600,000 People Want The Right To Vote

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/11/14/scotus.f...vote/index.html

The fact is this case was likely based on acute and correct understanding of law. But I find it hard to understand how any man not acused of treason would have his right to vote revoked. The principle is based on the right of a man to self direction, the law is contrary to the ideal of freedom and redemption.

High court rejects felons' voting appeal

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Supreme Court Monday, without comment, rejected the appeal of Florida felons seeking to regain their right to vote.

Since 1868, Florida has had a lifetime voting ban for felons. But lawyers representing about 600,000 affected by the law sought to regain their voting rights by filing a suit under the 14th Amendment, which gave African-Americans the right to vote, and the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which ended legal barriers to the polls.

The case is Johnson v. Bush (05-0212).

The lawyers contended that states have discretion in establishing their voting laws without federal interference, and some of the 48 states that ban felons from voting offer them a chance to regain that right.

Florida offers that same opportunity, but critics say it can be costly, lengthy and uncertain.

Vermont and Maine do not have voting restrictions for felons.

In the past year, the governors of Iowa and Nebraska acted to end the permanent disenfranchisement laws in their states. Those steps require legislative approval.

Florida's ban prevents 10 percent of African-American adults in the state from voting under the ban, said people supporting the felons' cause, and that figure does not include those still incarcerated.

Nationwide, the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition says about 5 million people cannot vote because of felony convictions.

"This is a sad day for our democracy," said Catherine Weiss, associate counsel for the New York University School of Law, which is representing the Florida felons. "The court has not only missed an opportunity to right a great historic injustice, it has shut the courthouse door in the face of hundreds of thousands of disenfranchised citizens."

well, duhhhhhh. george bush doesnt care about black people.

...or writers busted for felony levels of damage.

Originally posted by seeking@Nov 26 2005, 08:46 AM

well, duhhhhhh. george bush doesnt care about black people.

Quoted post

My black friend who is an expert on being black told me he thinks George Bush does care about black people...he is also not a felon

If your in jail on a felony:

a. You probably did something bad enough that you forefit your right to vote by breaking the law.

b. why would you care all that much , i dont think polotics are going to have much affect in your 12 x 12 cement cell .

Originally posted by ASER1NE@Nov 26 2005, 01:37 PM

If your in jail on a felony:

 

a. You probably did something bad enough that you forefit your right to vote by breaking the law.

 

b. why would you care all that much , i dont think polotics are going to have much affect in your 12 x 12 cement cell .

Quoted post

DUIs, a fight, graffiti, racking - all of these things can be felonies...and its not neccesarily for the people in jail, but those who got out...

Felon voting is an issue dear to me. Personally I think its taxation w/o representaion and also a tool to disenfanchise people. Any law can be made and be called a felony. People always focus on the worse crimes, like crzay mass murdering child molesters etc.

Me for instance. I have 30 felony convictions for graf. Now I have a hard time getting a job and I'm not sure I can go to law school. I never had fines or jail time. Bascically I had a CWOF (continued w/o a finding) on a bunch of felony graf charges. If I had stayed clean while on probation, it would have been dismissed. Instead I got into a car accident (not my fault) but got charged for DUI after by the police. When I plead out the DUI, it fucked my probation. I still didn't get any jail time or even probation, but I got 30 felonies stuck on my record now. Its never stopped me from voting, but nonetheless it makes difficulties for me since I work in politics/government, law enforcement/social work etc etc...

And I never can get a liquor license if I ever open a restauarnt or buy a gun to go hunting with friends in alaska etc etc...

all because I was with someone putting up stickers...ohh well...

You should talk about that in your personal statement. I know somebody in a similar situation that is doing quite well in a well-respected law school. Say something about correcting injustice and speaking for the common man. They love that shit.

Felon voting shit is interesting. I say no voting from inside. If you're free to go restoration of rights. Word...

It's just another trick to keep the average citizen from voting.

Always enjoy the quality quotables from SF.

I think that they should still be allowed to vote. I agree with Milton that they shouldn't be able to vote from the inside, but if we are to assume that incarceration leads to rehabilitation then it follows that ALL (voting included) rights should be reinstated once released. Once their 'debt to society' is paid, why shouldn't they be reintegrated? Not being able to own a gun makes sense for violent repeat offenders, but some dude with a DUI from seven years ago? Why can't he have one?

But playing the Devil's advocate for the sake of discussion (we seem to all be in agreement on this one):

Felons shouldn't be allowed to vote. If you have already fucked up badly enough that you are a felon, then why should you be allowed to play a part in steering the future of our country? Decent citizens who have made all the right moves in regards to the law shouldn't be subject to the opinions of rapists and child molesters, regardless of how long the sick fuckers have sat in a cell. The descision making skills of those who engage in felonious behaviors are obviously impaired, and I can see no reason to allow them privilege of voting. If my seventeen year old honor student, church going, volunteer fire fighting cousin can't vote, then why should some scumfucker who has been in prison for the last twelve years be allowed to? They probably won't even be up to date enough with current events to make an informed choice when voting. They also shouldn't be allowed to drive, and mandatory castration upon release should be employed so their violent genes won't be passed to the next generation. Booyah.

why cant your cousin vote?

Originally posted by yum@Nov 27 2005, 02:14 AM

why cant your cousin vote?

Quoted post

Cause she's gay.

Originally posted by yum@Nov 27 2005, 02:14 AM

why cant your cousin vote?

Quoted post

Seventeen.

This is an imaginary cousin, by the way.

is she hot and have big nipples?

I love how Krakabar assumes that everyone with any kind of a felony record is a "skumfucker" and beleives they should be castrated so not to reproduce.

You can throw that "devils advocate" disclaimer up all you want, but those were your words and obviously your opinion.

What a fucking retard.

SF1: It is really okay for someone to pose an opposite point of view in order to extend the debate.

P.S. Nobody believes that anyone is reformed in jail. The only thing is that they may be scared straight.

Forgive me if someone else said this, I did'nt read the whole thread, but,

The reason why felons ARE allowed to vote in some places is because a huge number of state and federal prisons are located in very small towns in rural areas. Well, with let's say 5000 or more extra registered voters in your area, your town is eligable for more funds, grants, programs, etc. So naturally, these towns push for felon voting rights, they don't actually care whether they vote or not, just that they are counted. It could be, (And i'm just speculating) That the govt. (supreme court folks) decided to push for the whole "no felon vote" move so they can hold on to some of that American developement money to send it overseas to Iraq to keep funding the whole "middle east strategic positioning move" ...I don't know , just a thought....

IMHO, this whole boo-hoo-hoo "Felons can't vote" thing is a red herring anyway. WTF, even the law-abiding, straight-arrow, never-did-shit-wrong average American doesn't bother to vote, so what makes you think Cedric Crackhead is going to sober up long enough to stagger down to the polling place? Ain't going to happen. Well, maybe it could happen. Like if Marion Barry was getting run for President by the Totally Fucking Intoxicated Party, then Cedric and all his burnt-finger, blister-lip home boys would most def turn out to Exercise Their Inalienable Right to Vote for the Crack-smokin'est, Git-down, Bitch-slappin'est, Gen-u-wine Home Boy in D.C.

But otherwise? Fuck naw, man. Voting is like "actin' white," yo. Worse than studying for school. Fuck that. "Keep it real."

You want to fucking vote? STAY OUT OF PRISON. Otherwise, don't bitch about losing your precious civil rights. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks did not go to jail so that some stupid fucking asshole could go to prison on a drug charge. Their buddies in the Communist Party USA would gladly have machine-gunned every criminal in America as lumpenproletarian social parasites, the absolute enemies of Socialist Man and dialectical materialism.

Avoiding felony arrests is not that difficult. For most people. But for felons, it's like a frequent flyer deal.

even if they could vote, their vote.. along with yours and mine, do not matter.

Pass 90 kazillillion laws. With every new law you pass stiffen the pentalties for the older laws. Turn offences like DUI and Graffiti and 19 year olds fucking 17 year olds into felonys. Then hire 90 kazillion more cops to enforce the 90 kazillion more laws on the books. Then take away the right to vote for the "scumfuck" DUIers and people that fucked someone a year or two or three or four younger than themselves. What's next? criminal offenses for violating dress codes??? Then after a kazillion more laws make the books and dress code is old enough to graduate to felony, niggas that aint dress propper don't deserve the right to vote cause they are "scumfuck criminals"??? Is that when you're finally gonna wake up? When YOU finally get margionalized??? :rolleyes2:

Originally posted by iloveboxcars@Nov 28 2005, 06:14 AM

even if they could vote, their vote.. along with yours and mine, do not matter.

Quoted post

True.

As long as they find ways to ban the majority of people from voting they can stop stealing elections.

a) Nobody is talking about restricting the voting rights of people with minor offenses. With the exception of DUI (which is only a felony is some states) and random graff shits, felonys are serious shit. It's not like you stole a candybar and ooops there goes an F on your record.

b) Cats that have committed the Big 3: Homicide, Rape and Robbery (violent robbery) show that they do not respect societies laws. Why then should we allow them the right to create societies laws. I'm pretty sure you don't want these people making decisions for you.

c) Nobody is going to maginalize the common man. Although the frog in the pot argument works for a long time, people are smart enough that at some point they jump the fuck out. Look at the WTO riots.

MILTON

THROW AWAY

THE KEY

SF1---

People like me are already marginalized, and have been for more than thirty years. Normal society, or rather, what I consider to be normal society, has long since been buried under a crushing mountain of selfish, self-centered, entitled halfwits who somehow think that "reality TV," professional sports and the WWF represent something other than a gigantic electronic syringe sucking their brains out through their optic nerves.

This country is teetering on the brink. To tell you the truth, I almost welcome it. It will be like lancing a festering boil.

SF- Glad you know me so well, man. You are just as judgemental and ready with the knee-jerk reactions as the people you talk shit about. Don't turn this into another 'there are too many laws' rant. We know your position on that, and I really don't think anyone cares to be honest with you. If it is such a big deal to you, go start a thread on it and keep it all in there, like Dawood did for his proselytizing. It's damn near the only thing you seem to talk about when you aren't flaming me.

Anyway, back to the thread.

Though I like Kabar's point about the average citizen not bothering to vote, I have to disagree with its reasoning. Even if it is unlikely that they will vote, they should still have the capability to vote. If the likelyhood of someone actually voting is the criteria by which voting rights should be applied, this would be a cycling democratic oligarchy.

Boxcars also gets a nod for his comment.

that was the best and most hilarious kabar post in months. rock on.

As an outsider, laws like this makes absolutely no sense in "the worlds greatest democracy".

Then again, neither does the rest of american democracy.

I wonder what kinda of democracy theu will learn from the american teachers in Iraq.

There is not a single reason in this thread that makes any sense to as to why felons shouldnt be able to vote at an election.

I should probaly just stay out of threads like this.

"Democracy is the most vile form of government... democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention: have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property: and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths. "

James Madison

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!"

Benjamin Franklin

kabars been cracking me up lately....

Originally posted by Krakatau@Nov 28 2005, 08:39 PM

SF- Glad you know me so well, man. You are just as judgemental and ready with the knee-jerk reactions as the people you talk shit about. Don't turn this into another 'there are too many laws' rant. We know your position on that, and I really don't think anyone cares to be honest with you. If it is such a big deal to you, go start a thread on it and keep it all in there, like Dawood did for his proselytizing. It's damn near the only thing you seem to talk about when you aren't flaming me.

 

Anyway, back to the thread.

 

Though I like Kabar's point about the average citizen not bothering to vote, I have to disagree with its reasoning. Even if it is unlikely that they will vote, they should still have the capability to vote. If the likelyhood of someone actually voting is the criteria by which voting rights should be applied, this would be a cycling democratic oligarchy.

Quoted post

(as this peurto rican lady I used to know said all the time)"not for nothing"but, did you notice that the nature of the creator thread has been the most consistant thread in crossfire since it was started? anyway, just pointing that out . And I hate that word proselytizing.

it sounds like a verb describing a person who has an infomercial for

artificial limbs. The proselytizinator2000 , check it out here! he, he.