Argumentative Essay: Let Them Vote

Let Them Vote Imagine a life where you were not allowed to vote for the next president, where you could not get a well-paying job, or live in public housing all because of a mistake you made in your past. How would you feel and would you think that your treatment is unfair? Many convicted criminals are released from prison after completing their jail sentence. They leave prison believing they are “free men,” which they are, but they are definitely not treated like a free man. A convicted criminal can lose many privileges and rights after being released. He can lose the right to vote, gun ownership, public social benefits, and employment rights. It is understandable that certain rights are revoked to maintain public safety, but the right to vote should not be one of them. Taking rights away from ex-convicts is not a new trend. It is called “civil death,” or the loss of all or almost all civil rights due to a conviction for a felony. It originated in Ancient Greece and Rome, and was later brought to America. Felon disenfranchisement or the exclusion from voting is what I believe to be the number one punishment America has given to ex-criminals. Different states treat the punishment differently. Some states give the right to vote back after being released, but a couple of states do not allow this. If an ex-criminal is allowed to regain …show more content…
There is that fact that they should not be trusted, they may not understand who they’re voting for, and they trouble. Indeed they were trouble and they were not trusted, but that is the past tense. Many prisoners can and did change. They learned their lesson and are ready to start a new life. But they cannot do this if they are restricted in so many ways. People need to understand ex-criminals did their time for their mistakes, and now they need to be treated like a real person and not someone who is still shackled and stuck in a