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fandomhigh2018-11-02 11:28 am
imafuturist) wrote in fandomhigh2018-11-02 11:28 am
Civics, 1st Period - Friday
Well, with Election Day less than a week away, the teachers ought to have been excited to encourage their students to vote. Instead there was the never-ending news cycle letting people know that everything was still terrible.
"So, today we'll be discussing citizenship and how that grants us the right to vote," Tony said, trying to keep the topic on track. It was in vain, honestly.
"Because the rights of citizens to vote has been established in the Constitution, and then updated in the 14th, 19th, and 26th Amendments, which people would know if they bothered to read. Or were capable of it," Steve muttered. "And then they'd also know who is considered a citizen instead of coming up with bigoted, racist fear-mongering in order to drive bigots and scared people to the polls like sheep. Sheep, for the record, are not allowed to vote."
Guess which son of immigrants has a few problems with the new Republican tactic?
"And yet..." Tony muttered. "Fear-mongering over immigration is not new. Any group coming to this county--which was built on immigration, by the way--was considered a threat to the status quo all through our history. Captain Rogers can tell you first hand how Irish immigrants were treated."
"Immigration and a good chunk of involuntary immigration," Steve agreed. "And the Irish were treated...not well. But neither were the Italians, or our Russian neighbors, and back then the way to come legally into the US was to show up. Congratulations, you're in. So anyone talking about how their relatives did it the right way, that's because it was easy to back in the 1800s. They didn't even check to see if you could read until 1917."
"Now they just use ID laws to disenfranchise people," Tony replied. "You need an ID, so they make it prohibitively difficult to attain one in many rural areas. Which can be the new form of a poll tax, really."
Steve nodded emphatically. "They really have gotten blatant about it, so that's why it's even more important that those who have the ability to vote do so and get rid of these--" that was a very not Cap word he'd been thinking "--fine public servants out of the jobs they have become so complacent about. They work for us, not the other way around."
"Encourage everyone you know who is capable of voting... to vote," Tony said. "That's your assignment today. Remember Plato: One of the penalties of refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors."
"So, today we'll be discussing citizenship and how that grants us the right to vote," Tony said, trying to keep the topic on track. It was in vain, honestly.
"Because the rights of citizens to vote has been established in the Constitution, and then updated in the 14th, 19th, and 26th Amendments, which people would know if they bothered to read. Or were capable of it," Steve muttered. "And then they'd also know who is considered a citizen instead of coming up with bigoted, racist fear-mongering in order to drive bigots and scared people to the polls like sheep. Sheep, for the record, are not allowed to vote."
Guess which son of immigrants has a few problems with the new Republican tactic?
"And yet..." Tony muttered. "Fear-mongering over immigration is not new. Any group coming to this county--which was built on immigration, by the way--was considered a threat to the status quo all through our history. Captain Rogers can tell you first hand how Irish immigrants were treated."
"Immigration and a good chunk of involuntary immigration," Steve agreed. "And the Irish were treated...not well. But neither were the Italians, or our Russian neighbors, and back then the way to come legally into the US was to show up. Congratulations, you're in. So anyone talking about how their relatives did it the right way, that's because it was easy to back in the 1800s. They didn't even check to see if you could read until 1917."
"Now they just use ID laws to disenfranchise people," Tony replied. "You need an ID, so they make it prohibitively difficult to attain one in many rural areas. Which can be the new form of a poll tax, really."
Steve nodded emphatically. "They really have gotten blatant about it, so that's why it's even more important that those who have the ability to vote do so and get rid of these--" that was a very not Cap word he'd been thinking "--fine public servants out of the jobs they have become so complacent about. They work for us, not the other way around."
"Encourage everyone you know who is capable of voting... to vote," Tony said. "That's your assignment today. Remember Plato: One of the penalties of refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors."
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Listen to the Lesson
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And the only other person she really knew was a convicted felon, soooooo...
...well, she could maybe send a billion flyers to Starr and Uncle Ray, but a lot of good two votes in California in 1992 would do to the political climate of 2018.
Talk to the Teachers
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OOC