Zarn
Le Républicain Catholique
Insane_Panda said:
Amen. A person in the slammer should not be allowed to vote.
Should prisoners get the vote?
- Thread starter ComradeDavo
- Start date
Amen. A person in the slammer should not be allowed to vote.
PriestOfDiscord
(Not MobBoss)
I don't care what crime they committed before, if they are out of jail/prison they should have the right to vote. But if they are serving out a sentence then tough luck for them.
Insane_Panda
Deity
Yeah, I meant if they were in prison then they shouldnt be able to vote. After that though, I think its fair to alow them to vote if they have served their time.
Zarn
Le Républicain Catholique
Same here. I should have specified as well.
Red Stranger
Emperor
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2005
- Messages
- 1,678
There's no doubt that people in prison shouldn't be able to vote. But it's a harder decision whether they should be given back that right once they got out, because a lot is depended on the judge. Some judges give life time in prison for murder, other give 20 years. The person that did 20 years isn't an better than the one that serve a life time. Some judges give 6 months for smoking pot, other judges give 2 weeks, but the person that served 2 weeks isn't better than the one that serve 6 months.
So to summarize, prisoners shouldn't vote. But I'm still not sure if murderers and pot smokers should vote after they get out.
So to summarize, prisoners shouldn't vote. But I'm still not sure if murderers and pot smokers should vote after they get out.
Arminius
Jeff Vader
@Black Hole:
Without due process of law is what allows the governments to prevent felons from voting.
Emphasis mineAmendment 14 said:
Without due process of law is what allows the governments to prevent felons from voting.
Wolfe Tone
Which Way Did He Go?
With a record like that, they could be elected to governemtInsane_Panda said:
FriendlyFire
Codex WMDicanious
In Australia I think for the states of NT, WA and NSW prisoners dont have the right to vote.
Jorge
Yo mismo
A'AbarachAmadan said:
Maybe some people just don´t agree with what is a felony. A democracy consist in taking into account the opinion of everyone, not only the ones that already agree with the current laws.
For example, a muslim country can have adultery as a crime, and hence some people will be in jail for that. In case of a democracy, where one party supports the abolition of that law and other does not, how is it fair to deny the vote to the people that is in jail for that crime?
Marla_Singer
United in diversity
Well, I think it's fair for prisonners to temporarily lose their right to vote, but they should always be able to get it back. I don't know if they should be allowed to vote in jail, but once out, they should.
Jorge
Yo mismo
Marla_Singer said:
Have you read my post just above yours? Do you really think the example I give is fair?
Mr. Blonde
Dr. techn.
I have an uneasy feeling with restricting the right to vote. Not all sentenced prisoners are guilty and with a biased legal system it could happen that large groups (minorities, poor) are without the right to vote.
Poverty caused crime -> less poor people with the right to vote -> less policy for poor people -> even more poverty with more poverty caused crime
The three times guilty -> life sentence does not help the situation either. My feeling is that restricting the right to vote will end in a downward spiral, therefore no restriction is the best solution (with the exception of mentally ******** and insane people).
Poverty caused crime -> less poor people with the right to vote -> less policy for poor people -> even more poverty with more poverty caused crime
The three times guilty -> life sentence does not help the situation either. My feeling is that restricting the right to vote will end in a downward spiral, therefore no restriction is the best solution (with the exception of mentally ******** and insane people).
Jorge said:
But on the other hand, why should someone with no respect for the current law have a say in making new ones? I can't imagine that there is a significant percentage of currently imprisoned felons that did their crime mostly out of some sort of public protest or sign of disagreement with the law. I'm okay with a special commission set up for each prison to return to specific prisoners the right to vote in prison based upon whether their crime was one of politically-minded civil disobedience or just personal gain.
Jorge
Yo mismo
IglooDude said:
I could bet that most people that commit adultery do so for personal gain
ComradeDavo
Formerly God
Thats what I am thinkingNarz said:
Jorge said:I could bet that most people that commit adultery do so for personal gain
Exactly my point. If someone believes that adultery should not be illegal, fine, have at it, write your local mullah, contribute to their election campaigns, vote for pro-adultery imams, whatever. If you are so against it being illegal that you commit adultery purely out of civil disobedience, to make the point, then I would not care to restrict your rights further in the democratic process. But, if you don't think that adultery should be illegal, and just decide to ignore the law, then you're going to get treated like everyone else that just decides to ignore the law.
Marla_Singer
United in diversity
Sorry Jorge, I had simply read the initial post of this thread before posting. However, your example is indeed interesting.Jorge said:
My idea was simply that removing the right to vote should never be irrevocable, since it only increase the feeling that you're marginalized for life once having been in jail.
Che Guava
The Juicy Revolutionary
Mr. Blonde said:
I'm with you. Everyone gets the right to vote, as long they are old enough (another kettle o' fish) and are sound of mind. Exceptions lead to slippery slopes...
Mise
isle of lucy
On issues such as these, I generally favour the status quo. I don't see why they should get to vote, nor do I see why their right to vote should be taken away. Hurray for the status quo!
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