Felon VotingFollow

"Oh my god, Charles Manson can't vote! What injustice!"

Does that make you feel better? Because I still don't particularly care that he can't.

Can we at least infect them with various diseases and kill them that way? I mean as long as we're treating them like disposable flesh bags.

Or maybe hook them up to a blood donor machine, we're always short of that aren't we?

This is where I show, or at least pretend to show, some moral outrage at such a suggestion? I actually think it's a good idea, except that the concrete should only fill about 39 feet of that hole, and the rest be dirt and grass and stuff for the children. So it isn't so much as felons as it is a matter of degrees for you? How about people convicted of multiple drunk driving offenses? Do they get to keep voting? Drug dealers? Pedophiles? How about if they murdered just one person? Do you guys have a list of which types felons should, and shouldn't, be allowed to vote?

Edited, Mar 5th 2013 12:19pm by lolgaxe

So it isn't so much as felons as it is a matter of degrees for you? How about people convicted of multiple drunk driving offenses? Do they get to keep voting? Drug dealers? Pedophiles? How about if they murdered just one person? Do you guys have a list of which types felons should, and shouldn't, be allowed to vote?

No, which is the point. The labeling of vast segments of society to make it more convenient for you to self righteously hate them *probably* isn't as important as voting. A democracy that incarcerates *by far* the largest per capita population of it's citizens of any other free nation in the world, should be concerned with ensuring that created underclass has a voice in that democracy.

But you know, if we can label them a scary word then they don't matter, right?

Well, that's an interesting take on the matter. I didn't see his comments as "hating" so much as recognizing that when you break the law, sometimes things are taken away from you. Voting can either be one of those things, or not, and if we can accept that people who commit crimes might not actually have the best judgment - well there's a good argument for not allowing them that particular right.

Folks who commit a felony and then get locked up for it should expect some measure of their rights will be taken away. I don't see voting as such a crucial QoL issue for convicted felons.

I'm sorry I'm not as easily swayed by generic phrases meant to elicit a response, but again it isn't something I dwell on. If you want a specific answer, don't ask a generic question. Though, I guess those kinds of questions help people feel better about themselves.

Yes, one of two things is happening. I, an incredibly well educated super intelligent person with a huge amount of diverse life experience was suckered into believing something based on pity and naivete. Or, you're missing something.

I am known for my overly generous nature and emotional weakness, so it's almost definitely that first one.

Don't think too hard on it, though. Just kidding, I know you won't.

I'm a Guardian reading Brit, quasi liberal with a touch of Tory. So take my comments with a pinch of salt as you have focused on a US perspective ...



Personally ...No they should not be able to vote, I believe you should pay a price for your crimes. Your freedom is being stripped from you for a reason.
From a really lazy google I have found a link about the debate going on with UK/Europe over this very matter. While it worries me that I agree with Cameron, I do.



Depends if you live beside a HUGE prison? Personally I'd be more worried about the general population makeup in the area you live in.



I've never yet seen a politician who will not pander to someone/something/someTVshow for a vote. We have some shockers in the UK, but ... I will never assume for the US ... you nearly had Palin as VP
But .. saying that .. the Politician would need to be in an area with a HUGE prison to pander to the inmates ...



I cannot possibly say, I do not hang about with prisoners but I would assume they are a rich and a varied bunch.



Those who gave a damn will. I bet those are also the ones who make it back into mainstream society.

Coming from a middle to upper class white guy in his middle age years, this statement is almost never accurate.

Almost. In my case, it's deadly accurate.

Why not give them the opportunity for reenfranchisement if they serve a term in the military. We could use some more black people in our armed services.

Watching HBO has got to count for something.

Don't be ludicrous, we don't have television. The children, man, think of the children.

Sorry. I just had a flashback to an old comedy bit where the comedian relates the tale of some overanxious eco-type coming up to him in the supermarket and saying "Don't eat the tuna! Dolphins get caught in the nets!", and he responds "What about the tuna?"

Being put in prison constitutes a vastly greater infringement of the prisoners civil rights than not allowing him to vote. Being concerned about losing the right to vote while accepting all the other stuff he loses as a consequence of being imprisoned is like worrying about wind chafing when your parachute fails to open.



I agree absolutely. Loss of voting rights, if imposed as part of the punishment, should be restored once the punishment/parole/probation/whatever is over.



Exactly.

And making license plates.

(Do they still do that in prison...?)

For ever after or only while serving time? It was hard to tell from Cameron's statement. I'm ok with felons losing the voting privlege while incarcerated and even while on parole (essentially while still a 'felon'). Once they've served their punishment they should be given back rights equal to anyone else. None of us are innocent beings. Most of us have broken the law, some even at the felonious level - but not been caught, or not be charged, or not been tried, or had a good lawyer and not sent to jail.

I think a proper democratic vote has to allow for human imperfection.

"We have the right to be stupid" (I think I'm really digging our new SoS)