ACLU’s parolee-voting link questionable
Cathy Hazouri, Colorado ACLU executive director, in her April 22 Speakout commentary, “Giving parolees voting rights will make us all safer,” urged enactment of Senate Bill 83, which includes an amendment to extend voting rights for parolees.
She asserts that “there is a proven link between parolee voting and public safety.” That’s a stretch.
She bases this on a study that “indicates that released prisoners who voted were half as likely to be re-arrested as those who did not vote.” Does Hazouri not understand cause and effect?
There is evidence to suggest that people who regularly floss live longer than those who don’t. But to conclude that flossing alone will lengthen one’s life is ludicrous. It’s simply that people who floss tend to live a more healthy lifestyle than those who don’t.
Likewise, the opportunity to vote, or even the act of voting, does not a good citizen make. Rather, people who vote are more likely to lead lives of civic virtue than those who do not.
I suspect the ACLU would not be interested in a study of how many of those released prisoners voted before they were convicted vs. voters in the general population, and how that correlated with the study Hazouri cites.
Rod Roesch, Castle Rock
ANyone who listens to anything the ACLU has to say needs to find a hobby.
Posted by my name 2 on May 8, 2007 02:13 AMgee it amazes me that the aclu would post something like this. I do believe that the first person really push for excons to vote was a lady running for pres right now.
Posted by on May 8, 2007 05:57 AMOnce you serve your time of course you should be allowed to vote.
Posted by Charles B on May 8, 2007 07:54 AMYou'd have to change the law for that Charles B. Would you also be in favor of giving felons back the right to bear arms once they've served their time? I actually would in many cases.
When the law was made to deny voting and gun possession to anyone ever convicted of a felony, felony was a crime status reserved for things like murder rape, bank robbery, etc... but nowadays can be applied to things as minor as possession of pot.
The law should be rewritten to exlude minor offenses and major offenders should have to petition a judge before any restoration of their rights.
The people wanting to just give voting rights back to convicted felons are the same crowd looking to give amnesty to illegals. Their motive is to increase their voter base.
Posted by KW on May 8, 2007 10:43 AM