On Exercising Sovereign Authority

A day for all citizens to do their duty
published November 7, 2006 12:15 am

Some may consider it a day to man the ramparts, and some may consider it a day to get even.

We consider it a day of duty.

It’s Election Day. In a democracy, there is no day that holds as much importance.

Today’s vote will turn on local issues, pocketbook issues and ideological issues. It will turn on sentiments regarding people who aren’t even running for office, such as President Bush and his former opponent, Sen. John Kerry. It will turn on seemingly peripheral issues such as Rev. Ted Haggard’s scandal, the verdict in the Saddam Hussein trial and the comments of the aforementioned Sen. Kerry.

It will turn riding a wave of some of the nastiest political advertising we’ve ever witnessed. (Yes, it seems we say that every election, but somehow the bar always seems to be set lower when the next election rolls around).

It won’t turn at all, however, unless people get out and vote. That’s where the duty of every American citizen lies.

Read the rest.

I respectfully disagree on many points.

Too risk being pedantic, we are not a Democracy. We are a Republic.
Most simply put, a Democracy is the rule of the majority on every issue in question. A Republic is where the Rule of Law tempers the Rule of the majority, in other words, a system of Checks and Balances are in place to prevent Unfettered Mob Rule (Democracy).

It is not the duty of every American to vote.

Some people should never be allowed to vote.

When a person casts a ballot in an election, they are exercising their Sovereign Authority, which should never be taken without careful thought and study of the issues and character of those receiving our vote of Delegated Authority. If you are not familiar with the candidates and issues in a particular race, please leave that Delegated Authority in your pocket.

Voting is a Solemn Duty, and should never be exercised lightly.

Means Testing

Since not every one will treat their Sovereign Authority with the Proper Respect it Deserves, we should employ a simple test to ensure a passing familiarity with our government, and the Document upon which it operates, The Constitution of the United States of America.

To keep it simple, there should be two questions asked of every Potential Voter in Every Election:

Question One:

Name the current members of the Supreme Court of the United States of America, and the President who appointed them.

Question Two:

Provided with an Article Number, (I, II, III, etc), the Potential Voter will provide the Poll Worker with an answer that satisfies a passing knowledge of the contents of said Article.

A wrong answer on any part disqualifies that persons' vote on that day only, they are welcome to come back the next time the polls are open.

Radical, yes.

Why?

As long as we live in a country where more people vote for the American Idol than for President, then it is necessary to ensure Competent Voters.