Note: a felony is a major crime.
Different states have different laws regarding what rights convicted criminals lose. These rights include the right to vote, to serve on juries, and to run for political office.
Please read the article below and answer, "Should people lose their right to vote when convicted of a felony?"
Reminder: your answer should include a connection that helps the reader understand your position.
McDonnell restores rights to 506 eligible felons
Olympia Meola, Richmond Times-Dispatch, July 17, 2010
Richmond, Va. --
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell has granted restored rights 506 of the 574 convicted criminals who applied for restoration.
This is the first update since the governor announced a deadline to act on applications and a review process that he said would be faster and more efficient.
Restoration of civil rights enables convicted criminals to vote, serve on juries and to run for public office.
Secretary of the Commonwealth Janet Polarek yesterday shared the results of 1,080 applications that the administration has reviewed since it announced the new process May 20.
Of that pool, 574 applications were eligible, complete and waiting for a decision.
A nonviolent felon must wait two years after completing his or her sentence before applying; it's five years for a violent felon.
The governor denied 22 of the two-year applicants and 46 of the five-year applicants.
"We are very pleased that we have been able to stick with the new system," Polarek said. "It's working, we met the deadline and we're turning around these applications in a really fair and fast way."
The new process had a rough birth. The administration in April considered a change that would require nonviolent felons to submit with their application a letter explaining the circumstances of their arrest and conviction, subsequent strides in education or community service and why the restoration is justified.
The proposed process drew criticism from civil-rights groups -- who likened the letters to literacy tests that once prevented the uneducated from voting.
The administration killed the letter idea and instead added an optional item on the application, where felons seeking restoration of their rights can describe any community service or comparable service they want to bring to the governor's attention.
Kent Willis, executive director of the ACLU of Virginia, was among the critics of the administration's early proposal. He said yesterday that at this rate, McDonnell, a Republican, is on course to meet and maybe surpass his two predecessors, both Democrats.
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine restored the rights of more than 4,300 felons during his term. Gov. Mark R. Warner restored rights to 3,486.
Still, Willis adds, at this pace, the results are still coming too slow, considering there are more than 300,000 people who can't vote because of a felony record. Willis prefers an automatic restoration of civil rights. Virginia and Kentucky are the only states that leave the restoration approval solely with the governor.
"If Governor McDonnell restores voting rights to [4,000] or 5,000 individuals during his four-year term, that will be commendable" he said. "But it's still a drop in the bucket, leaving about 98 percent of Virginia's disenfranchised persons unable to vote."
If someone is to commit a felony, absolutely their rights to vote should be taken away. For one thing, this person has violated a law and got away with it. Why should we reward them for this by letting them vote, and have a say in our government? Also, these criminals made bad choices in the past and will make more when voting. They will want to only pick something that benefits them. Of course, every person wants a say in their government, so that it benefits them. Still, letting criminals vote is a bad idea. Another thought to consider is these criminals can also serve on juries, and to run for political office, in addition to voting. When a criminal decides the justice of another criminal and an innocent man, those criminals are likely to side with each other or have pity on that person and see them as innocent. This is not the way to determine justice. By letting criminals vote, they are able to take advantage of our court system and government.
ReplyDeleteIf a person is convicted of a felony, that does not mean that their right to vote should be taken away. For one thing, they have already served their time in prison. why should more be taken from them than they have already lost? Also, this country has a democratic goverment, which means the people have a say in what goverment officials. Why should that right be taken away from a person who made a mistake that they most likley regret anyway? If we start taking people's rights away, this country becomes more like a dictatorship than a democracy. And what are the other side's argument for taking rights away? They think that felons will take advantage of the system and vote for people they think will take their side. Well, the chances of even having a candidate willing to take the side of murderes and rapists, let alone having him voted into office, are about as likely as Tosh.0 not being funny any more. So you see, felons are people too. They deserve a second chance, just like any one else. Taking away rights is just asking for a one-way trip to a dictatorship.
ReplyDeleteConvicted criminals should have some of their rights taken away. Although I think this, I agree with the fact that a nonviolent felon must wait two years after completing his or her sentence before applying to get their rights back. I disagree that convicted violent felons have the opportunity to apply for their rights at all. The article above from the Richmond Times states that a convicted violent felon must wait five years after completing his or her sentence to apply but what if a felon who just got the rights to vote, to serve on juries, and to run for political office back took advantage of those rights. For example, if felon just got released from jail and was serving on a jury, he may feel for the defendant and may be able to relate to his problem. Though this is not likely because the people who select the jurors do very thorough background checks, mistakes could happen. Another example of why felons should not have their rights is if a felon runs for president or another high position in office, he could have a chance of being elected because if the government starts letting criminals have their rights back, the criminals would stick together and vote for other criminals. This is why felons should not have the opportunity to get their rights back. After all, how would you like to have a president that has been in jail?
ReplyDeleteAny person who has committed a felony needs to be observed before deciding whether or not they can vote. If they are bloodthirsty murderers who can't function properly, than no, it wouldn't make sense to allow him/her to vote. Most likely, they will not take the vote seriously. But if a person who commited a minor felony was realeased from jail and showed tremendous behavior, then of course they should have the right to vote! Only ethical people whom realized that they made a miskake deserve a second chance. This way, the votes are all clean and politically correct. Every sane person must have the right to vote. Voting is an almost totally unalienable right.
ReplyDeleteI think that a convict should have their right to vote taken away depending upon the crime that they committed. What if in one state a felony is stealing a car, then in another state a rape or murder is a felony. The convict that stole a car should get his right to vote back but the person who raped or murdered someone shouldn't get their right to vote back anytime soon. I think that people that have come to realize their mistakes should be able to get their right to vote back, but those who don't realize what they have done wrong shouldn't get their right to vote back until they realize what they have done wrong. I think it is good to take away convict's rights to vote but I also think that it is taking away their right to freedom of speech. By not being able to vote, that means that they can't express their views on political matters. But I think that they deserved losing their right to vote by commiting a crime. I think that all in all that it is right for convicts who have commited a major felony to lose their right to vote but it is unfair to those who have committed lesser crimes.
ReplyDeleteIf citezens are commited of a felony aka a critical crime i most definetly think there right to vote should be removed. The right to vote is a privalage! Over the course of U.S. history people including women and African Americans have had to fight for their right to vote. Why should serious crimanals automatically keep this right? Clearly if they are being punished by being put in jail then they dont deservice to vote which is very much a reward.
ReplyDeleteIf some has commited a fellony there right to vote should absolutely should be taken a away there right to vote has been taken away for a reason even though my essay was on capital punishment and I was against it they should have there rights to vote taken away besides why would they even need to vote in jail you have already broke the law anyways.
ReplyDeleteIf someone commits a felony it should depend on how bad the felony was if their right to vote gets taken away. For example, in one state a felony could be blowing up a building with people in it. But on the other hand, if someone urinates in public that is not a bad crime so they should not get their right to vote taken away. That person who blew up the building should get their right to vote taken away. Maybe, if that person who committed the really bad felony served their jail sentence they could get their right to vote after a certain amount of time. For example, if someone committed a felony that earned them a seven year jail sentence then they would have to wait four years until that person can vote again. It would be unfair for two people whose crimes are of such different magnitudes to both get their right to vote taken away. So my overall conclusion is that if it is not that bad of a felony then that person would not get their right to vote taken away, and vice versa. And people who commit bad felonies then serve their jail time can vote after a certain period of time. My connectio is to the infamous last Seinfeld episode. There is a guy getting mugged, and then they all just stand there watching and do not help. (Actually Kramer video tapes it which is kind of helpful.) Just for not helping the guy who was getting mugged, all four of the main Seinfeld characters went to jail. It's kind of rediculous to go to jail just for not helping a guy who is getting mugged. Just like it would be ridiculous to get sent to jail for something stupid like peeing in public.
ReplyDeleteIf citizens committed a felony, taking away their rights to vote is depending on how terrible the crime was. If the criminal was just plain insane and could not even function properly then his or her rights to vote should be taken away right away. It is not fair to have someone who is just not right to be voting. I like people having the rights to a lot of things but its not fair to have a real bad criminal to be voting. If the crime was less violent then no they should not have there right to vote taken away.Its not fair to someone who is just fine and committed a minor murder. Murder is not right but it is also not right to take away rights.Rights being taken away from minor criminals is just not right.
ReplyDeleteI think that a criminal's right to vote should absolutely be taken away, depending on the crime that they were convicted for. Something you should consider is that the convict would probably make a bad choice, as in voting for a president that everyone knows would make bad choices, that wouldn't result in good things. Also, the convict's right to vote should only be taken away for a certain amount of time based on how serious the crime was. The convict's right to vote should only be taken away, and no other rights. For example, unalienable rights. Unalienable means that what ever you are talking about can not be taken away. A good example of that would be anyone's pursuit of happiness is considered an unalienable right. AND when someone's unalienable rights are taken away, they are violating that person's pursuit of happiness. Again, that would be violating two of the convict's natural rights. By this I am saying that the convict should be punished by taking away their right to vote, but not any more rights- because it's not fair. Even if that person is a criminal- everyone has natural, and unalienable rights that they are born with that no one can take away.
ReplyDeleteSomeone who commits a felony should not have the right to vote taken away from them. The right to vote shouldn’t be taken away from anyone no matter what they have done in the past. First of all, some people could change from before. Maybe they were going through a hard time but now they really feel bad about what they did and they’re not going to do it again. Also some felonies could be not that bad like Cassius said urinating in public for crimes like this the right to vote definitely should not be taken away. But secondly, the constitution say that everyone over 18 has the right to vote it would be unconstitutional to take that right away from people who have committed a felony. In the 1700’s and the early 1800’s (I’m pretty sure that’s when it was) it said that only white men that owned land could vote. That wasn’t constitutional because girls and black people should be allowed to vote too. That is basically the same thing criminals should be able to vote just like women and African Americans should be able to vote. Why are white men better than women and blacks that’s not right that’s stupid. Like Beyonce and Lady Gaga say girls are amazing and we're just as good as boys and same with African Americans and criminals. That’s why I think that people who commit felonies should not have the right that is guaranteed to them in the constitution should not be taken away from them.
ReplyDeleteI think a person convicted of felony deserves the right to vote. I think this because if a person convicted of felony gets out of jail and put back into society they probably have been falsely accused, or other good reasons that would make the court put them back. Therefore, the person let out of jail will most likely be worthy of getting rights restored. Also, according to the article, the governor goes through applications of these people who were let out of jail to make sure that if they aren’t ready to get rights restored they don’t get them restored. I also think that convicted felons who are released from jail deserve the right to vote because they are still American citizens. Just because someone was a criminal in their past doesn’t mean that they should not be allowed the right to vote. Someone could have been a convicted felon twenty years ago and now they could be a perfectly normal American. However, because of their criminal past they might not be able to vote. A connection I can make to this is when someone gets in trouble in school, they may be punished but they are still given the right to go to clubs and other things.
ReplyDeleteIf citizens were to commit a felony, I personally believe that taking away their right to vote would be a good idea, or all rights for that matter. If a person is not liable and sane enough to stay out of trouble from committing a crime then they should not have the privilege to have freedom. They made their rights overridden and took advantage of them to pull off a stupid action. If one doesn't even stick to the law then they shouldn't be able to be granted the rights within the laws. Also, if they chose not to obey and abide by the government rules then they shouldn't have a say in how it turns out. Maybe once they are stripped of their rights they will finally realize what they have done is wrong so they will respect the nation's ordinances and not think about doing something like that again. A connection I have is that a person I was good friends with at one time committed a very bad crime which was extremely illegal. Now the person is still in jail but once he gets out he will be bestowed his rights back. I don't believe he should get them back because he committed such a bad crime that he doesn't deserve them what so ever. This is why I think that people who commit a felony should not have the right to vote.
ReplyDeletePeople should lose their right to vote when convicted of a felony. I think this because then the government is not negatively affected by their dangerous opinions. For example, a person who committed a felony will vote to for something or someone who supports their cause. Also, the person may want to run for a government position in order to get away with more felonies. However, I agree that if they have waited a certain amount of time (depending on how violent their felony was) and if they wrote a letter explaining why they should have their rights brought back, then these people should be able to have their rights give back to them. This way, these people who committed the felonies will have proven themselves to the government that they have earned back their rights. Also, maybe they won’t get all their rights back at once. They could get back their right to vote, and then continue to prove themselves and make good decisions, and then be able to serve on a jury. After given the right to serve on a jury, then they could wait a little longer to receive their right to run for a government position. This way they won’t become overwhelmed with all their rights or be lead into making wrong decisions with their rights when receiving them all at once. This reminds me of how when a child misbehaves, their privileges get taken away. Then the child must behave and prove to their supervisor that they are responsible enough to get their privileges back. This relates to the matter at hand because when you do something dangerous or not appropriate, then your rights or privileges will get taken away and must be earned back. However, convicting a felony is much more serious then misbehaving or throwing a temper-tantrum; therefore it would take a lot long to prove yourself worthy of your rights. I do believe that people should lose their right to vote when convicted of a felony, but I also believe that they should be able to earn that right back.
ReplyDeleteIf someone is convicted of a felony, his or her rights to vote should absolutely be taken away. First; a person has violated one of the laws and got away with it. Why would we want to reward someone from their mistakes, in this case letting them vote, and have a say in our government. Also, these criminals have made poor choices in the past and it will just reflect badly on the citizens of America. Since they made these bad choices a felony should be observed before deciding whether or not they can vote. The article above from the Richmond Times states that, “a convicted violent felon must wait five years after completing his or her sentence to apply; but what if a felon who just got the rights to vote, to serve on juries, and to run for political office, back, took advantage of those rights.” For instance, if a felon just been released from jail and wanted to vote the government would have the right to give and take away their rights. Only the people who realized that they made a mistake deserve a second chance. I think it is good to take away convict's rights to vote but I also think that it is taking away their right to freedom of speech. Since they can’t vote, it means that they can’t express their views during political functions. But, the Fifteenth Amendment stated that all citizens could not be stopped from voting “on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” For example over U.S. history African Americans, and women have fought for their right to vote. So why should criminals keep this right that everyone fights for?
ReplyDeleteIf someone is convicted of a felony they should not use the right to vote. Even though they broke the law they are still apart of the country and should have their say in who runs it. People have the right to vote and should never have that taken away. Taken that away would also violate a persons freedom of speech because they no longer have a say what will happen in their country. Plus the Fifteenth Amendment states that not citizen can be stopped from voting no matter what. So not only would you be violating rights you would be going agaisnt an Amendment which is what keeps the country together. As you can see it would be wrong to take away a felons right to vote.
ReplyDeleteVoting is a very crucial privilege that should be taken very seriously. People with felonies have already proven they can't handle making the right decisions, since they ended up with a felony in the first place, so why should we trust them with the decision of who's in charge of our country? Their vote could be the difference between a well-educated, well-rounded leader and an unfair tyrant. Also, if a convicted felon can't even handle their own life well enough to make the right decision on smaller things, how could you let them make a choice that depends on the future of our whole country? If they can't even follow the laws in the first place, they shouldn't be able to have the justice of the laws at all. That's like saying a country could have a war with another country but still be allies. It just doesn't work and is unconstitutional. This is why I believe that people with a felony should not have the right to vote, no matter how bad the incident.
ReplyDeleteI believe a convicted criminal should still have the right to vote. It states in Ammendment 15 that the rights of US citizens to vote can never be denied by the US or any other state based on "any account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." On the other hand, this only applies to a person if they are over eighteen years old. It still applies though and it is a right made and passed by law makers, so they must havr had to agree on the subject. Also it is in violation of freedom of speech. This person is still aperson just because they made a mistake does not take away their right to themselves and the right to voice their opinion. Everyone icluding convicted felons deserve the right to vote.
ReplyDeleteBeing able to vote is a very important thing that should be valued and only be allowed by those who deserve it. Since voting elects who will run the country such as voting for the President. Voting should be taken seriously because if we vote the wrong person to be the president it reflects on how well the country will turn out to be. This is why I think that if you commit a felony you should only take their right to vote away for a certain amount of time depending on how bad the crime was. If someone were to commit a miner crime, their right to vote shouldn't be taken away for the same amount of time as someone who committed a major crime such as killing innocent people. For example, my connection is that on October 18,2011 a man in Ohio let 48 exotic animals roam free in Ohio. He committed a serious crime because he put innocent people in Ohio in danger. In addition the life's of these animals were taken away. All this just because he made a dumb mistake in letting them go free in Ohio instead of taken them to a zoo or someplace where they would live safely without harming anyone. This person should have their right to vote taken away longer than if a person committed a crime such as not having a licence while driving. This is why I think that depending on how serious your crime was depends on how long your right to vote should be taken away.
ReplyDeleteIf someone commits a felony than their right to vote should be taken away depending on how some interpret it. It is should be decided if your right to vote should be taken away just like going to court and waiting to find out if you are innocent or guilty. America is a free country and everyone has the right to fair trial. The person who committed the crime should also have the jury vote to agree if this person loses their right to vote. Example, if someone were to murder a person, they would be arrested and summoned to court. There the jury would decide whether or not the murderer is guilty AND if they lose their right to vote. This way whack-jobs aren't messing up the society. If one were to be imprisoned and lose their right to vote whenever their imprisonment were to end they should re-obtain their right to vote. This is addition that should be added to the government.
ReplyDeleteI think it depends on how bad the felony is. If the felony wasn't that bad like stealing a car then I don't think they should have it taken away. But, if it is a felony like murder then they should have it taken away. Also, if they served their time in jail and are fit for society I don't think it should be taken away. The courts should decide if they take away their right or not. I think that they should have a say in the government. You can't take away a persons vote because this is a democracy. They should always have the right to vote
ReplyDeleteI think that people should absolutely lose their right to vote because they convicted of a felony (major crime). I think this because when you commit a felony, you disobeyed the laws and possible even gotten away with the felony. If you committed a felony, then why should the government give you the right to vote, again? Also, the crimes committed were bad, (of course, that is why it is called a crime) so why should we let them vote, when they could / possible would make more crimes when voting. The government wants something that will benefit themselves and the country. It is well-know that every citizen wants a say in the government because they want to be herd, but when you let a criminals be herd, bad thing could happen. In the history of America and the U.S. people (mostly women and African Americans) have done everything to get their rights, especially their rights to vote. In some parts of the world, women still cannot vote today. Everyone deserves to be heard through the government. A connection I have is one of my family friends committed a bad crime. Now he is out of jail, and got most of his rights back. I do not believe that he should get his rights back because he committed a felony. This is why I think that people who commit a felony shouldn’t have the right to vote (or any rights).
ReplyDeletethat was from me.. for some reason it didnt put my name. put i did put it.. uugghh
ReplyDeleteThe question at hand is whether or not people should lose their right to vote when convicted of a felony. Well you have to consider both sides: We’re all given current rights and responsibilities and following the laws given to the public is one of those responsibilities, and if broken it’s only right that the curtain individual pay the price. But a felony is mayor crime, but many people consider overdue taxes a “major crime.” You also have to consider the fact that everyone is given the right to vote, and depriving someone of that right without good reason is also a felony. So I come to the conclusion that it depends on the crime committed. If its something small like overdue taxes than yes of course they should have the right, but if one has committed a felony such as man-slaughter than yes I believe they should be deprived of the right to vote.
ReplyDeleteWhen someone commits a felony I believe that their right to vote should be taken away. If people are foolish enough to commit a crime then why would you give them the right to vote, so they can make another wrong decision? People that feel that it is okay to break the laws should not have a say in the government. They would probably just elect people that they feel would make it okay to do the things that they did. People should not have the right to vote and have a say if they are just going to break the laws made from the people they elected. The right to vote is a privilege that Americans have, however people such as criminals are abusing it. They are committing a crime and then they still have the power to vote. This right should be taken away from criminals, so that they can realize how important of a privilege it is. Women and African Americans used to not be able to vote and they had to fight or this right because they saw how important it was and how much they could affect the life they would have by voting. People are abusing this right and if we took it away they would realize they shouldn’t have committed a crime and maybe after they realize this they could get the right to vote back, but not until then. This is why I think when someone commits a felony their right to vote should be taken away.
ReplyDeleteVoting is a privilege, not a right. Only people who are willing to be law abiding should be able to vote. But, I do believe that if a person commit’s a non-violent felony, like “white-collar” corporate crimes, they should get a warning from the government but still be able to vote. This warning should state that if the person commits a second crime, then they would lose the right to vote. However, I also believe that if a person commit’s a violent felony, like murder, they should not be able to vote. Believe me, I think people should get second chances, but if you’re willing to commit a horrible crime, then you don’t deserve any chances.
ReplyDeleteIf you are convicted of a felony I think that you shouldn’t have the right to vote. I think this because if you do something bad enough to be committed of a felony than you clearly won’t be able to make the right decision for other people. For example, people who are convicted of felonies no longer have the right to bear arms even after they are out of jail. I feel if you don’t have the responsibly as a citizen to follow the law than of course they should lose some rights like voting. I can connect to this because recently in Connecticut there was the Cheshire home invasion. Obviously the two men were charged with felonies like armed robbery, rape, and murder. I can’t see why anyone who would do something like that should have the right to vote and make decisions that affects other people. Criminal’s votes could result in the harms of others. If you commit a felony you shouldn’t have the right to vote.
ReplyDeleteIf you are convicted of a felony i think that the person should not have a right to vote. The reason i say this is because the felony already commited a crime and they shouldnt be able to vote becasue they broke the law. People that break the laws should not have rights to vote. I think voting is a privledge and that if someone brakes a law then they should be able to be given a chance to vote. Another example is that if you are that bad of a felony you would probally make the wrong choice because they alreayd made a bad choice in their life. If you are a bad felony you should not be able to vote because felonys shouldnt have priveledges because they already break laws. Also a example is that the crime that happened in cheshire the two men should not be able to vote because the way they acted. And finally, if u commite a bad enouigh crime you would probbaly just spend your life in prison or just be sentence to death. That would make it so much easier because then they aer not alllowed to vote. I believe that felony's should not be able to vote.
ReplyDeleteIf you have been convicted of a felony i think you should be able to vote depending on the crime. I think this because each crime is punished differently depending on the crime.. For example, in some states they have laws for voting as a criminal. Another example is that in Tennessee if you are convicted of a crime, you could lose the oppertunity to vote permenently. But, you could also vote if you are on parol, depending on the crime. I think you should be able to vote depending on the crime, if you were convicted of a felony.
ReplyDeleteI think that if convicted of a felony you should be allowed to vote. I think a felon should be able to vote because every person has an opionon and they should be able to express there opionion through voting. Just because they commited a crime doesnt mean they can to contribute to our government through voting. For example what if in your town by some crazy chance there was a tie. Say the only other person in town who can vote has committed a crime before and went to jail if he cant vote who will vote for the winner. This is why i think peple who have committed a crime should be allowed to vote and keep the right.
ReplyDeleteConvicted felons should not be able to vote until they have served their two or five year waiting period. It is a privilege to vote, sit on a jury and run for office, and these people have lost their privileges and should earn them back. My connection to this is at Shepaug, we have a point system when we break the rules we cannot go on field trips or dances because we lost the privilege. But once the felon has served their time, they can have their civil rights back.
ReplyDeletePersonally I think that depending on the felony that the person was convicted of should depend on whether or not that person can vote on a certain subject. For example, if someone was convicted of armed robbery then that person should be denied to vote on whether or not there should be a cutback on a law in a different state, city, or town. I also think depending on how long that criminal served his or her time in prison should wait however long they served time.
ReplyDeleteI think that if you are convicted of a crime that you should not be able to vote. I think this because you are in jail because you are in jail. You are there because you made a bad choice. If you hadn't made tis choice then maybe you would be able to vote because you didn't do anything wrong. If you make a bad choice in life and if you were able to vote after you are out of jail then you could make a bad choice that doesnt only effect you but everyone around you. I mean really who would and a Robber, drug addict, or rapist in controll of our country? I can connect because there have been lots of bad crimes going on robing, or raping even murder. These people should not have the right to vote it could have an effect on every one not just the criminal. That is why I dont think that criminals should be aloud to vote.
ReplyDeletei think the felons shouldnt be able to vote. i think this beacause the person did somthing bad hes in there for a reason. so if he is recking the public one crime at a time than he shouldnt be able to if he was able to than he would feel like they have privlages. the election place would make him feel like he had somthing to look torwards to and this is why the felons shouldnt be able to vote.
ReplyDeleteI think that if you are convicted of a felony you should still be aloud to vote. I think this because even though the people are in jail they are still US citizens and deserve to vote. But then again it does depend on the position that that person is in. If they are criminally insane than i think they should be under surveillance at all time. To vote it must be completely confidential, even if it is your best friend they can not convince you or question you about your decision. But, if this is the case it also depends on this states opinion. if they believe everyone should have a say no matter the case, others may take there felony punishment a little more strictly and may not allow them to vote. That is why I think people who have committed a felony should still be allowed to vote.
ReplyDeleteI do think someone who committed a felony should be able to vote. I think this because it is your right as a U.S citizen to vote. When you commit a felony it does not take away your rights as a citizen so you should still have the right to vote. In the 15th amendment it states, “It is right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Taking away a citizen’s right to vote goes against the constitution. Our government is working with the constitution now so why would not use it. My connection to this is we are learning about the Constitution in social studies. We should let someone who has committed a felony vote because it is their right.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that convicted felons should be allowed to vote. This is because if they've broken the law and are allowed to vote, they are getting the same privileges as people who have never committed a felony. They have already proven that they can't be trusted, so why should they be deciding how our government works? This is why I think that people with felonies should not be allowed to vote.
ReplyDeleteIf someone committed a felony they should not have the right to vote depending on what they did.For example, in one state, someone could be out there in the street, shooting people.But in the other hand, a person get caught dealing drugs to other people, he should still have the right to vote.But the person who killed people, they should have the right to vote taken away.Unless, if the person who committed the felony serve their time in prison, then they should be able the vote again.For example, a person served their jail for five years, and then they get out, then they should get their rights back again.They could be change during their jail time and they can turn into normal people.That is why I think people who did a felony should still be able the have the right to vote
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ReplyDeleteI think felons shouldn't be able to get their rights back to vote. Although they have to wait 2 years to vote after finishing their sentence, and violent felons have to wait 5 years, they'll still be able to vote. This is wrong because felons have done something very wrong which shows how bad their judgmental skills are, and if we give them the right to use their judgement on big things such as who is the president, then it could impact millions of people in America in a very negative way. Also, if we allow felons to run in office, then they will try to pass laws that supports their unethical or violent cause. Other felons will agree with him, and the laws will get passed. Who wants to live in a country run by unethical, not right in the head people? Lastly, if we do allow felons to vote, then they should have to prove themselves first. One way would be to do community service, or even have them write a letter explaining why they should be able to vote. If they qualify, then that is when they get their rights back. Felons shouldn't be able to have their rights unless they prove themselves as not a threat to this country.
ReplyDeleteI believe that people who commited a felony should not have the right to vote. If they have committed a felony they obviously don't make good choices. If we let criminals vote then a lot of votes will be from uneducated people. If someone commits a crime then that means that they are violating rights so in return they should have a right taken from them. Honestly, they don't deserve it. It is what needs to be done. Don't let criminals corrupt our government!
ReplyDeleteI think that people should lose the right to vote if they were convicted for a felony. If someone commits a crime they should not have the freedoms of someone who has never gotten in trouble with the law at all. To me that really does not make sense and I would not want to support or even think of the idea to give a felon there right to vote back. If somebody murdered a member of my family I know I would not want that person to have the same rights as a non-convict. If you put yourself in one of these types of situations you would most like think the same way as me. With someone doing this kind of act, it proves that they cannot be trusted with their rights and powers. This is why I think that felon should not be able to vote.
ReplyDeleteThe United States government is great. Everyone is given a chance to vote.Notice how is said "chance" in having a vote. Committing a felony is a very bad thing. Personally, I would not want an axe murderer voting on who should be the next president. While it couldn't do to much harm, it is like that old post that asked if children should vote. I think that someone who is mentally unstable like that should not be allowed to be given that choice. Their judgment really is no better than that of a child. I believe (as stated before) that all people have the right to vote, and I am very proud of that right, but if someone shows that they cannot show enough judgment to be up to that task, then they should be given no part of it.
ReplyDeleteYes they should lose the right to vote if they were convicted of a felony. Obviously if they commited a crime they dont mske good choice. So why should they have a right to vote. If criminals ever started voting we could end up with some really bad presidents, governors, etc. Its their own fault for commiting the crime.By commiting a crime you are violsting rights so they should get their own rights to vote taken away.Criminals cannot be trusted with the right to vote.That is why people should lose the right to vote when they are covicted of a felony
ReplyDeleteIf someone has committed a felony, I do not think their right to vote should be taken away. The U.S. Constitution (specifically, Amendment 15) states, "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State." If the Constitution is not all-inclusive of U.S. Citizens - be they black or white, straight or gay, sane or insane - then is there any point in having it? This reminds me of the video we saw in Social Studies, in which three previous supreme court justices discussed the freedom of speech. In the video, Justice Breyer said, in defense of the 1st amendment, that if the freedom of speech isn't there for the most crazy, hateful people, what's to say that it won't someday be taken away from us? I think this point applies perfectly to the topic of whether criminals who have committed felonies should be able to vote. Also, while some felonies are for very terrible things such as manslaughter, homicide, assault and battery, robbery, or counterfeiting, you may not consider that not all felonies are quite that serious. Here are some examples of things that can be considered felonies:
ReplyDelete-"Disorderly conduct"
-Drunkenness
-Vandalism (Such as graffiti)
-Violating curfew and loitering
-"Resisting" an Officer
In conclusion, I do not believe that people who commit felonies, especially minor crimes, should have their right to vote taken away.
Because voting is a big part of our government, I personally believe that the right to vote should be taken away from people who have been convicted of a felony. Major crimes include Murder, treason, property damage and so much more. Are these the kind of people you want deciding the future of our country? I think not. This kind of person is simply unable to make an educated vote. Voting for a government official should be a privilege. A criminal who has broken the rules should not be rewarded with the right to vote. I do believe that it is right to allow convicted criminals to apply for their rights back. But I do not think voting should ever be given back to the person, anything relating to government affairs for that matter. For instance serving on juries and running for political office should be permanently taken away also. Although a person should always have their natural born rights, including; life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
ReplyDeletePersonally I think that people who commit a felony should be able to vote. This is because no matter what happens everyone should have equal rights. For example in the Deceleration of Independence it says that every man is created equal. Criminals are all ready punished for what they did. For example they go to prison. Always the worst casinario would be death row of course, but anyway they shouldn't have another punishment. If the people are qualified to vote the they should. In all I think that taking this away is wrong.
ReplyDeletein my opinion it depends on if they actually commited it or if they were framed. if their quilty yes they should lose their voteing right.if framed they shouldnt lose it. if their framed it would be un constitutional to take their rights.
ReplyDeleteI think that felons should not have the right to vote because they committed a crime. A crime against the law. I dont think they deserve to make choices or vote for other laws. voting is a privilege.If they have committed a felony they obviously don't make good choices. I mean like that is letting drug addicts, robbers,rapists, thieves make bad choices and vote when they might lead our country in a wrong direction. If we let any criminal just vote after being imprisoned then that is letting bad judgement take a stand in our government. All gone wrong it could lead to chaos. But hopefully that wouldn't happen because it is not taking away their rights its taking away their chance to be heard and have their voice counted. They could still speak their mind just not in American elections. So I definitely think that voting should be taken away from criminals.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that someone who has committed a felony should be able to vote. Would you want someone who committed a crime to have a say in our government? Clearly, if they made the choice to go against the law then they do not make the right choices. Even though the 15th Amendment states that everyone should have the right to vote, I believe that morals should be taken into consideration. If a person can't tell right from wrong they why should they be allowed to vote? For example, if a person has committed murder then they should not have the right to have a say in our government. This would only create more problems that need to be fixed. So I believe a person should definitely lose their right to vote if they have been convicted of a felony.
ReplyDeleteI think that if someone commits a felony they should not lose there right to vote but there are many cases in which I think that depriving them of their vote is the right choice. For example if someone were to assassinate Obama that would be a very bad crime and they should have their right to vote revoked. I also think that if a person like this has been well behaved in prison they should earn their right to vote back when they get out of jail.(if they ever did get out) If they were to sharpen the end of a tooth brush and use it as a shank to stab a guard they shouldn’t get the right to vote back and they get the lethal injection. A reason I think this is because it is actually true that people convicted of felonies don’t have the right to vote. If a felon got out of jail I think they should get their right back. If someone is over the age of 18 and they are on probation, and have not been up to any crimes, they should have the right to vote. That is why I think that someone who commits a felony should not ultimately lose the right to vote.
ReplyDeleteI believe that if you commit a felony that your right to vote should be revoked temporarily. This is because their opinions may be dangerous and might pose a threat to our government. Whether or not their freedom to vote is taken away should also be based on how serious the crimes they committed were. In the scenario someone was to commit a minor offense then they should be able to still vote. But because we are talking about felonies, which are serious crimes, their right to vote should be taken from them. Whether or not the crime was serious enough to have the right taken away should be decided by court. However if a person convicted of a felony has shown progress and has shown an attempt to improve their behavior then they should be able to get the right back to vote. A persons right to vote should be determined by their actions and their willingness to improve their behavior. If a person does not stride to improve their actions proceeding their conviction then they should remain without the right to vote. We would not want our government contaminated by the evil intentions of others. This is why people who are convicted of a felony you should not have the right to vote for a short period of time until improvement in behavior is shown.
ReplyDeleteI think people should lose their right to vote if they are convicted of a felony. I think this because they need a punishment. once they have done their sentence, they may continue to vote. however, in jail, votes should be restricted. as i said, jail is a punishment, not a free stay. these people commited very bad crimes, and definitely should not have a say in the way our country is headed.
ReplyDeleteIf you commit a felony, you should still have your right to vote. You should have to wait some time until you can, but you should still have the right. It should also depend on what the felony was. If you commit a serious felony your right to vote should be revoked. If you commit a minor felony or do something by accident your right to vote should be temporarily revoked. If a person wants to have the right to vote then they should take more responsibility of their actions. If you commit a serious felony and get the right taken away you should be able to get it back. If the person is taking more responsibility for their actions and behaving well then they should get the right back.If you commit a minor felony and commit more then your right should be taken away. If you really want this privilege or right then you should take more responsibility.
ReplyDeleteI think that if you commit a felony your right to vote should be taken away. I say that because if you made he wrong choice to break the law in the first place, you should not have the opportunity to have a say in house the government is run. I also think that you should not have the right to vote because you did break the law and you should be punished. If a person can't tell right from wrong, why should they be allowed to vote? Would you want someone in jail having a say in how the country is run? People would still have the right to speak their opinions, just have the right taken away to be able to vote.
ReplyDeleteThe question at hand is "Should people lose the right to vote if they commit a felony?". There are two sides that need to be considered: the criminal and the good people of America. I believe that it is very unfair to take away the right of voting from someone who committed a very minor crime, such as stealing a newspaper. But, if one was to commit a major crime, such as murder then their voting right should be considered. Now let's turn towards the opinion of the good people of America. Many may believe that those who have committed felonies should lose their right to vote. Should criminals have their voting rights stripped away? Well, aren't they still considered citizens? But are they worthy of having a say in our country after breaking the law? In conclusion, I believe both sides should be taken into consideration. I believe that felons who have committed major crimes should have their voting rights taken away.
ReplyDeleteFelons SHOULD NOT HAVE THE RIRGHT TO VOTE! At least take the right away for 5 years after they get out of prison. Its not like people that don't care about themselves enough that they let themselves end up in jail care about the country that put them behind bars.
ReplyDeleteI believe people who have committed a crime should not be able to vote. They have misused their freedom and their rights and no longer deserve to vote. The crime these people committed not only put themselves in danger, but others as well. Don’t you think the fact that it’s already against the law proves that they don’t deserve the vote? Also, should we trust these criminals? They broke the law already, how should we be able to trust them now? We all get one time to do the wrong thing in life, we have the face the consequences if we do the wrong thing. The consequence in this case is to not be able to vote. I’ve had a lot of consequences in my life. Like when I was little and didn’t eat all of my vegetables. My consequence was I couldn’t get desert. This like a convicted criminal’s situation. They committed a crime, now they have to pay the consequence. Criminals do not deserve the right to vote after what they have done. Everyone has to pay the price.
ReplyDeleteThe controversy at had is "Should people lose the right to vote if they commit a felony?". The answer is yes. A felony is a major crime. Why would we allow someone who has committed a major crime to have a say in our government. A person who has committed a felony obviously doesn't have the mind to be able to tell what is right or wrong. They wouldn't have a sane mind to be able to have a reasonable opinion. Also voting is not only a right it is a privilege. That person made a choice and they should have to live with it and its consequences. This is why i think that people that have created a felony should lose their right to vote.
ReplyDeletei think that that people who commit felonies their right to vote should be temporarily taken away until they get back on their feet and ready to be civilized people. i think this because what if a person committed a felon when they were younger and not mature and they did their time and they were ready to grow up and be a normal adult they should have the chance too. in the declaration of independence it states that every man is created equal and criminals are still humans and if they already served their punishment they should get their rights backs. so what i am saying is when a convict is first convicted they shouldn't have the right to vote but if they show improvement in their behavior they be able to earn the right to vote back.
ReplyDeleteThe people should have the right to vote because everyone makes mistakes and even felons should be able to vote. A vote is a mass majority of people with an opinion of sides to chose that is counted and put onto the poll. So if there is a couple of felons voting for an off subject that no one likes who cares because its one in 10,000 so why should it make a difference. I understand senarios like the movie swing vote can happen but really what are the chances of that. LET THEM VOTE
ReplyDeleteIf a felony commits a crime I think they should not be able to vote. First of all the government doesn't let children, non citizens, mentally incompetent vote so why should a felony have the right to vote even if the 15th amendment says that all citizens should be able to vote. This is because if they did something bad to get into jail they obviously are not thinking correctly about what they are doing so why should they have the right vote. However if it is a minor crime I think the court should discuss whether or not they can vote while in jail. If their sentence is over than the should definitely be able to vote again. Other wise if they court says no the felony shall not be a able to vote. So that is what I think about whether or not felony's should be able to vote.
ReplyDeleteNo, dont let them vote. Why would you let a criminal have a word in law after they broke it? absurd huh? Well we should take away the right because they violated someones rights so lets violate theres. WHOS WITH ME ON DIS
ReplyDeleteI think if a person has committed a crime they should not be alowd to vote or take any part in the legal system they could take advantage of it and punish other people for what they did they should not be alowd to take part in it at all they will take advantage of it
ReplyDeleteI think that people should loose their right to vote if they were convicted of a felony. I think this because if they did a really bad thing like kill an somebody then they dont have the right to have free speech because they the person will say I won't do it again and then what happens if he does it again and doesnt get caught. Then the person should have his vote taken away from him. Maybe you can keep them on trial to see if they really are guilty and not just take away his right to vote.I think that the people that did a felony should not have the right to vote because they might abuse the option and try to lie even and try to make into their view not what the other persons view on the matter at hand.
ReplyDeleteI think that people should keep their rights to vote even if they are a felon. It shouldn't matter if you're a felon or not you're just voting for something. I bet 1/3 of the people that vote today have commited a felony and they still vote. They aren't really making a difference. They are just expressing their opinion for something. If these people couldn't vote the government would be violating the Fourteenth Amendment. This states that all people should have the right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If they aren't able to vote then they probably aren't happy because they aren't allowed to have their freedom of speech. This is why I think felons should still be able to vote.
ReplyDeleteIf someone commits a felony, I think that they should still be able to vote. Every citizen has a right to vote and the government can't take that away from them. Imagine if their right to vote was taken away every time someone went to jail or committed a felony, what if they were wrongfully convicted? Then because they were accused of something they now have no right to freedom of speech and expression through voting. I still believe all citizens should have a right to vote.
ReplyDeleteNo because people have been convicted of a felony, you lose the right to vote until it is restored.You do not lose the right to vote for a misdemeanor conviction, or a conviction in Juvenile court. If you were convicted in Washington state superior court, your right to vote is restored as long as you are not either in prison or on community custody for that felony. If you were convicted in another state or in federal court your right to vote is restored as long as you are not incarcerated for that felony. I think that is what it is.
DeleteI believe people who have commited a crime should most certainly lose the right to vote because it is an patriotic honor to vote for our president.The reason why is because if that person is willing to get caught and lose their rights then who says they can keep the right to vote.We don't let children vote or immagrants, or the mentally ill so why should a person who commited a crime be special
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