NH GoP state House Speaker wants to remove voting rights from college students..

[Luna]

They're "foolish," Speaker William O'Brien said in a recent speech to a tea party group.  "Voting as a liberal. That's what kids do," he added, his comments taped by a state Democratic Party staffer and posted on YouTube. Students lack "life experience," and "they just vote their feelings."

Seriously.

"They don't vote the way WE want them to vote, so we want to bar them from voting."

Did I wake up somewhere OTHER than America this morning?

[Disco Pickle]

I thought it was just students who live out of state and only attend the university, and only for local elections.  Not that's any reason to ban anyone from voting, but if you're just going to go back home after 4 years and not plant your roots in the community after college, I don't think you should be voting on local issues that affect the community you're just planning on leaving anyway. 

Legislating it sets a pretty terrible precedent.

[Luna]

There are multiple bills being tossed around.

However, college students live in a community at least nine months out of the year... and many stay where they are rather than going home. 

Or are we going to put "are you going to live here for at least four years?" on voter registration forms?  How long do you have to live somewhere in order to be considered part of a community?  Do you have to live somewhere year round to vote?  What about the snowbirds that live half a year up north and go south for the winters?

[Jenne]

I thought it was just students who live out of state and only attend the university, and only for local elections.  Not that's any reason to ban anyone from voting, but if you're just going to go back home after 4 years and not plant your roots in the community after college, I don't think you should be voting on local issues that affect the community you're just planning on leaving anyway. 

Legislating it sets a pretty terrible precedent.

Lots of ASS-umptions, thar, my friend.  I'd be interested to see some stats on who stays and who floats away like so much flotsam and jetsum in that case.

[Luna]

Incidentally...

When college students fill out the census, they are counted where they are actually living... at school.

The federal funds allocated by census for the students living in NH dorms are therefore sent to NH.

One might think that the students for whom those federal funds are intended should have some say in how they are spent.

[AFK]

I thought it was just students who live out of state and only attend the university, and only for local elections.  Not that's any reason to ban anyone from voting, but if you're just going to go back home after 4 years and not plant your roots in the community after college, I don't think you should be voting on local issues that affect the community you're just planning on leaving anyway. 

Legislating it sets a pretty terrible precedent.

Colleges are part of the community in which they are located.  Therefore, RESIDENTIAL students are part of the community.  Therefore, they should be able to vote.  Colleges are not immune to local laws and anyone who lives on a college campus is bound and impacted by local laws.  They should have a say. 

So, what's next.  What about apartment dwellers who live in one town for two years then move to another town where rent is cheaper.  Should those transitory populations also be denied the right to vote? 

[Jenne]

I thought it was just students who live out of state and only attend the university, and only for local elections.  Not that's any reason to ban anyone from voting, but if you're just going to go back home after 4 years and not plant your roots in the community after college, I don't think you should be voting on local issues that affect the community you're just planning on leaving anyway. 

Legislating it sets a pretty terrible precedent.

Colleges are part of the community in which they are located.  Therefore, RESIDENTIAL students are part of the community.  Therefore, they should be able to vote.  Colleges are not immune to local laws and anyone who lives on a college campus is bound and impacted by local laws.  They should have a say. 

So, what's next.  What about apartment dwellers who live in one town for two years then move to another town where rent is cheaper.  Should those transitory populations also be denied the right to vote? 

I got one better:  military folks.  You know, because they move around so damned often thanks to the many, many wars we seem to have to fight so we can feed our hegemony monster as well as that lovely addiction we have to fossil fuels.

But fuck 'em--they might vote "stupidly Democratic," those military wives with their brats, so AWAY goes THEIR voting rights!

[Disco Pickle]

Sorry, I'm pretty slammed with projects at the moment so didn't have a chance to get back to this thread earlier. 

I clearly said that legislation preventing people from voting who have no vested interest in the future of the community would be a terrible idea.  Actually proving they wont be in the future is impossible.

If I don't plan on being in one place for more than a few years, I don't think it's appropriate to cast my vote for things that will affect the people who do.  i.e. property tax legislation, zoning issues or land use ordinances, even city council positions. 

It's just what I think, an opinion. 

Feel free to tear into it as it is, not as you apparently read it. 

[Jenne]

...I think RIGHTS are something you just don't fuck with, because there's a certain "path of no returns" about losing them when they ARE fucked with.  Rights are like virginity--easy to lose, damned near impossible to ever get back in your lifetime.

[Luna]

Also note the stated reason for attempting to remove their rights.

It's got nothing to do with them being there for a limited amount of time...  It's because they vote "liberal."

[Doktor Howl]

Ho ho!  One man, one vote, once.

[Juana]

They're "foolish," Speaker William O'Brien said in a recent speech to a tea party group.  "Voting as a liberal. That's what kids do," he added, his comments taped by a state Democratic Party staffer and posted on YouTube. Students lack "life experience," and "they just vote their feelings."

Seriously.

"They don't vote the way WE want them to vote, so we want to bar them from voting."

Did I wake up somewhere OTHER than America this morning?

Linksie?

Also note the stated reason for attempting to remove their rights.

It's got nothing to do with them being there for a limited amount of time...  It's because they vote "liberal."

This. Wow. What the fuck.

[Prince Glittersnatch III]

They're "foolish," Speaker William O'Brien said in a recent speech to a tea party group.  "Voting as a liberal. That's what kids do," he added, his comments taped by a state Democratic Party staffer and posted on YouTube. Students lack "life experience," and "they just vote their feelings."

Seriously.

"They don't vote the way WE want them to vote, so we want to bar them from voting."

Did I wake up somewhere OTHER than America this morning?

Link?

[Luna]

Whups, shit, didn't notice the link didn't paste.  My bad...

Article here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/06/AR2011030602662.html?hpid=topnews

Copy of YouTube video with another article here:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2011/03/video-foolish-college-kids-jus.html

Also includes O'Brien attempting to back-pedal.

[Faust]

Did I wake up somewhere OTHER than America this morning?

America is probably the only first world country that would seriously suggest that.