As of 2004 over 5.3 Million Americans have been denied the right to vote. Not because of age, residency or sanity, but because of disenfranchisement. Disenfranchisement is the taking away of voting rights. By disenfranchising Americans you are taking away their Constitutional Rights, therefore the question that a lot of Americans are asking is, should felons in America be given the right to vote? The overwhelming amount of research done has pointed to one answer, YES! Therefore, felons should be allowed to vote for representation within the Government, when said felons have met civil and societal conditions. There are many sides to this subject. On one side we hear people say “felons have made bad choices in there lives, why would we ever trust them to vote for the better of America” (John Conyers, Jr., LLB, U.S. Representative (D-MI), Mar. 15, 2005 bill H.R. 1300, the Civic Participation and Rehabilitation Act of 2005). On the other side of the argument we hear “We let ex-convicts marry, reproduce, buy beer, own property and drive. They don't lose their freedom of religion, their right against self-incrimination or their right not to have soldiers quartered in their homes in time of war. But in many places, the assumption is that they can't be trusted to help choose our leaders... If we thought criminals could never be reformed, we wouldn't let them out of prison in the first place"(Steve Chapman, StarTribune of Minneapolis-St. Paul 23-24). Furthermore, the U.S. Constitution stated in Amendment XV, which was ratified by the states in 1870: “The 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 conditions…” Many of Americans believe that the day your debt to society is paid you should get your voting rights back. When felons are released from prison they are told to reintegrate into society and to become a good upstanding member of society once again. Consider this, “laws in America forbid felons from voting; but by denying prisoners the right to vote is likely to undermine respect for the rule of law... Allowing prisoners to vote, by contrast, may strengthen their social ties and commitment to the common good, thus promoting legally responsible participation in civil society"( Manza, Jeff, and Christopher Uggen. "Locked Out: Felon Disenfranchisement." University of Minnesota American Democracy (2006): 12+. Print). If we would allow felons to vote then those felons would feel more connected to America and the community they live in. America went to war with England in 1775 for many reasons; one reason was that the new colonies were being taxed without representation. This is known today as taxation without representation. Today over 5.3 million Americans are facing the same injustice. David S. Mitchell, Professor for Department of Sociology at the University of Colorado said this:
"Ex-felons who manage to become gainfully employed are still required to pay taxes even though they are denied the benefits associated with those duties such as the ability to elect their representatives or to decide on policies that will govern their lives, and lives of their families. Centuries ago this prospect of
imbecile who has the intent to kill like a sociopath and guns. These events lead to a divide in the nation where there is a political battle between three sides: the reds, the whites, and the blues. The worst part, our extraordinary government needs to do a lot more about it. The concerned citizens of this nation are speaking up. These concerned citizens are divided into three sides in this battle on future security. The blues are looking for a reconsideration of the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution…
What rights are protected I the First Amendment? 5. What makes the 2nd Amendment so controversial? 6. What do the 4, 5, 6 and 8th amendments focus on? 7. Does the government have the right to take your property and if so, from where do they get that right? 8. What is the purpose of the 9th Amendment? 9. Describe what each of the following Amendments do: 13, 14, and 15. 10. With the exception of the 21st Amendment, what type of right was addressed in all Amendments after the 15th (that dealt with defining…
of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” This right was taken for granted for nearly 150 years until several high profile crimes were committed with “assault style weapons.” Now a passionate debate swirls around the second amendment. The main question is whether the founding fathers intended for the average citizen to be able to own firearms, particularly firearms that historically were the purview of a state’s military. Through historical perspective, social, and economic arguments…
like myself who are firm believers in our 2nd Amendment. The second Amendment states that, “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”. (Constitutional Amendments, (1789)). The Second Amendment most recently has been interpreted, “to grant the right of gun ownership for purposes that include self-defense.” Through the mechanism of the Fourteenth Amendment it has been applied to the states. (Cornell…
judges interpret the constitution. There are several different methods or schools of thought on how judges interpret the Constitution. Some see the constitution as dead, and interpret it in a textualist manner, some try to apply the Framers’ original intent, whilst some see the Constitution as a living document that changes over time. Judicial review- this is the precedent which allows Justices to declare laws as unconstitutional. This precedent was established by Marbury vs Madison 1803, allowing…
Counsel, Inc., (hereinafter “Respondents”) filed a petition with the Court of Appeals to review a decision of the Environmental Protection Agency (hereinafter “Petitioners”) under the Clean Air Act of 1977. Procedural History: The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1977 impose certain requirements on States that have not achieved the national air quality standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pursuant to earlier legislation, including the requirement that such "nonattainment"…
arrest. A suspect who has hearing w/i 48 hours can still violate Gerstein if he can prove the delay was unreasonable. If the hearing is held after 48 hours, it is presumed to be unreasonable. ( Hurricane Katrina Situation) Dissent: The 4th amendment require a judicial determination of probable cause either before or promptly after arrest. There is no justification in the Common Law or the 4th amend for delay after the administrative steps of the arrest Discussion Points: Do you agree with…
adding a bill of rights would be dangerous. Believed rights in the main text of the constitution were sufficient. Bill of rights written to restrict national gov't. Under God and Separation of Powers- separation of powers is not true to the original intent of the founding fathers. It means that people of other religions than Christianity should not be forced by the state to pay for faith based organizations. They can believe whatever they want but the founding fathers believed that our nations laws…
Barron v. Baltimore(1833): large amounts of sand accumulated in the harbor depriving Barron of the deep waters ,he sued the city to recover a portion of his financial losses Precedent: the supreme court had no jurisdiction in this case since the 5th Amendment was not applicable to the states 5. Dred Scott v. Stanford(1857): Dred Scott was a slave, then removed in Illinois in an area owned by Louisiana where slavery was forbidden. His master maintained that no pure blooded negro of African descent…
Legal EXAM Revision Section A Q1- Definition with example i) Committal proceedings: Held in magistrate’s court determines whether there is sufficient evidence to support a conviction in a higher court. If yes it will be sent to country or supreme and a committal mention date will be set ii) Strict Liability Crime: Crimes where mens rea is not required by the prosecution. E.g. parking fines iii) 3 differences between criminal and civil law Civil Criminal Concerned with Rights and responsibilities…