Blog Stage Five
Danielle Lang and Thea Sebastian are civil rights attorneys featured in the New York Times. Writing in the opinion article, Lang and Sebastian complain that, “If you’ve committed a crime and are rich, you can pay court fees and cast a ballot. If you don't have money, you might be left out of democracy.” In making this comment, Lang and Sebastian urges us to realize not everyone has the privilege to vote. I agree with their argument because this obstacle prevents a full democracy. We the people are the foundation for democracy. That being said these people should be required to vote regardless of unpaid court fines and fees because this is a principle of our constitution.
Our country’s felony laws prohibits people from voting due to unpaid court fines and fees. According to Lang and Sebastian, “In seven states- Arkansas, Arizona, Alabama, Connecticut, Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida- laws explicitly prohibit people who owe court debt from voting.” Lang and Sebastian’s point is that people who owe court debt cannot vote. These people may never have the opportunity to vote due to excessive amounts of debt. We need to solve this issue in order to create a fuller democracy within our country.
An essential right the constitution offers is stripped away from people who cannot afford to pay off their court fines and fees. Lang and Sebastian states, “Constitution- that our government cannot deny poor people basic rights in our society simply because they are poor- is violated.” In other words, Lang and Sebastian believe these people should vote because the constitution says the government cannot deny poor people's basic rights. Governments are violating the constitution. We need to improve laws within governments for these people in order to restore the fundamentals of the constitution.
People who have unpaid court fines and fees need to be required to vote because they have the right according our constitution. They need this right because our constitution says the government cannot deny poor people basic rights. Consequences for not resolving this position will result in lawsuits against particular governments that have violated this particular constitution fundamental. We need to improve laws within governments in order to restore the fundamentals of the constitution that allows these people to vote and create a fuller democracy.
Works Cited
Lang, Danielle, and Thea Sebastian. “Too Poor to Vote.” The New York Times, 1 Nov. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/11/01/opinion/election-voting-rights-poverty.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fopinion&action=click&contentCollection=opinion
The right to vote is one of the many things that make our country special. Without voting, not everyone would have a fair say on what laws get passed and who gets elected. With that being said, I very much agree with Gabriela in her post defending everyone’s right to vote. However, Gabriela states that “People who have unpaid court fines and fees need to be required to vote because they have the right according our constitution.”. I do not agree with the idea that people who have disobeyed the law should still hold their right to vote. Gabriela thoughtfully expresses in her post how voting is a privilege granted to us by the Constitution. Like voting, the right to own a gun or private residence are also privileges, which can and should be taken away if you commit crimes against the Constitution. The government has the right to strip you of certain privileges if you chose to not abide by its laws.
ReplyDeleteAnother point Gabriela brought up was how the right to vote along with other Constitutional rights are stripped from those who are considered poor. According to Gabriela, “our constitution says the government cannot deny poor people basic rights.”. Which is correct, the government has no right to deny the poor of their basic rights, and never has. If you are a citizen of the United States, poor or rich, you are granted the same rights as everyone else. You are only denied of your rights if you are charged for a crime. The government is simply not responsible for one’s financial stances.
All in all, I do agree with Gabriela that voting should be an unalienable right to all citizens of the United States. But I believe that we can all agree that people who do not abide by our nation’s laws should have certain rights stripped from them.
With the way the current voting laws are there are many people who are left out. While certain law makers are moving toward loosening tbese voter restrictions the goal they have set seems to be one for several years in the future. Meanwhile millions of people are left wondering when their voices will be heard due to past mistakes. I know several people who have had their right to vote revoked due to being felons, and I myself was once in that boat. Part of me believes the government would rather leave the decision making to the wealthier side of the population to keep their interests in alignment with the laws. Some may consider that to be a tin-foil way of thinking, but the question remains as to why any citizen would have their right to vote removed for any reason other than treason in the first place.
ReplyDelete