Every time I tweet about voter disenfranchisement, people reply, well if you're a "rapist" or "murderer" you should lose your right to vote.
The truth is overwhelmingly those being disenfranchised are young Black & Brown people convicted of offenses like petty theft.
The truth is overwhelmingly those being disenfranchised are young Black & Brown people convicted of offenses like petty theft.
No one should lose their right to vote, but people need to understand what it means to have a felony conviction. It certainly doesn't mean you have been convicted of rape or murder.
And in many cases the conduct could have been charged as a misdemeanor. Or depending on the DA assigned to your case, you could have negotiated a plea bargain that resulted in you ending up with no criminal record. The criminal justice system is random.
Your right to vote shouldn't be dependent on its arbitrariness.
In an earlier thread, I mentioned that someone could be charged w/ a felony for shoplifting a bar of soap - this can = burglary - & a bunch of people didn't believe me.
Not only can you be charged & convicted of a felony for this conduct, you can serve years in prison for it.
Not only can you be charged & convicted of a felony for this conduct, you can serve years in prison for it.
I am a public defender. Believe me when I tell you this is how the criminal justice system works.
No one should lose their right to vote for stealing a bar of soap.
No one should lose their right to vote because they were convicted of any crime.
No one should lose their right to vote for stealing a bar of soap.
No one should lose their right to vote because they were convicted of any crime.
