Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Do We Need to Rethink the Right to Vote?


In the wake of the presidential election, there's been a lot of commentary on both the left and the right about what the results say about the American electorate, and what it means for the future. Much of the commentary has revolved around the simple concept of voting, the right of each citizen to express his or her opinion, which is one of the bedrock principles of our democracy. 


Our cherished right to vote is now a political football, with most Republicans advocating more limits and most Democrats favoring more rights. The Constitution, surprisingly enough, says almost nothing about voting, most of the discussion of voting rights taking place in the amendments, most importantly:

- The 14th Amendment, which sets the right to vote to "male citizens 21 years of age" (changed by Section 1 of the 26th Amendment);
 
- The 15th Amendment, which forbids denying or abridging the right to vote on the basis of "color, race, or previous condition of servitude;" 

- The 19th Amendment, which forbids denying or abridging the right to vote "on account of sex;" 

- The 24th Amendment, which forbids denying or abridging the right to vote "by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax;" and,

- The 26th Amendment, which forbids denying or abridging the right to vote to citizens over 18 "on account of age." 

Voting rights have generally been delineated and ensured by federal law, most importantly the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was readopted and strengthened in 1970, 1975, and 1982. The Supreme Court struck down parts of the act in the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision, allowing states to enact new and more restrictive voter identification and registration laws.

I think no one would credibly argue that every eligible US citizen has the right to vote in federal or state elections, and that laws which "deny or abridge" their freedom to do so are unconstitutional. 

They have the right to vote ... but should they?

I've been pondering this heretical question since Der Furor's return to power in the 2024 general election, for several reasons.

One reason is based on personal experience. I work as a precinct-level Election Officer (EO) here in Virginia, and as such I'm sworn to uphold all federal and state election laws. In this month's election, another EO and I were trying to register* a US citizen couple who were Vietnamese and spoke only minimal English. Usually, this is not an issue, as our ballots and related voting materials are printed in multiple languages (English, Spanish, Korean, and Vietnamese - the major languages in our county); however, these people were completely unable to understand either the voter registration forms or their provisional ballots. We had to scramble to find a Vietnamese interpreter approved by the Department of Elections and get him on the phone to help these people understand what they were doing. They eventually cast their provisional ballots.

Here's the issue: as US citizen residents of Virginia over the age of 18 and not previously convicted of a felony, these people met every legal qualification to vote. But, given that they were unable to understand either their voter registration forms or their ballots without serious linguistic assistance, should they have voted? Did they fully understand what they were signing and what the implications were? Were they ready to exercise not just their right to vote, but their (implied) duty to understand what they were voting for? Sadly, I don't think they were.

Here's another, related issue: since the election there have been voluminous reports in the news media featuring voters who were utterly uninformed about the major issues surrounding the election, in particular the state of the economy and the effect on it of each party's proposals. For instance, many voters interviewed did not know what a "tariff" is, who pays for it, and how it might affect the US economy. There was also a profound ignorance of Constitution and the structure and function of government**, as well as the US role in the international community. As US citizens over the age of 18, these people were perfectly eligible to vote. But given this lack of understanding - particularly on the structure and powers of their own government - should they have voted?

So, here's my dilemma: I absolutely believe that every US citizen has both a right and a duty to vote. Each of us depends on the smooth operation of our government and the capabilities and integrity of the individuals we elect to represent our interests. But do voters make rational decisions when they don't understand the issues? When they don't speak English - or whatever language*** - well enough to understand not just issues, but implications? When they base their votes on simple bumper-sticker arguments free of context and nuance? When they lack the education or knowledge to evaluate the potential outcomes of the votes they cast?

I think the time has come not for limits on the absolute right to vote, but on the requirements we should consider implementing to ensure that prospective voters are ready to responsibly exercise their right. Here are some of the requirements I'd like to see ...

- A test of basic citizenship knowledge. A 2018 survey showed that two-thirds of native-born American citizens can't pass the 10-question citizenship test given to those seeking to become US citizens ... they don't understand our history, how our government is organized, or other facts one might expect the averagely-informed citizen to know. In part, this is because we no longer emphasize the teaching of history or basic civics in schools†. I don't think it's unreasonable to ask a voter who is a native-born US citizen to demonstrate the same level of basic knowledge about the nation, its government, and its history that we expect of those applying for citizenship. 

- A current events test. This doesn't need to be a deep-dive into the minutiae of the news††, but rather a simple test to reveal whether or not a prospective voter is at least passingly aware of events in the world and how his or her vote might affect them.

- I'd also like to see a basic literacy test - available not just in English, but in one of the other languages most commonly spoken in this country (generally Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, Arabic, and Chinese), but that's probably a political and social bridge too far, given our past experience with the use of literacy tests as a voter suppression tool and the damage done over the years to our public education system. I'm not quite sure how such a test would need to be designed, but it should at least indicate that the person can understand what he or she is voting for†††.

I understand that this suggestion will generate howls of outrage from both ends of the spectrum. Democrats/liberals/progressives will rage about new methods of voter suppression that will deny the vote to (mostly) black or underprivileged citizens. Republicans/conservatives/MAGAts will argue that it doesn't go far enough to "purify" voter rolls.

I think we need not just to insist on our rights, but to make sure we're able to intelligently exercise them. There's more to our rights, our government, and our role in the world than noisy defense of the Second Amendment.

What do you think? Leave a comment.

Have a good day. Enjoy both your rights and your responsibilities to the country that guarantees them. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

* It's legal to register to vote on Election Day under Virginia law in appropriate circumstances. A person who registers on Election Day may cast a provisional ballot which is counted only after their registration has been approved by the Board of Elections.

** A shortcoming also found in some elected members of Congress.

*** Contrary to what many people believe, English is not the official national language of the United States, but as it is the most widely spoken, it is generally considered the de facto national tongue. Some states have designated English as their official language.

† Largely because of disagreements on how our history should be presented ("cleaned up" or "warts and all") and what the actual meaning of the Constitution is (consider the current scrum over the separation of church and state).

†† It's foolish to ask a question like "Who is the current prime minister of Zamboanga?," but it's certainly appropriate to ask a question like, "Name two major US trading partners," "who are your sitting Senators and your Representative?," or "name at least one country outside the United States where US troops are stationed."

††† Unfortunately, given that a lot of the things that we're asked to vote on (like bond issues or constitutional amendments) are written in  convoluted legal language, I'm not sure that the best-intentioned of linguistic experts will be able to design an appropriate test. 

Sunday, November 17, 2024

Musical Sunday


I'm tired of satire and dread, so it's time to dig down into the collection and bring back some of my favorite songs. This one goes back a few years - the Cowboy Junkies, featuring the gorgeous voice of lead singer Margo Timmons ...


The melody is beautiful and the song is both haunting and tender. Here are the lyrics, if you want to follow along:

He searched for those wings that he knew
That this angel should have at her back
And although he can't find them
He really don't mind
Because he knows they'll grow back
And he reached for that halo that he knows
That she had when she first caught his eye
Although his hand came back empty
He's really not worried
'cause he knows it still shines

I can't promise that I'll grow those wings
Or keep this tarnished halo shined
But I'll never betray your trust
Angel mine

I search all the time on the ground
For our shadows cast side by side
Just to remind me that I haven't gone crazy
That you exist and are mine
And I know that your skin is as warm and as real
As that smile in your eyes
But I have to keep touching and smelling
And tasting for fear it's all lies

I can't promise that I'll grow those wings
Or keep this tarnished halo shined
But I'll never betray your trust
Angel mine

Last night I awoke from the deepest of sleeps
With your voice in my head
And I could tell by your breathing
That you were still sleeping
I repeated those words that you had said

I can't promise that I'll grow those wings
Or keep this tarnished halo shined
But I'll never betray your trust
Angel mine

Have a good day and enjoy the rest of your weekend. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

Saturday, November 16, 2024

Cartoon Saturday


The news isn't likely to get any better any time soon, so we might as well just get on with it ...

In one of the more insanely provocative political moves in American history, Der Furor announced he will nominate flamethrowing, grandstanding, and totally unqualified Florida Representative Matt Gaetz to be Attorney General; the satirical news organization The Onion, with the assistance of the Sandy Hook families, has purchased the assets of disgraced InfoWars founder Alex Jones; in the national capital of Brasilia, a man who tried to blow up Brazil's Supreme Court is believed to have been killed by his own bomb; GOP representative Michael McCaul, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was briefly detained at Washington Dulles International Airport and charged with being drunk in public; and in Iran, the fundamentalist Islamic regime has set up a mental health clinic to "treat" women who refuse to wear approved Islamic clothing, to be overseen by the country’s Headquarters for Enjoining the Good and Forbidding the Evil ... a speaker for the new clinic said it would promote “dignity, modesty, chastity, and hijab,” and that attendance would be “optional” ... in Washington, a spokesman for House Speaker Mike Johnson said that a Congressional delegation would visit Iran soon to examine the feasibility of establishing such clinics in the United States to enforce government-approved religious liberties.  

This week, no theme ... just a selection of random cartoons from my yet-to-be-filed folder:

My last phone call with our financial advisor ... 


Some of these just hit the spot on the right day ...


Ah, yes - I sometimes get calls like that ...


A flashback to my time in the dating pool ...


If Der Furor ever ends up answering for his actions ...


Make it a double ...


We're goin' old-school ...


There seems to be a lot of this going around ...


Too bad there's no supply chain disruption on this one ...


Not if Der Furor has anything to say about it ...


And that's it for this week's no-theme Cartoon Saturday ... I hope it gave you a few chuckles.

Have a good day and a great weekend, and come back tomorrow when Musical Sunday brings back The Cowboy Junkies. More thoughts then.

Bilbo

Friday, November 15, 2024

The Left-Cheek Ass Clown for November, 2024


As I've noted before, this is a month which, due to the vagaries of the calendar, affords us the opportunity to present not two, but three Ass Clown Awards. We're already one ahead, since I presented an out-of-cycle special award last week, but this is not a time to slack off.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers, I have decided to designate as 

The Left-Cheek Ass Clown for November, 2024


The Democratic Party


Seldom (if ever) in our history has a political party done such a colossally poor job of reading the mood of the voters and so decisively lost an election that was theirs to win. I have presented this award to the Republican Party a towering 18 times (including three Ass Clown of the Year Awards), as well as to individual Republicans and subsets and conservative spinoffs of the party. This time the Democrats - who have one this award three times, twice in joint awards with the GOP*) - stand head and shoulders above all competition.

The autopsies and recriminations about what happened will go on for years, but a few things are clear, at least to me:

1. American voters have short memories, and have shut out the chaos, ineptitude, corruption, brutality, illegality, and crass buffoonery of Der Furor's first term;

2. American voters always blame the party currently in power for their woes, rightly or wrongly; 

3. Democratic focus on Der Furor's manifest unfitness for office caused the campaign to ignore issues that were of more immediate importance to the electorate (such as the visibly, painfully high cost of food, gas, and housing); 

4. Democrats put too much emphasis on a wish list of issues important to hardcore progressives but unpopular with or irrelevant to most Americans (such as transgender issues and rights for illegal immigrants); 

5. The Democrats overestimated American electorate's interest in some foreign policy issues (such as Ukraine) and underestimated it in others (such as the war in the Middle East, which pissed off both Arab and Jewish voters, both of whom blamed the sitting administration for not siding with them); and,

6. The average American, being woefully ignorant of economics, trade issues, and world affairs, turned to the party that offered satisfyingly simplistic solutions and told them what they wanted to hear, and shut out the party that didn't do a good enough job of presenting accurate, if unpleasant truths.

One hopes that from the smoldering wreckage of the Democratic Party will arise a new, better focused, and more realistic party ready to improve the lives of everyday Americans and clean up the economic and international political disaster that Der Furor will leave in his wake. This has been the job of the Democratic party through our recent history ... cleaning up the mess.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers, the tinfoil and toilet paper crown designating November's Left-Cheek Ass Clown goes to the Democratic Party. The GOP will claim it back soon enough.

Have a good day and come back tomorrow for Cartoon Saturday - you know you need it.

More thoughts then.

Bilbo

* September, 2011 (shared with the GOP); October 2018 Left-Cheek (shared with the GOP); and November 2021 Right-Cheek (solo award).

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

One Week Later



The world changed one week ago today, when not only the Electoral College total but the popular vote in the American presidential election went to the most manifestly unfit creature imaginable. Since then, I have kept asking myself where we went wrong.

On the day after the election, my friend Trang sent me this insightful article by Carlos Lozada: "Stop Pretending [Der Furor] Is Not Who We Are." Contrary to President Biden's insistent refrain that "this is not who we are," it is now obvious, as Mr Lozada eloquently explains, that it is who we are.

And my friend Mike pointed me to another sad, but important article, this one by Democratic strategist Max Burns: "America Will Regret Its Decision to Reelect Donald Trump."  

These two articles are both long, but offer important insights into what happened and why we allowed it to do so. They say what I had wanted to say in my own words in this post, so I hope you will take the time to read them and think deeply about what they say about today's America ... about who we are, the choices we've made, and why we made them. 

We've done it to ourselves, just as millions of Germans did in the 1930s. In the words of the famous (if controversial) curmudgeon and commentator Henry L. Mencken, which I quoted in the Ass Clown Special Award I presented last week,

"Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard."

We will. Unfortunately, the cost of the bitter lesson will be paid not only by those deluded into voting for one of the most awful human beings ever to draw breath, but by the rest of us, too.

It's going to be a long four years, and the education will be tough.

Have a good day. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo
 

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Poetry Sunday


I'm a father of three - two boys and one girl - and grandfather of six, four of whom are girls. This poem speaks to all fathers and grandfathers, not only those of girls ...

For Fathers of Girls
by Stephen Dunn

          for Susanne

When sperm leaves us
and we cockadoodledo
and our wives rise like morning

the children we start
are insignificant as bullets
that get lodged, say,

in a field somewhere
in the midwest.
If we are thinking then

it is probably of sleep
or the potency of rest, or
the one—hand catch we made

long ago at the peak of our lives.
Later, though, in a dream
we may imagine something in the womb

of our heads, neither boy nor girl,
nothing quite so simple.
But when we wake, our wives are

breathing like the wounded
on the whitest street in the world.
We are there

we are wearing conspicuous masks
for the first time,
our eyes show the sweat

from our palms.
Suddenly we are fathers
of girls: purply, covered with slime

we could kiss. There's a cry,
and the burden of living up
to ourselves is upon us again.


I'm not sure how well I've lived up to myself, but I hope history's judgement will be kind.

Have a good day and enjoy the rest of your weekend. Love your children, especially the girls ... in the next few years, I think they'll probably need it more than ever.

More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

Saturday, November 09, 2024

Cartoon Saturday


Do you think we can cancel our subscriptions to 2024?

In a stunning event that called the collective national IQ into question, Der Furor was elected once again to the presidency he already spent four years debasing ... to no one's surprise, Russian President Vladimir Putin was quick to congratulate his protege on the victory; police are hunting for 43 monkeys who escaped from a South Carolina research facility after a keeper left their pen open; the Russian parliament’s committee on Family Protection, Paternity, Maternity and Childhood, is studying a petition to establish a "Ministry of Sex" to help remedy the country’s low birth rate and replace men killed in the war in Ukraine; and in England (not Florida, go figure) a pub has been forced to change its name from "The Midget" (after an iconic MG car) to "The Roaring Raindrop" (another historic MG car) after more than 1,000 people signed a petition claiming "midget" was "a form of disablist hate speech ... that should be consigned to the history books."

This week, instead of the usual cartoons, I thought I'd dip into the deep well of memes that have made me chuckle over the past year ... 

Anyone else? ...


I know a great many people to whom this applies ...


Good decision ...


This is spot-on ...


If you find this place, send me the contact information right away ...


I need one with a bigger hood and a larger hose ...


It makes you wonder, doesn't it? ...


This is how my journal often reads ...


Indeed ...


This one will be funnier for history buffs like me, but trust me - it's hilarious ...


And a disappointing week swirls down the drain of history to the accompaniment of - I hope - a few chuckles.

Have a good day and a great weekend, and come back tomorrow for Poetry Sunday ... more thoughts then.  

Bilbo

Friday, November 08, 2024

Great Moments in Editing and Signage


I'm sure we could all use a lift after the events of the past Tuesday, and so here is our first collection of Great Moments in Editing and Signage for November ...

A similar robbery took place some years ago at the credit union where Agnes worked ...


The graffito says, "please don't season the pigeons" ...


Never try to rob a lady who milks goats ...


Ya think? ...


Well, that makes sense in view of the election results ...


I suppose not ...


As floor shows go, it leaves a bit to be desired ...


Um ... the price is okay, but I think I'll shop somewhere else ...


I can think of one reason ...


It's a long time to wait to get ahead ...


That's enough for now ... I need to keep enough material on hand to cheer us up for the next four years.

Have a good day and be sure to come back tomorrow for Cartoon Saturday. You know you need it.

More thoughts then.

Bilbo

Wednesday, November 06, 2024

Ass Clown Special Award


In 1966 Dick Tuck, a notorious political consultant and trickster, was soundly defeated in his race for the California State Senate. As the results came in and his defeat appeared certain, Mr Tuck was memorably quoted as saying, "The people have spoken ... the bastards."

The bastards have spoken again, and so it is that I take a moment on this otherwise beautiful NoVa day to present an

Ass Clown Special Award


 to

The American Electorate


America is a nation where everyone is free to vote based on their beliefs, their conscience, and their susceptibility to fear, chicanery, bribery, and desire for religious and political dominance. A large segment of the population has voted its fears, and will take the rest of us along with it.

I have led a very good life. Part of it was the good fortune to be born into a loving and supportive family in a time of prosperity and optimism. I had a good military and civilian career and worked hard to provide a good quality of life for my family. I understand that many others did not enjoy my advantages and, in fact, may well have resented it. These people were easily swayed by a demagogue who promised them what they wanted and who enjoyed largely unchallenged freedom to campaign on a platform of lies and distortions.

The American Electorate has returned to office a man whose plans for a dystopian American future were clearly spelled out in the infamous Project 2025. Famous American journalist and curmudgeon H. L. Mencken once said, "Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard."

Well, they will.

I will try to remain optimistic in the face of massive evidence for pessimism. I will hope - against all evidence - that there will remain enough adults in government to temper the worst excesses of Der Furor's new regime.

But I will also remain realistic about the future, and so should you.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers, I present an Ass Clown Special Award to The American Electorate, which has voted to return to power a man singularly unfit to wield it, supported by a party ignorant of the dark road down which it leads the nation.

Good luck.

Have a good day and try to remain positive. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

Tuesday, November 05, 2024

Election Day



It's finally here.

All the tens of millions of dollars wasted on misleading attack ads, signs, flags, rallies, and stupid hats have come down to this day on which we will decide the future direction of the nation.

It's 3:30 AM as I write this; in an hour, I'll head to the precinct to serve as a county Officer of Election - one small cog in the huge and expensive machinery that ensures our elections are honest, secure, and scrupulously fair.

Don't listen to the ignorant dumbasses who scream "fraud!" when they don't win. The entire machinery of our election administration is designed to prevent fraud and chicanery, and it works. 

Vote, if you haven't already, and be confident that your vote will be counted. 

The future in which my grandchildren will live is, quite literally, in your hands.

Vote wisely.

Have a good day, and be sure your voice is heard. Vote.

More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

P.S. - Quit reading this and go vote.

B.