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Why do we restrict the voting rights of felons?

bordelais7 said:
Good luck with that.

Anyhow, why restrict under-18 from voting? I was a taxpayer at age 14...where was my representation?
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I know you're trolling, but obviously the rationale is different. 18 is obviously an arbitrary number, but we've decided as a society that's when you're effectively a real boy or girl. In that instance you never had the right to vote when you were 14. Felons have the right to vote and then it's taken away from them. It's only recently that I've tried to figure out why this is so. Felon voting laws vary substantially from state to state (some states make it effectively impossible to ever vote again, others allow prisoners to vote from prison) but to the extent that we think of democracy participation as a fundamental right it's actually kind of bizarre that we strip ex-cons of this particular right.

I, for one, think that the "tough on crime" escalation of politics might change if there was an extra constituency. Obviously there is a demographically disproportionate impact as well. Some rough figures I put together from research yesterday suggests that this one change alone would probably dramatically change the complexion of virtually all state-wide political races in Florida for example. Estimates on the number of potential voters disenfranchised range from 4 to 6 million in the United States. If even half of them voted that would markedly move the needle.

SiroMar said:
Long story short, felons cannot vote because punishment requires the punisher and the punished to be unequal. What's a better way to facilitate and reinforce this mentality than stripping away their citizenship privileges?
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However, this isn't the case in many Western societies. It appears to be largely particular to the US and UK. Other countries allow disenfranchisement essentially only under extenuating circumstances or by special petition (e.g. in the case of election fraud or bribery of public officials). To wit, it is easier to lose the right to vote in the US than it is in China.

That's kind of chilling.

TroutBum said:
Wow, I hate white people.
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Where's my banhammer?
 
Stoked said:
If they have been released then they paid the debt demanded by society for their crime. Why should they continue to be punished when they paid their debt?
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Agreed, if any sort of felony is a life sentence then what's the point of letting the person out of prison so that they can be mocked daily by having to live with free people when they are not free?
 
Stoked said:
I am curious. What specific laws would you like to see done away with?
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Drug possession first and foremost, followed by legalizing most currently illicit drugs. I'm personally in favor of complete drug legalization, but I can see good reasons for keeping heroin and meth illegal, although I don't favor prosecuting anyone for possession.
 
Gameface said:
Drug possession first and foremost, followed by legalizing most currently illicit drugs. I'm personally in favor of complete drug legalization, but I can see good reasons for keeping heroin and meth illegal, although I don't favor prosecuting anyone for possession.
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I'm with you on weed but I do not support legalyzing the heavier drugs such as crack, heroin, meth...I think anyone involved with those drugs should be persecuted.
 
Stoked said:
I'm with you on weed but I do not support legalyzing the heavier drugs such as crack, heroin, meth...I think anyone involved with those drugs should be persecuted.
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I agree with this
 
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