jack asses. That seems to fit in your case!

Before you start calling people "brain dead", you might consider your own lack of intellect first. Your ill informed "mini rant" is very telling...

See ya,
Milt

Source
Shortly thereafter you claimed:

Indeed, that Benreclused person actually thinks its the job of others to establish a retirement for him/her, much less medical attention. It is not the function of the tax payers, or the USG to provide financial aid for their retirement. That was a responsibility left up to him/her, which they clearly failed to do so.

What further solidifies his/her arrogance is the mere fact that he/she wanted to defend SS, a system which has failed since its induction, not to mention, the funds have already been spent prior to the collection of the taxes.

We have individuals like that able to vote? Thats scary!

Source
The above sequence shows that you intentionally distorted what I had said, and absolutely proves you to be a liar.

This translates to:
Hee-haw, hee-haw, hee-haw...

What do you reckon that shows?

You've been busted dude! Get over yourself!

Milt

Originally posted by hadriana
warning; incoming rant about senior citizens.....

It's hard not to feel that old people are preventing change - and wasting a lot of money.

Actually, you know what, I completely agree with this. But wasting money is not exclusive to the age group. I also know a 17 year old kid who, for the last 2 years, has gotten himself 4 different android devices, 2 ipads, the home has 2, not 1 50" plus TV's, and the mother has a year old car (not a BMW, but not a corolla either).

The kid works at burger king while going to school and the mother is a administrative assistant who makes a meager income. Not rich but not poor either. The father, is nowhere to be found, and she is in her late 30's. They are always crying about life treating them unfairly, the mother screaming "it's my time now!", and that they never have any money.

Now, I'm 45, and I see this as GROSSLY irresponsible on BOTH the kid and the parent....so where will that cycle end of irresponsible spending? It won't as there is no guidance to an alternative.

Originally posted by hadriana
I know some relatives who brag constantly of their medicare part a and b and they run to the doctor 5-6 times a week even though they are fairly healthy - going to ER everytime they have an ache in their shoulders even though they KNOW they have arthritis in their shoulders - in front of younger family members with NO insurance and no hope of getting any. I'm middle aged, but it burns me UP to hear these old folks talk about 'kids these days' and how they are a bunch of lazy no good blah blah blah and don't work - but I KNOW these young folks and they've been kicked in the TEETH by this economy - there's not any freaking jobs and they've got huge debt from going to college or trying to.

Me too, in fact, my mother is ONE of those that abuse the system precisely as you have described.... and I constantly yell at her in a manner thusly: "What the hell are you going to the effin doctor for when there is nothing wrong with you? Go there when you're sick! You cant escape death."

My firm belief on this mindset is, that, precisely what they DO believe is that they can escape death. Likely, as you start to approach end of life, you begin to realize your mortality and it hits like a ton of bricks...

It is an egregious waste of money and resources to be sure....but I can't help but to wonder if at a certain age, is it all that one has left? If it is, perhaps all we need do is give them something else to focus attention on, like,say, preserving a lifestyle for another generation....BUT, you know what, I find that as they age even further, their desire to "get involved" diminishes to a point of obscurity, and life becomes one of selfishness (not in all cases, but for the most part).

Originally posted by hadriana
The old folks have ALL the money around here. Young folks basically exist to serve them their food or carry their bags, and serve them their meds and wipe their butts when they get sick.

The old folks dont have ALL the money, they have just had longer to accrue it. They have cash, the younger generation has debt. I'm not sure there is a real difference anymore...there USED to be, but cash has lost it's efficacy, and debt has become the new cash. It's a backwards situation, if you DONT have debt, then you cant live.....but THEY didn't cause that, we (all of us) caused it by the desire to live beyond our means....(see the mother and 17 year-old above).

Originally posted by hadriana
It wouldn't be so BAD but then they turn around and insult the younger folks, like you must be crap because when i was your age I worked night and day and I HAD health insurance.

Agreed, absolutely.

Originally posted by hadriana
But I know these folks and they didn't work night and day - they worked 5 days a week, no weekends, and didn't half work then. They were able to HIRE people to take care of their cars, homes, cut their hair, beauty shop visits for the women once a week - while the men ran up to the local health spa and to meetings and dinners with their good ol' boy friends. They all had a maid at least once a week.

LOL yes, it seems a rite of passage that, as the AGE value increases, so does the extent to which they have suffered and labored. Weird phenomenon.

Originally posted by hadriana
It's really hard not to resent them. They don't seem to GET that all the manufacturing jobs that paid a decent wage are GONE, and that the lack of raises is NOT tied to poor performance. No one I know has had a raise in YEARS - in fact, around here, most people have taken 15-50% CUTS in pay.

Yes, it is exponentially hard not to resent them! I couldn't agree more. But we, as a tolerant society need to make room for exception in some cases and realize the GRANDER scheme, the rights we have as citizens should supersede our desire to castigate them for their shortcomings.

Overall, when I AM over 50, I would still rather have the right to vote AGAINST my peers who DO abuse these same resources, than sit back and watch them do it without any measure of recourse.

reply to post by SevenThunders


Hi SevenThunders,
While your idea may look good on the surface, you don't have to "dive" very deep to find problems with it.

As far as the the "simple civics and current events test" is concerned:
Lousy drivers get driver's licenses every day. Just because one might have a license, it certainly doesn't ensure that one will drive responsibly. I don't feel it would be any different if testing were required for one to vote.

Would you really want to deny the blind, those that have had severe polio, those that have other severe physical disorders, and etc, the right to vote. The problem is not them! It's the ones that abuse the system that need to be dealt with. My last comment applies to them.

If anyone should be denied the right to vote, I sincerely believe it should be those that are convicted of serious felonies.

See ya,
Milt

reply to post by BenReclused


* Sigh *

You have yet to prove with any viable evidence that my claims of the Constitutionality of the discussed programs. But what you have done is defended a series of programs that you obviously depend on.

Now if you refer to page 24, you will see what YOU said as well as what I said. And all the readers of this thread can see not only your dependence on the social welfare programs, but also your emotionally driven responses. Let my clue you in, emotionally driven responses does nothing to " make " your case. Do you have anything constructive to add that may refute my earlier claims in regards to the Unconstitutional social welfare programs? Or are you going to revert to personal attacks yet again?

You have done nothing for your argument. Facts to back up your claims? None
Evidence to support your basis of debate? None

I can keep this going all day if need be. My only question, that I will present to you yet again, and ill bring it down to your comprehension level: Do you believe that the social welfare programs of this country are Constitutionally sound?

A simple yes or no will suffice.

And as for this:

You've been busted dude! Get over yourself!

I think the readers know with whom has been busted?! Let me see....um...a person who uses the Constitution as his basis of argument, or the guy that has done nothing for his argument?

Safe to say sir, that it is you who has embraced ignorance....

Right .. people with an age over 50 will be banned from voting.

I sign that petition .. but only when people with single digit IQ's will be banned from posting new threads, like this one.

Deal ?

reply to post by Realms


Considering almost every one of your posts have related to the constitutionality of entitlement programs, and not the constitutionality of what age brackets should be allowed to vote, by default almost every one of your posts should have been removed as off-topic.

Bringing yet more evidence of the off-topic-ism's that you would have him perpetuate, adds even less to this discussion.

So, why don't you talk about the constitutionality of citizens over 50 being allowed to vote. Or don't you think the Constitution matters in that selective case?

reply to post by BenReclused


Hi Milt, sorry...have been away from the computer for a couple of days. Thanks for the message, I appreciate your thoughtfulness. Though not necessary, I accept your apology and offer my own for my reactionary replies. The ability to examine your own thoughts and show humility and vulnerablility shows that you are EXACTLY the kind of person who should be voteing.
Take notes people!!!!!

reply to post by alphabetaone


had you paid attention to my first response on page 24, you would see that I did address the 50 year age bracket. It was the actions of another poster, and his demise if I may add, which ever so slightly "derailed " the thread.

Bringing yet more evidence of the off-topic-ism's that you would have him perpetuate, adds even less to this discussion.

Considering most 50 year old individuals tend to base much of their thought process on retirement, medicare and medicaid, I 'd say a discussion in regards to the Constitutionality of said programs would be right on topic. Also putting into consideration, that those very same 50 year old people, tend to Vote when their dependency of social programs are threatened.

Perhaps a little less generalizations on your part, and alot more time invested into educating yourself, you might then " get " the picture.

reply to post by Realms


You claim:

You have yet to prove with any viable evidence that my claims of the Constitutionality of the discussed programs.

I haven't discussed any programs with you, so that would be a true statement. It's also an improper sentence, but anyway:
Congratulations! That's still a first for you!

It's not up to you (thankfully), or myself, to decide the constitutionality of any law, or program, in this country. That's up to the Supreme Court of the United States. If you don't like their decisions, fine, take it up with them. Not me!

But what you have done is defended a series of programs that you obviously depend on.

1) Show, by quoting from one of MY POSTS, where I have "defended a series of programs".
2) Kindly explain which programs you feel that I "obviously depend on".
3) Please explain why it's so obvious that I depend on those programs.

Now if you refer to page 24, you will see what YOU said as well as what I said.

In an effort humor you, I have referred to page 24, and I did indeed, confirm that you are a liar. Once again, for your convenience, here is your fabrication:

Indeed, that Benreclused person actually thinks its the job of others to establish a retirement for him/her, much less medical attention. It is not the function of the tax payers, or the USG to provide financial aid for their retirement. That was a responsibility left up to him/her, which they clearly failed to do so.

What further solidifies his/her arrogance is the mere fact that he/she wanted to defend SS, a system which has failed since its induction, not to mention, the funds have already been spent prior to the collection of the taxes.

We have individuals like that able to vote? Thats scary!

Source
Here are the 3 reasons you keep avoiding the above referenced statement:
1) You can't prove it!
2) You can't defend it!
3) You are a coward!

I can keep this going all day if need be.

I don't doubt that at all. You don't need to though. You've already proven that you have no sense of integrety, no sense of honesty, and well... absolutely no sense at all! YOU GO DUDE!

I wonder who keeps giving you a star for your garbage posts. Do you really have a "fan", or are you just being "slick"? I find the "fan" idea to be a little far fetched!

See ya,
Milt

Click here for more information.

reply to post by alpinestar


Hi alpinestar,

Thank you for posting back. Your comments, and the insight you expressed previously, really do mean a lot to me. I feel I have met a new friend.

Next time I get to vote, I'll be thinking of you. Even if you cancel my vote out, I'll still be hoping you are voting too!

Now I feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

See ya later my friend,
Milt

reply to post by BenReclused


Talk about an improper sentence?

In an effort humor you

Yeah, that's a real conquest isn't it?

You have refrained from addressing any of the questions presented to you. I have easily concluded you're " one of those " kinds or people that avoid the question, and spin everything you can.

Do you have the ability to conjure up a constructive thought that might answer any of the questions presented to you? Either A) you don't have the mental capacity, or B) you're one of those trolls that roams freely on the ATS boards, or C) both?

I say C!