<DIV>Hansen,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Very interesting. You do make me question the rational behind a voting age. I wonder why it is that juveniles are not allowed to vote and you are. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Maybe they should have a person's IQ number placed on their driver's license. If it doesn't reach at least 85, or at least one standard deviation from the norm, they have to wait until they test higher on the WAIS-III. Come to think of it, in retrospect, maybe they should add that requirement to the candidates as well for double padded protection. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Best,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Donovan<BR><BR><B><I>Tom Hansen <thansen@moscow.com></I></B> wrote:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid"> <META content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)" name=Generator><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:SmartTagType name="State" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="City" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="place" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="PlaceName" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="PlaceType" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType> <STYLE> st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) } </STYLE> <STYLE> <!-- st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;} p {mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.EmailStyle18 {mso-style-type:personal; font-family:Arial; color:navy;} span.EmailStyle19 {mso-style-type:personal-reply; font-family:Arial; color:navy;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </STYLE> <DIV class=Section1> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Since <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Arnold</st1:place></st1:City> is so deeply concerned about disenfranchised voters, I have an idea.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy;
FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">It is really quite simple. Everybody votes. That’s right. EVERYBODY. Let’s eliminate voter qualifications altogether. Illegal, shmillegal.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I’ll even take it another step further, a giant step, a step that will even appease Christian fundamentalists, since this step addresses those potential voters that have, for so long, gone without representation.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt;
COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">We should lower the voting age to “moment of conception”. No. No. Listen up, constituents. The expected mother will be able to vote on behalf of the fetus “by proxy” until the day of delivery, at which time the new born baby will register not only as a male or female, but as a Republican, Democrat, or Independent (whatever party the mother desires). For demographic reasons, and while the newly born child is a resident of a politically recognized maternity ward, the baby will be issued a blanket whose color will reflect the baby’s party affiliation (red for Republicans, blue for Democrats, and green for Independents). <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy;
FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I know what you’re thinking, Visionaires. You’re thinking, “Jeesh, Tom! That sounds absolutely stupid and ignorant.” <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Yes. To you it may, very well, sound stupid and ignorant. That’s because you are an adult. You probably don’t, or can’t, recall what it was like those first few hours in the maternity ward, those pre-kindergarten day-care years, that first day in the sandbox with other five-year-olds, each child quietly (yet playfully) contemplating their
socio-economic future.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I say, “Give them the vote!”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Not only that, but the political ramifications of lowering the voting age to “moment of conception” would be far reaching and socially empowering.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY:
Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Once the voting age is lowered, and . . . say, for instance, the Republicans realize that the demographics of New York’s inner city reflect an ever-increasing Democrat contingency, they can pursue a larger representation in that region by simply conceiving more and more Republicans in New York’s inner city. Can you imagine the exponential increase in Republican constituents in October of 2008 (one month before election day) after the Yankees win the World, George Steinbrenner is appointed Mayor-for-Life, and the new Victoria’s Secrets catalog hits the newsstands?<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">And on election day, the multitude of wide-ranging analyses may be expanded to include “fetus electorate demographics”, CNN reporting live from Maternity Election Headquarters at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Gritman</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Medical</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> as they count the number of red and blue blankets.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">And then there are those fun fund-raisers.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY:
Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Seeya round town, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City>.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Tom Hansen<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Moscow</SPAN></FONT></st1:City><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">, <st1:State w:st="on">Idaho</st1:State></SPAN></FONT></st1:place><FONT face=Arial
color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=navy size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: navy">"I think one of the best ways to support education is to make successful private schools like Logos prosper through tax exemption."<BR><BR>- Donovan Arnold (July 11, 2005)</SPAN></FONT> <o:p></o:p></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><p> 
<hr size=1>Need a vacation? <a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=48256/*http://travel.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTFhN2hucjlpBF9TAzk3NDA3NTg5BHBvcwM1BHNlYwNncm91cHMEc2xrA2VtYWlsLW5jbQ--">Get great deals
to amazing places </a>on Yahoo! Travel.