• SirDerpy@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    In order to vote, I think American voters should have to pass the same history test that immigrants need to in order to gain citizenship.

    edit: This sits at +11 because Americans don’t know their history. We already did it to African Americans and it went extremely poorly. That’s the point: Pick up a book.

      • SirDerpy@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        Give that test to everyone. It’s just basic reading comprehension with a simple logic question and a simple math question. Even just that would disenfranchise the vast majority of American voters.

        My point wasn’t that a test is a good thing. It’s an incredibly horrible idea.

        My point is that the vast majority of Americans know less of their history than their immigrants. And, the vast majority of Americans are now in favor of repeating one mistake or the other because they don’t know their history.

        My evidence is that my suggestion above is predominantly upvoted.

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
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          4 months ago

          They gave the test to everyone then too. They just decided who passed and who didn’t. Why do you think it will be different this time?

          • SirDerpy@lemmy.world
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            4 months ago

            automated objective scoring

            You didn’t read my post. You’re strawmanning. Not your style.

              • SirDerpy@lemmy.world
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                4 months ago

                You’re still bashing that straw man you made.

                Look up. You made a mistake. And, if it wasn’t you I’d simply block.

                • kboy101222@sh.itjust.works
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                  4 months ago

                  Bud, that isn’t what a straw man is. Like, at all.

                  And “objective computer analysis” can still be wrong and biased. Look at all the image classifiers that called black people monkeys cause they were trained almost exclusively on images of white people.

                • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
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                  4 months ago

                  You could answer my questions or you could keep trolling up to you.

                  Also, please do explain how asking you how this test would be automated and objective is a straw man. Do you not understand what a straw man argument is?

                  Also, stop making this about me. If you want to block me, fine, but I don’t care about your expectations of me or what you think is a mistake or poor argument on my part.

                  • SirDerpy@lemmy.world
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                    4 months ago

                    Why would I involuntarily defend a position I do not hold because some idiot can’t be bothered to use the reading comprehension and social skills I know they have?

                    please do explain how asking you how this test would be automated and objective is a straw man

                    Because I don’t believe in a test. I’ve told you twice. But, you’re uncharacteristically being a jackass, now even after you’ve slept on it.

                    I’ll make it about you because you’re a valuable member of the community whom I respect, and who’s seemingly not meeting their own standards of behavior (based on the past). If you don’t like it, block. I’m pretty close.

    • tiredofsametab@kbin.run
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      4 months ago

      I’ve taken and passed practice tests before. A lot of Americans who may be down-voting may remember things like Jim Crow laws and how tests were widely used to disenfranchise voters, particularly non-white or otherwise “the wrong kind of” voters, in the past and it still leaves a bad taste.

      • half_fiction@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        4 months ago

        It isn’t about having a bad taste from the past. Policy like this would further disenfranchise vulnerable populations present day. A barrier for entry like this is going to disproportionately impact lower income folks. Hard to study for a test like this when you’re busting your ass at 3 part time jobs trying to make ends meet. That’s not even to mention the inequality that exists within the education system between higher and lower income areas to begin with. “Our system failed you, so now you’re not qualified to vote. Cheers!”

        Three guesses as to who this policy would affect more: white people or people of color?

        • tiredofsametab@kbin.run
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          4 months ago

          I 100% agree with this.

          Some of those same reasons are the reasons voter ID laws as often implemented (i.e. without anyway to ensure that everyone is actually able to get an ID given that it takes documents, time, and money that not everyone can spare) can negatively impact the same portions of the population as well.

    • kent_eh@lemmy.ca
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      4 months ago

      I think candidates for office should have to pass those tests.

      Tests administered publicly with no lifelines available.

    • RicoBerto@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      4 months ago

      In some states you can’t graduate without passing that test, I know that was the case in Missouri. That shit was hard.