Dems:Make Election day a Holiday

[WilliamTell]

I think the holliday thing would work aslong as it stayed on Tuesday. Because if you switch to Monday or Friday, people will just take a 3 day vacation and possibly go somewhere.

[mreye]

I think the holliday thing would work aslong as it stayed on Tuesday. Because if you switch to Monday or Friday, people will just take a 3 day vacation and possibly go somewhere.

Yeah, to the "Bible belt" to vote Democratic.

[knightni]

Just a general question...if you were an ex-con, who would you be more likely to vote for/against? Would you be more likely to vote for/against a certain party?

Edited February 18, 2005 by knightni

[YASNY]

What the hell is an "ex-felon"? Either you have been convicted of a felony or you haven't.

[LowerCaseRepublican]

What the hell is an "ex-felon"? Either you have been convicted of a felony or you haven't.

 

Felons who have served their time and been released. Certain states allow some people who have served their time and convicted of certain felonies to get rights back like voting while other states (I know of Florida is one that doesn't allow voting -- because Jeb Bush has been slapped around by courts for trying to deny people who were felons, got their voting rights back from the government and then moved to Florida) don't allow voting rights to be returned after serving time.

[YASNY]

Felons who have served their time and been released.  Certain states allow some people who have served their time and convicted of certain felonies to get rights back like voting while other states (I know of Florida is one that doesn't allow voting -- because Jeb Bush has been slapped around by courts for trying to deny people who were felons, got their voting rights back from the government and then moved to Florida) don't allow voting rights to be returned after serving time.

 

A felon is a felon is a felon. Sorry, but I have no sympathy for criminals. If they "paid their debt to society", fine ... hire them. But citizenship in this country is a privilege, and these people pissed that privilege away. All they had to do was obey the law.

[Kid Gleason]

A felon is a felon is a felon. Sorry, but I have no sympathy for criminals.  If they "paid their debt to society", fine ... hire them.  But citizenship in this country is a privilege, and these people pissed that privilege away.  All they had to do was obey the law.

 

You've never broken any laws??? I know I have.

[YASNY]

You've never broken any laws??? I know I have.

 

 

I have never comitted a felony.

[KipWellsFan]

I have never comitted a felony.

 

That's a shame.

[YASNY]

That's a shame.

 

Care to elaborate?

[KipWellsFan]

Care to elaborate?

 

I'm just being a smart-ass.

[YASNY]

I'm just being a smart-ass.

 

Status quo, I see.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

Democrats want felons to be able to vote huh? I guess they have to do something to stop the shrinkage of their voting base. They can't even rely on the hispanics anymore.

[Kid Gleason]

The law is the law though, isn't it? Isn't there a limit to drug possesion that crosses the line from misdemeanor to felony? If you have a joint on you, I think that is a misdemeanor, but if you have a larger amount (not sure of the amount here), then it becomes a felony, right? But isn't it all pot?

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

The law is the law though, isn't it? Isn't there a limit to drug possesion that crosses the line from misdemeanor to felony? If you have a joint on you, I think that is a misdemeanor, but if you have a larger amount (not sure of the amount here), then it becomes a felony, right? But isn't it all pot?

 

 

If you have more than a certain amount it becomes "intent to distribute" and thats a whole new ballgame.

[Rex Kickass]

It also depends on the state.

 

All natural born Americans are citizens, and those that have lived their lives in this country and have earned their naturalization are too. They are entitled to the rights therein. It's a shame that you don't see it that way.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

It also depends on the state.

 

All natural born Americans are citizens, and those that have lived their lives in this country and have earned their naturalization are too. They are entitled to the rights therein. It's a shame that you don't see it that way.

 

 

A felony is a very serious crime and those who commit them show a blatant disregard for the law and the saftey and well being of those around them. Why should we let such people decide who runs things in this country. This is nothing more than the Democratic party scraping the bottom of the barrel of American society trolling for a few more votes.

 

Pathetic!

Edited February 18, 2005 by NUKE_CLEVELAND

[KipWellsFan]

A felony is a very serious crime and those who commit them show a blatant disregard for the law and the saftey and well being of those around them.  Why should we let such people decide who runs things in this country.  This is nothing more than the Democratic party scraping the bottom of the barrel of American society trolling for a few more votes. 

 

Pathetic!

 

While you're probably not making this accusation, committing a felony does not mean you will "show a blatant disregard for the law and the saftey and well being of those around them" necessarily for the rest of your life. In my opinion when your time has been done no matter what the crime, you should be given a second chance.

[KipWellsFan]

Just a general question...if you were an ex-con, who would you be more likely to vote for/against? Would you be more likely to vote for/against a certain party?

 

This is a good point, can someone show me where it says more felons vote democrat?

[Yossarian]

Democrats want felons to be able to vote huh?  I guess they have to do something to stop the shrinkage of their voting base.  They can't even rely on the hispanics anymore.

IIRC 43% of Hispanics voted for Bush up from 32% in 2000. Hispanics in the SW states were more likely to vote Republican. It's probably going to get worse for the Dems. They keep marginalizing themselves and refuse to acknowledge it let alone correct it.

[CubKilla]

Leave it to a democrat to use "day off" and "ex-felon" in the same sentence

 

It's good to see that the democrats, for once, want to give the working man the day off as opposed to taxing the working man and making him work so that the near-do-wells and the have-nots could have their entire lifetime off.

[Cerbaho-WG]

Solution: Like Austrailia, make it a crime to not vote. There, now you'll have 98% voter turnout.

[Soxbadger]

I like all the unsubstantiated claims in this thread.

 

The bigger question is:

 

Why do all the Republican's in this thread seemingly want to disenfranchise people because:

 

a) They work from 9-5 making voting on a Tuesday more of a hassle than a privilge.

 

b) They were convicted of a crime, but have subsequently repaid their debt to society.

 

Personally, I could care less if ex-felons are allowed to vote. Once they leave the prison, they are no longer a criminal they are an "ex" criminal. Therefore there right to vote was suspended while they were a criminal, but once they become part of society again, that suspension should be revoked.

 

As for whether or not its easy to vote, that is a fact based question, and one you can not generalize about. Many people live in different counties than they work, therefore they have to either go before or after work. This is not convenient, and the fact that voting is a right that stands on a pedastal should mean that the govt. does whatever is necessary to facilitate the ability for the most American's to vote, in the most convenient way.

 

Cook County workers get off for both: Lincoln's Birthday and President's Day, yet the common worker does not get off so that he can vote.

 

Strange indeed.

 

SB

Edited February 18, 2005 by Soxbadger

[Queen Prawn]

As for whether or not its easy to vote, that is a fact based question, and one you can not generalize about. Many people live in different counties than they work, therefore they have to either go before or after work. This is not convenient, and the fact that voting is a right that stands on a pedastal should mean that the govt. does whatever is necessary to facilitate the ability for the most American's to vote, in the most convenient way.

 

**Prawn raises her antennae**

 

Prawn and soon to be Mr. Prawn deal with this. We both vote, but there have been election days where I almost missed it due to my hrs (I leave the house about 7:30 and get home around 7). I get up earlier and stand in line and end up being a few minutes late, but my boss is cool about it.

 

Mr Prawn goes to vote before work (for the last 10 yrs his "standard" hrs are 2-10) and he said it doesn't seem to matter when he gets there, there is always a line. Because he has more time, it isn't as much an issue for him as it is me.

[CubKilla]

Personally, I could care less if ex-felons are allowed to vote. Once they leave the prison, they are no longer a criminal they are an "ex" criminal. Therefore there right to vote was suspended while they were a criminal, but once they become part of society again, that suspension should be revoked.

 

Ex-felons shouldn't be allowed to vote because elected officials legislate laws and a majority of ex-felons will recidivate.