Should Mentally Retarded People Be Allowed To Vote?

February 5, 2008, 8:03 AM

The Concept of democracy is that everyone above a certain age (normally 18) is allowed to vote, excluding convicted fellons of course.
therefore, should mentally retarded, deficient, synonym of your choice, be allowed to vote.
they are above the legal age but yet have the intellectual capacity of a person below 18.
so should they be able to vote? and give a reason why

February 5, 2008, 8:06 AM

Put a poll up, this intrests me... I'm rather neutral on this topic myself (Rare, me without an opinion), but I wanna see others' opinions...
Odds are, this'll turn into a big fight like everything else around here. Ah well. =/

February 5, 2008, 8:13 AM

It depends on how suggestive they are, if they do everything someone tells them to do, then no. Since then it would just be like that person having a second vote...

February 6, 2008, 12:58 AM

Ah, this topic is too good for Voting Booth.

~Moved to Shinra Building~

Anyway, like Lord Kaos...I shall also wait for people's responses. xD

February 6, 2008, 1:10 AM

I honestly have no idea. I guess if they have enough wits about them to know what they are doing & why then they would be fine.
But would a mentally retarded person know what it was about? Would they even want to, or even care to vote?

I guess if they are just abit slow, then Yeah they can but severly mentally retarded to the point someone has to care for them then no

Going round in circles much

February 6, 2008, 1:14 AM

Before I start or people start cussing the heck out of me. My little brother has downs syndrome and I am very well aware that he is classified as 'mentally challenged'.

To tell the truth, I feel that even mentally challenged people can be very smart. Hell, my little brother's an example... When he was three, he could play my sister's keyboard. And he still doesn't quite know how to talk, yet he knows how to do a LOT of things that nobody ever showed him how to do.

That said, I believe that mentally-challenge people can actually end up being HIGHLY intelligent. The problem is, they're extremely impressionable, so, when they DO see or hear that someone did something, they tend to copy them. So, I don't think they should vote unless they pass a competency test... Hell, ALL voters should take a competency test. I don't want ditzy people who just like a candidate because they fit their specific demographic to determine the fate of the country. I want them to KNOW what they're voting for.

February 6, 2008, 1:28 AM

Alright, I'll give you a post to work with.

This is one of those areas where it is EXTREMELY difficult for me to decide. Why? Because I am related to mental retards.

But both my heart and brain say no. Why? Let's look at it one piece at a time. I'll start with what good it will do them; or rather, what bad it will prevent from befalling them.

By not allowing the mentally retarded people to vote, we prevent them from making a mistake that could have serious repurcussions, especially for them. Without realizing it, these mentally handicapped people could accidentally cheeck off a box in the secret ballot or something that could bring in a government that wouldn't want to act in their best interests. It wouldn't be any fault of theirs, it's just something that would happen.

Not only would it affect them, but it could also bring in an authoritarian or rather unfriendly government into play that would go against the wishes of the rest of the country. This can be reversed, but it could still screw up the system.

Thoughts?

February 8, 2008, 6:48 AM

I have to be honest...

I have never seen a more brainless question posed in my lifetime. Should retarded people be allowed to vote? HELL NO.

If a person is mentally retarded, it's obvious they won't have the ability to reason and think for themselves about what candidate is best, let alone do the research on it. This would only lead to mentally healthy people persuading the handicapped ones into voting for a certain person.

So no. Stupid idea all around. But then again, most people who vote might as well be retarded anyway. Hardly anyone bothers to research the candidates and will just vote for someone "CUZ HE BLACK!" or "CUZ MAI GRANDADDY WAS DEMOCRAT!"

February 8, 2008, 6:49 AM

I'm sorry, no. Well...it depends on what sort of mental handicap the person has. However, if the person possesses a mental handicap that does not enable them to make a rational or informed decision, then no. It would be no more than blindly pulling a random lever. However, at the point where they cannot make a rational/informed decision, why would they care about voting in an election?