Getting fined for not voting- Page 2

[Jane2]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 11:30am

I see.

hmm, not really.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 12:08pm

Whether you see or not see is irrelevant. What's important is that everyone free to decide how they want to live their life.

Jehovah’s Witness’s may catch A LOT of flack for their "peculiar" ways but make no mistake these people have done a lot of good for civil rights in this country.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 12:10pm

"Whether you see or not see is irrelevant."

What a pointless statement.

[Mistress Overdone]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 4:46pm

Reginald, it's easy not to pay taxes - just don't work!

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 4:48pm

Mistress O, I'm coming to you with my problems from now on. I like the way you think.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 5:17pm

My sister is a Jehovah's Witness (no, really) and she'd smack you with a ream of Watchtowers if you tried to fine her for not voting.

And then she'd try to make you read them.

Much as I'd love to make everyone vote, fining a Jehovah's Witness for not voting is like fining an Amish person for not driving.

You can't do it. And you shouldn't.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 5:23pm

I'd like to have fined the Jehovah's Witnesses for ringing our doorbell and shoving pamphlets at us every couple of weeks back in my home town. (We lived a block away from the Kingdom Hall.)

[Jane2]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 5:26pm

"Whether you see or not see is irrelevant. What's important is that everyone free to decide how they want to live their life."

Just like I"m free to post that I didn't see.

You need several hugs. Not from me, though.

[paradox_error]

Posted: 9/10/08 at 9:54pm

Did any of you read what Urban and I wrote? It's compulsory attendance, not compulsory voting.
AND if you have a decent excuse, like being a Jehovah's Witness, then you can be excused. It's not like we don't have Jehovah's Witnesses here...

[Urban]

Posted: 9/11/08 at 10:04am

Thank you for being the voice of reason para

Though I do admit I have been amused at the idea of Lizzie Curry being a Good JH girl (yeah i know it is her sister but the mere thought puts a smile to my face). At least Lizzie would have 144,000 more ways of sassing out sockpuppets.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 9/11/08 at 10:45am

"It's compulsory attendance, not compulsory voting.
AND if you have a decent excuse, like being a Jehovah's Witness, then you can be excused."

I did read it and it seems like it would be a beuracratic nightmare that would be hard to enforce and the end result would be somewhat pointless.

[paradox_error]

Posted: 9/11/08 at 10:51am

Actually, it works fine. I mean, if we can do it, surely the richest and most powerful nation in the world could work it out...

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 9/11/08 at 10:57am

Have you ever been to a DMV?
Updated On: 9/11/08 at 10:57 AM

[paradox_error]

Posted: 9/11/08 at 11:55am

LOL
No, luckily I haven't!

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 12:12am

"Much as I'd love to make everyone vote, fining a Jehovah's Witness for not voting is like fining an Amish person for not driving. "

Amish usually don't vote either for religious reason. Not to mention the buttons.

"Did any of you read what Urban and I wrote? It's compulsory attendance, not compulsory voting.
AND if you have a decent excuse, like being a Jehovah's Witness, then you can be excused."

It just sounds more and more like a police state.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 12:31am

That's just a can of worms. How many people are going to claim being Jehovah's Witnesses and head straight from the polling place (after arguing their case) to a birthday party?

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 1:16am

Some people never follow the news and whatnot. Do you really want THOSE people to vote?

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 10:05am

Cruel, are you suggesting that presently people only vote when they're informed on the issues?

As I said at the beginning, I'm not advocating this; it hadn't even occurred to me, frankly.

But obviously it does work, if it's working in Australia. It doesn't sound terribly different from compulsory tax paying. Or jury duty, come to that, which requires a personal appearance and also allows for dispensations.

[Mistress Overdone]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 10:27am

Have you ever been to a DMV?

I don't know about your home state, but in my state the DMV is actually excellent. Titling and plating a new car - 30 minutes on my lunch break. It goes to show that government systems CAN be done well. Although I guess it's a state branch, not a national one, so maybe that's WHY it's excellent...

[violet72]

Posted: 9/12/08 at 1:32pm

I say vote if you want to and don't vote if you want to...just don't complain about the government if you didn't vote