ACLU argues voting rights for felons

ACLU Post: NJ Citizens on Parole and Probation Demand Right to Vote

New Jersey Citizens on Parole and Probation Bring Plea For Right to Vote to Human Rights Body (9/14/2006)FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: mailto:media@acluorg
ACLU and Rutgers Champion Basic Rights, Citing Racial Discrimination

NEWARK -- The American Civil Liberties Union and the Rutgers Law School Constitutional Litigation Clinic filed a petition today urging the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to rule that denying New Jersey citizens on parole and probation the right to vote violates universal human rights principles. "The premise of a participatory democracy is simple: that citizens are able and encouraged to participate. The cornerstone of participating in our democracy is the right to vote," said Laleh Ispahani, Senior Policy Counsel at the ACLU. "Ignoring the racial implications of denying blocks of people the right to vote violates basic democracy, fairness and human rights principles."

The premise of participatory democracy is simple: OBEY THE LAWS OF THE LAND, OR LOOSE YOUR RIGHTS TO PARTICIPATE! Is the ACLU hiring Junior High School kids to represent them now? Because even High School kids understand this principle!

Of the approximately 100,000 parolees and probationers subject to the state's felon-disfranchisement law, more than 60 percent are African American or Latino, which the ACLU and Rutgers say is in large measure a consequence of racial profiling in the criminal justice system. As a result, the political power of the African American and Latino communities in New Jersey is diluted because they are disproportionately excluded from voting.

Racial profiling? Could it be that the majority of people who commit crimes in that area are of those specific races? Maybe we should throw some "Token" white folks in the mix to show we are not discriminating.

Can somebody please tell me why the ACLU is still in existance? They are as anti-American as any Muslim nut job, and are quickly becoming a serious threat to our freedoms!