Instigator / Con

ScottTheChessGod

1490

rating

debates

0.0%

won

Topic

#1333

Should Prisoners Be Allowed To Vote

Status

Finished

The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.

Winner & statistics

Better arguments

Better sources

Better legibility

Better conduct

After 10 votes and with 36 points ahead, the winner is...

Speedrace

Tags

Politics

Parameters

Publication date: 09.01.2019 06:47PM
Last updated date: 09.11.2019 02:22AM
Type: Standard
Number of rounds: 2
Time for argument: One day
Max argument characters: 10,000
Voting period: One week
Point system: Multiple criterions
Voting system: Open

Contender / Pro

Speedrace

1641

rating

debates

65.08%

won

Description

You start first!

Round 1

ScottTheChessGod

09.01.2019 09:41PM

Con

Thank you for accepting this debate.

You break the law, So you don't get to make the law. An offender has been sent to prison for a reason, And that reason is that he/she has broken the law. Their best interests weren't obeying or cooperating with the law, They aren't law-abiding citizens, So, Therefore, They are unfit to judge a reasonable vote that will benefit their nation. Prisons should focus on making prisoners realise their wrongdoing and regret their decisions. It shouldn't gift them the feeling of dignity, That should only occur when they have served their time, Hopefully learnt from their previous actions and released. That's when they will become a functioning and responsible member of society.

Voting is a privilege, Not a right. This privilege is withdrawn from you when your no longer a functions member of society when you're a burden to the laws of the nation your staying in. If prisoners could vote, They could possibly vote for corrupt leaders or bad laws. For example, A candidate states, "If you vote for me, I will produce nicer prisons. " Why would we want this? Would you want a murder to have the privilege of voting for the leader of our nation? Would you want prisoners to receive the exact same privileges, Benefits and responsibilities as an upstanding citizen? If so, Then what's the purpose of prison?

We have certain restrictions upon certain people. We don't let people under the age of 18 to vote, Why? Because they don't have the judgment yet. We don't let some people who have mental disabilities, Such as autism to vote, Why? The exact same reason for my other example, Because we don't trust their judgment until they reach a certain age. Its the same with prisoners. They lack the judgment (obvious by their previous crime) to provide a reasonable vote. , Therefore prisoners shouldn't be allowed to vote.

Speedrace

09.02.2019 03:15AM

Pro

Inmates are U.S. citizens (besides immigrants).
U.S. citizens have the right to vote.
Therefore, immigrants should be allowed to vote.

The Supreme Court has already ruled that citizenship cannot be taken upon incarceration. [1] Therefore, regardless of what they are, inmates are American citizens.

The 14th amendment grants the right to vote to all men and women born or naturalized in the United States that at or above the age of 18.

Since inmates (except for non-naturalized residents and minors) meet the requirements listed above, it only logically follows that they should be allowed to vote. They still have almost all of the other rights that U.S. citizens have.

Round 2

ScottTheChessGod

09.03.2019 03:15AM

Con

Forfeited

Speedrace

09.04.2019 02:22AM

Pro

You break the law, So you don't get to make the law.

Voting is not "making" the law.

Their best interests weren't obeying or cooperating with the law, They aren't law-abiding citizens, So, Therefore, They are unfit to judge a reasonable vote that will benefit their nation

Where is the evidence that they are unfit? Let's say that someone has consistently voted for 30 years, but in a fit of anger they one day kill a person. Is their capacity to vote and make rational decision now suddenly changed based off of one mistake?

Voting is a privilege, Not a right. This privilege is withdrawn from you when your no longer a functions member of society when you're a burden to the laws of the nation your staying in.

I beg to differ. Prisoners are still citizens, and as citizens they have the right to vote. This doesn't change simply because they were caught doing X crime. What if someone is in jail for not paying their speeding ticket because they didn't have enough money? Are they suddenly unfit to vote? No.

Would you want a murder to have the privilege of voting for the leader of our nation?

What separates someone who seriously thinks of murdering and someone who actually does? How is the former any more fit to vote than the latter?

Would you want prisoners to receive the exact same privileges, Benefits and responsibilities as an upstanding citizen?

Voting is not equivalent to "the exact same privileges, Benefits and responsibilities" that upstanding citizens have. It is one right.

Its the same with prisoners. They lack the judgment (obvious by their previous crime) to provide a reasonable vote. , Therefore prisoners shouldn't be allowed to vote.

Perhaps if their crime entails some type of mental defect, then sure. However, that is not the case for the majority of prisoners.

crossed

09.09.2019 03:52AM

"Amendment XIII Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."

This is the thirteenth amendment. It ended slavery in the civil war. But it says slavery is still legal if you commit a crime. I do not agree with this

https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxiii

crossed

09.09.2019 03:48AM

I do not agree with this. But prisoners are not USA citizens they are slaves.

the thirteenth amendment abolished slavery except if you have committed a crime.

"Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. In Congress,"

Slavery is only allowed in the usa if you have committed a crime.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

The thirteenth amendment ended slavery in the civil war except if you commit a crime then you can legally become a slave. I do not agree with this

Alec

09.04.2019 10:29AM

Depends on the criminal. I wouldn’t let a felon convict vote.

billbatard

09.04.2019 06:35AM

if they like say behave for like 5 years then their record should be expunged completely

RationalMadman

09.08.2019 05:27PM

#10

Criterion

Con

Tie

Pro

Points

Better arguments

3 point(s)

Better sources

2 point(s)

Better legibility

1 point(s)

Better conduct

1 point(s)

Reason:

Christen

09.08.2019 08:02AM

Criterion

Con

Tie

Pro

Points

Better arguments

3 point(s)

Better sources

2 point(s)

Better legibility

1 point(s)

Better conduct

1 point(s)

Reason:

forfeit

Imabench

09.08.2019 06:11AM

Criterion

Con

Tie

Pro

Points

Better arguments

3 point(s)

Better sources

2 point(s)

Better legibility

1 point(s)

Better conduct

1 point(s)

Reason:

Forfeit :/

David

09.04.2019 03:11PM

Criterion

Con

Tie

Pro

Points

Better arguments

3 point(s)

Better sources

2 point(s)

Better legibility

1 point(s)

Better conduct

1 point(s)

Reason:

Con forfeited 1/2 the rounds. That's bad conduct!

TheRealNihilist

09.04.2019 02:51PM

Criterion

Con

Tie

Pro

Points

Better arguments

3 point(s)

Better sources

2 point(s)

Better legibility

1 point(s)

Better conduct

1 point(s)

Reason:

A forfeit leads to only one side giving rebuttals which means Pro's arguments went unchallenged. 1 out 2 rounds were forfeited which is bad conduct.

Trent0405

09.04.2019 10:34AM

Criterion

Con

Tie

Pro

Points

Better arguments

3 point(s)

Better sources

2 point(s)

Better legibility

1 point(s)

Better conduct

1 point(s)

Reason:

1/2 FF that's poor conduct

Ramshutu

09.04.2019 10:28AM

Criterion

Con

Tie

Pro

Points

Better arguments

3 point(s)

Better sources

2 point(s)

Better legibility

1 point(s)

Better conduct

1 point(s)

Reason:

Full forfeit

Pinkfreud08

09.04.2019 04:09AM

Criterion

Con

Tie

Pro

Points

Better arguments

3 point(s)

Better sources

2 point(s)

Better legibility

1 point(s)

Better conduct

1 point(s)

Reason:

Con ff half of the debate, that's poor conduct!

Likewise, due to the insufficient argument by Con and the fact that Pro's case was left undisputed, I have no other choice than to award the argument point to Pro.

Barney

09.04.2019 03:10AM

Criterion

Con

Tie

Pro

Points

Better arguments

3 point(s)

Better sources

2 point(s)

Better legibility

1 point(s)

Better conduct

1 point(s)

Reason:

With the FF pro's case was left unchallenged.

Dr.Franklin

09.04.2019 02:31AM

Criterion

Con

Tie

Pro

Points

Better arguments

3 point(s)

Better sources

2 point(s)

Better legibility

1 point(s)

Better conduct

1 point(s)

Reason:

1/2 forfeit, neither side convinced me