Re: OT:Thanksgiving

Robert wrote:

Should they be able to vote if they are in prison serving time?

A resounding YES. Here's why.

1. Prisoners are counted in the census.
2. The census is used to determine apportionment i.e. political power
in the state legislature and ultimately in US Congress.
3. Most prisons are in rural places, which are generally Republican
strongholds.
4. Prisoners receive no benefits from 'their' representatives' pork
barrel efforts.
5. The vast majority of prisoners (>90%) would vote Democratic.

Therefore, counting prisoners in the census while denying them the
vote is nothing but a ploy to give rural Republicans more political
power than they deserve.

The U.S. Constitution provides that slaves are counted, for the purpose of
the census in determining represenation, as 3/5ths of a person, yet slaves
can't vote either.


They want the jobs created by a prison in their community, while
regarding prisoners as subhuman. Giving prisoners the vote would
raise their awareness that prisoners are people.

It could change the
attitudes of guards and provide more infrastructure support e.g. a
better road to the prison, a Visitors' Center for families. It would
change the prison from a burden into an asset.

Prisons ARE an asset, to the degree they prevent added cost. Like paint on a
house. Studies show that for every murderer put to death, 18 murders are
prevented. For every ordinary criminal locked up, 87 crimes are prevented.


At the time of the American Revolution, only 6% of Americans could
vote. Now it's over 90%. IMO, it should be 100%.

Babies should vote? Outstanding.


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: OT:Thanksgiving
    ... Should they be able to vote if they are in prison awaiting trial? ... Prisoners are counted in the census. ... Prisoners receive no benefits from 'their' representatives' pork barrel efforts. ... At the time of the American Revolution, only 6% of Americans could vote. ...
    (comp.lang.cobol)
  • Re: Prisoners "right" to vote
    ... but I'd say it's a bit like saying that prisoners ... just a way of making the census result slightly less accurate. ... And that isn't a punishment for the prisoners, just a way of making the census less accurate. ... The Governor is unlikely to be able to prepare accurate details for each and every prisoner except insofar as the details are recorded in the prisoner's file. ...
    (uk.legal)
  • Re: OT:Thanksgiving
    ... Prisoners are counted in the census. ... in the state legislature and ultimately in US Congress. ... The vast majority of prisoners would vote Democratic. ...
    (comp.lang.cobol)
  • Re: Prisoners "right" to vote
    ... but I'd say it's a bit like saying that prisoners ... This isn't a punishment for ... just a way of making the census result slightly less accurate. ... They aren't exempt. ...
    (uk.legal)
  • Rapists, paedophiles and burglars get the vote as Government prepares to lift prisoners election ban
    ... paedophiles and burglars get the vote as Government prepares ... prisoners handed the right to vote, ... The case was brought by axe killer John Hirst, ...
    (uk.legal)