Instant Citizenship?

Today I read in Parade, a Sunday supplement, that Sens Russ Feingold, (D. Wis) and Amy Klobuchar, (D Minn), are working to allow voter registration on Election Day. Have we really become a nation where instant gratification is so important we are willing to sacrifice our nation to it?

Obviously I must be way old fashioned to believe we as citizens owe it to ourselves to come into an election with an expectation that those who vote will be informed and decide based on the issues. The unfortunate truth is the average American chooses not to be so, and gives up their rights by not voting. This has been reflected in the dwindling voter turn out. So now, the members of the majority party believe it is in the National interest to lower the expectation to a point where almost anyone willing to walk in off the street will be allowed to vote? Is this truly a move to empower the people, or just a move to keep the elected empowered?

If a citizen can't be bothered enough to spend 30 or so minutes a month or so before the election complying with today's registration requirements do we really want them making the emotional, random, uninformed, inappropriate, illiterate choice they are likely to make as they wander by a polling place and decide to drop in? Apparently the Democratic Representatives of Wisconsin and Minnesota believe they do.

As for me, I would rather the 24% of voters who care enough to be informed, and who can follow the published rules decide on the future of the United States, then having the 76% to can't be bothered until they see the news on the first Tuesday in November and realize it is election day controlling the election. Call me foolish, and perhaps it is because I am one of those 24%, but if you don't care enough about those who govern to give a damn 364 days a year, why should you get a say on those 8 hours the polls are open?

In a better world, we would return to the point where children understand they have a say in their future and look forward to voting, where adults take seriously their responsibility to leave a strong, relevant nation to their children and accept their responsibility in a republic, and our politicians don't make every decision based on what is best for them personality. Unfortunately we are not in a perfect world, but as an adult all I can hope for is to leave the nation in a stable condition. This proposed law is wrong, will not improve voter participation, and only serves to weaken us as a nation.