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The history of voting rights essay
History of voting rights in the usa short essay
History of voting rights in the usa short essay
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Individuals convicted of a felony should not lose their right to vote. The right to vote is a
birth right for citizens born in this country. This right is taken for granted by many and is
exercised by far too few. As the United States prepares for its 57th presidential election over five
million of its citizens will be denied their right to participate in the electoral process. Why would
such a large number of people be denied a constitutional right? They have been excluded from
voting because they have been convicted of a felony. A felony is usually considered any crime
that could lead to more than a year in prison. But states can often have differing views of what is
considered a felony or a misdemeanor. Such an important right should not be subject to the
whims of state legislatures. Laws that prohibit felons from voting are a punishment above and
beyond the one handed out by the judicial system.
There is no uniformity to the laws barring convicted felons from voting. Laws vary
greatly from state to state. Almost every state prevents incarcerated felons from voting. The
only exceptions are Maine and Vermont. While some states reinstate voting rights once a
person has been released from prison; more than thirty continue to disenfranchise these
individuals. Thirty one states prohibit those on probation for felony offenses from voting.
Thirty six states prohibit those on parole for felony crimes from voting in elections. Several of
these states will restore the voting rights of convicted felons once the probation and/or parole
have been completed. But some of our fellow citizens will have their right to vote permanently
revoked. The nation at a whole should be concerned abo...
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...ple University Press.
Jones, Ashby (2010). Should Felons Lose the Right to Vote? Retrieved from
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/03/22/should-felons-lose-the-right-to-vote/.
Karlan, Pamela (2004). "Convictions and Doubts: Retribution, Representation, and the Debate
over Felon Disenfranchisement," Stanford Law Review, Vol. 56, No. 5,
Krajick, Kevin (2004). The Washington Post. Why Can't Ex-Felons Vote?
Lewis, Gregory (2004). Study Criticizes Laws on Felon Voting, Democrats, Blacks Hurt,
Analysis Says. South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
New York Times Editorial Board (2004). Felons and the Right to Vote. Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/11/opinion/felons-and-the-right-to-
Shakir, Faiz (2012). On MLK Day, Santorum Criticizes Romney for Undermining Voting
Rights. Retrieved from http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/01/16/404903/on-mlk-day-
Most black Americans are under the control of the criminal justice today whether in parole or probation or whether in jail or prison. Accomplishments of the civil rights association have been challenged by mass incarceration of the African Americans in fighting drugs in the country. Although the Jim Crow laws are not so common, many African Americans are still arrested for very minor crimes. They remain disfranchised and marginalized and trapped by criminal justice that has named them felons and refuted them their rights to be free of lawful employment and discrimination and also education and other public benefits that other citizens enjoy. There is exists discernment in voting rights, employment, education and housing when it comes to privileges. In the, ‘the new Jim crow’ mass incarceration has been described to serve the same function as the post civil war Jim crow laws and pre civil war slavery. (Michelle 16) This essay would defend Michelle Alexander’s argument that mass incarcerations represent the ‘new Jim crow.’
To be blunt if we keep denying released felons the right to vote we will keep losing touch with the fundamentals of our democracy. Our poll numbers will keep going down and people who want to vote won’t be able to. We will be denying them a helpful tool for reintegration or rehabilitation even if it doesn’t it might show us when someone is ready to become apart of society and stop reckless behavior. Also, just like in the case of Leola Strickland let people who just made a small mistake and still want to vote another
Society cannot let factions become disenfranchised and lose their self determination. The United States, a country founded upon the ideals of freedom and individual prosperity, cannot hold unjust elections brought upon by the current dominant political party. President Johnson created a bipartisan effort to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965, enriching democracy and continuing the American spirit of democratic values. Johnson united Congress with the simple message, “Our mission is at once the oldest and the most basic of this country: to right wrong, to do justice, to serve man.” (Johnson) Today, the citizens of the United States must push Congress formulate an oversight measure to fix voter
In the United States 2.2 million citizens are incarcerated on felony charges. Laws in America prohibit felons from voting. As a result, on Election Day 5.3 million citizens of America are disenfranchised because of crimes they once committed. Though they once broke the law, they have served their time and have been punished adequately in accordance with the American Justice System. Felons should regain full voting rights after their stint in prison.
Many people believe that felons do not deserve the right to vote. For these people, voting is not an inherent right; rather it is a privilege given to deserving people that wish to make a positive change to their lives. Some believe that, “…there is no reason for a felon to vote or to debate about whether or not they have that right…they made the choice to break the law, so why should they have any say in making it?” {Siegel} In this point of view, giving felons the right to vote is similar to rewarding them. With the right to vote, felons are still able to sway decisions regarding the lives of a society they are no longer a part of. Felons are meant to be punished, stripped of numerous rights including that of voting. Punishments, then, are made to restrict a person, not give them more freedom and decision.
Michelle Alexander, in her book, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, examines the development of institutionalized racism following the war on drugs, and how it has created what Alexander calls a “New Jim Crow era,” or a racial caste in the US. Alexander describes this undercaste as, “a lower caste of individuals who are permanently barred by law and custom from mainstream society,” (Alexander, 32). Not only is this because of mass incarceration rates among black men, but extends to the effects that these branded felons must face beyond prison walls. By checking the well known box on any application, it has become legal for almost any institution or corporation to discriminate against a marked felon. Alexander notes that, “Once you’re labeled a felon, the old forms of discrimination – employment discrimination, housing discrimination, denial of the right to vote, denial of educational opportunity, denial of food stamps and other public benefits, and exclusio...
The right to vote for non-citizens has become an increasingly controversial topic due to the strong and often divisive opinions of permanent Canadian residents. The capacity to vote is one of the most important and valued freedoms granted to individuals. Although the acceptance of non-citizen resident voting is frequently encouraged in order to propel self-governing justice and immigrant inclusion, opponents claim that it is in a nation’s best interest to delay voting rights to non-citizens. According to this claim, by preserving voting rights to citizens, non-citizens would have the social responsibility to actively learn the essential community services and self-ruled obligations necessary to earn their citizenship. In spite of this claim, non-citizens should be allowed to vote because the right to vote offers immigrants a more welcomed chance to contribute in the decision-making processes that take place in Canadian legislature. Seeing that this legislature administrates the rights and freedoms of the immigrant populations, it would only be just if immigrants had the right to elect candidates who spoke on behalf of their best interests.
Criminal disenfranchisement is defined as the loss of the right to vote by a person convicted of or sentenced to imprisonment for a felony. Since before the civil war, this practice has been a part of the United States justice system mostly as a means to handle the racial issues with voting but then also in regards to the felons and rebels that participated in the Southern “rebellion” during the Civil War. This practice has recently gained some popularity since a debate has developed as to whether it is unconstitutional or not. Is voting a right or a privilege?
The first inception of individual rights began with the founding fathers of the United States, who had a vision in which all citizens would have the right to live in this country without being discriminated based on race, gender, religion, or sexual preference (US Constitution, 2010). These are basic human rights for which many people lost their lives to protect as this country was formed. Nonetheless, today one lives in a society in which one must fight to continue to posses those rights once again. Similar to the rest of history, when there have many examples of individual rights were not protected.
Aside from individuals who were actually convicted of a felony, the tens of millions of Americans who were arrested without ever being convicted for a crime are no exception to this form of legalized discrimination as the same constraints applied to convicted felons are unfairly applied to them as well (Alexander 145). When it comes to felon discrimination, the severity of the felony does not matter. Public housing policies deny eligibility to people who have even the most minor criminal backgrounds. Due to the fact that people of color such as African Americans and Hispanics are primary targets of police in the War on Drugs, they are much more likely to be arrested for minor, nonviolent crimes as opposed to people who are white (Alexander 145). Instead of racial discrimination being nonexistent in present society, Michelle Alexander argues that racial discrimination has merely been extended to occur through subliminally discriminative colorblind practices (Alexander 11). The criminal justice system still targets racial minorities and deprives them of basic human rights by permitting legalized discrimination, such as the discrimination existent in public housing seen by the usage of racially restrictive covenants in the past, and by the
... who are eligible of voting should get out there and vote. We fought to expand suffrage, and now we must show the government we are capable of voting.
Mauer, Marc. 1999. The Race to Incarcerate. New York: The New Press National Research Council. 1993.
There are parole boards in approximately six states that are either on the verge of being abolished or see parolee cases that are non-violent. Also, four states
A notable example was back in 1876, President Rutherford Hayes (a republican) beat Samuel Tilden (a democrat) by a 3% popular vote and a single electoral voter. People are furious about the results about these kinds of elections as it is, but when they hear that the guy seating next to them didn’t vote, they may go ballistic. Because the value of a single vote may be extremely vital to all involved in the country (or, on a bigger scale, the country). That one vote may elect a president who creates free community college educations to the financially needy, but not voting may strip away only chance at an education. But in the same instant, that one voter may force the rich to be taxed more and have them loose more of their hard earned money. Governmental matters effect everyone involved, notwithstanding directly or indirectly, in one way or another. So it makes sense that every citizen should vote, right? Since they are all effected in the end? While many residents may see it that way, it isn’t that black and white of a scenario.
(USCCB, 2017) It is a natural right of everyone to access the goods of creation they require so they can nurture. Each person must have access to the level of well-being that is necessary for their flourishing and development, such as the access to healthcare and education for disadvantaged groups including those living in rural areas or Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.