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Scott Leffler


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Jack Kemp, the former Republican vice presidential candidate and HUD secretary, urged Congress on Tuesday to require states to restore voting rights for felons once they complete their sentences.

Kemp, who was Bob Dole's running mate in 1996, made the recommendation during the first in a series of hearings about the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits literacy tests, poll taxes and other infringements on minority voting.

Some key provisions of the 40-year-old law expire in 2007. One requires areas with a history of discrimination to get federal approval before changing their election laws.

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I almost find it hard to believe that Jack Kemp supports this - but I have to agree with him.

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jspeer


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I disagree...if your a felon you gave up your rights. Would you hire a felon, Scott?

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Scott Leffler


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ALL rights are inalienable. They cannot be given up or taken away. Only privelidges can. Driving is a privelidge. Voting is a right. Should be available to all. Even felons.

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jspeer


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Would you say that a felon should have the right to any job if he is the most qualified? So if a guy robs a bank and does his time and gets released. Should he be given a job in a bank if he is the most qualified? It's his RIGHT not to be discriminated by your logic. Isn't it? Just something to think about.

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Scott Leffler


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We're talking about voting - not working. You don't have a right to any job you want. As an employer, you have a right to HIRE anyone you want. But an employee doesn't have a right to any job they want. That said - "doing your time" should essentially wipe clean your record. Otherwise, we might as well just kill everone who commits a crime or never let them out if we're not going to treat them like members of society anymore. But back to voting, please.

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Phantom


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jspeer wrote:

I disagree...if your a felon you gave up your rights. Would you hire a felon, Scott?

Ever hear of Arizona vs. Miranda? Even criminals have rights under our system of government.


For example, everyone on this board has the right to remain silent, just not the capacity.



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Jim Hufnagel


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Scott Leffler wrote:

ALL rights are inalienable. They cannot be given up or taken away. Only privelidges can. Driving is a privelidge. Voting is a right. Should be available to all. Even felons.

I disagree. For example, being free is a right (habeas corpus) but when convicted of a serious crime that right may be taken away. Free speech is a right, but I get into trouble if I yell "fire!" in a crowded theater. Freedom of religion is a right, until I move to Utah and marry ten women. So our rights are denied to us all the time, and it's often a good thing.




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jspeer


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Good points Jim. That's kind of what I was trying to say...I just didn't know how to word it.

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Phantom


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Jim Hufnagel wrote:

I disagree. For example, being free is a right (habeas corpus) but when convicted of a serious crime that right may be taken away. Free speech is a right, but I get into trouble if I yell "fire!" in a crowded theater. Freedom of religion is a right, until I move to Utah and marry ten women. So our rights are denied to us all the time, and it's often a good thing.

These are examples of someone else's rights infringing on the well-being of others. You can't expect to kill someone and maintain your own freedom. You can't expect to hurt 30 people by causing a stampede in that movie theater and stay unaffected. Freedom comes with consequences. That is the nature of a free-society.


As long as you're not hurting anyone else, your freedoms should be completely unhampered, but now I'm hopping on MC's soapbox  



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