In many states, convicted felons, even those who have completed their sentences and parole, are not allowed to vote. The Democrats are rather exercised about restoring voting rights to ex-cons in swing states, where a few thousand votes can swing presidential elections. This movement, I suppose, says all that you need to know about how much importance moral values to the Democratic Party.
Now I, for one, happen to agree that ex-convicts should have the right to vote -- but for a different reason. If a person has 'paid his debt to society', as the saying goes, then that person should be restored to full citizenship, with all the rights and privilges thereof. If there is a still a need to punish that person, that person should never have been released from prison. Rather simple, eh? A person has either paid his debt, or not.
But as Jonah Goldberg pointed out a few months ago, Democrats are advancing a different, and flawed argument:
Across the country there's a growing push to let ex-cons regain the right to vote. I'm against it as a wholesale policy, although at the margins I think you can make a good case for some folks. But let's put aside the merits of the argument for a moment. The one indisputable fact is that the issue wouldn't be gaining any steam at all if there weren't so many ex-cons — mostly black — demanding it.
If you follow the debate on this issue, you'll notice that the very first point advocates for "re-enfranchising" convicted criminals make is that there are so many more ex-cons who are barred from voting today. They back it up with the fact that they are disproportionately black, as if that should make a big difference. Indeed, the concern has it exactly backwards: Instead of worrying that so many black felons can't vote, the black community should be worried that so many blacks are felons.
Even the effort to give the vote back to felons has it backwards. If it was a good idea to bar ex-cons from voting when there were few of them around, why should it be a bad idea when there are more of them? In other words, why would it be just or wise or no big deal to bar one ex-con from voting but unjust or unwise to bar one million ex-cons? Whatever the dangers are of allowing one former criminal to vote, they surely pale in comparison to the dangers of allowing millions of them to vote. A community can absorb one ex-con voter no problem, but 10,000 — or ten million — of them may be a different matter altogether. It's only when felons — what they call the "ex-offender community" in D.C. — became a class or potential voting bloc that this became a hot issue.
As Goldberg argues (even though he's against restoring the franchise), taking this legal action is either right or wrong on its own merits, regardless of which ethnic group or political party benefits the most from it, or whether we are talking about ten felons or ten million. Ex-cons tend to vote overwhelmingly Democratic, which would not serve my side of the political spectrum, but it doesn't really matter. It's an issue of right and wrong, not which side will benefit.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
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4 comments:
It is my belief that if they have served their dept to society they should regain their right to vote, just as you commented earlier there is no inbetween. You either paid your time or you didn't. In regards to what you were saying about blacks, the agrument does have it's merit. These laws were created (in many southern states) for the purpose or supressing votes and not allowing them to vote. These laws mostly went into effect the first 5 years after the civil wars and the crimes that resulted in the loss of your voting rights (at least in Mississippi) were petty crimes such as bribery, aron, forgery and other such crimes many ex-slaves in those times commited to try and survive. Serious crimes such as murder and rape had no place in those laws and at the same time it's on record that a Virgina rep. commented something to the effect of, After adopting laws similar to Mississippi's "blackeys" would soon be completely out of politics within 5 years, showing that they knew these laws would specifcally effect blacks. 100 years later there plans have come to fruitation, yes we are still in politics but as of 2004/2005 more black males are going to jail than to institutions of higher education. To deny the factor race plays in the problem is to deny history, the facts are there if you look.
Then again, I may be completely wrong. At 17 I for the most part hate politics but I tend to have stong opinions and find these types of laws to be ridiculous. I mean, a man in Virgina, I believe it was, lost his voting rights for the rest of his life because he had CONCENTUAL Anal sex. That is no ones buisness but his own and it's horrible that someone can lose their right to vote for LIFE because of something that stupid.
My email is CJPeterson@aol.com if anyone has commentz
laterz
I think it's wrong that ex convicts can't vote. A lot of them aren't even guilty of the crimes they were accused of committing. My husband was convicted of a felony because his "friend" let him borrow his car and decided not to tell my husband that it was stolen. Now my husband can't voice his opinion. Everyone is supposed to be treated equal but no one seems to care about that anymore. I feel that your voting status shouldn't change just because someone made a mistake and got caught. I don't think the right to vote should be terminated under any circumstances. Thanx for listening.
Kelly from Albrightsville
If u have comments my e-mail is bloodette101@yahoo.com
Ex cons should definetly have the right to vote. As it has been said and over said, They have paid their debt to society. They owe nothing more. It does not make sense to comtinue to punish peple for a crime they have supposedly served the sentenced time for. It is expected that a criminal will reform during their time in prison. If that is the case, then what is the harm in allowing them to vote. it is the right of American citizens. if one does not believe that a prisoner can be reformed in prison, then its the prison system and not the prisoner that is the issue. The prisoner should not have to pay for the flaws of the prison system. Lastly, if a prisoner returns to their society without expected rights, then he will feel that it is just another prison. I believe that an ex-con, with emphasis on the prefix "ex" should be given another chance to prove that they have been changed and are willing to participate in the proceedings of their community.
If ex-convicts tended toward the Republican vote, the Republican party would also want their votes. I don't see what the perceived view of Democratic values have to do with it..
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