I think poor people should be allowed to register to vote. I’m shocked that Matthew Vadum is saying we would be better off not voting. It is ridiculous for anybody to think that way. I think everybody should be allowed to vote rather they are poor or not. Matthew Vadum clearly doesn’t believe in democracy by the things he said during the interview. He thinks it is un-American to allow the poor to vote. I think it is un-American not to allow anybody to vote let along poor people. Everybody should get a chance to vote even if they are in poverty. We need more people to vote in this country, not less people to vote. Anyone that makes up their mind before hearing the issues is uninformed. I think Matthew Vadum is uninformed. Kevin246
I agree that they need more people to vote rather then less. Its like at the Summit of Hope how they had a booth where the people on parole or probation had the chance to register. They really push for anyone and everyone to vote now a days and I love that I get the chance to say who I want elected. No one should get denied that opportunity. kmoney246
I agree! We should all have the same right to vote equally. Doesn’t matter our race or gender, we should all get the same rights. What we each do with that right, choosing to go out and vote or not, is another story. I don’t think that voters should be limited. Bullardml13-246
I think that everyone should be allowed to vote and that no one should be dinied the right no matter their race, ethicity, gender, or finaiciall stability. It would be unamerican to deny anyone the right to vote. I would be highly unethical to refuse someone the that fundamental right, it would be taking a step back and hurt all of the cival progress we have made in the past. -Tyler246
I agree its very un-American to not let the poor vote. It doesn't make our country look good by taking that opportunity away and it almost reminds me of how in some places they don't let women vote. It made me mad hearing Matthew talk about how they shouldn't be using the tax dollars to get the people on welfare to vote and that its a waste. I see nothing wrong with them using tax money to help to get people to vote its a lot better then some of the things I've heard them spend that money on. For example, I read that they spent $750,000 on a soccer field at GITMO using our tax money which was not something that they needed at all. kmoney246
I disagree with Matthew Vadum about not letting the poor vote and that its fundamentally un-American. Everyone should be treated equally and to say that they shouldn't have the opportunity to vote is ridiculous. Just because they aren't as fortunate and are living in poverty doesn't mean that they shouldn't get the chance to have a say in who is elected. Having people vote is very important because US citizens are less likely to vote today then what it was like a century ago. In the book it talks about how in the 2000 presidential election only half of the people that signed up to vote went to the polls. Some of the people that I know that don't go to vote tell me its because they don't think it'll matter or make a difference, but getting the chance to have a say in who leads our country is a pretty big deal. Taking away voting to poor people will mean a lot less votes which isn't good. kmoney246
I agree, I can't understand how someone could think that way. This country is founded on freedom, liberty, and the ideals of equality and peace. From what I heard, I don't hear the equality part anywhere in there. No matter who you are or where you're from, anyone should be allowed to vote. We've all survived life up until now, so we deserve to vote on how our life will be affected in the future as well. -alterend246
I agree, everyone should be allowed to vote. It shouldn’t matter if they are poor or not. Matthew Vadum must hate freedom or something to say that the poor shouldn’t be allowed to vote. We need more people to vote, not less people to vote. We would have a better congress if more people voted. Kevin246
Everyone should have the right to vote. It shouldn't matter if they are white, black, orange, or purple. It shouldn't matter if they are rich, working class, or poor. Voting shouldn't discriminate against no one. Everyone should vote, that's why we are in a democracy. This country is the closest to a democracy. Voting is always a vote for the lesser of two evils; however, everyone deserves to vote none the less. The only difference between a poor person and a wealthy person is the status of their bank account. Everyone is equal so with that equality comes voting. Starburst246
Exactly! It may feel has though we are voting for the lesser of two evils, but we don’t really know until we make a choice to go out and vote. You shouldn’t be restricted to vote just because you are of a certain gender, race, or have a certain sexual orientation. Everyone deserves the same rights. Bullardml13-246
I agree I can't say it enough everyone's voice should be heard. How are we suppose to become a better country if we are only listening to the same people over and over nothing would change and no one would understand the struggle that some people face in their everyday life. It's sad. We are a democracy.
For every right there is a wrong, and for every ideal there is a conflicting ideal. But to insinuate that the poor shouldn't be allowed to vote is going a bit too far. Just because they are less fortunate, they can't have a say in how our country is run? Just because they don't have as much money as others excludes them from helping to shape our nation? The poor are just as much of a person as anyone else, having less money doesn't change that one bit. They have a voice, and their voice deserves to be heard. They struggle day by day just as much if not more than anyone else, that should merit them something other than scorn from those higher up. It shouldn't matter who you are, everyone is equal, and if that's the case then everyone should be allowed to vote based on that right. -alterend246
I think that everyone should be allowed the right to vote. America was founded on democracy, given when America was founded there were certain restrictions on who could vote. However, in today’s society I don’t think you should be denied the right to vote based on your race, gender, or financial situation. It’s sad that some think that they can’t make a difference by voting or not. How would one know without giving it a shot. We can’t change what we don’t try. Therefore, by not voting and sitting at home you can’t complain about the situation the country is in. Even on a more small scaled level. Our local representatives were elected by us. If you didn’t vote then you have no right to complain. By voting it gives us the freedom of choice. Maybe our one vote might not make all the difference, but if everyone gets out and votes it will make an impact. Bullardml13-246
I agree, that everyone should be allowed to vote. America was founded on being a democracy and because of that everyone should be allowed to vote. It shouldn’t matter if you’re a man, woman, black, white, rich or poor. Voting turnout is really low for local elections because we don’t let everyone vote. I think people in America are making it harder for people to vote. We should make it easier to vote, so more people will want to vote. Last year’s election was a prime example, of making it harder for people to vote. In swing states like Florida, they stopped early voting so they can make people wait in line. Early voting shouldn’t be taken way because Early voting makes it easier. Kevin246
I do not agree with Matthew Vadum as far as not wanting/allowing poor people to vote. I definitely think it gets a little scary when you start to take away people's rights like that. However, I do remember my Civics teacher in high school teaching us that voting was a privilege, not a right. I can see how he thinks it would be a good idea to stop paying for voter registration drives. I agree that if someone wants to vote than they will. I also agree that the definition of poverty and people on welfare has changed over time. Although there are people who really need the help and use it correctly, I do think there are some people who choose to use their resources for other things. Everyone should have the equal right to vote, but I don't know that its wrong to question how we spend our tax money. YellowSubmarine246
I agree with a lot of what you said especially what your teacher said about voting being a privilege and not a right. I think that if we took everyone’s right to vote away and gave them a chance to earn it back that it would be disappointing to see how many people don't even care whether they can or cannot vote. Of course it might have the opposite effect and get a patriotic revival where people start wanting to be a voice in this county like old timers can remember. I very rarely miss any election myself and on the occasions where I talk about politics with my peers they really don't take the time and invest in themselves to gaining the knowledge on candidates to even make an educated vote!! That’s why so much money has to be spent on elections. Candidates have to cram the info down your throat on the TV instead of you seeking out factual knowledge of them. It’s a shame that 100, 75, or even 50 years ago everyone had a thirst for knowing what was going on in the world of politics and today not to many people even care. Ethos246
I don't agree with anything this man was saying. He's saying that if you are on welfare or poor basically you should not be able to vote. He's saying that the tax dollars are being waisted on these people when they have every right to vote. These people have put money into our circulating tax system some type of way, shape, or form. Maybe they aren't paying property taxes or maybe they don't own a car, but I know for sure that they are eating and they have some type of clothes on their back. And in that case they have paid some type of taxes at some store. They are still helping circulate money through the system. He must have forgotten that we are a democracy everyone voice is intended to get heard not just a few hear and a few there. This man is so closed minded and ignorant you can't do anything but feel sorry for someone like him.
I thought that he was saying that tax dollars were being wasted on the voter registration drives. Which I think is an effort to bust the voter participation of people on welfare. Now if this is the case, then I do agree with that. Efforts to promote voter participation needs to cover everyone, not just the people on welfare. Personally I feel that funding would be better utilized be providing information on how to register, where to vote, but most importantly who are my options and what will they be trying to accomplish while in office and education on where this information can be found. Glide246
I personally think this Matthew is a obviously under educated idiot. I feel no matter what your social standing is that you should be allowed to vote. By his reasoning we would be leaving majority vote int he hands of the wealthy and obviously that isn't working out to well for us currently. I do agree that there are some people who take advantage of the system but not all people do. There is no clear way to define or catch who is purposely living off the system and who legitimately needs the help because of hardship. Its unfortunate that a distaste for people in poverty and on welfare is based on the actions of those who take advantage of the system. Not only do they give the wrong impression of welfare but they are taking from someone who probably sincerely need the help. mfroggyus246
I agree with your statement. Recently they have incorporated drug tests into the welfare process, and I have heard that it is saving the whole country, or maybe just this state, a tremendous amount of money. This is overdue by far, but I'm glad it's finally in effect. We can now use that money to either help bring us out of our national debt, or use it for some other good benefit. Gross246
I disagree with Matthew Vadum that people on welfare should not be allowed to vote. All United States citizens must have an equal right to vote. The exclusion of any one group erodes the validity of the remaining groups. The entire purpose of the voting process is to determine the desires of the majority of the population. I do agree somewhat with Matthew’s concern about voter registration drives. Again I find the issue to be the singling out of one group of people. If voter registration drives are to be performed these drives must be performed for all groups of society. I understand the importance to try to get everyone’s opinions for an election, but it is also that person’s right to not vote as well. Glide246
Why don't we have 100% turn out for elections? People don't take voting seriously especially the youth. Matthew is not the brightest crayon in the box but I'm betting he votes any chance he gets. He obviously thinks his opinion matters and voices it. If he didn't we wouldn't be talking about him right now. Some thing or someone needs to shake things up a bit in this country when it comes to voting though. We need to take it seriously and not take it for granted. Ethos246
Has anyone even looked at who votes and what percent? It is unreal how few people vote especially when you are talking about smaller local elections. Even with the presidential election it rarely over fifty percent of registered voters are voting. To me there should be some process to keep your voting rights. Once you are eighteen and of legal age to vote and you have registered, you should have to adhere to a policy. Something to the effect of being a "good" and "productive" citizen; which could mean that you cannot commit a felony or above for the "good" part and you will not be able to be on any type of governmental "help" program for the "productive" part. If you can meet both of those requirements for that voting term then you would be required to use your voting rights for at least seventy five percent of the elections for small local ones to large presidential ones and everything in-between to keep your right to vote. What is the point in being registered to vote and not voting...? So to reiterate, you will have to be a good, productive, citizen that does vote to be able to keep your right to vote. In the cases where someone falls onto hard times, like most of us do, and you lose your right to vote because of not meeting one of the three standards you will go into a probation period where you can earn back your voting rights after you have earned them. This will guarantee that people will take voting seriously. People had to fight and earn their right to vote back in the day! Today we just take all their blood, sweat, and tears to gain that right for granted; specifically women and minorities that had to work even harder than anyone else to get that right. That’s the way I think it should be. BOOM!! Ethos246
I would be surprised if Mr. Vadum didn't get a lot of hate mail for his arguments. Anyway, I believe everyone rich or poor, has the right to vote as an American citizen. It's what our country was built upon. Everyone having their own vote in who runs our government is the definition of democracy. However, I do not feel that we should force every registered voter to vote. I would rather one vote for no one rather than voting for one he does not support. In doing this though, they have less of a right to complain about who the current president is because they didn't vote. It can go both ways. The poor make up a huge population in America, and not letting them vote could be detrimental to one party or the other, causing different outcomes at elections. While we're on the topic, one thing I do not understand is the electoral college thing. I believe the votes should be done just by the people of the country. One vote per person. That's how it should be. All of our citizens deserve the right to vote, and it should be only those citizens to decide the outcome of our leader. After all the saying goes "by the people, for the people." Gross246
I think poor people should be allowed to register to vote. I’m shocked that Matthew Vadum is saying we would be better off not voting. It is ridiculous for anybody to think that way. I think everybody should be allowed to vote rather they are poor or not. Matthew Vadum clearly doesn’t believe in democracy by the things he said during the interview. He thinks it is un-American to allow the poor to vote. I think it is un-American not to allow anybody to vote let along poor people. Everybody should get a chance to vote even if they are in poverty. We need more people to vote in this country, not less people to vote. Anyone that makes up their mind before hearing the issues is uninformed. I think Matthew Vadum is uninformed.
ReplyDeleteKevin246
I agree that they need more people to vote rather then less. Its like at the Summit of Hope how they had a booth where the people on parole or probation had the chance to register. They really push for anyone and everyone to vote now a days and I love that I get the chance to say who I want elected. No one should get denied that opportunity. kmoney246
DeleteI agree! We should all have the same right to vote equally. Doesn’t matter our race or gender, we should all get the same rights. What we each do with that right, choosing to go out and vote or not, is another story. I don’t think that voters should be limited. Bullardml13-246
DeleteI think that everyone should be allowed to vote and that no one should be dinied the right no matter their race, ethicity, gender, or finaiciall stability. It would be unamerican to deny anyone the right to vote. I would be highly unethical to refuse someone the that fundamental right, it would be taking a step back and hurt all of the cival progress we have made in the past. -Tyler246
ReplyDeleteI agree its very un-American to not let the poor vote. It doesn't make our country look good by taking that opportunity away and it almost reminds me of how in some places they don't let women vote. It made me mad hearing Matthew talk about how they shouldn't be using the tax dollars to get the people on welfare to vote and that its a waste. I see nothing wrong with them using tax money to help to get people to vote its a lot better then some of the things I've heard them spend that money on. For example, I read that they spent $750,000 on a soccer field at GITMO using our tax money which was not something that they needed at all. kmoney246
DeleteI disagree with Matthew Vadum about not letting the poor vote and that its fundamentally un-American. Everyone should be treated equally and to say that they shouldn't have the opportunity to vote is ridiculous. Just because they aren't as fortunate and are living in poverty doesn't mean that they shouldn't get the chance to have a say in who is elected. Having people vote is very important because US citizens are less likely to vote today then what it was like a century ago. In the book it talks about how in the 2000 presidential election only half of the people that signed up to vote went to the polls. Some of the people that I know that don't go to vote tell me its because they don't think it'll matter or make a difference, but getting the chance to have a say in who leads our country is a pretty big deal. Taking away voting to poor people will mean a lot less votes which isn't good. kmoney246
ReplyDeleteI agree, I can't understand how someone could think that way. This country is founded on freedom, liberty, and the ideals of equality and peace. From what I heard, I don't hear the equality part anywhere in there. No matter who you are or where you're from, anyone should be allowed to vote. We've all survived life up until now, so we deserve to vote on how our life will be affected in the future as well.
Delete-alterend246
I agree, everyone should be allowed to vote. It shouldn’t matter if they are poor or not. Matthew Vadum must hate freedom or something to say that the poor shouldn’t be allowed to vote. We need more people to vote, not less people to vote. We would have a better congress if more people voted.
DeleteKevin246
Everyone should have the right to vote. It shouldn't matter if they are white, black, orange, or purple. It shouldn't matter if they are rich, working class, or poor. Voting shouldn't discriminate against no one. Everyone should vote, that's why we are in a democracy. This country is the closest to a democracy. Voting is always a vote for the lesser of two evils; however, everyone deserves to vote none the less. The only difference between a poor person and a wealthy person is the status of their bank account. Everyone is equal so with that equality comes voting. Starburst246
ReplyDeleteExactly! It may feel has though we are voting for the lesser of two evils, but we don’t really know until we make a choice to go out and vote. You shouldn’t be restricted to vote just because you are of a certain gender, race, or have a certain sexual orientation. Everyone deserves the same rights. Bullardml13-246
DeleteI agree I can't say it enough everyone's voice should be heard. How are we suppose to become a better country if we are only listening to the same people over and over nothing would change and no one would understand the struggle that some people face in their everyday life. It's sad. We are a democracy.
DeleteElbow-Knee_246
For every right there is a wrong, and for every ideal there is a conflicting ideal. But to insinuate that the poor shouldn't be allowed to vote is going a bit too far. Just because they are less fortunate, they can't have a say in how our country is run? Just because they don't have as much money as others excludes them from helping to shape our nation? The poor are just as much of a person as anyone else, having less money doesn't change that one bit. They have a voice, and their voice deserves to be heard. They struggle day by day just as much if not more than anyone else, that should merit them something other than scorn from those higher up. It shouldn't matter who you are, everyone is equal, and if that's the case then everyone should be allowed to vote based on that right.
ReplyDelete-alterend246
I think that everyone should be allowed the right to vote. America was founded on democracy, given when America was founded there were certain restrictions on who could vote. However, in today’s society I don’t think you should be denied the right to vote based on your race, gender, or financial situation. It’s sad that some think that they can’t make a difference by voting or not. How would one know without giving it a shot. We can’t change what we don’t try. Therefore, by not voting and sitting at home you can’t complain about the situation the country is in. Even on a more small scaled level. Our local representatives were elected by us. If you didn’t vote then you have no right to complain. By voting it gives us the freedom of choice. Maybe our one vote might not make all the difference, but if everyone gets out and votes it will make an impact. Bullardml13-246
ReplyDeleteI agree, that everyone should be allowed to vote. America was founded on being a democracy and because of that everyone should be allowed to vote. It shouldn’t matter if you’re a man, woman, black, white, rich or poor. Voting turnout is really low for local elections because we don’t let everyone vote. I think people in America are making it harder for people to vote. We should make it easier to vote, so more people will want to vote. Last year’s election was a prime example, of making it harder for people to vote. In swing states like Florida, they stopped early voting so they can make people wait in line. Early voting shouldn’t be taken way because Early voting makes it easier.
DeleteKevin246
I do not agree with Matthew Vadum as far as not wanting/allowing poor people to vote. I definitely think it gets a little scary when you start to take away people's rights like that. However, I do remember my Civics teacher in high school teaching us that voting was a privilege, not a right. I can see how he thinks it would be a good idea to stop paying for voter registration drives. I agree that if someone wants to vote than they will. I also agree that the definition of poverty and people on welfare has changed over time. Although there are people who really need the help and use it correctly, I do think there are some people who choose to use their resources for other things. Everyone should have the equal right to vote, but I don't know that its wrong to question how we spend our tax money. YellowSubmarine246
ReplyDeleteI agree with a lot of what you said especially what your teacher said about voting being a privilege and not a right. I think that if we took everyone’s right to vote away and gave them a chance to earn it back that it would be disappointing to see how many people don't even care whether they can or cannot vote. Of course it might have the opposite effect and get a patriotic revival where people start wanting to be a voice in this county like old timers can remember. I very rarely miss any election myself and on the occasions where I talk about politics with my peers they really don't take the time and invest in themselves to gaining the knowledge on candidates to even make an educated vote!! That’s why so much money has to be spent on elections. Candidates have to cram the info down your throat on the TV instead of you seeking out factual knowledge of them. It’s a shame that 100, 75, or even 50 years ago everyone had a thirst for knowing what was going on in the world of politics and today not to many people even care.
DeleteEthos246
I don't agree with anything this man was saying. He's saying that if you are on welfare or poor basically you should not be able to vote. He's saying that the tax dollars are being waisted on these people when they have every right to vote. These people have put money into our circulating tax system some type of way, shape, or form. Maybe they aren't paying property taxes or maybe they don't own a car, but I know for sure that they are eating and they have some type of clothes on their back. And in that case they have paid some type of taxes at some store. They are still helping circulate money through the system. He must have forgotten that we are a democracy everyone voice is intended to get heard not just a few hear and a few there. This man is so closed minded and ignorant you can't do anything but feel sorry for someone like him.
ReplyDeleteElbow-Knee_246
I thought that he was saying that tax dollars were being wasted on the voter registration drives. Which I think is an effort to bust the voter participation of people on welfare. Now if this is the case, then I do agree with that. Efforts to promote voter participation needs to cover everyone, not just the people on welfare. Personally I feel that funding would be better utilized be providing information on how to register, where to vote, but most importantly who are my options and what will they be trying to accomplish while in office and education on where this information can be found.
DeleteGlide246
I personally think this Matthew is a obviously under educated idiot. I feel no matter what your social standing is that you should be allowed to vote. By his reasoning we would be leaving majority vote int he hands of the wealthy and obviously that isn't working out to well for us currently. I do agree that there are some people who take advantage of the system but not all people do. There is no clear way to define or catch who is purposely living off the system and who legitimately needs the help because of hardship. Its unfortunate that a distaste for people in poverty and on welfare is based on the actions of those who take advantage of the system. Not only do they give the wrong impression of welfare but they are taking from someone who probably sincerely need the help. mfroggyus246
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement. Recently they have incorporated drug tests into the welfare process, and I have heard that it is saving the whole country, or maybe just this state, a tremendous amount of money. This is overdue by far, but I'm glad it's finally in effect. We can now use that money to either help bring us out of our national debt, or use it for some other good benefit.
DeleteGross246
I disagree with Matthew Vadum that people on welfare should not be allowed to vote. All United States citizens must have an equal right to vote. The exclusion of any one group erodes the validity of the remaining groups. The entire purpose of the voting process is to determine the desires of the majority of the population. I do agree somewhat with Matthew’s concern about voter registration drives. Again I find the issue to be the singling out of one group of people. If voter registration drives are to be performed these drives must be performed for all groups of society. I understand the importance to try to get everyone’s opinions for an election, but it is also that person’s right to not vote as well.
ReplyDeleteGlide246
Why don't we have 100% turn out for elections? People don't take voting seriously especially the youth. Matthew is not the brightest crayon in the box but I'm betting he votes any chance he gets. He obviously thinks his opinion matters and voices it. If he didn't we wouldn't be talking about him right now. Some thing or someone needs to shake things up a bit in this country when it comes to voting though. We need to take it seriously and not take it for granted.
DeleteEthos246
Has anyone even looked at who votes and what percent? It is unreal how few people vote especially when you are talking about smaller local elections. Even with the presidential election it rarely over fifty percent of registered voters are voting. To me there should be some process to keep your voting rights. Once you are eighteen and of legal age to vote and you have registered, you should have to adhere to a policy. Something to the effect of being a "good" and "productive" citizen; which could mean that you cannot commit a felony or above for the "good" part and you will not be able to be on any type of governmental "help" program for the "productive" part. If you can meet both of those requirements for that voting term then you would be required to use your voting rights for at least seventy five percent of the elections for small local ones to large presidential ones and everything in-between to keep your right to vote. What is the point in being registered to vote and not voting...? So to reiterate, you will have to be a good, productive, citizen that does vote to be able to keep your right to vote. In the cases where someone falls onto hard times, like most of us do, and you lose your right to vote because of not meeting one of the three standards you will go into a probation period where you can earn back your voting rights after you have earned them. This will guarantee that people will take voting seriously. People had to fight and earn their right to vote back in the day! Today we just take all their blood, sweat, and tears to gain that right for granted; specifically women and minorities that had to work even harder than anyone else to get that right. That’s the way I think it should be. BOOM!!
ReplyDeleteEthos246
I would be surprised if Mr. Vadum didn't get a lot of hate mail for his arguments. Anyway, I believe everyone rich or poor, has the right to vote as an American citizen. It's what our country was built upon. Everyone having their own vote in who runs our government is the definition of democracy. However, I do not feel that we should force every registered voter to vote. I would rather one vote for no one rather than voting for one he does not support. In doing this though, they have less of a right to complain about who the current president is because they didn't vote. It can go both ways. The poor make up a huge population in America, and not letting them vote could be detrimental to one party or the other, causing different outcomes at elections. While we're on the topic, one thing I do not understand is the electoral college thing. I believe the votes should be done just by the people of the country. One vote per person. That's how it should be. All of our citizens deserve the right to vote, and it should be only those citizens to decide the outcome of our leader. After all the saying goes "by the people, for the people."
ReplyDeleteGross246