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Previously in the United States, schools taught "all men are created equal" to people that could see that they weren't being treated that way. Similarly, today
by michtzik 11mo ago
Previously in the United States, schools taught "all men are created equal" to people that could see that they weren't being treated that way.
Similarly, today we teach the importance of "universal suffrage" to kids, an entirely disenfranchised class.
Apparently you think there are some characteristics of children that should disqualify them from voting. Others think similarly of other groups.
- deleted 11mo ago[deleted]
- JumpCrisscross 11mo ago> today we teach the importance of "universal suffrage" to kids, an entirely disenfranchised class Universal suffrage remains both a myth and an experiment. From citizenship requirements to criminal disenfranchisement, the fact that we gatekeep voting is not exactly a secret. Our civic education is also horribly incomplete in discussing why America was designed as a republic, not a direct democracy, an argument made extremely well by learned Athenians, Romans, Carthaginians, Vedics and Americans, most notably in the Federalist Papers. > Others think similarly of other groups Sure. Some of them are wrong. Some of them are right. Unless we’re talking about giving every human a vote, it’s disingenuous to argue we should give children suffrage because universal suffrage is some divine diktat. (Where we could have an informed debate is around whether letting kids participate in school and municipal elections makes sense.)
- chuckadams 11mo agoI don't think it takes a lofty degree in statecraft to claim that five-year-olds probably shouldn't get to vote. Of course five-year-olds are a disenfranchised class, they are for a reason. I think we're just quibbling over the age threshold here.