
I hardly know how to report this.
The governor of Virginia, Terry McAuliffe, a long-time Clinton henchman, has issued an executive order restoring voting rights to 206,000 “ex-felons” (convicted, served time in prison, and now out of prison) just in time to boost Hillary Clinton’s chances in this year’s presidential election ( http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/article_771db279-34d6-5a3d-9557-a417a8afb212.html ).
But wait, there’s more! The convicted robbers, rapists, and murderers will also be able to serve on juries… and hold public office. Gee, it’d be funny if it weren’t true.
The only right they don’t get back is their right to legally purchase and own guns–not that they ever paid much attention to gun laws anyway. Like, that’s how a lot of ’em wound up in jail in the first place.
Hmmm… What will politicians have to promise jailbirds, from now on, to get their vote?
So what’s next, Democrats? Full voting rights for felons who are still in prison?
I mean, what does it say about a candidate, when she needs the votes of robbers, rapists, and murderers to get elected?
Historically, Virginia has restored civic rights to ex-felons on an individual basis–which seems fair and rational to me. If some safecracker has done his time, paid his debt to society, and can demonstrate that he really and truly has gone straight, it’s not unreasonable to give him back his voting rights. At least it’s something reasonable people can debate civilly.
But this?
On top of it all, McAuliffe insults our intelligence by dressing this contemptible political ploy in glad rags of civil rights and equity. Like, dude, we was all wrong to throw this guy in jail just because he robbed a couple of liquor stores and shot somebody…
Just when you think our nation’s leaders have hit bottom, you are reminded once again that, where they are concerned, there is no bottom.
P.S.–In the interests of truth and accuracy, I must add that in 38 states and the District of Columbia, felons’ voting rights are automatically restored upon completion of a felon’s prison sentence ( http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/felon-voting-rights.aspx ). So Virginia was exceptional in that regard.
That being said… Restoring felons’ voting rights now, on the eve of an election, for the blatantly obvious purpose of helping a particular candidate, stinks on toast.
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