As a regular reader of Vox Popoli, I’ve found the recent posts/discussions about women’s suffrage very interesting. I wouldn’t shed a tear if we rolled back quite a few of our voting laws. He makes a good case that women’s suffrage has done more harm than good, not only in America, but abroad as well. More than rolling back women’s suffrage, I’d like to see the U.S. go back to only allowing land owners to vote. I’d also repeal the 17th amendment, allowing for the direct election of Senators.
It is those who cannot afford to own land who generally are proponents of entitlement programs, most of which are unconstitutional. Vox makes the case that allowing women to vote is what has led to such social ills as no-fault divorce, abortion, illegitimacy, and (to some degree) homosexuality. They also vote in favor of entitlement plans because women, by nature, seek security. If they think they can get it from big government, then that’s where they will go for it. I tend to believe that the decrease in Faith in God in America in the last century has a lot to do with things too. The women in my life who have a strong faith in God tend to rely more on Him than big government, and are more likely to see greater value in freedom than security.
When pressed on restricting the vote more than just disallowing women, Vox makes no bones about it, he’s for greater restrictions. I agree with his arguments. I recognize that my freedom depends far more on my right to bar arms than my right to vote. I would gladly give up my vote if it meant that the pool of voters shrunk to mostly people who, as Vox puts it, can look past their own immediate self interest when electing our leaders. I am not a land owner, and I recognize that has an effect on how I think. In fact, given what’s been said about how women generally vote, I would venture to guess that most of the women in question either are not land owners themselves, or are married and own land in conjunction with their husbands. I could be wrong though.
I have long been frustrated with the school district where my parents live. Hardly a year goes by when they are not putting a levy or bonding referendum on the ballot. Actually, they tend to do it in non-election years, so as to be the only thing on the ballot. Frequently, they manage to get things passed, and frequently it leads to an increase in the property taxes. I think there are two factors that they use in their favor. First, since it is an off year, they can send flyers home in backpacks to encourage the parents of the kids in their schools to vote, knowing that parents want what they think is in their kid’s best interest – more money for the schools, while those without kids are more likely to be unaware that there is a vote and not show up at the polls. Second, they take advantage of the portion of the population that rents. These people don’t directly see the effect of higher property taxes, and I doubt many realize that their rent would be lower if their landlords paid less taxes. As long as they don’t directly see it, they will tend to vote for increases.
Not necessarily landowners, but those who pay taxes directly. Of course, I’m all for repealing the income tax as well.
Also, I doubt that we’d need to repeal the right of women to vote if we ablished the income tax and only allowed those directly taxed to vote. My mother, for example, loathes and detests the government interventionism, and I suspect that the fact that my family owns land and has to put up with stupid and obnoxious government regulation at every turn has a lot to do with it.