VANITY: Do you think felons should be allowed to vote?

me

[yonif]

A friend of mine was wondering about this topic and discussed it with me.

Do you think felons (those in jail and those who are "reformed") should be allowed to vote (not felons convicted of voter relating crime)?

There are those countries, such as Israel, which allow felons to vote (both in and out of prison, as long as they were not convicted of voter related crimes).

What do you think? Why is it a good or bad idea?

[EGPWS]

Unless they've been convicted of voter fraud, you can't give me a solid reason why their voting rights have anything to do with their previous crimes. Continueing to punish them, even while it creates a worse kind of criminal, is cutting off our nose to spite our face.

To them voting I don't see it either, however to 'rat politicians I see an agenda to dig up as many votes as possible and since most sensible, self concerned, do unto others as one would want done to themselves thinking, people are distancing themselves from liberal politics, the Dem's are focusing on creating votes to promote their agenda.

This being performed through graying issues to the point of right and wrong no longer existing. If right and wrong still existed most felons now aday's wouldn't be felons. (they would know better)

[Prime Choice]

Are you sure that you did not commit any felony?

The question is not whether someone has done something felonious; the question is whether they have done as much and been convicted in a court of law by a jury of their peers.

So picture this: right now, felons are not permitted to vote. So you give them the vote. Are you willing to accept that felons will -- out of the same naked self-interest that motivated them to violate society's laws -- be far more inclined to vote for the candiates who are soft on crime? Are you willing to accept that felons will -- again, out of the same naked self-interest that motivated them to violate society's laws -- will be inclined to vote for candidates who will seek to decriminalize the very things for which they were tried and convicted?

Maybe you want pedophiles, rapists and murderers to have a say in determining the future course of this nation. I for one do not.

[muir_redwoods]

What will the democrats do if felons can't vote?

[boris]

"These people who say NEVER-LET-THEM-VOTE-AGAIN really make me ill, especially considering some of the archane laws that were in effect years ago."

Loss of the franchise upon conviction of a felony has its roots in Common Law. Common Law is "common" because it has been found to be useful and proper over a period of several centuries. But 'dyno35' knows better.

--Boris

[yonif]

Thanks for the clarification on what your beliefs on this issue are.

[Arpege92]

"Here in America, we lately tend to hand out felonies like candy and all it does is keep people down."

I suppose you are right, we need to be easier on robbers, rapists and murderers. It's bad enough they have to spend time in prison but taking away there voting rights...how fair is that? Do you suppose there victims especially the dead ones who can no longer vote, would feel the same as you do?

[freedumb2003]

What will the democrats do if felons can't vote?

Increase their reliance on the dead and the illegal immigrant vote.

[ladyinred]

In a word, NO!
It seems that soon there will be nothing that prisoners can't do that those of us who are law abiding can. They already have more rights at times than the rest of us. Certainly more than their victims. We are carrying this sensitivity too far.

[SJSAMPLE]

Oh, I agree completely that the DimocRATS have an agenda. But it's our own, collective doing.

Look at all the nonviolent things that we've criminalized to the point that we're creating an entire sub-society of people that the RATS can pander to. We've made prisons our fastest growing "opportunity." And I'm not talking about the murderers and rapists, either. I'm talking about nonviolent felons who return to our society as much worse people than when they went into "the system." Our prisons have become Prep Schools for habitual offenders.

[anniegetyourgun]

Or at least required to never speak or be seen in public for the remainder of their natural life.

[2timothy3.16]

Once they have served all of their time, including parole, then all of their rights should be restored, they have paid their debt to society.

And yes, that includes the right to own and carry firearms.

[A. Pole]

Are you sure that you did not commit any felony?

The question is not whether someone has done something felonious; the question is whether they have done as much and been convicted in a court of law by a jury of their peers.

Oh, so someone gets caught and you can lay your sins on him. How hypocritical.

[SJSAMPLE]

Common Law DOES NOT mean that the practice has been determined (specifically) to be "useful and proper". It means that the current practice has evolved from "common" practices that were in place before the law was written.

This doesn't lend credibility to the current law, because it was merely a codification of existing practices. It's somewhat of an incestual relationship.

[SJSAMPLE]

Common Law DOES NOT mean that the practice has been determined (specifically) to be "useful and proper". It means that the current practice has evolved from "common" practices that were in place before the law was written.

This doesn't lend credibility to the current law, because it was merely a codification of existing practices. It's somewhat of an incestual relationship.

[DannyTN]

"Loss of the franchise is part of the punishment for committing a felony. Therefore felons should never be permitted to vote."

But why do we punish any crime? For deterent value. Is this punishment an effective deterent?

A felony is a breach of the social contract. A felon has placed himself outside of the civilized society and should be kept there. "

But so is state crime a breach. If we say the felon's judgement is so impaired that he shouldn't be voting, I think that's a good argument.

What worries me is the continual encroachment of the federal government. How long before the beaucratic vagueness and exponential growth of federal regs leave us all vulnerable to charges of having committed felonies?

And if that nightmare comes true, then could not a political party use that against another? Part of me says that true felons should never constitute so much of the population that their vote is significant. Therefore if their vote is significant, maybe we need to look at the law? "The Democratic Party, recognizing that felons will vote 100% Dem, are all in favor."

Yeah that's a good argument not to let them vote. I just fear the day that they throw my Republican ass in jail for failure to do some paperwork, or to produce my children to Social workers or some other nonsense.

[Edit35]

The problem with this discussion about FELONS is that everyone has a DIFFERENT perception in their mind of exactly what it is that makes one a felon.

First off, it is different in every state. Some states classify people with two DUI offenses (driving under the influence) a felon, and some do not.

Some states classify (or previously did) those caught with more than 50 grams of marijuana to be a felon, and some do not.

This discussion is ridiculous with no paramaters in place describing exactly what IS and what ISN'T a felon.

From reading these posts, I am under the impression that most people think a FELON is a person who used an illegal handgun to rob a bank, and then raped the preacher's daughter on the way out the door --- when nothing could be further from the truth.

Check out the laws in your home state, and you will be shocked to find out how little it takes to become a FELON.

[A. Pole]

"Here in America, we lately tend to hand out felonies like candy and all it does is keep people down."

I suppose you are right, we need to be easier on robbers, rapists and murderers.

Serious criminals are becoming a minority in prisons with the explosive growth of prison industry. We are making our own gulag.

[Edit35]

The problem with this discussion about FELONS is that everyone has a DIFFERENT perception in their mind of exactly what it is that makes one a felon.

First off, it is different in every state. Some states classify people with two DUI offenses (driving under the influence) a felon, and some do not.

Some states classify (or previously did) those caught with more than 50 grams of marijuana to be a felon, and some do not.

This discussion is ridiculous with no paramaters in place describing exactly what IS and what ISN'T a felon.

From reading these posts, I am under the impression that most people think a FELON is a person who used an illegal handgun to rob a bank, and then raped the preacher's daughter on the way out the door --- when nothing could be further from the truth.

Check out the laws in your home state, and you will be shocked to find out how little it takes to become a FELON.

[NRA2BFree]

Criminals already do vote. They're called Democrats.

[Edit35]

The problem with this discussion about FELONS is that everyone has a DIFFERENT perception in their mind of exactly what it is that makes one a felon.

First off, it is different in every state. Some states classify people with two DUI offenses (driving under the influence) a felon, and some do not.

Some states classify (or previously did) those caught with more than 50 grams of marijuana to be a felon, and some do not.

This discussion is ridiculous with no paramaters in place describing exactly what IS and what ISN'T a felon.

From reading these posts, I am under the impression that most people think a FELON is a person who used an illegal handgun to rob a bank, and then raped the preacher's daughter on the way out the door --- when nothing could be further from the truth.

Check out the laws in your home state, and you will be shocked to find out how little it takes to become a FELON.