Throughout the country, there are variations on this law. Basically, Felony Disenfranchisement makes it illegal for past convicted felons to be given the right to vote. The variations include: Some states allow voting after a certain period AFTER the prison term, probation/parole terms have been completed (i.e. Nebraska allows ex-felons to vote after 2 years of completion of entire sentence...as long as no new felonies have been convicted); Two states DO allow felons to vote (Maine and Vermont); Two states deny ALL voting rights to ex-felons even after serving their sentences (Kentucky and Virginia); Some states classify ex-felons into certain categories, some restore their voting rights others don't; and so on and so on. If you are interested in reading some more states on it, check out this pdf file put together by the The Sentencing Project. It's very interesting.
It's just so sad. According to the Sentencing Project: an estimated 5.3 MILLION Americans (1 in 41 adults), have lost their right to vote this Election Day; 1.4 million African-American Men (or 13% of the African American Male Population) have lost their right to vote; 2.1 million disenfranchised individuals are ex-offenders who have fully COMPLETED their sentences; in 2004, the state of Florida alone had an estimated 960,000 exoffenders who were unable to vote.
This is just sad. This is America. We're all supposed to have a voice...yet we don't. Yea, maybe these people screwed up, broke the law, many of them have done so over and over. But what kind of "equality" are we really achieving if we dont' even give EVERY AMERICAN the right to vote. It's disgusting, and sad...and, I just don't understand the point of it.
No wonder people stay in the Criminal Justice System. Once they get out, they continue to be ridiculed for what they did in the past. It's harder for ex-felons to obtain jobs, to obtain jobs that pay them well, adn to get out of the shit that put them in trouble in the first place.
So...if you are thinking maybe you won't go out and vote today because the lines are long, or you won't have a chance to work out if you waste time standing in line, or you don't want to have to deal with bipartisan bullshit at the polling places...think about the 5.3 million Americans who don't even have that option.
Don't be stupid...Go out and vote.
"Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote" -George Jean Nathan
1 comment:
It is so amazing that as a nation that speaks of going past old mistakes and becoming more, we then penalize people who already paid the penalty set as fit by our legal system but decide to penalize more after the final payment was exacted. No wonder we can't build peace in this world.
Post a Comment