Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Right to Vote Quiz

Please answer this prompt in at least three paragraphs then post it as a comment
Should convicted felons be allowed to vote? What about those in jail, on parole or probation? What is the purpose of felony disenfranchisement, and does it actually serve that purpose?

Vocab
Disenfranchisement: the deprivation of some a legal right or
privilege, particularly the right to vote.

Felony: a serious crime punishable by a prison sentence of more than one year
(or death).

Probation: an alternative sentence to jail for a convicted offender, giving him
or her freedom contingent on good/lawful behavior, and under close supervision
by a probation officer.

Parole the conditional release of a convicted offender, upon good behavior and
rehabilitation in prison. The offender’s parole can be revoked and he or she can
be sent back to prison for poor/unlawful behavior committed during this release.

some things to think about....
Restriction of voting rights is estimated to disenfranchise about 13 percent of
black men nationwide, a proportion about twice that of the general population.

Teresa Williams has five felony drug possession convictions. She is in a job
training and drug abuse recovery program.
"I would like to be involved in voting for my children's future," said Miss
Williams, who has two children, ages 7 and 9. "I have to pay taxes, why can't
I vote?

"There are 50,000 kids whose fathers and mothers are in [Maryland]
institutions if any of those guys come out, you'd want them to assume
responsibilities for their lives and their kids. Voting is part of that
responsibility," Mr. Currie said.”


FEEL FREE TO SEARCH THE INTERNET FOR RESEARCH TO BACK UP YOUR OPINION BUT DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. COPY AND PASTE THE LINK, or else...

8 comments:

  1. http://menvswomenwagegap.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. There has been countless debates in the classroom weather or not felons should have the right to vote. I still debate the topic. My heart says they should, while my mind argues.

    I believe that when someone commits a crime they should be punished. The person guilty should be sent to jail but once out, they need to redeem themselves in order to retain their rights again. Why? Because they have broken the social compact. The agreement that we as people will give up some of our devine rights to be protected by the government. They rebelled and is why they are now being treated as second class citizens. It is a punishment that the government has given them. Voting is a privilege why should felons be granted that priviliege?

    On the other hand, felons have done their time in jail and many have changed for the better. Many have a steady job and also children-children with whom they want to be good parents to and teach them responsibility. Voting is a responsibility. Show them to have a voice in government-voting is that voice.

    Both cases seem to be legitimate. Felons should have the right to vote however upon their realse from jail they should be granted this right is another story.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I believe that prisoners should have the right to vote because what can possibly go wrong if they do? what can they do thats is so bad that could mess up election? theres still millions of other people out there that are voting. Ok this is how i look at it if prisoners are actually wanting to vote why not let them i mean if we giving that right to rebellious 18 years old and they arent taking advantage of it why not those who want to make a different do so.
    In all three cases having the right to vote should be allowed "New York State's laws that take the right to vote away from many people convicted of felonies disproportionately harms black and Latino communities" (Felons and the Right to Vote, ASK.com)if 1.4 million black men are in jail than that is most of my bronx community and i feel if because they are in jail and not able to vote that is really messing up our chances of making a change in coummunity like the bronx.If they are on Parole or Probation than thats is because they have shown some sort of good behavior in other words they are proving them self in wanting to gain thier rights back.
    Disenfranchisement,taking away the rights to vote from those in jail, is not serving its purpose because if they are already doing time for thier action, why should they be punished with not having rights of a citizen?If they are not looked at as citizens while in prison why are they forced to pay taxes?

    ReplyDelete
  5. 4/2/91 Hector Gonzalez

    Should convicted felons be allowed to vote? What about those in jail, on parole, or probation? What is the purpose of felony disenfranchisement, and does it actually serve that purpose? I think theirs a different way to pay a crime but to take your rights away its not fair, especially if you been in jail for a certain time.


    Voting is an important right that all citizens of the united states have. This is what I say and what immigrants that received citizenship has telling me that when you receive citizenship you cant commit a crime because if you do your rights will taken away why because they came here illegal and were not really born here so why take rights from someone that was here was born, lived here their whole life. ex-felons do have rights. once their debt to society has been paid they are allowed to reenter it as a full citizen(http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090320200822AAXhfXI) I found this In yahoo ones they pay their yrs in prison they have all the rights as a citizen. And about those in parole or in probation they should still have their rights as citizens. The purpose of felony disenfranchise is to take away a right and theirs no purpose for this because they were born here and have the right as a citizen.

    In conclusion I disagree with all this right taken away thing because is not fair for others to vote and not the one that completed their years in jail. If theirs anything you want to tell just visit my blog at bronxtrashed.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. “Should convicted felons be allowed to vote?”
    It depends where they are standing how big their crime is and if they have a future out in society.
    If you on probation or parole is understandable to for you to be able to vote your still are involve with society you’re just being highlighted and being observe for a crime you once committed. Their giving you a chance to change why not compromise and give you some responsibility by giving you the right to vote.
    I think they should have the right to vote what ever happen to the 14th amendment every person has equal law rights. People do commit mistakes but there’s no problem if they decide to put an input in out government.
    They have to pay taxes something that benefits the government why cant that vote something that will benefit them and also the government it seems on fair that they still carry certain state laws but cant carry others. Is either the whole pack of nothing don’t you think.
    The purpose of felony disenfranchisement is to punish them. Which is understandable; they broke the law so now they take a law away from them. But people do make mistakes and some how they should make something so they could receive that law back or gain it some how.

    ReplyDelete
  7. In my opinion, convicted felons should be allowed to vote depending on the crime. People, who go to jail for a crime or felony whatever their case may be, go for a reason, which is to learn from their mistake or even punishment. Some people do change others don’t but that doesn’t mean that all of them should have their right taken away. For example a small community has a high crime rate, so a majority of their neighbors go to jail for even such little crimes. How many people have the chance to vote together as a community? That’s a lot of people who don’t have a chance to have their voices heard and make a difference. Almost every American has been convicted of a small crime or felony, so almost every American doesn’t get to vote. The society is not getting better.
    Citizens on parole or probation shouldn’t be denied the right to vote depending on the crime. If any convicted member were to have the right vote, what harm would that do? Their right to vote can make a difference but that doesn’t mean its going to be a bad difference.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Should convicted felons have the right to vote?
    I believe that convicted felons should work hard to prove them self because they break the laws and should be punish for it. Usually after you’re in jail for a while you not only lose your freedom but the right to vote. I believe that our government view voting as a privilege so when an individual committees a crime their right to vote is taking away. I don’t think this is a bad idea because in some states after a period of time you could get your right backing other you could prove your self then gain your rights back and in other no matter what you can’t gain your right back. I don’t think that they shouldn’t gain their right back at all but that’s what happens in some states.

    Should those in jail have the right to vote?? I don’t see anything wrong with them voting but when they come out they should be punish because a felon is when something serious is done.

    Should they vote if they are in probation or parole?? No as I said from the beginning they should work to gain those rights back because you committed a crime. I also believe that people in general take that right to vote for granted. I say this because I ran into someone in the bus and I over heard the conversation they where having for some reason he can’t vote and from what it looked like it was because he was arrested and had to do some time. The point is that he said “oh they act like them taking away my right to vote will effect me like I care” and in that moment I realize how some people don’t really care whether they vote or not. I believe that taking someone’s right to vote serves the purpose because they start working hard in society to gain that right back and even though I don’t think is right that they pay taxes and don’t have the right to vote but if they work to gain that privilege back I don’t see why not grant them that.

    ReplyDelete