I'm sorry...I'm having a little difficulty placing the obliteration of "undesirable" people and characteristics, as in Nazi Germany, in the same category with restricting voting rights.

Well, Tom, that's because you're imagining any such connection. I had to go double-check, but I didn't mention a thing about Nazi Germany. It's kinda funny how you Rightists get so outraged about any suggestion of a connection, yet it seems that the Nazis are never far from your minds.

I believe that there is nothing inherently wrong with raising the bar for voting.

Sure, sounds good in principle, who wouldn't want to "raise the bar" given the results we keep seeing? Trouble is, in reality there's no objective way to "raise the bar"--all you can do is put your thumb on the scale to rig the system to produce results you find congenial. The virtue, perhaps the sole virtue, of universal sufferage, is that it's inherently neutral.

If nobody's prevented from voting, while nobody's forced to vote, the self-selection process of motivation produces the truest (least-distorted) result. If we really value liberty and self-determination, then universal sufferage with voluntary participation most closely honors those principles. Anything less is hypocrisy.

--Robert