The right to vote is the foundation of any democracy, yet nearly six million Americans are denied that right, in many cases for life, because they have been convicted of a crime. Some states disenfranchise more than 7 percent of their adult citizens.
In an unflinching speech before a civil rights conference Tuesday morning, Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. described this shameful aspect of our justice system for what it is: a “profoundly outdated” practice that is unjust and counterproductive. Full Editorial
Wow. 6 million adults excluded from the most basic democratic Right (yes, Right). For perspective, 6 million is about the entire population of Nicaragua (every man, woman and child). The entire population (every man, woman and child) of New Zealand is 4.5 million, Ireland 4.6 million.
How pathetic and backward.