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Originally Posted by cthulu23
Ustwo,
It doesn't take too much imagination to conjure up scenarios where stripping the right to vote from a felon seems overly harsh. How about a 17 year old busted for marijuana? If that is the only crime that they ever commit then should they be denied the right to vote their entire life? Therre are mechanisms for felons to have their voting rights restored in some states, but according to your view, felons do not deserve to have said rights restored. To take your example further, how serious does disrespect for the law/society have to be before someone's rights are stripped? Many of us willingly violate the traffic laws of society on a daily basis...should we also be disenfranchised? I know that the analogy is a bit ridiculous, but so are hard-line statements that tar every former felon as a societal malcontent that deserves no say.
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I see where you are going with your analogy, but you are listing examples of misdemeanors, not felonies. It makes your argument emotional but not relevant. If it were restated using actual felonies (i.e. ADW, battery, spousal abuse, rape, murder, embezzelment, extortion, etc., etc.) it would have a completely different effect.
Losing your right to vote because of a felony conviction is known end-result. Just like going to jail for committing a felony is a known end-result. Don't want to go to jail, don't commit a crime. Don't want to lose your right to vote, don't commit a felony.
That being said.....the list must be accurate and all sides should fight for that, regardless of political persuasion.
As to Colorado: I am 100% against the Proposal and will vote against it. It comes across from partisan from the Democratic side when these proposals are brought up in states that are in the red column. As far as I know, I don't see any of the blue states with this proposal. If I am wrong, please correct me, but it comes across like the Democrats want to pull electoral votes from the Republicans but they don't want to risk losing any of their own.