Returning voting rights to convicted felons...
Hmmm... this is one on which I'd have to agree with them - to a certain extent.
You see, I happen to know *two* convicted felons who have looooong been out of prison and are both entirely reformed. In both cases, their crimes are best summed up as "the stupidity of youth." In Christian terms, they have fully repented for their sins and now live wholesome lives.
Sooooo...
I don't think voting rights should be returned carte blanche, but there has to be some metric by which we can determine a citizens eligibility for regaining that right. Luckily, in their case, they both have the right and intend on exercising it for GWB.
I agree.
The billionaires for bush street theatre for Kerry crowd marked a change from the usual rainbow tribe unwashed.
they had actually had to clean.up....one was even sorta cute in strapless gown....but mighty young ...still sporting dew hair tween her shoulder blades...lol
The Protest Warriors were very effective.
I'm happy for your friends...but they are the exception, not the rule.
There's an old joke that a Conservative is a Liberal who's been mugged and a Liberal is a Conservative who's been indicted. Considering that most felons care about no-one save themselves, I would just as soon prefer that the caliber of Liberals to which the above joke alludes were NOT legal voters.
Probably depends on the nature of their felony conviction, their actions in prison, and any post-prison recidivism. Half of me says that if they have been convicted of a violent crime, then certain rights (such as RKBA) should be limited; the other half says "Hey - they've paid their debt to society and should be fully reinstated as citizens" Thoughts?
Your friends can apply to have their voting rights restored at least at the state level...Have them contact their state congress critters. I don't know about the federal level.
There's not a "metric" but a procedure: it's called a petition for restoration of voting rights, or some such, and any lawyer can inform you as to how it's done.
Most states have a legal procedure for petitioning the governor for a restoration of civil rights. Usually it can be done 7 or more years after the end of the imposed punishment.
I've been trying to convince a friend of mine to do it, but he's been putting it off. You should talk to your two friends about doing it.
A friend of mine is in the same position. Last released in 1981 and went on to get edumucated and lead the life of an unassuming and producive citizen-type-thing.
He petitioned the state to get RKBA reinstated but was refused, I think that's what got his personal journey of Bush bashing started.
NAACP: Rally for Restoration of Voter Rights of the Disfranchised
Saturday, August 28th 11:00am; NAACP OFFICES – 1308 Jefferson Street, Nashville
TENNESSEE FACTS:
# of Tennesseans Disfranchised: 91,149
% of Total Tennessee Population: 2.2%
African-American Disfranchised: 41,759
% of African-Americans Disfranchised: 6.6%
African Americans equal 46% of the Tennessee Disfranchised
WE NEED YOUR PRESENCE
On Saturday August 28th, hundreds of Nashvillians, including dozens of disfranchised Americans, will gather at the Nashville Branch of the NAACP. There will be team of civil rights attorneys ready to sit with every disfranchised person (person who has served time in the criminal justice system and no longer has the right to vote) and process the paperwork to make sure they have their rights restored. If you have been through the criminal justice system or know someone who has, bring them and let’s bring justice to those who have served their time.
Bring signs and be ready to hear from a variety of civil rights leaders of Nashville community. Let’s make this rally and disfranchisement a part of history, and real democracy a reality.
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I interpret this as a push for all felons to have their rights restored without any regard toward the heinousness of their crimes. Most disturbing to me is the PJC people were only motivated by seeming imbalance of disfranchisement and are more concerned about the rights of people of color than the overall population. In doing this the PCJ try to perpetuate the perception that "the man" purposely focuses on specific groups for excessive punishment while hoping we disregard the higher rates of crime caused by those groups.
In short, I see this as a hypocritical sham to convince the general public that they retain the moral high ground while swelling their ranks with a new class of "oppressed victims". They don't really care about these people, they're just using them to promote their agenda. - NRT
If they are out of prison they should have the right to vote. If they are in prison...they should not have that right.
** Some of those projects include: returning voting rights to convicted felons **
When I was in high school civics class, it was stressed that convicted felons lost their right to vote.
I guess they wanted us all to be good citizens.
I don't look at convicted felons losing their right to vote as a punitive measure, but as a safeguard to the process.
The system is already rife with voter fraud. Opening the process up to convicted felons just invites more.
Jeez, not too far from where I live, if convicted felons could vote, the Mexican Mafia would probably get all their favorite candidates elected.