ACLU Wants To Extend Voting Rights To Felons
Posted on August 18, 2005
“The ACLU, along with seven national organizations, participates in Right to Vote, a national coalition to end felony disfranchisement policies. source
The ACLU is also conducting an ex-felon public education and mobilization campaign with affiliates in Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina and Southern California, to educate ex-felons about their voting rights and to encourage them to vote”.Per ACLU
First, let me ask you a question. Is voting a right or a privilege? If you look at the numerous rights listed in the Declaration of Independence, and the constitution itself, there is no mention of voting rights. I prefer to look at it as a duty, but…For those who believe they have a “right to vote,” here’s a little history lesson.
The founders were well versed in the miseries of majority rule and of the historical failures of democracies.
So, they went about forming a government which would protect the rights of everyone, especially the minority, from the tyranny of mob rule (democracy).
We often forget in our time that those who created the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. government itself had been a distinct political minority for many years. They knew first hand how dangerous majority rule and democracies can be. They knew instinctively that when the mob gets rolling, the rights of individuals are of no consequence.“Trial, we don’t need no stinkin’ trial! He’s guilty, string him up!” They knew that in a democracy, no one’s rights are secure and that sooner or later the majority would find a way to sack the treasury and bleed it dry. That’s why they formed a representative republic. In a republic form of government, which we are guaranteed by the national and state constitutions, there must be a limited franchise to vote.
Voting in a republic is not a right, it is a privilege. The American founders then went one step further, and insisted that voting privileges be determined by each state legislature, not the national or federal government. It worked quite well for more than 100 years … then came “reconstruction” after the U.S. vs. CSA conflict in the 1860s. That’s when the socialist move for a “full democracy” began. It has flourished ever since, slowly but surely eroding the original guarantees of a republic form of government by planting ideas that every person has a “right to vote,” simply ignoring constitutional restraints against such a notion.”excerpt
The 14th Amendment permits states to deny the vote “for participation in rebellion, or other crime.” In 32 states convicted felons have the “privilege” to vote. Only 13 states now forbid convicted felons from voting, with just nine of these imposing lifetime bans. Two states, Vermont and Maine, even allow felons currently doing time to vote like any other citizen. The fact is that it isn’t about the felon’s “rights”. What it comes down to is states rights. Now don’t get me wrong, I know women, and blacks were denied their “duty” to vote, and this was wrong. However, this is a far cry from race or sex.
Ignoring the fact that the ACLU is trampling on states rights for the moment, I will defend the decision of these states as deserving applause. Felons include murderers, rapists, and child molesters. Why should those who break the law have any right to vote for those who make and enforce the law? Why should convicted criminal have any say in who becomes sheriff or judge? And why stop at the “right” to vote? Why not restore a convicted murderer the right to own a gun? Oh yeah…the ACLU doesn’t belive that is a right.
Now, the subject of criminals serving time having some “right” to vote is just ludicrous to me. But when it comes to the subject of ex-prisoner felons being able to vote, it has to be approached with much more care.
Many believe that once a felon has served their time they have paid their price to society, and with their reinstated citizenship they should be given back it’s full privileges including that of voting. In many cases the person has learned their lesson, and goes back into society to contribute positively, a truly changed individual for the better. And personally, I think people like this should regain their citizenship in full with all of it’s benefits, including voting. But on the other hand, many come out of prison conditioned, and hardened, only to return to a life of crime…in many cases worse than before. In my opinion every citizen has a social contract with society, that once broken has also broken the trust of society. It really comes down to rehabilitation, and being given parole is not a true gauge to measure this by. I would have no problem giving ex-prisoner felons back their full citizen privileges after a specified period of time in which they commit no other felonies, and prove their good citizenship.
I know another argument from the left which states that laws denying formerly incarcerated criminals their “right” to vote is a remnant of the “old Jim Crow laws”. These people believe the laws are racially motivated. They base their argument off of the statistics showing that almost one third of convicted felons are black.
Instead of confronting the fact that a grossly disproportionate percentage of crime is committed by black men, however, they twist it around and claim it is another example of institutionalized white racism. Of course, they conveniently leave out the fact that any convicted felon, despite their race, loses the right to vote in the states that forbid it.
If you think the disproportionate amount of blacks convicted of felonies is due to a flawed judicial system, I will not argue with you. I also have qualms with our judicial system.
Despite all of the arguments, it all comes down to states’ rights. If a state has decides to make part of the punishment of a felony the loss of their voting privileges permanently, or to bear arms, this can not be infringed upon by the federal government, or the ACLU. Those who violate the rights of others have proven that they want the benefits of society without the burden of obeying its laws. They can hardly complain when a majority of their fellow citizens deny them the right to choose who make the laws. When one is convicted of a felony, they lose many rights and privileges. I definitely don’t think incarcerated felons should be able to vote, as the ACLU does. And as far as regaining those privileges once they finish their prison term….it shouldn’t be unconditional or automatic the way the ACLU thinks.
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11 Responses to “ACLU Wants To Extend Voting Rights To Felons”
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“If you look at the numerous rights listed in the Declaration of Independence, and the constitution itself, there is no mention of voting rights”
Amendment 14 mentions it. So does the 15th. The 17th says that people of each state elect senators. The 19th (women’s vote) supposes a right to vote. The 24th (poll tax) supposes a right to vote. So does the 26h (voting at age 18).
Get a clue.
Sorry, those are a few votes this country doesn’t need. Oh yes, and spend tax dollars for these classes. Another brilliant ACLUseless idea.
I think one time felons should have their voting privileges reinstated upon release and successful completion of any probation. Repeat offenders, perhaps upon their third incarceration, should permanently have their voting privileges revoked.
But, as Jay said, this is a decision that must be made on a state by state basis.
Exactly, it is not a federal issue.
Very nice blog.
Smoking Girl
I believe after someone has served their time they should have all rights restored a lot of those felons are also ex military who went and served our country why not give them back the right to vote especially after time served after all they still have to pay taxes so is that fair to let them be half a citizen? I dont think so I support restoring their rights.
I believe that if our justice system is a fair and just system then the punishment a “felon” receives for their crime should be what our great lawmakers have determined is just punishment for the crime. Why then, after the person has completed this process shoud they still be continually punished for the rest of their lives? The majority of businesses now continue to punish them by not hiring them. Our federal system will not allow them to get federal aid of any kind. Then really everyone convicted of any felony should just be put to death by this barbaric society and then only the perfect people would be left like the politicians and the people that believe a person can never make a mistake or change their ways. These hipocrits make me sick. When someone has paid their dues for a crime then they sould atleast be given a chance to start over. No wonder so many go right back to crime. Society makes it impossible for them to do anything else.
I found two websites that you folks will likely appreciate. One of them hosts a debate on the ACLU’s position on felon voting specifically:
http://www.acluprocon.org/bin/procon/procon.cgi?database=5-G-Sub-2Q.db&command=viewone&op=t&id=4&rnd=603.1152718578392
The other one gets into the whole felon voting issue in general: wwww.felonvotingprocon.org.
My own view is that felon re-enfranchisement arguments are disengenous and politically motivated. If re-enfranchisement proponents were really concerned about democracry they would focus on a MUCH bigger problem - most people (literally) without voting restrictions do not vote.
First, Iam in total agreement with Pat Fosters point of view. I would like to add a little more flavor to his view regarding felons.
I will use myself as an example, I got in trouble with the law 32 years ago. My intentions as a young man was not to defy the law nor to destroy. I believe in the law only if its just. The only problem I see is that the law is not providing restoration remendies for aa ex-felon individual who wants fit back into the mainstream of society. every felon is an indivdual an should be treated as an indivdual. what I mean by all this is that if a felon individual has prooven him or herself as truly reformed, the right thing to do is give that person a second chance. For the entire law system to deprive the opportunity of reform or restoration rights to exsist mentally free as a human being is a violation too its own laws. Their are people who exsist in high society who’s hate have been acepted as the final decision, these people include employers,district attorney, city officals, state, governors,representatives, senators and many more. And all that a herting person wants and reaching out for is to be accepted in order that they may move forward as a constructive citizen of the country. I committed an attempt of burglary 32 years ago an only serve one year for my wrong am I happy about it ‘no’.
But I think Iam an individual who deserve a second chance and my mind to be free from condemnation by the rest of society. I have a wife a daughter who are special, an I want to provide for them. Everytime I search for employment Iam being discrimnated simply because of what happen 32 years ago.
Our society is making local ex-con as national terroist killy the hope for change.
What if only a hunderd and fourty years ago the only people who could vote where white male Americans. Imagine some people where slaves or not look at as equals. Now think about it, if you were the majority and wanted to stay the majority what would be the best way to do that in a democracy? If you don’t know I will tell you, you take away the voice of minorities. The best way to do this in a democracy is to silence thier vote. Say this was acctually happaning. How could the people who are being victimized change anything? They can’t.
Yes, this is happening. Right now!