Sasha Abramsky

rehabilitation

The more I think about the issue of voting rights, the more I find it hard to understand the philosophical objection to restoring somebody's ability to participate politically once they've served their time. One would think society has a stake in pushing the issue of civic participation -- that the act itself would anchor people who might be only marginally connected to many social institutions.

Yet, many opponents argue that allowing this would in some way "pollute" the franchise.

It's a strange argument: we live in a country that in many ways defines itself by its democratic structures; yet we're fearful that those structures are so fragile that increasing access to the ballot might actually undermine them! Thankfully, I think those institutions are, in fact, more than strong enough to absorb more voters, however imperfect those individuals might be. In fact, I'd argue that the institutions are durable precisely because they're not tied to the virtues of the individual participants. Obviously, one hopes that citizens behave well and think well; that's the way not just to a healthy democracy, but, more generally, a healthy society. But, positing franchise restrictions around this notion seems to me to be an act of fear rather than hope.

So, that's my musings for the morning.

This afternoon, at 6.30, I'll be at Busboys and Poets in D.C., reading from Conned. For those who noted my earlier posting listing the event at Politics and Prose, a mea culpa. I was thinking of the wrong place!!!

Sasha Abramsky.

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Posted at 11:55 AM, May 10, 2006 in Voting Rights
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