Some people just don’t get it, and they never will.
For example, conservative writer and pundit David Harsanyi, who was whining in a column he wrote for the Washington Post that American voters are “ignorant,” especially when it comes to history. So ignorant, Harsanyi said, that he is concerned:
“Never have so many people with so little knowledge made so many consequential decisions for the rest of us.”
So, Harsanyi proposes, perhaps we need a test of a voter’s knowledge: A voter should only be allowed to vote if they can name three of the original 13 states. He continues:
“Now, if voting is a consecrated rite of democracy, as liberals often argue, surely society can have certain minimal expectations for those participating. And if citizenship itself is as hallowed as Republicans argue, then surely the prospective voter can be asked to know just as much as the prospective citizen. Let’s give voters a test. The citizenship civics test will do just fine.”
Oh yeah, a poll test! Just like in the Jim Crow-era South. What a super idea! Talk about someone who doesn’t know diddly about American history!
Fortunately, social media–in the form of Twitter–helped Harsanyi recognize the error of his ways, as you can clearly see:
Hey, @washingtonpost, not to brag but I'm fairly sure I could write an op-ed for you that wouldn't be a complete embarrassment like this one
— derek davison (@dwdavison9318) May 21, 2016
https://twitter.com/owillis/status/734065238115508224
Not we need to better educate, build better society. But weed out. Uh, like camps or just let them die? https://t.co/2nse57iauT
— Foxhound Intern (@WokeBatou) May 21, 2016
Not we need to better educate, build better society. But weed out. Uh, like camps or just let them die? https://t.co/2nse57iauT
— Foxhound Intern (@WokeBatou) May 21, 2016
I read this WaPo op-ed and thought it was almost-skillful satire of hyper-elite views.
Apparently it’s for real:https://t.co/RPfsXBHb77
— James Fallows (@JamesFallows) May 21, 2016
.@davidharsanyi do you think this literacy test would work to weed out "ignorant voters"? https://t.co/7e52N722Qz pic.twitter.com/sCjIApE9Pr
— we're going to abolish ICE (@SeanMcElwee) May 21, 2016
"Oh sure, we used poll tests to keep black people from voting BEFORE, but THIS TIME it'll totally be different!" https://t.co/3zH7ALYB3l
— John Scalzi (@scalzi) May 21, 2016
Yeah, let’s make people take a test before they can vote. What could go wrong? While we’re at it, we can also make them pay a tax to vote and use the money to pay down the deficit.
Conservatives demand we take them seriously, but they sure come up with some incredibly ignorant ideas, don’t they?
Featured Image Via Wikimedia
