Say Anything Blog

Are they citizens or subjects? 

Let them vote, they’re citizens.  If you want to go back to the requirement of owning land to be allowed to vote - we’ll talk.  But the way it is now?  Let them vote.

I don’t want my judges elected by felons, you see .

Hell,..with your attitude, I don’t want my judges elected by you.

I live in Florida, a state that doesn’t allow convicted felons to vote, and I support the concept.

The problem that I can see with this is that recidivism is at about 67.5%, according the the US Dept of Justice.

Recidivism

Someone who has been in prison, served his time/parole OK, etc is highly likely to continue his criminal career.  Of those that do not, the remaining 32.5%, as far as I’m concerned they’re perfectly welcome to move to a state that allows felons to vote.  Once they’re off parole, they’re perfectly free to move. 

I don’t want my judges elected by felons, you see .

mamapajama’s does have a point on the judges thing, but whatever.

Actually, mammapajamas’ cite doesn’t support a 67.5 % recidivism rate.

And if you’re basing the right to vote on what one *might* do in the future--you’re making an argument that no one should be allowed to vote.

Actually it’s 46.9% that were reconvicted out of 67.5% rearrested.

Recidivism aside, The right to vote is based on what one *has* done in the past.

This is just another desperate attempt by democrats to create a new voter segment.

God er, Gaia (I wouldn’t want to offend moonbat sensibilities) forbid that law-abiding citizens be the only one’s able to choose our nation’s leaders....

God er, Gaia (I wouldn’t want to offend moonbat sensibilities) forbid that law-abiding citizens be the only one’s able to choose our nation’s leaders

For all intents and purposes, people who are let out of prison having fulfilled their sentencing obligations are law-abiding citizens.

And ex-felons make up such a small portion of the electorate that I just don’t see where we should worry much about them forcing the election of criminal-friendly judges.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Frankly, I agree that ex-felons who have served their time should have full rights reinstated.  Of course, I realize this is an unpopular position amongst some people, I’m not suggesting we set up voting booths in prison by any means.  Here are my reasons:

First, our system of justice, while it is better than many other places in the world, it IS imperfect, and many people have been put away who were innocent. 

As the net to catch criminals becomes wider and wider, more non-criminals are caught in that net.

Criminals are the most easy for our rulers to abuse in our society.  No one cares about criminals, there is no shortage of people willing to inflict great harm on criminals.  There are few people who will advocate for them.

We are living in a near police state.

There is a difference between a drug user, dealer, and a serial killer/rapist.  There is a difference between a thief and a violent criminal.  Anyone who does not see that difference is not being very fair in my opinion.

Molest a child, hang by the neck until dead. Rape a woman, hang by the neck until dead. Bring a false charge on either of these crimes, hang by the neck until dead. The death penalty does deter crime, when applied and executed upon criminals.

Do the crime. Do your time. You are no longer a convict....right?

So, molest a child, do your time, you are no longer a child molestor....right? Then, it’s cool if that ‘no longer a child molestor’ moves in next door to you....right?

If you are a convicted felon, you are a convicted felon. Doing your time is just that: doing your time. You are still a convicted felon after you have done your time.

I don’t want my judges elected by felons either. Sure, if we lived in a perfect world, where once you did your time, you were a new & improved person, then no problemo. Unfortunatley, it just don’t work that way folks.

All I have to say is, it’s not cool if a convicted child molestor moves in next door to me, but then again, I’ve never advocated that they be let out of prison…

As far as judges go I don’t think there are enough non-reoffending felons to worry about but ok.  Frankly, I think our judges have gone well beyond the call of their duties.  Take the Terry Schiavo case for instance. 

Judges are not perfect, some are downright crooked and unfair, and incompetent.  The State constantly violates the constitution on a daily basis in this country, and it flies past these noble judges of yours unnoticed.  Hmm? 

The police cannot break the law to catch criminals, but they do it all the time.  What does that make them?  And, what about the people whose rights have been violated and they’ve been wrongfully convicted?  Too bad for them huh?  They just get to lose everything.

Anyway, these are some of the concerns I have.