Indoctrination vs. Education

Felon disfranchisement

Could this be the latest buzz word or politically correct expression used to envoke sympathy for the poor convicted "it wasn't their fault they had a rough childhood" criminals?

In this weeks Opinion piece in the Daily Nebraskan, Alex Clark uses that combination of words to state his case for the restoration of voting rights for convicted felons.

Alex a sophomore political science major plays the race card in the very first paragraph, again in the third and the fifteenth. One gets the feeling the only reason Alex or anyone else cares about this is that it has an effect on minorities. If it were only white American males that were "victims of felon disfranchisement" would student Clark be so passionate and out spoken on the issue?

This is what they are learning in college these days?

The purpose of election law is not to make sure good citizens are running the country. The purpose of election law is to gauge the sentiment of the people ruled and translate their attitudes into actions.

That is the most accurate and complete recipe for Sodom and Gommorah I have ever read. That truely illustrates the point many of us have been making for years; That a segment of our society genuinely wants the inmates running the asylum.

In the very next paragraph Alex writes;

If we have a rehabilitative justice system, then how can we justify not trusting those rehabilitated with the most important civic right? In many states, disfranchisement is permanent.

Why stop there Alex lets take it one step farther? You are all for the restoration of rights for those persons that have paid their debt to society, why not make it total and complete. If they have earned the right to our unbiased trust allow me the latitude of re-writing one of your paragraphs in my own words;

I don’t understand the danger in letting ex-offenders voteposess firearms. Are we afraid they would steal their voting booths or accost pollworkers rob a bank or accost a Kwik-Shop employee? I feel the only people that cannot be trusted to vote are the permanently violent who shouldn’t be allowed out of prison anyway. It seems nonsensical and duplicitous to claim we can trust someone with physical liberty but not with voting the ability to protect and defend themselves, something far less dangerous.

Hey Alex, how about it there buddy lets not go about this with any halfway tripe, lets jump right out there and show the world what big hearts we have for the reformed of our society. After all if they have paid their debt, why should they be denied any right?

After all as you put it "we trust them with personal liberty" don't they have the same right to protect that personal liberty as you and I do? You shouldn't have a problem with that since as you so eloquantly state "the permanently violent who shouldn’t be allowed out of prison anyway".

Do I think that felons, that have paid their debt to society, be allowed to vote? Yes I do. I also favor the current system to have their rights restored, in some cases even the right to own firearms, gradually over a period of time as they prove they can become a continuing contributing member of society.

LOB53 is just another handout that panders to a restricted segment of society. A segment that is composed of all races and nationalities of people. It is just another touchy feely way of telling those that prey on the law abiding public that hey no sweat don't worry about having to earn anything.

To all the Cons in Nebraska;

When this bill passes you can just sit around with all your convict buddies remenicing the old days and planning new capers and as long as you don't get caught you can vote for me in two years. And if you vote for me in two years I will continue to make it easier for you to prey upon those I have taken an oath to protect.

Sincerely Yours,
Senators Feelgood and Onthetake

P.S. Remeber to vote once but vote often.

I wonder just how many people this law will benifit anyway. One would think that with the recidisism rate among felons very few would ever make it to the two year mark without being arrested for another equally henious crime.

And if you care to respond Alex, and as a next to final point I just got to ask what Hagel and Bereuters comments about President Bush have to do with the topic of your essay?

Are you trying to imply that if the felons were autonimously allowed the vote that Al Gore or John Kerry would be President now and all would be well with society?

Come on Alex put your keyboard where your heart is. If the "reformed felons" deserve one right restored they deserve all of them restored. Don't be a piker about it Alex let's campaign for all or nothing, if they have the intelligence and the trust to vote they ought to have the intellgince and trut to own firearms for their own self protection.

How about it bud are you in for the end game???????????????