UK MP's will soon be voting on whether or not prisoners should be aloud to vote. It think they should, they may of done something wrong, but they can have a second chance.
2006-12-31 03:22:40 · 32 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Elections
I think they should have the right to vote. Prison has the function of both punishment (by taking away freedom of movement) and wherever possible rehabilitation. The right to vote is a basic human right in my book and as they are hopefully going to again be functioning members of society (and indeed have family members who currently are) then it is right that they should have a say in who governs them.
2006-12-31 03:29:41 · answer #1 · answered by little_jo_uk 4 · 2⤊ 3⤋
No.
The whole idea of Democracy is that the people make a social contract with each other. We all recognize that living in a place without a government life is "nasty, brutish and short". (Look at Somalia.)
So we make an informal agreement with each other. We all agree to follow the same laws . We agree that we will all live by the laws that the group as a whole agrees are best, even if we don't agree with them personally, in order to live in peace with each other. We also agree that being part of the group means we all have a voice in what laws we will make, and we will all help to protect the group and we will protect each other.
So you don't your right to vote just because you suck air. You get your right to vote as part of the Social Contract. When you break the law, you break your contract with the rest of the group. Prisoners and lawbreakers didn't uphold their end, so why should the rest of the group have to uphold their end?
If you aren't going to follow the laws, then you don't get a voice in making them.
That's why fellons should not be allowed to vote.
2006-12-31 03:54:03 · answer #2 · answered by Larry R 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Here's the rub for me.
They violated the civil rights of others in order to end up in prison. If they raped, killed, assaulted, etc. They destroyed the lives of others in order to end up where they are.
Rarely do they see themselves as being punished for wrongdoing, because they think they have not done anything wrong.
They would not allow someone to exercise his civil rights. Yet the criminal was not being civic minded when he committed the crime. Therefore, he should not have the right to vote which is a civil right. He would not be civil. He didn't want to be part of civilization. Therefore, he is denied the rights of society because he refused to be part of it.
It's just like a game, if you're not going to follow the rules. Then you should not be allowed to play the game. If you don't follow the laws of driving, you should not be allowed to drive a car.
2006-12-31 03:37:06 · answer #3 · answered by James B 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If a prisoner is guilty of a crime, he forfeits his constitutional rights. There are several. There are of course some people who are falsly accused. A guilty person, who is incarcerated, has shown character flaws that should exclude him from voting. There is however a process by which such a person can regain his rights with the help of his government representatives. At least this is the case in the US.
2006-12-31 03:34:52 · answer #4 · answered by srnandan 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Despite my moral repugnance at the exclusion of one minority group over another, Prisoners of the crown have no right to determine who governs them. They removed that right when the opted to act outside the boundaries of the law set by those who they wish to govern them.
Once they complete the whofully inadequate sentence for a crime they have committed and been deemed a member of society again (until the next time they opt out) then they are entitled to the rights and privilages that go with that.
2006-12-31 03:59:55 · answer #5 · answered by Kevin 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Personal feelings aside, I know of no where in the United States Constitution where it says prisoners do not have the right to vote.
2006-12-31 13:10:44 · answer #6 · answered by praymar1 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I don't think they should be allowed to vote, but on the other hand....driving 56 miles per hour is a crime, writting a bad check is a crime too amongst other things. Therefore most of us are criminals ... we just haven't been caught and jailed. Maybe it should be convicted felons shouldn't be allowed to vote.?.
2006-12-31 05:11:37 · answer #7 · answered by anemonecanadensis 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They have lost certain rights and privileges because they have broken the law. Many people think that prisoners have an easy time of it, as it is.
giving them the right to help choose lawmakers would infuriate many and make a mockery of the justice system
2006-12-31 03:28:00 · answer #8 · answered by Vinni and beer 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
NO, in democratic societies, the government can take away people's rights through due process. One of those rights, is the right to vote.
2006-12-31 03:41:24 · answer #9 · answered by goose1077 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No,don't think so.
It may seem harsh,but they are prisoners for a reason.
A few in prison may be innocent,but the majority have done
some type of crime.
2006-12-31 04:25:32 · answer #10 · answered by starrdevine 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋