Is It Time to Give Felons Back Their Voting Rights?

will you look at this all the sudden there's momentum to restore voting rights for felons in 12 different states where they are denied voting rights after they serve their time sir time oftentimes they serve their probation or parole and after they still don't get their voting rights restored now that's outrageous and in fact that affects one out of 13 african-americans amazing they can't vote in the country one of 13 is a giant number in states like Florida and Virginia it affects one out of five african-americans they've already served their time there or you know whatever justice the you need to be done was done whatever injustice needed to be done basis to be drug charges for black people and white people I what has already been done you should get all the rights back in only they don't get their voting rights back so now the american people are cigarette apparently Attorney General Eric Holder cigarette awake hold court and Republican Senator Rand Paul is secular moons *** so here we go first American people um right now purse for the number is 5.8 million Americans are denied the right to vote because at some point they were convicted a felony even though they've served their time they're still not allowed to vote so that so big number Americans denied them right to vote about two percent the country was amazing right an opinion are now going rates for convicted felons has swung though and the american people think they should get their rights back how many people think they should permanently lose the right to vote only 21 percent that is not a large number how many people think they should lose their voting rights while serving sentences fifty percent so that's obviously where the lion's share is say okay while you're serving your sentence you lose your voting rights but when you get out to get him back and seventy percent say they should lose them even when they're in person so that's an interesting number now from part a reason for that is because we have imprisoned so many people in fact one-third of the respondents in this whole post you go poll said they had at least one close friend or family member who had been convicted of a felony is that amazing blog chart can take number that is up for the country know someone who's been convicted of a felony a close friend or family member as cuz we're walking everybody up all huge pile you spoke part way to lock you up jaywalking lock you up you owed money for a air video rental you didn't return we're gonna lock you up. that's literally a story we did yesterday we lock everybody up that's why everybody now is saying no no no you shouldn't lose your rights a for ever based on I getting your tell me that you'd already did your time for so now here comes Attorney General Eric Holder who had been in my opinion very reluctant to take strong and significant action in the first term now already taking some action on mandatory minimum sentences especially the case of drugs are now being take action on this issue listless is time to fundamentally reconsider laws that permanently disenfranchise people were no longer under federal or state supervision these restrictions are not only unnecessary and I'm just there also counterproductive by perpetuating the stigma and isolation imposed one formerly incarcerated individuals these laws increase the likelihood increase the likelihood that they will commit future crimes however well-intentioned current advocates a felony disenfranchisement maybe the reality is that these measures are at best at best profoundly outdated at worst these laws with their disparate impact on minority communities at all policies enacted during a deeply troubled period in america's past a time of post-civil war repression and they have their roots in centuries-old conceptions and justice that were too often based on exclusion animus infield and although well over a century has passed since post: reconstruction States use these measures to strip african americans love their most fundamental rights be impact a felony disenfranchisement one modern communities of color remains both disproportionate and unacceptable damn not only saying this issue is important and a and is an injustice but it disproportionately affects minorities african-americans I feel like in the first term they would've been scared to talk about that issue it's clearly correct and I love that they brought it up it's absolutely true any impact he meant to aid in there that hey they might be doing it on purpose not just that all groups college %um like a blotter black folks because of these ridiculous no mentor minimums and the drug laws et cetera but that perhaps as part of their purpose that's a strong speech man all right all the Sun holder to say holders back but he was never there to begin with support he is now appeared great alright the battle is joined but here's what's interesting part about was joined also by Rand Paul in Kentucky Kentucky Lagos State said what a five african-americans have had their voting rights taken away I'll now Rand Paul you know with his comment about the Civil Rights Act didn't appear to be someone you would expect to care about that issue but he does and it's of course not a good effects every american's it affects a lot of people in Kentucky ride like I said a third the whole country know someone committed a felony and knows them well so here's Senator Rand Paul he says I'm in favor letting people get the rights back the right to vote Second Amendment rights all your rights to come back so says he's republicans go through the Second Amendment thing in there like I don't get me wrong these felons okay in boat again and William a sawed-off shotgun to I'm picture I agree with that part but I'll take it updated yet what people loves no and only me wrong I you know on the issue gun control we might disagree with Rampal won a show getting all your rights back once you serve your term we totally agree for K any kid goes on to say I know one man who thirty-some-odd years ago had pot plants in his closet in college got a felony conviction in college took a boat and it's played in his whole life trying to get work publisher our brother that's true and I'm ladies bring this up in his right about issue drugs as well he went on to say one in 3 young black males has been convicted of a felony and they've lost their voting rights I think it dwarfs all other election-related issues have civil rights leader Rand Paul I don't know but go that far but he's on the right side the Obama Rampal up man at like I be eminently disagree with them on obviously a lot of issues humble 10 mob to being right about on about 25 percent issues which shatters all records for republicans give the guy credit where credit is due and by the way sees nothing in a radical step the people Kentucky clearly agree with them when they did a book pole with in Kentucky 51 percent favor restoring rights for felons the include especially voting rights in this case and 38 percent oppose now that ought to do it if you live in a democracy but usually unfortunately our national politicians don't give a damn what their their actual voters think so in this case the people can't agree to people america agree republican senator grease democratic Attorney General agrees great and by the way Rampal you more credit has also spoken out on the same things and older spoke about including mandatory minimums he said mandatory minimums have crap a lot of people made their bones made it hard for them to get jobs for nonviolent crimes he's also cause concern about the cost of all that to the taxpayers because we're locking up a lot of people spending a ton of money doing that he's right about that as well and he says the top it off we went crazy on the war on drugs where people in jail in life for life for nonviolent drug crimes i think is a crime in a bit sup damn the battle is joint politicians in this country in government officials making sense I agree with the american people wow what is this world coming to alright I'll take it and now of course the laws have not shifted yet and they're not changed yet but this is how you begin to change that so great to have these allies on our side