Stop Voting Disenfranchisement
I cannot, for the life of me, understand why convicted felons are denied the right to vote. There is no valid or reasonable explanation for it. I've heard some say it serves as a deterent to future criminal activity. How? If anything, it breeds more despair which would in turn possibly breed more criminal activity. Everyone knows what happens when you back an animal into a corner. While we humans are sometimes compared to animals,we are not. However, what do you think will happen when someone just believes they have no voice? No say? No input? They will act just as animals do and fight back. Others have said that taking a convicted felons right to vote is a punishment. Before I go further, take notice to the last part of that sentence...the RIGHT to vote. Voting is not a priveledge that should be taken away at ANYTIME. As an extension to the right to free speech, voting is a way to speak for those who want to voice their opinion silently. With all the talk of the death penalty and cruel and unusual punishment, I ask what can be more cruel and unusual than taking someone's right to vote. While we only die one physical death,(capital punishment)not being able to excercise one's right to vote is a cruel and unusual punishment of death that is felt every time an election draws near. This form of "civil death" should no longer be excepted by the masses. Regardless of what you feel about felons, whether petty or mastermind, no one should be voiceless. How would you feel if you had to pay taxes and are not even assumed to have an say about how it is spent? While we're on that subject, if you are going to force working 15-18 year olds to pay taxes, they should have the right to vote and have input to where their money goes also. Just a thought. While I'm thinking let's not forget about the disenfranchised homeless who cannot vote without a permanent address.
External Links
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Election_Reform/Felon_Disenfranchisement.html
http://www.sentencingproject.org/pdfs/barredforlife.pdf
http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/legislative/homeless.html
http://medicolegal.tripod.com/dwb.htm
http://www.sfdonline.org/sfd/Link%20Pages/Link%20Folders/01Ds/290401.html
http://www.cbcfinc.org/pdf/Disenfranchisement.pdf
http://www.nationalhomeless.org/getinvolved/projects/vote2004/cases.html
http://www.washingtonwatchdog.org/nonprofits/documents/cong_bills/108/h/h108_3709ih.html
http://www.immigrantvoting.org/material/disenfranchisement.html
http://www.rusbasan.com/Politics/Why_Bother_To_Vote.html
Email: manedavis@hotmail.com
