Side note, if "sex offenders" are "hiding in the shadows" that is because of registries, not b/c of legislators trying to protect people on the registry.
Here is the evidence
Oddly enough, increasing housing and employment insecurity while making people public pariahs INCREASES recidivism
Sadly, most of the people responding will just say "it's an unfair smear" which is sad, because all legislators should oppose registries on public safety grounds
But most important, this is an example of politicos literally throwing almost a million real human beings under the wheels of the scare-tactics bus.
In a country where actual attacks on people on the registry happen, ramping up the fear around registries is deeply problematic
And notice the article doesn't even attempt to make any arguments about the unfairness of the registry or to people currently on registries across the country.
It is NOT good journalism to accept a bad premise and roll with it
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Let me explain our opposition to the use of "felon" language in six parts
1. People are more than their worst moments, and when you make someone who committed a felony into a felon... it is dehumanizing and suggests that we are FOREVER second-class citizens.
2. Your best chance at public safety is someone returning from incarceration invested in the body politic, with pro-social dreams of contributing to their community..foreclosing this is a terrible reintegration strategy
3. We believe our rights are non-negotiable. We served our sentences and paid our debt...our rights are not conditional and subject to whim... You don't have to agree... but we will oppose this every time we hear it
This afternoon I had the privilege of watching a close formerly incarcerated friend present his case to be pardoned
He stayed so calm and respectful, and gave thoughtful answers to every question the AG's office and Parole board asked while answering without sugar coating
I cannot tell you how much this wonderful man has changed since his days of addiction and crime....He helped found several organizations in Michigan, he helped pass legislation that made it possible for the MDOC to hire formerly incarcerated people.....
He got a degree as a social worker and became a respected addiction counselor and then he became the first person the MDOC hired under that new law he helped pass, he pioneered getting city ordinances changed to help formerly incarcerated people get housing in Michigan
Let's talk about the crisis in America's jails...a largely silent crisis b/c jails exist at the county level and people only see information about the county they live in.
Why a crisis?
People die every single day across our 2,850 US county jails
Still trying to understand this one....46 other states have the exact same level of discovery...their prosecutors don't quit b/c it is too hard to provide evidence to the defense?
Prosecutors get paid more than public defenders, they have an investigative arm paid for by tax payers (the police), they have plea bargaining and charge stacking...but copying discovery documents is a bridge too far?
Heck, they even had discovery in Alabama in My Cousin Vinny for God's sake....remember this guy and the hunting trip?
I wonder if the people tweeting out that "liberalism is a mental disease" realize that their overlords come up with things like that b/c they want to dehumanize the opposition
Why?
Because once you dehumanize someone it is easier to oppress and/or be actually violent to them
There are people, and a lot of "thought leaders" on the right, who are actually trying to prepare the ground for violence and state suppression of difference...that is what they are trying to do...they want you to hate the neighbors who see the world differently than you do
That is also why you see a lot more open militarism on the alt right...for many of us, what they are actually suggesting is ultimately being violent against family members, lifelong friends, and neighbors...why?
Because they want you to believe that they are not actually human
My first college roommate was a cowboy who loved George Strait and starched his jeans every day...I was a punk rock guy listening to Bad Brains and wearing ripped jeans and combat boots...we agreed about NOTHING..not about food, music, politics, anything..but we still b/c friends
When I was in prison, many years later, one of my bunkies had some serious racism and violence issues...he was nothing like me at all...he was inclined to want to kill me at first...over time I convinced him he was wrong (not kidding) and we b/c good friends
My whole family aside from me (and my Brother) are Republicans...despite all of our differences and everything I have put them through (and visa versa) I love them...they are my family...we get along great