Right to Vote?

Should there be literacy tests?

I don't think there should be literacy tests. The questions on these tests may be difficult for some people to answer, I even have trouble answer some of them. The questions do not determine what a person may feel about which candidate they are voting for. The person can be voting for the person because they feel that they will benefit them. For example, if a person was mentally disabled and could not take the test but felt that the person they want to vote for is the best, why couldn't the cast a vote? I feel that the literacy tests are wrong and prejudice to people.

Tom Tancredo feels that we should reinstate literacy tests. He wants to reinstate them for specifically voters that "cannot spell the word vote or say it in English." Whether they are illetarate or cannot speak English, everyone has the right to vote. Voting is based on opinions of the people, and by taking the literacy tests it is stop people from giving there opinion and having a say in government. This is not right, and is not fair to the people.

Critical Thinking: Margaret Drabble

In 2001 The American Scholar published an excerpt from a talk given by English author Margaret Drabble. In the talk, Drabble claimed that "Our desire to conform is greater than our respect for objective facts."

My definition of conformity is opinions based on influences of others and objective facts are unbiased statements that are based on fairness and are not based on personal opinions. I agree with Drabble. I think that some people find it easier to "go with the flow" than face the facts. Instead of taking the time to face the facts and decide what's right and wrong, they follow others that they might see as "leaders" than do what they want. An example of this may be peer pressure. If someone is telling you do to something, you might follow because everyone else may be doing it.

Using The R-Word

I feel that the White House aide Rahm Emmanual was wrong for using the term "fucking retarded". It is wrong to refer to someone as being "retarded" because it comes offensive to mentally disabled peoples. It is even more wrong for someone like Rahm Emmanual, an American politician, to make this reference. We expect more from Rahm Emmanual. Using the word "retarded" is considered an insult rather than saying someone is mentally disabled, which can be a condition. Being mentally disabled is hard for the people its effecting, such as the people with the condition and also the people that may take care of them. This is a serious condition and by using in as an insult is inappropriate.