In several states, "idiots" do not have the right to vote

[Turborama]

Arkansas (http://www.sos.arkansas.gov/ar-constitution/arcart3/arcart3-5.htm">Article III, Section 5)
Kentucky (http://www.lrc.state.ky.us/legresou/constitu/145.htm">Section 145)
Mississippi (http://www.sos.state.ms.us/pubs/constitution/constitution.asp">Article12, Section 241)
New Mexico (http://vlex.com/vid/309687">Article VII, section 1)
Ohio (http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/constitution.cfm?Part=5&Section=06">(Article V, Section 6))

Originally found http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiot_(person)">here

If that's the case, http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x405572">these idiots are a prime example of how either these laws need to be changed or how officials must be really slack at implementing the law in Ohio.

[Cleita]

1. Don't be so hasty.

That would be every registered Republican in those states.

:evilgrin:

[wtmusic]

4. Bingo, I'd like to see a little more enforcement!

[tblue]

5. So NO Fox News viewers could legally vote in those states, you say?

Gee, that's really too bad.

[dflprincess]

2. At one time the terms "idiot", "moran" and "imbecile" were not used as pejoratives

but as ways of classifying developmental disabilities and you will still find them in some state laws.

They remained in use in some countries longer than they did here. I remember reading an article in the London Times in the late 80s where a young woman who had been a crime victim was referred to as an "idiot" and that sounded so awful to me.

Not that it isn't time to repeal those laws or at least, where appropriate, amend them so they don't use language that has become offensive.

[boppers]

8. It was descriptive, at one point.

According to Goddard:
"Individuals with the lowest mental age level (less than three years) were identified as idiots; imbiciles (sic) had a mental age of three to 7 years., and morons had a mental age of seven to ten years."

More here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiot_(person)

[slackmaster]

11. That's an old medical definition - The legal definitions of idiot from those states would be useful

State laws abound with unusual word usage. As long as the terms are defined clearly within the law, they are workable.

[ezgoingrl]

3. Boy if that were true,

it sure would work heavily in our favor.

[Crunchy Frog]

6. I thought you don't have the right to vote in some of those places

unless you're an idiot. I think it's just an idiot's typo.

[LuvNewcastle]

7. We might not let idiots vote

in Mississippi, but we sure elect plenty of them.

[get the red out]

9. Well the law has been broken!!!!

I have seen some serious idiots voting in Kentucky!!! Actually, there are so many voting that we keep re-electing Mitch McConnell!

[slackmaster]

10. Without providing context from the statutes of those states, the OP is not very informative

It would be much more meaningful if Turborama were to provide the definition of "idiot" from each state's body of law.

If the term "idiot" means a person who has been legally judged as mentally incompetent, I really don't have a problem with banning idiots from voting. Mentally incompetent people are barred from all kinds of things in order to protect them from themselves, and to protect others from them.

K&U

:kick:

[Turborama]

14. I have tried to find definitions of "idiot" pertaining to each state's constitution I gave links to

and elsewhere online but I've only been able to find definitions similar to those in the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiot_(person)">Wikipedia article I linked to above and dictionary sites like http://dictionary.sensagent.com/idiot/en-en/">this one.

[raccoon]

12. Boy, that has made my day! SC wasn't among them. :silly: nt

[annabanana]

13. Now THAT can't be right. . Clearly there are

legions of idiots voting in ALL those states. . .