"Idiots and lunatics"

[fantastic_jackie]

I was reading through the Texas Constitution tonight and ran across a part that has since been superceded by the U.S. Constitution. The particular section states:

ARTICLE VI.

Suffrage.

Section 1. The following classes of persons shall not be allowed to vote in this State, to wit:

First -- Persons under twenty-one years of age.

Second -- Idiots and lunatics.

XDDDDDD

I'm not entirely sure how they expected to enforce that, but okay historic fellow Texan buddies! *giggles some more*

Comments

[mrstater.livejournal.com]

No, I wasn't disputing any of that... I was more reacting to the cruelty of the term "idiot" in that context. I hate that that's how mentally handicapped were referred to for centuries and it's a shame something like that stands. :(

But that's me being sensitive, lol.

[patriot-jackie.livejournal.com]

Eh yeah - or at least to us, it is. Truthfully, I just think it's so hilarious how it reads now-a-days now that the connotation, and maybe even definition has changed. lol I think dictionaries still recognize it as mentally retarded in their definitions, but no one uses it like that anymore.

I still don't have any clue how they'd enforce something like that, though. Like the sodemy law. I understand where they were coming from, but come on! But back in their day, it was probably akin to common sense even though it's not entirely logical, especially with their stance on government.

It just occured to me that laws such as the U.S.A. strictly define a person as someone who is not a minor, deceased, or legally declared mentally incompetant, though. But that's securities, and a person can be an entity in that law, as well. Still, I wonder... I wonder if it does still stand, now that I think about it. I have no clue if "crazy people" who are not felons are allowed to vote. Huh.