Democrats introduce bill for Felons to vote

C

carbiner

New member
I was reading an article in the Washington Times today, dozons of house DEMOCRATS are pushing a bill forward that will allow FELONS to vote in this years upcoming elections.

That paints an ugly picture in one's mind. I hope it fails!
 
Uh oh, I smell a closed thread... Otherwise, I have heard of this before. The Dems figure that if this was the law back in 2000 Gore would have walked away with the presidency.
 
I've heard the arguement that a man who has paid his debt should be allowed to own firearms. This issue does not look very different from where I am sitting. I'm not sure where I fall on this one.
 
I don't see a problem with this at all. If the convicted felon is no longerin jail/prison, on parole or probation he has paid his debt to society, so he should regain all the rights of citizenship. Why should someone who made a dumb mistake when he was 18 still not be able to vote when he's 60? That in my book is not fair. Let the felons vote, what are conservatives afraid of?
 
When felons are surveyed, 3 out of 4 say they would vote democrat, thats why dems want this bill to pass. Kinda silly and obvious doncha think! Legal law abiding gun owners don't need more anti gun dems being elected. Felons in general are banned from guns for logical reasons that most clear thinkig folks agree with. In liberal theory any goes, even felons voting in anti gun dems. After all, it's not like the felons have any to lose!
 
When felons are surveyed, 3 out of 4 say they would vote democrat
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Yeah right. In truth 9 out of 10 would not vote. Pa-leeese. Drop the partisan BS and debate the issue not the warped perception of cause and effect.
 
I'm just pointing out a desparate move on the part of a party that heavily supports gun control. The dems need to see how far they are drifting away from middle America and this is a good example. I'm not trying to start a dem bashing class and ask others not to as well. I did watch an interesting documentary on the subject of felons voting.

Many interviewed had a common theme that being, if they could vote they would vote dem, they said dems are not so harsh on crime and punishment, and dems would provide more social programs for them to depend on after prison. it's kinda obvious here! who's pushing to pass the bill.
 
Legal law abiding gun owners don't need more anti gun dems being elected.
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So because you don't agree with their politics that means that you can deny a certain group of people their rights? That doesn't sound very democratic. What happened to one person one vote?
 
Felons don't have the right to vote. So we're not taking anyones rights away, they did that all by themselve's.
 
Felons don't have the right to vote. So we're not taking anyones rights away, they did that all by themselve's.
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Felons include those in prison and those that have been released. Once their debt to society is paid they should get their rights back. Look at it another way, do the conservatives want Randal "Duke" Cunningham to get his right to vote back once his debt is paid? Do you want Delay, if he is eventually convicted, to get his right to vote back? Do you want Scooter Libby, if convicted, to get his right to vote back? Not all felons are Dems, and it looks like some high ranking Republican officials will soon realize what it means to be a felon.
 
Then since they have paid their debt should we also get rid of laws that prohibit convicted sex predators from living within certain distances of schools? They knew or should have reasonably known they were going to lose rights prior to committing the crime. After the fact is too late to whine about losing your voting rights.
 
Ok. Lets get back on track, no dems no cons. The felons on the show had committed robbery, assult, theft, and similar crimes at everyday street level/middle America.

I disagree with giving back their rights, at least not so soon. I think they should be required to live and function at a normal every day pace for at least 5 years before cosideration, in other words earn it. If they can hold a job, pay taxes, contribute to society as others do for a period of 5 years or more they may be up for consideration of getting some rights back.
 
I disagree with giving back their rights, at least not so soon. I think they should be required to live and function at a normal every day pace for at least 5 years before cosideration, in other words earn it. If they can hold a job, pay taxes, contribute to society as others do for a period of 5 years or more they may be up for consideration of getting some rights back.
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So you think they should be on PROBATION, which most people already are once they leave prison. And as I wrote in an earlier post, once prison time and parole or probation are completed then they can vote again. So it seems that we are actually in agreement. Here is what I've previously written.

If the convicted felon is no longerin jail/prison, on parole or probation he has paid his debt to society
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I favor restoring most of the rights of felons - with qualifications or restrictions only with respect the the basis of the felony (i.e. a violent felony would entail weapons restrictions).

Voting is a tougher issue because it entails participating in making policy for society. At the least, I would favor something along the lines of carbiner's suggestion to require a period of responsible behavior after their release from incarceration. "Doing the time" does not prove that a person's judgement or responsibility have changed.
 
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Yes, After all its our fault they went to jail in the first place. They should make the choice they want. I would hate to inconvenience those felons. We didnt mean for them to go to jail. After all they didnt mean to rape that girl, rob that store at gun point, or burglarize that house. I was simply a mistake. They should get a nice steak dinner and a tour of the White House after getting released. They should be sent to capitol hill and give their insight on what laws should be written and passed. I didnt matter that they had no regard for the law when they decided to commit those felonies. All that matters is they made a mistake and shouldnt have to pay for it by getting their right to vote taken away. They should get the choice like the lady who got raped and the person whose house was burglarized and that store clerk who was held at gun point.
 
Right on Cmu. We should be terribly sorry that felons have shown themselves to be utterly incapable of of making the correct choices. Please forgive me if I don't share in the gesture of good will towards felons. By the way, they have committed a FELONY, and that is the reason they are doing time. I also think they should permanently lose their right to own or shoot a firearm or vote. The rest of us have managed to live by the rules and all of us should be held accountable for our actions so I really don't care to buy in to the "they paid their debt to society" crowd. They broke the law, a BIG law, and now it's time to be punished. Some may say it's harsh, but I guarantee people will think twice before breaking the law.
 
Drop the partisan BS and debate the issue not the warped perception of cause and effect.
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If not for partisan political gain why would Democrats be championing the cause of felons?:confused:
 
Fal 4 Me said:
Why should someone who made a dumb mistake when he was 18 still not be able to vote when he's 60?
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It's situations like this that make me support this idea. People change over time, some for the worse and some for the better. Why should those who have served the time and shown themselves to be changed by it be denied the right to vote (own firearms, etc.)?
 
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