Chris Loftus

Sarah Pinard
Eric Williams
Gracie Wagenveld
Milana- Lewis Zakuto
Air Stream
Rebuttal Paper

Ever since the right to vote has been given to most people there
have been questions on what the requirements should be. One of the
specific rules that can cause controversy is the rule where people who
have been convicted of a crime cannot vote. There are many pros and
cons of this amendment. But in the long run this is a rule that should
stay because it is the lesser of two evils, making people feel as if they
are lesser citizens, or having people who have decided to lead the
wrong life taking part in decisions that affect the entire community.

Argument 1: For years now, it has been in the constitution that if you
are a felon you have your voting rights taken away. Knowing full well
what they were giving up if they were caught they still committed this
crime making them susceptible to the consequences.

Rebuttal: As research shows, most amounts of felons are not highly

educated. So in end result most felons have not learned all about the
constitution and the consequences of becoming a felon. Stating the
most obvious reason, but if you are put in jail most felons think that
that is their only consequence but they really have no idea what really
is coming up. Which brings us to the point, most felons do not know
what they are giving up when they commit the crimes so saying they
are in full knowledge is completely faulty.

Argument 2: The brutality of the American judicial system may have

made them angry and only vote to displease his surroundings and
people around him instead of actually listening to the candidates and
voting for someone because they believe in them.

Rebuttal: When most felons go into jail and beings as though they are
felons they are usually not spending a light amount of time in jail most
of them become educated. Taking classes inside the prison reading
books, keeping up with current events all so when they get out of jail
they can be functioning members of society. Most felons take
responsibility for what they did and will realize that if they had not
done it in the first place, they would not have gone to jail. Being more
educated, and coming back into the world felons will most likely want
to make a difference and try and become a better person living in a
better world and that starts with voting for a president.

Argument 3: Convicts have a warped sense of right vs. wrong and

therefore shouldn’t vote.

Rebuttal: Convicts have had a past of not being able to make out
right from wrong, which is why they end up in jail in the first place. It
doesn’t make to much sense to let someone who has a hard time
making good thoughtful decisions to make a choice for whom they
think should represent their city or country. They cannot hold the
power to make decisions like that when they cannot lead their lives
very well.