Yes, it’s a privilege to live in a country where one can vote. When one commits a crime, that right is removed....as is the freedom to travel, etc, etc...
(Privilege in THAT sense!) ;-)
I agree that I feel PRIVILEGED to have been born in America, but removing basic rights because of crimes is a very slippery slope.
It doesn’t take much to commite a crime, these days. Look at the penal codes for municipalities, cities and states, let alone the federal goobermint. Any Rand was right - control the people by making ALL of them criminals in some way.
And, felonies come in varying degrees.
Losing something so basic as the right to vote (or travel, etc., etc.,) because of a non-violent felony is a permanent stain that does nothing to resolve the situation. You marginalize people who could return to productive society.
If anything, our rights are our most valuable posessions.
Removing them so cavalierly is a costly and lasting mistake.
It should only be done in the most extreme of circumstances.
If someone is such a threat that their basic rights should be abridged, what the hell are they doing out of jail?