Part 3 of 3-H 2 VOTE.....They Made A Third Class On Purpose?
Wouldn't it be awful to feel like an outsider every day that went by? Wouldn't it be awful if no one cared what you thought? Wouldn't it be awful to know that your voice wasn't being counted? Wouldn't it be awful to know that the democratic process didn't include you? Yes, you. You, who was born and raised in this country. You, who had dreams about what you wanted to be when you grew up. You have enough stuff to deal with daily. But would it matter to you if you had a say in the process? I know it would.
Somone dear to me said "I can't vote, I'd have to write the governor (in their state) and I'm not going through that!" And yet, this person is very knowledgeable, up on most current events (more than a lot of people)and they care about their community.
This person still can't vote many years later. Because the way to get back their voice, their vote would mean having to face the government system of unknown people (people who might treat them differently, like before).
Do they have enough in them for a long battle to get back their voice? No, I don't think so. They have had ill health for quite awhile. They focus on each day, doing for their family. They love their family and they love their home.
Having the right to vote again is too far out of their reach....so they reach for what is closest, for what is familiar and for what is possible....the next day.
American Civil Liberties Union
Voting Rights : Felon Enfranchisement 5.3 million American citizens are barred from the polls because of a felony conviction. In 11 states, you can lose your right to vote for life. Voting is a fundamental right and a cornerstone of our democracy, yet millions of Americans have had their right to vote revoked for periods ranging from the time spent incarcerated to a lifetime.
What Congress Member Would Vote Against the Banning of Illegal, Invisible Unverified Electronic Ballots? BRAD BLOG 6/4/07
Help Him & Her to Vote....
3-H 2Vote.....
2007 Tell Congress to Restore Federal Voting Rights
States across the country are taking action to expand voting rights to people with felony convictions. Still over 5 million people are disenfranchised and federal voting rules remain inconsistent. Ask your congressperson to support federal voting rights for people with convictions and establish uniformity in federal elections.
Dear Representative:
I am writing to express my support for the restoration of federal voting rights to men and women once they leave prison and re-enter the community.
Voting policies vary widely across the country. For example, in West Virginia a person who has completed his or her sentence for a felony conviction can vote for President, but next door in Virginia someone convicted of the same offense is barred for life from voting. State laws range between never disenfranchising people because of a conviction and permanently ending voting rights upon conviction. These disenfranchisement laws have resulted in an estimated 5.3 million Americans currently or permanently losing their voting rights. It is crucial that Congress make federal voting standards uniform and restore fairness to our electoral system.
Full voter participation in elections strengthens communities. People who vote are more likely to feel connected to their communities and therefore to avoid falling back into crime. Research shows that, among persons who have been arrested, voters are less than half as likely to be re-arrested as non-voters.
Since 1997, 16 states have passed laws to expand voting rights to people with convictions, and Governors of both political parties ultimately supported these state initiatives. In addition, the national organization of prison professionals, the American Correctional Association, endorses voting rights for former felons.
When people leave prison and return home, they deserve a second chance to work, raise families, participate in community life, and vote. The current patchwork of voting laws across the country means that a person's right to vote in federal elections is determined simply by where he or she chooses to call home. Congress must take action to fix this problem. Please support Federal voting rights for people with felony convictions.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or use this sample letter to write your representative.
Minnesota Statutes 2006Chapter 609. Criminal Code
609.165 RESTORATION OF CIVIL RIGHTS; POSSESSION OF FIREARMS. Subdivision 1. Restoration. When a person has been deprived of civil rights by reason of conviction of a crime and is thereafter discharged, such discharge shall restore the person to all civil rights and to full citizenship, with full right to vote and hold office, the same as if such conviction had not taken place, and the order of discharge shall so provide.
Part One....Off Paper? No, Not Yet? How Many Years Later? Never? Saturday, June 02, 2007
Blog Public Service Announcement - Help Erase That Felony and Vote Again... Thursday, May 31, 2007
Part 4 to follow in a day or so....
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