You’ve heard a lot of rhetoric about gun control, health care and gay marriage. Politicians use these issues and a number of others to shackle the very people who pay their salaries and lifelong perks. Truly, these issues are important because they involve America’s soul. And not surprisingly, therefore, Americans are polarized, split irrevocably into bellicose camps. Yet during this hostility, no politician of any stature dares bring up the one issue that rightly should command the nation’s attention: Voting Rights. Millions upon millions of Americans should not vote — or to put it more strongly — should be legally prohibited from casting a ballot at any level of government. Even though millions of Americans are ill-informed, ignorant  or prejudiced by race, you agree they have a perfect right to play dumb and pick candidates. Which they do. Unfortunately, intelligence is not a prerequisite in a free society. But, starting tomorrow, in the interest of fairness (BO’s favorite word), justice, morality, ethics and honor, suffrage should be denied to the following: 1. Students who don’t work and pay taxes. The 26th Amendment should be repealed, excluding members of the military; 2. All Aliens, including humans or creatures from other galaxies (often seen in malls); 3. Millions of normal people on permanent welfare, excluding those who are physically handicapped, unable to work. 4. The Dead, especially those who haven’t kept up with current events. You’ve heard the popular expression used in business — “skin in the game.” Investors invest money; athletes invest sweat equity and taxes; owners and workers invest time, labor and taxes; retirees invest a lifetime of work and taxes; soldiers invest their lives. Even the animal kingdom honors this natural concept. You would be the first to admit that some 12-year-olds are better equipped to vote than many 50-year-olds; you see, the issue doesn’t fall on sound judgment (as evidenced by the recent election). Voting rights can’t be ambiguous, left to politicians for subjective analysis. By law, it must be objective, based on pragmatic requisites. How do you earn the right to vote? By breathing? If individuals are dependents on parents’ tax filings, they shouldn’t have suffrage. Period. But don’t expect one politician to step out on this slippery ice. As far as incumbents and serious contenders are concerned, winning is the only thing; the only skin they care about is their own. And as the takers — those with no skin in the game — outnumber the givers — the suckers who work and pay — guess what sort of leaders the takers choose. Oh, forgot, you don’t have to choose. You already have them.