Posted on 05/07/2015 5:40:08 AM PDT by TurboZamboni
There is a good reason liberal lawmakers and governors across the country are eager to pass laws allowing felons to vote. A recent study conducted by the Academy of Political and Social Sciences indicates that seven out of 10 convicts register as Democrats.The DFL-controlled Senate in Minnesota is leading the way with its recent passage of a bill allowing felons to vote while still on parole or probation.
Proponents of changing the law are focused almost entirely on what they view as good for the felon rather than being concerned with the rights of law-abiding citizens. Proponents claim that allowing newly released criminals to vote would keep them on the straight and narrow. If voting is such a strong motivator for felons, then the current system that rewards them after they have shown the ability to abide by the law is the proper policy. Felons are proud of having earned back their right to vote. Proponents are trying to sell this idea to the citizens of Minnesota under the guise of being simply a “second chance” for felons. But felons already get a second chance in Minnesota when their right to vote is restored after they complete their sentences — unlike in Florida, Iowa, Kentucky and Virginia, where they are prohibited from voting for life.
(Excerpt) Read more at duluthnewstribune.com ...
I don't mind either option. I just want the life-time thing gone when it's advertised as 5 years or whatever.
/johnny
Loss of the vote isn't a punishment, just a reality. Law abiding citizens should determine the shape and future of society, not criminals.
The problem is that our authoritarianism-loving leaders have a vested interest in making as many law-breakers as possible. Hate Speech laws can make every Freeper a criminal overnight. Don't be so eager to punish rule-breakers, because in our modern day Animal Farm, they will be us soon enough, whether we want to be or not.
If they really put violent felons to death, I would be okay with it. One thing for certain is that we would have a lot fewer violent felons.
Just be honest about it and say it's a life sentence. Because it is.
/johnny
That's because you have allowed criminals to determine the shape and future of society for a long time now.
You say you view it as a normal punishment that goes with being a felon.
Be honest about it.
/johnny
I think that married people with children should have more voting power than single people. I would even be ok with only married people over 21 being able to vote. Given this you can be sure that I don't give a f- about the "voting rights" of violent criminals and whether or not they would view it as punishment or whatever.
Running rough-shod over the rule of law is no good way to enforce the law.
Just because you think 'mean' is the same as 'conservative' doesn't make it so.
/johnny
Felons should never be allowed to vote. they have shown that they don’t have the consideration for their fellow man to not commit serious crimes against them. Why should they decide the fate of honest people.
In general, anyone that our masters say is not responsible enough to have a gun, is not responsible enough to vote.
” Don’t give a life sentence without having the option of a dirt nap. “
Which is hillarious when you consider that libs don’t like the death sentance, but seem to love euthanasia....
I like the idea that once they have served like say 5-10 years they have the option to opt out of their life sentence by taking a dirt nap.
> Felons should never be allowed to vote.
I’ve always thought it’s better to leave people the hope of redemption. A lifetime ban means that they are permanently divorced from the body politic. For instance, how many people out there have a conviction for possession of > 1 oz. of marijuana? Seems a bit too harsh.
Also, when someone gets cornered they are much more likely to lash out.
So they never regain the right to defend themselves and their families but they get the right to decide on laws and taxes for me? No, I don’t think so. And if you think that some felonies are BS, you are right, but that is a separate issue.
A life sentence for a child molester of not being able to vote and not being able to get another license for a day care center?
How many of these democrat felons do you think prefer your position of Death, or the Vote?
Doctors lose their right to doctor again, CPAs lose their right to be accountants again, felons in the military are kicked out and not allowed in again, being caught out as a criminal, can involve some permanent limitations.
Do you really think the world of criminals is so dedicated to voting and civil participation that they are the ones despairing over not being able to vote?
All this is about is the urban democrats being able to drive by their house and have them vote absentee.
D-E-D, dead.
They can't ever do it again if they are dead.
If a former criminal has paid their debt to society, they don't need to be treated like felons.
/johnny
That’s nice, but it doesn’t address the challenge to your reasoning, which is that we either kill all felons or restore everything back to them after they serve their sentence, right NOW you want to allow that felony child molester to get ALL of his previous rights back, including the vote and his child care license.
We can’t hold everyone for life, nor kill everyone, so we do what we can, there is no reason to say that being busted for felonies can’t affect you negatively for the rest of your life, and keep you from some jobs, or voting, military service, FBI work, day care work, etc.
Used to be that when the time was served, even pistols were returned to the former felon.
The one that made the change has to justify it.
/johnny
Go ahead and convince us why a child molester gets to return to day care, and a spy gets to return to the FBI, and the drug dealing cop gets to return to being a narcotics detective, and why there is to be no stigmatizing of felons.
You have this peculiar view that after sitting in a cell for a few years staring at the floor, everything is all shiny new again, like nothing ever happened. Sort of like the Star-Trek time travel reset button.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.