Convicts Feel Cheated
This is a sad article.
There seems to be a few people hard at work to solidify the minority vote for the Democrats and it looks as if they have some people working as 'news reports' at Reuters and Yahoo.
"Millions of U.S. citizens, including a disproportionate number of black voters, will be blocked from voting in the Nov. 2 presidential election because of legal barriers, faulty procedures or dirty tricks, according to civil rights and legal experts.
The largest category of those legally disenfranchised consists of almost 5 million former felons who have served prison sentences and been deprived of the right to vote under laws that have roots in the post-Civil War 19th century and were aimed at preventing black Americans from voting. "
Those laws simply state that if you are a felon you lose your right to have a say in the workings of society because you have decided to act as if you were not part of society. Also, every state has a State Clemency Board that permits some felons (mostly non-violent or those who have been a responsible member of society for a while) to re-gain the right to vote as well.
If the right to vote is so important 1) don't be a criminal, or 2) once you serve your sentence be good and prove yourself worthy of taking part in society.
And yes of course blacks are disproportionately felons, so yes blacks are disproportionately blocked from voting. This is not racism, this is simply a pattern of criminal behavior.
"In elections in Baltimore in 2002 and in Georgia last year, black voters were sent fliers saying anyone who hadn't paid utility bills or had outstanding parking tickets or were behind on their rent would be arrested at polling stations. It happens in every election cycle," she said.
Behind on rent or utilities will be arrested? People believed it? I guess they might have a point after all with idea the butterfly ballot was too hard to understand.
As far as parking tickets go... If you have outstanding fines levied against you by court order, then you just might qualify for being arrested. Personally I think this is a good idea to catch criminals. But then again you might not want my opinion about profiling.
In a mayoral election in Philadelphia last year, people pretending to be plainclothes police officers stood outside some polling stations asking people to identify themselves. There have also been reports of mysterious people videotaping people waiting in line to vote in black neighborhoods.
Impersonating an officer has been illegal for a long time now, but I guess since according to these people having police around a voting place might discourage people from coming, there is no one there to check on these things are there?
Video cameras on public grounds like schools or churches -- places you usually go to vote -- are not against the law. Don't be scared people, just go vote.
Minority voters may be deterred from voting simply by election officials demanding to see drivers' licenses before handing them a ballot, according to Spencer Overton, who teaches law at George Washington University. The federal government does not require people to produce a photo identification unless they are first-time voters who registered by mail.
"African Americans are four to five times less likely than whites to have a photo ID," Overton said at a recent briefing on minority disenfranchisement.
Don't get your license suspended, don't break laws, act like normal citizens and everything will be fine. If blacks don't care enough to bring a license, or keep their license then they have more pressing matters than just voting.
While the Federal Government might not make demands about licenses, but states can. Voter fraud is big (see my previous post), and it seems that a photo ID being required to take place in a very sensitive and important activity (voting) is not too much to ask. How do they buy liquor, is that an unfair requirement, too? Cigarettes?
In other swing states, 4.6 percent of voters in Iowa, but 25 percent of blacks, were disenfranchised in 2000 as ex-felons. In Nevada, it was 4.8 percent of all voters but 17 percent of blacks; in New Mexico, 6.2 percent of all voters but 25 percent of blacks.
Sounds like a lack of true role models, parental guidance and a total disregard for authority are taking quite a toll in some states. Again, don't be a criminal.
"This has a huge effect on elections but also on black communities which see their political clout diluted. No one has yet explained to me how letting ex-felons who have served their sentences into polling booths hurts anyone," said Jessie Allen of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University.
Didn't I bring this word up earlier? Communities don't have 25% of its members being convicted felons. Communities need to teach responsibility and ... dare I say it... values.
Jessie Allen, let me explain why people convicted of a felon should not vote unless they ask for the right back: They do not care about society. They are not responsible people. These people need not vote nor run for office (Marion Barry) just because they got out of prison. Let them ask if it is important to them. Let them work at being citizens and examples to the community.
Responsibility. Learn it. Embrace it. Then none of this will matter to you.
There seems to be a few people hard at work to solidify the minority vote for the Democrats and it looks as if they have some people working as 'news reports' at Reuters and Yahoo.
"Millions of U.S. citizens, including a disproportionate number of black voters, will be blocked from voting in the Nov. 2 presidential election because of legal barriers, faulty procedures or dirty tricks, according to civil rights and legal experts.
The largest category of those legally disenfranchised consists of almost 5 million former felons who have served prison sentences and been deprived of the right to vote under laws that have roots in the post-Civil War 19th century and were aimed at preventing black Americans from voting. "
Those laws simply state that if you are a felon you lose your right to have a say in the workings of society because you have decided to act as if you were not part of society. Also, every state has a State Clemency Board that permits some felons (mostly non-violent or those who have been a responsible member of society for a while) to re-gain the right to vote as well.
If the right to vote is so important 1) don't be a criminal, or 2) once you serve your sentence be good and prove yourself worthy of taking part in society.
And yes of course blacks are disproportionately felons, so yes blacks are disproportionately blocked from voting. This is not racism, this is simply a pattern of criminal behavior.
"In elections in Baltimore in 2002 and in Georgia last year, black voters were sent fliers saying anyone who hadn't paid utility bills or had outstanding parking tickets or were behind on their rent would be arrested at polling stations. It happens in every election cycle," she said.
Behind on rent or utilities will be arrested? People believed it? I guess they might have a point after all with idea the butterfly ballot was too hard to understand.
As far as parking tickets go... If you have outstanding fines levied against you by court order, then you just might qualify for being arrested. Personally I think this is a good idea to catch criminals. But then again you might not want my opinion about profiling.
In a mayoral election in Philadelphia last year, people pretending to be plainclothes police officers stood outside some polling stations asking people to identify themselves. There have also been reports of mysterious people videotaping people waiting in line to vote in black neighborhoods.
Impersonating an officer has been illegal for a long time now, but I guess since according to these people having police around a voting place might discourage people from coming, there is no one there to check on these things are there?
Video cameras on public grounds like schools or churches -- places you usually go to vote -- are not against the law. Don't be scared people, just go vote.
Minority voters may be deterred from voting simply by election officials demanding to see drivers' licenses before handing them a ballot, according to Spencer Overton, who teaches law at George Washington University. The federal government does not require people to produce a photo identification unless they are first-time voters who registered by mail.
"African Americans are four to five times less likely than whites to have a photo ID," Overton said at a recent briefing on minority disenfranchisement.
Don't get your license suspended, don't break laws, act like normal citizens and everything will be fine. If blacks don't care enough to bring a license, or keep their license then they have more pressing matters than just voting.
While the Federal Government might not make demands about licenses, but states can. Voter fraud is big (see my previous post), and it seems that a photo ID being required to take place in a very sensitive and important activity (voting) is not too much to ask. How do they buy liquor, is that an unfair requirement, too? Cigarettes?
In other swing states, 4.6 percent of voters in Iowa, but 25 percent of blacks, were disenfranchised in 2000 as ex-felons. In Nevada, it was 4.8 percent of all voters but 17 percent of blacks; in New Mexico, 6.2 percent of all voters but 25 percent of blacks.
Sounds like a lack of true role models, parental guidance and a total disregard for authority are taking quite a toll in some states. Again, don't be a criminal.
"This has a huge effect on elections but also on black communities which see their political clout diluted. No one has yet explained to me how letting ex-felons who have served their sentences into polling booths hurts anyone," said Jessie Allen of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University.
Didn't I bring this word up earlier? Communities don't have 25% of its members being convicted felons. Communities need to teach responsibility and ... dare I say it... values.
Jessie Allen, let me explain why people convicted of a felon should not vote unless they ask for the right back: They do not care about society. They are not responsible people. These people need not vote nor run for office (Marion Barry) just because they got out of prison. Let them ask if it is important to them. Let them work at being citizens and examples to the community.
Responsibility. Learn it. Embrace it. Then none of this will matter to you.
posted by Edward W. Prather at 20:18
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