New York Times Editorial - Voting rights as human rights
New York Times Editorial - Voting rights as human rights
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: July 31, 2006
The United States has the worst record in the free world when it comes to stripping convicted felons of the right to vote. In contrast, most European countries hold that right so dear that they bring ballot boxes into prisons.
This point was underscored last week in a scalding report from the UN Human Rights Committee, which held hearings last month to determine how well the United States was complying with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which America ratified in 1992.
The hearings heard testimony about secret detentions, kidnappings and accusations of torture. But they also dealt with how America treats its prison inmates, particularly the disenfranchisement laws that bar more than five million convicted felons from the polls. The U.S. representative weakly defended the practice's legality, but dodged explaining its rationale, saying the rules come from the states, not the U.S. government.
In a common-sense report, the committee said that blanket disenfranchisement was inconsistent with the covenant and disproportionately affects minorities. The report urged America to restore voting rights to citizens who have served their sentences or who are released on parole. The report is not legally binding. But it reminds Americans how poorly they treat former offenders compared with other democracies.
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: July 31, 2006
The United States has the worst record in the free world when it comes to stripping convicted felons of the right to vote. In contrast, most European countries hold that right so dear that they bring ballot boxes into prisons.
This point was underscored last week in a scalding report from the UN Human Rights Committee, which held hearings last month to determine how well the United States was complying with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which America ratified in 1992.
The hearings heard testimony about secret detentions, kidnappings and accusations of torture. But they also dealt with how America treats its prison inmates, particularly the disenfranchisement laws that bar more than five million convicted felons from the polls. The U.S. representative weakly defended the practice's legality, but dodged explaining its rationale, saying the rules come from the states, not the U.S. government.
In a common-sense report, the committee said that blanket disenfranchisement was inconsistent with the covenant and disproportionately affects minorities. The report urged America to restore voting rights to citizens who have served their sentences or who are released on parole. The report is not legally binding. But it reminds Americans how poorly they treat former offenders compared with other democracies.
posted by Carlos T Mock at 4:17 AM
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