Here's a question:

Why on earth are prisoners allowed to vote?

I was watching the news the night of the elections and they showed a clip of male and female prisoners, dressed in their eyesore orange and deep blue "uniforms" (respectively), queuing up inside their particular jail (I think it was Sun City) to vote for the next president of South Africa.

Until seeing this footage I hadn't given much thought to the vastly diverse range of voters we have here or where in the country they'd be casting their votes. But when seeing rows and rows of convicted criminals line up in their jail quad to voice whatever opinion or political need they may have, stuck me as utterly absurd.

Why on earth are prisoners allowed to vote?

Surely when these criminals committed whatever felony it was that landed them behind bars (and for however long), certain societal rights that used to belong to them are stripped, or at least wavered?

They chose to place themselves outside of the society when the disobeyed the rules by which it is governed, but they still somehow have a say in who (therefore how) the next to make those rules will be.

This is really fucked up if you ask me. Think of these hardened rapists and murderers, the very people responsible for our reputation as a violent and dangerous nation, actually having a say in the future of our country!

It's fucking ridiculous.