interesting night at the polling place

[sammyg2]

I worked a little late last night (I do my part to support those that won't work) so I got to the polling place at 7:15 pm.
The line was out to the street.
Directly behind me was an older lady who didn't speak english, but she was very capable of speaking Vietnamese. She demonstrated this by yelling into her cell phone constantly. When we got into the door, I politely tapped her on ther shoulder and pointed to the large sign on the wall that said "TURN OFF ALL CELL PHONES INSIDE POLLING STATION".
It said that in 5 different languages so you would think she would understand, nope. She continued yacking in a very loud manner until finally the people working there got tired of the complaints. One of them walked over, took the large sign off the door, and held it up in front of the lady's face.
She then continued talking on ther cell phone, but at a much lower volume. I was proud of myself for controlling my temper which was near boiling at that point. Usually I just go ahead and make a scene when stupid people do stupid things that affect me, but I'm working to control that.

Several places behind her was a large group of people who.... well let's just say they take the short bus to school.
They were all mentally handicapt to varying extremes, and were being herded by a few social workers. Coincidentally, there was a proposition on the ballot that would benefit these people a great deal. so the social workers got them all registered, coached them to vote, and then herded them down to voice their opinion. Yeah right.
During the hour I was waiting in line two of them got into a shouting match, one passed out on the floor, at least three of them started crying hysterically, one man relieved himself in his diaper (and it wasn't in the front, nice smell) and the rest were content to make as much noise as possible and generally cause all manner of disruption.
The people working there decided the best thing to do would be to put them all at the head of the line.
Um, No.
In fact I think my response was he11 no.
I told them that I would not stand by while therse people get in front of me and spent a few hours playing with the funny machines. I was very vocal in my disaproval so they let me go in front of these people with special needs. Then the rest of the people who had been waiting in line protested, so they got to take their regular turn also. it almost got ugly.

In addition to these very special people, I looked around at the rest of the crowd and was horrified that these are the people who help make the decisions that affect all of us.

SOME PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO VOTE!

[widebody911]

Originally posted by sammyg2
Directly behind here was a group of people who.... well let's just say they take the short bus to school.

Well yes, Republican turnout was expected to be quite high...

[sammyg2]

Thom, which one were you?
Please don't tell me the one wearing the soiled depends, that was nasty.

[red-beard]

So, poll tax? Literacy requirement? Real estate holdings/business holdings? What way will you decide who gets the franchise?

Personally, I'd like to see an IQ test built into the voting machines.

Solve this quadratic equation, and then proceed to vote.

X² -4X + 3 = 0

[gaijindabe]

I went back to my elementary school. The one place in my life that has changed the least in 40 years.. Still looks the exactly the same but somehow they shrunk it by 50%...

Went to wander down the hall to my old classroom. Been doing that the 24 years I have been voting there.. Held up by a school safety officer. No you can't he tells me.

Used to have a book of blank hall passes. Should have kept a few...

[BRPORSCHE]

Originally posted by red-beard
Solve this quadratic equation, and then proceed to vote.

X² -4X + 3 = 0

well thats easy red-beard. 8th graders learn it.

x^2 - 4x + 3 = 0
(x-1)(x-3) = 0
x - 1 = 0 x - 3 = 0
x=1 x=3

I wish I was registered to vote

[pwd72s]

Being a "special person" myself, I voluntarily withdrew from the process. I hold the firm opinion that election fraud is rampant in Oregon...I refuse to give it any legitimacy by participating in the fraud.

[Dottore]

Originally posted by red-beard
So, poll tax? Literacy requirement? Real estate holdings/business holdings? What way will you decide who gets the franchise?

Personally, I'd like to see an IQ test built into the voting machines.

Solve this quadratic equation, and then proceed to vote.

X² -4X + 3 = 0

Democracy is a very imperfect notion. It only makes theoretical sense if (a) everone is fully informed of the issues and choices, (b) everyone is rational and (c) everyone votes.

An uninformed vote actually hurts the process.

In a highly developed nation democracy makes sense to the degree you can achieve (a), (b) and (c).

In an underveloped, poorly educated nation frought with tribal differences (such as Iraq) democracy really makes very little sense.

That's why I never understood the obsession with "bringing democracy" to Iraq. What for? The place needs a benevolent dictator.

In Australia you used to get a fine if you didn't turn out to vote. This meant you had a spike in the uninformed vote - those who didn't know or didn't care for whom they were voting as long as they didn't get fined. That also devalues the currency of democracy.

[Drago]

You should have brought tabs with you. Problem solved.

[red-beard]

The United States is not a Democracy or even a "Representative" Democracy. Its institutions are relatively Democratic.

Universal sufferage was never intended in the Constitutional Compromise. During the 1st 50 years, this dramatically changed. With the exception of women, slaves and indians, sufferage was universal for all above age 21.

I love it when kids set up booths with petitions to end "Womens Sufferage" and most people sign the petition. These people should be stripped of their voting privileges.

[HardDrive]

Originally posted by widebody911
Well yes, Republican turnout was expected to be quite high...

Nice one.

[nostatic]

I've never seen a white person talking loudly in a public place when they shouldn't be...

[sammyg2]

Todd, what's your point? I really hope you are not infering that I am a racist. That would be wrong. You don't want to go there.

The fact that there were people at the polling station who were rude and disruptive had nothing to do with the color of their skin.
I did mention that the obnoxious lady who was talking on the cell phone was speaking vietnamese, but I did not say if she was white or asian, did I? She was loud and obnoxious, I left it at that. She was oblivious to the rights of others there, and was either too dumb to understand or too much of a PITA to care about others around her.

I didn't really think of it at the time, but looking back I think most if not all of the mentally handicapt voters who showed up happend to be caucasian.
So again I ask, what exactly was your point?
I'd hate to think I got the wrong impression.

[juanbenae]

Originally posted by sammyg2
I worked a little late last night (I do my part to support those that won't work) so I got to the polling place at 7:15 pm.
The line was out to the street.
Directly behind me was an older lady who didn't speak english, but she was very capable of speaking Vietnamese. She demonstrated this by yelling into her cell phone constantly. When we got into the door, I politely tapped her on ther shoulder and pointed to the large sign on the wall that said "TURN OFF ALL CELL PHONES INSIDE POLLING STATION".
It said that in 5 different languages so you would think she would understand, nope. She continued yacking in a very loud manner until finally the people working there got tired of the complaints. One of them walked over, took the large sign off the door, and held it up in front of the lady's face.
She then continued talking on ther cell phone, but at a much lower volume. I was proud of myself for controlling my temper which was near boiling at that point. Usually I just go ahead and make a scene when stupid people do stupid things that affect me, but I'm working to control that.

Several places behind her was a large group of people who.... well let's just say they take the short bus to school.
They were all mentally handicapt to varying extremes, and were being herded by a few social workers. Coincidentally, there was a proposition on the ballot that would benefit these people a great deal. so the social workers got them all registered, coached them to vote, and then herded them down to voice their opinion. Yeah right.
During the hour I was waiting in line two of them got into a shouting match, one passed out on the floor, at least three of them started crying hysterically, one man relieved himself in his diaper (and it wasn't in the front, nice smell) and the rest were content to make as much noise as possible and generally cause all manner of disruption.
The people working there decided the best thing to do would be to put them all at the head of the line.
Um, No.
In fact I think my response was he11 no.
I told them that I would not stand by while therse people get in front of me and spent a few hours playing with the funny machines. I was very vocal in my disaproval so they let me go in front of these people with special needs. Then the rest of the people who had been waiting in line protested, so they got to take their regular turn also. it almost got ugly.

In addition to these very special people, I looked around at the rest of the crowd and was horrified that these are the people who help make the decisions that affect all of us.

SOME PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO VOTE!

so to summerize,

only white property owning men should vote.

they put the MOST special mentally handicapt (sammy's spelling and term) guy at the VERY front of the line when he complained.

some should (as i do) skip the frustration and absentee vote.

i bet sam has never "politley tapped" anyone anywhere, much less the hard of hearing veitnamese lady

sam will die at a young age due to uncontrolled anger issues.

amazed

[sammyg2]

Toby, where did you come up with that crap? You couldn't have been more wrong. I noticed you pointed out a typo, maybe you are a public school teacher. That would explain everything.

Here's a more accurate summation:

people who can't read a great big sign and follow the directions on it, or who choose to ignore a great big sign after it has been pointed out and annoy everyone around them, should not be allowed to vote. Being hard of hearing had nothing to do with it. Being able to read or follow directions did. Whether or not they should be allowed to exist is debatable. (hint, that was sarcasm).

We have a minimum voting age in this country that prevents 3 year olds from voting. Yet an adult who possesses the mental capacity of a 3 year old can vote. I have a problem with that.

People who don't possess even the most rudimentary social skills should not be allowed to cut in line ahead of others who have waited patiently for up to 1 hour just because they are disruptive.

Private social workers who round up a bunch of people who don't possess the mental capacity to make even a basic decision so they make them vote for who and what they want in order to influence the outcome of a ballot innitiative that will directly line their pockets, are cheating the system and should be reprimanded to say the least.

One more thing that I didn't hit on in the original post:
the wait to vote was very long because people were taking up to 30 minutes to cast their votes. it took me a couple of minutes, as in two.
I observed people who had taken the time to study the issues and fill out their practice ballot, and they had it in their hand so all they had to do was read it and transfer the information to the electronic machine. It still took them at least 20 minutes.
The Orange county registrar made a public statement confirming that as an excuse for the long lines. He explained that the ballot was long and complicated which resulted in an average time of 20 minutes to complete. BS. Total BS.

If they can't even understand the concept of "select and hit enter", how can they make a logical decision regarding candidates or propositions? They can't.

You were right on one thing (out of many) I will be submitting an absentee ballot next election so I don't have to be reminded
That important issues (like spending $100 billion in bond innitiatives) are being influenced by some people who can barely tie their own shoes, and by some who can't even do that.

I find a little solice in the fact that the bond innitiative the social workers were trying to get passed failed to get the 2/3rds majority vote so it was shot down. Yes they tried to cheat, but they were unsuccessful.

A person's race or sex or ownership of property has nothing to do with voting, I did not suggest that but you did.
The entire thread was about some people who are making very important decisions appear to not have a clue about what they are deciding.
If you are suggesting that only people of a certain race or sex are intelligent enough to vote, I have to strongly disagree with you.