REBUTTAL ARGUMENT ESSAY

Rebuttal Argument essay on, Why Convicted Felons Should be Allowed to Vote

Rebuttal Argument essay on, Why Convicted Felons Should be Allowed to Vote

Introduction

The right to vote is probably the most fundamental political right for any individual in a free and democratic society. It is the cornerstone's Republic of expression and respect for all rights. Therefore for the Office of the rights of detainees (ODD), recognition and respect for the law voting-are held up since the beginning of its action, a goal major, this recognition also equivalent to the recognition the detainee's citizenship status in their own right (Zelden 2002). One of the critical ways in which individuals can influence government decision-making is the vote. Voting is a formal expression of preference for a candidate for public office or proposed resolution of a problem. In miscellaneous voting takes place in the context of a regional or national election on a large scale, however, local elections and communities on a small scale can be as critical to individual participation in government.

Discussion

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted unanimously by the UN General Assembly in 1948, recognizes the vital role that open and transparent elections play in ensuring the right to participatory government. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states in Article 21:

Everyone has the right to take part in the conduct of public affairs of his country, either directly or through freely chosen representatives.

Everyone has the right to access, under conditions of equality, to public service in his country.

The will of the people is the basis of the authority of government. This will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections, which must take place periodically, universal and equal suffrage and by secret vote or equivalent free voting.

In the United States, the Constitution does not expressly protect the right to vote, Article 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment referring to the States the power to deprive the right to vote a person involved in a crime. Other provisions prevent state legislatures to limit voting rights, according to race and gender. In short, it is the States that decide the detainees' right to vote in elections, including at the federal level (Landy 2008). A general overview of state laws reveals that almost all states (48 out of 50, plus the District of Columbia) denied the right to vote in state and federal detainees who have committed serious offenses. In some states, the offender loses the right to vote forever, but in most states, the criminal becomes automatically entitled to vote when he served his sentence. Only two states, Maine and Vermont, in no way, restrict the right to vote.

The defendants (untried definitely) enjoy all of their electoral rights, unless an election failure pronounced against them in a previous conviction. Inmates who convicted since 1 March 1994 can not be deprived the right to vote automatically. To be allowed to vote, they should sentenced to an additional penalty prohibiting the exercise of all or part of their civil ...