Blind man sentenced to library course

[janbo1960]

A blind Turkish pensioner has been sentenced to a 26-day reading and writing course at his local public library after he failed to vote on time in an election for his village cooperative, his son says.

A prosecutor in the province of Kutahya in north-west Turkey sentenced Ismail Canseven, 73, to the education course after he did not show up for the election of the cooperative's board of directors in May, Isa Canseven told Reuters.

"What am I going to do in a library? I can't see out of either of my eyes, and I can't read or write anyway," Friday's edition of the Hurriyet newspaper quoted Ismail as saying.

Isa Canseven, 42, said he would appeal against the sentence served on his father.

"My father can only find the bathroom by holding on to a piece of string we've tied to the (bathroom) wall," he said.

In Turkey, people are obliged by law to vote in elections.


Its compulsory to vote in Australia too!!!!

[eefanincan]

Compulsory to vote? How democratic is that? Don't get me wrong, I do think that if you have the ability to vote, you should, but making it mandatory will just piss people off--- at least it would here.

[janbo1960]

The aussies are so laid back that if it was not compulsory to vote i dont think they would get much more than 10% turn out.

I vote because I have to but I usually spoil my paper.

[eefanincan]

I vote because I have to but I usually spoil my paper.

That's kind of my point...... people are going to get pissed off at being made to do something so they spoil their ballot, it doesn't count and the whole process is a waste of time for the person.

[cat21]

janbo1960 wrote:

I vote because I have to but I usually spoil my paper.


LOL here in Australia we vote so can bitch for the next four year about who the OTHERS voted in!

Cath