BS: Voting 'rights' for convicts

Subject: RE: BS: Voting 'rights' for convicts
From: Rapparee
Date: 21 Jan 11 - 12:34 AM

Seems to me that robbery, burglary, murder, rape, arson, embezzlement, blackmail, extortion, manslaughter, a history of alcohol/drug abuse, making meth, selling illegal drugs, pimping and similar peccadilloes would indicate "moral turpitude."

Subject: RE: BS: Voting 'rights' for convicts
From: Ebbie
Date: 21 Jan 11 - 12:02 AM

In Alaska, felons can be 'reconstituted' in regards to their voiting rights unless they were convicted of 'moral turpitude'.

Subject: RE: BS: Voting 'rights' for convicts
From: Bobert
Date: 20 Jan 11 - 09:35 PM

Yeah, Sins.... Ol' Charlie would be a Palin-ite thru and thru...

Might of fact, I think Charlie and Ms. Sarah would make a good team... Of course, she'd have to listen to "Helter Skelter" a couple hundred times to get it... That, of course, would be the just the beginning and then it would be Todd rather than the moose and then next thing ya' know it's the "Palin/Manson" ticket form 2012...

Maybe she could get a little swastika tattooed on her foerhead like Charlies... Maybe some matching camos??? I donno???

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Voting 'rights' for convicts
From: Rapparee
Date: 20 Jan 11 - 09:33 PM

If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

Subject: RE: BS: Voting 'rights' for convicts
From: SINSULL
Date: 20 Jan 11 - 09:03 PM

For Palin, for sure, Bobert. That moose dressing would clinch it.

Subject: RE: BS: Voting 'rights' for convicts
From: Bobert
Date: 20 Jan 11 - 08:59 PM

So, gn-ze... How do you think Charles Manson would vote???

Subject: RE: BS: Voting 'rights' for convicts
From: EBarnacle
Date: 20 Jan 11 - 08:45 PM

Here in the US, the rules vary. Some felons are allowed to vote only after rehabilitation and release. Some while they are in jail; some not at all after conviction; some while in office.

In some jurisdictions, they are allowed only to vote for state or local positions.

In some they are counted among the strongest supporters of local politicians.

I believe this is one of the issues the Constitution is mute over and, as such, there are as many answers as there are authorities.

Subject: RE: BS: Voting 'rights' for convicts
From: SINSULL
Date: 20 Jan 11 - 08:35 PM

With my son's first conviction came the understanding that he had lost his right to vote. I was devastated. He didn't have a clus. Says it all, I guess.
SINS

Subject: RE: BS: Voting 'rights' for convicts
From: gnu
Date: 20 Jan 11 - 08:27 PM

6 years in office and they calve out to get their fat pensions with no waiting period. We had two in a row resign after the 6 six years. One of them was a "saint" in sheep's clothing. Unreal.

Olson... now, there's a candidate for a shive in the yard. Piece of garbage.

Subject: RE: BS: Voting 'rights' for convicts
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 20 Jan 11 - 08:09 PM

In Canada the hot issue is the government paying old age pensions to serial killers like Clifford Olson. He is nearly old enough to qualify but the government is trying to change the law to prevent it happening.
Members of Parliament themselves have the fattest pensions in the land and if they ever throw that bunch in jail I expect that they would draw theirs.

Subject: RE: BS: Voting 'rights' for convicts
From: gnu
Date: 20 Jan 11 - 07:55 PM

Charles Manson should be allowed to vote? Why not? After all, Garge was elected twice. The American CITIZENS who elected (HAH!) that nutbar unqualified twit are just about as crazy as Chuck so why not?

Sorry to my Yankee brothers for uttering that disparaging diatribe but allowing criminals to vote is is just odd to me.

Subject: RE: BS: Voting 'rights' for convicts
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 20 Jan 11 - 06:37 PM

Of course in the UK we no longer have the distinction between a misdemeanour and a felony, not do we have the status of outlawry.

Nonetheless I see the intrusion of the ECHR on our society's voting rules as intrusive, and it seems to me that there is considerable force in arguing that a society is entitled to add disenfranchisement to the penalties of conviction - or imprisonment, since the two are different.

The concept seems to me to be that those imprisoned are found to have decided seriously to flout the rules of the society in which they are present, and may be held to have disentitled themselves to its benefits.

The formality of the situation could be decided by an amendment to the Human Rights Act. Some time ago the UK did not accept direct application to the ECHR, and that, with a qualification, could be restored.

Subject: RE: BS: Voting 'rights' for convicts
From: Bobert
Date: 20 Jan 11 - 06:06 PM

Heck, here in the US I've seen people wheel granny in to the voting precinct in a wheelchair and looking' at granny and seein' in her eyes that, ahhhh, no one is home and then these people get to "assist" granny (wink, wink) in the voting booth... Ah huh???

Hey, if people who don't know their own names are allowed to vote for people then, geeze, seems that folks who do shopuld be able to vote, too...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Voting 'rights' for convicts
From: gnu
Date: 20 Jan 11 - 05:58 PM

"Even a criminal should have a say in an election."

Does that include the politicians?

Subject: RE: BS: Voting 'rights' for convicts
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 20 Jan 11 - 05:53 PM

Considering how many people are being found innocent of the crimes for which they have served lengthy prison terms... They are not only wrongfully incarcerated, they are disenfranchised. And most of them Blacks who fought years to get the right to vote.

Subject: RE: BS: Voting 'rights' for convicts
From: BTNG
Date: 20 Jan 11 - 05:48 PM

A question. Are there those in England who would, like some U.S states,who deny the right to vote to those convicted of a serious crime after the said person or persons have been released from prison after serving their sentence? Canada allowed only prisoners serving a term of less than 2 years the right to vote, but this was found unconstitutional in 2002 by the Supreme Court of Canada and all prisoners were allowed to vote as of the 2004 Canadian federal election.

Subject: RE: BS: Voting 'rights' for convicts
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 20 Jan 11 - 05:39 PM

I should have clarified that I was NOT an inmate but a Prison Visitor!

Subject: RE: BS: Voting 'rights' for convicts
From: Wesley S
Date: 20 Jan 11 - 05:38 PM

I have no idea what goes on in England. But in America I'd be suprised if many convicted felons have a long track record of voting. Why not expend energy on an issue of real importance?

In America - no. I DON'T think a criminal should have a say in an election. But that's just my two cents worth.

Subject: RE: BS: Voting 'rights' for convicts
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 20 Jan 11 - 05:31 PM

Why should a prisoner be disenfranchised as a punishment, in addition to having his/her liberty taken away? Even a criminal should have a say in an election. After all, when his/her release is due, the elected Government will be in power and will affect his/her life. What other 'rights' should they be barred from? Library books? Access to the Internet? Visits from family? Fresh air and exercise? It is the lack of liberty alone which constitutes the punishment. There is a tendency to want to inflict vengeance on lawbreakers, and a conflict between punishment and reform. I have visited at eight prisons in the UK, and these issues are always to the fore.

Subject: BS: Voting 'rights' for convicts
From: akenaton
Date: 20 Jan 11 - 04:43 PM

The latest piece of human rights nonesense being debated by the UK govt, is "votes for convicted criminals"

Apparently the latest thinking is that if they have done something bad.....they can vote in elections.
If they've done something very bad.....they cannot!

I despair at the extent of our gullibility.

These divisive "issues" are simply a smokescreen, there is now only one "issue"......"How are we to survive"