The ACLU of Virginia[1] and Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli teaming up to criticize House of Delegate lawmakers? What’s next, Bill Maher and Donald Trump going yachting together?
In these unpredictable political times, even what are supposed to be ideological counterweights can team up to “express disappointment” over the inability of Virginia House members to recognize the civil rights of nonviolent felons who have served out their prison/jail terms. It is a case of polar ideologies coming to similar political conclusions.
Executive Director of the Virginia ACLU, Claire G. Gastanaga commented, “For too long, Virginia has been out of step with the rest of the country by continuing to disenfranchise[2] all felons for life.”[3] Never were truer words spoken!
In similar comments, Cuccinelli stated, “I have long railed against politicians ratcheting up several low-level, nonviolent offenses from misdemeanors to felonies – what I call ‘felony creep.’ Many lower-level offenses should not result in the permanent loss of civil rights for individuals.”[4] Thus, Cuccinelli gets it, he really gets it!
And so the question then becomes, why don’t so many Republicans in the House of Delegates not ‘get it’? How come these individuals are so bent on denying the civic rights of individuals who have committed their nonviolent offenses and served out their sentences?
Well, to answer my own questions, I would have to be a mind-reader, which I’m not. As Virginians who see the injustice of denying individuals their civic rights on less-than-reasonable grounds, we can only hope that this type of politician will wither (i.e., get voted out of office or simply quit) away like the outdated beliefs they still hold on to have.
Let the new age of enlightened reason and heightened justice shine down upon the commonwealth! Amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment