History+Benchmark

Kyara Broady Christen Seeley Ashirah Rollins Kenney Paul Position Paper

One of the most essential presidential elections is occurring here in the United States. Senators Barack Obama (democratic) and John McCain (republican) are running against each other for office. With the issues that are currently taking place here in the U.S., it is extremely important for everyone to get out there and vote on Election Day. Individuals that are at least 21 years of age must go out and vote for the candidate that bests fits our country.

In the United States there are an estimated 5.3 million Americans that are not able to vote because of past criminal convictions. Out of the estimated 5.3 million Americans that can’t vote, 13% of them are African American men. Felons should have the right to vote because at the end of the day, they are still citizens.

Yes, there are some individuals that were involved in some type of criminal activities in the past, but that shouldn’t affect their voting rights. Whether someone was convicted on drug or robbery charges it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, those same felons are still citizens in the United States. Taking the wrong path once in their lives shouldn’t determine whether or not they have the right to vote in the future. Revoking felons’ rights to vote is a bit biased based on the situation. The only difference between a felon and a regular person is the fact that a felon committed a crime. Other than that, they are same person in a way. Felons should still be treated the same and given the same privileges as any other person would have. Voting is a fundamental thing that every individual should experience. It gives people a chance for their voices to be heard with the election. Whether you want to vote for Obama or McCain, it still involves you in some type of way.

5.3 million is a big number, one that could have a huge impact on the election in the United States. That is 5.3 million voices that can’t be heard because of some drug or gun charge that occurred in the past. As the government look at this number they should think about the different types of restrictions they have and try to change them.