Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont submitted the legislation, named the Inclusive Democracy Act, on Tuesday which would guarantee the right to vote in federal elections for all citizens regardless of their criminal record.
In a statement, Pressley said the legislation was necessary due to policies and court rulings that “continue to disenfranchise voters from all walks of life — including by gutting the Voting Rights Act, gerrymandering, cuts to early voting, and more.” Welch called the bill necessary due to “antiquated state felony disenfranchisement laws.”
In late 2022, approximately 4.6 million people were unable to vote due to a felony conviction, according to a study by the Sentencing Project, a nonpartisan research group. The same study found that Black and Hispanic citizens are disproportionately likely to be disenfranchised due to felony
Removing the right to vote from felons means you create a class of society that can no longer represent themselves, and must trust non-felons to represent their interests. This is inherently anti-democratic thought and is fundamentally an abhorrent thought process, especially considering false convictions are more common than one would expect.
“False convictions are more common that one would expect” that is a different problem that needs a different solution.
“You create a class that can no longer represent themselves” you dont, they did it when they chose to break the law.
It is not a different problem, it’s one and the same.
Breaking the law is a complicated situation, and focusing on punishment instead of rehabilitation is draconian and borderline fascist. Everyone should be able to represent themselves via voting, if they are of age.
He is inforcing the law so = “fascist”
Law itself isn’t good or bad. If it was legal to murder, would you do it?
What do you mean?? Some people do already (murder I mean)
Your point is that breaking the law is a moral failure, which it isn’t.