My Reaction to the Article On Felon Disenfranchisement

My Reaction to the Article On Felon Disenfranchisement
By

Professor Amechi Okolo, PhD.

The Washingtom Post article of Monday, August 11, 2008 by Krissah Thompson on felon disenfranchisement is timely and demands urgent and detailed debates in the country. I am however, disappointed that the two major parties are not involved and do not have a position on such an important issue. This is one reason many people believe that US is a plutocracy and that its “democratic” elections are fake and facades. It is completely understandable that a democratic society would have people who think that felons should retain their rights to vote as well as those who do not think so. It is such issues that elections are made for and should be one of the major topics that should divide political parties and their candidates.

The tragedy of American “democracy” is that major issues are never discussed in our “elections” and that major candidates avoid discussing them. I think that journalists should force McCain and Obama to take definite positions on felon disenfranchisement. If Democrats favor giving felons back their votes, Obama should announce it and incorporate it in the party programs. This means that I do not think that it is smart for Obama to avoid the topic as he now does. And this is why some of us who are inclined to support the Democrats are not enthusiastic and might vote Green Party because Democrats are always too timid to take a position on major issues; and Obama who is supposed to be a change candidate is not different. If Republicans had wanted felons to vote they would have promoted the cause, which is why I like them because I like people who say what they believe and not those who play politics with issues. For example, Bush and Republicans believe in banning gay marriage and they are vocal about it. So Obama and the Democrats should push for felon re-enfranchisement. It is not smart politics to avoid important sensitive issues as Obama and some Democrats think. It is timidity and idiocy.