(no subject)

[yesthattom]

http://www.ericblumrich.com/gta.html

Florida, Alabama and a bunch of other states now prohibit ex-felons from voting. Now I understand that a person currently in jail shouldn't be allowed to vote, but after you've done your time? That's ludicrous.

Now consider this: 1 out of 3 black men in the U.S. today is either in prison, on parole, or probation.

So basically 1/3rd of black men are basically unable to vote in those states.

Remember that the constitution used to say that each slave was to count as three fifths of a person for purposes of apportioning representation and direct taxation on the states? That means that 1/3rd of the blacks didn't count.

Shit.

Comments

[vixi.livejournal.com]

This is something Jesse Jackson yelled about right after the 2000 vote. No one seemed to care, though mainly because Jesse Jackson was saying it.

[nulldevice.livejournal.com]

Denying convicted felons the right to vote as been the norm in most states for many, many years. In fact they even featured it on "Northern Exposure" once.

Laws vary from state to state. In NY, only a convicted felon who has served time cannot vote while in prison or on parole. Once actually free, the rights are restored. Felons with alternate sentencing (probation, work-release, house arrest) still can.

1 out of 3 seems awfully high. The stats I've read (Human Rights Watch) say that only 13% are felony-disenfranchied.

[cpj.livejournal.com]

In some states, (Florida included), the rights are not automatically restored. You have to make the effort to get them restored. I'm guessing there is some form to fill out or some shit like that.

[jcspd.livejournal.com]

Does it make sense that people in prison shouldn't be allowed to vote? Even aside from the fact that people in jail could very well be "innocent" under "normal" standards, as we'll all admit there are loopholes in the system...Corporate thieves, probably about 99% of rapists, etc., are allowed to vote - so why not the ones in prison?

not to mention...

[jcspd.livejournal.com]

there are plenty of statistics that back up the claim that black people are more likely to be convicted/serve more time for committing the same "crimes" as white people - so they should have less of a chance to vote, even if they are currently in prison?