Beto O'Rourke: Time to 'rethink' non-violent offenders losing voting rights while incarcerated

[TexasTowelie]

Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke joined some of his fellow Democratic presidential candidates on Wednesday by signaling a willingness to "rethink" voting rights for prisoners.

O'Rourke, taking questions from the press while at the She the People forum in Texas, began his response on the issue by pointing to low voter participation rates in his state and broader rollbacks of voting rights Democrats have railed against around the country.

He noted that the prison population was "disproportionately comprised of people of color" and said while he was willing to consider expanding voting rights to non-violent offenders behind bars, he was opposed to extending the right to violent offenders in prison.

"I would think especially for non-violent offenders that we rethink removing the right to vote and allow everyone, or as many as possible, to participate in our democracy," O'Rourke said. "For violent criminals, it's much harder for me to reach that conclusion."

Read more: https://www.albanyherald.com/news/beto-o-rourke-time-to-rethink-non-violent-offenders-losing/article_99cde667-ca8d-54b8-b775-f21950ce454a.html

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

1. Yup, jump aboard the "Bernie train"... why not, everyone else is!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[JI7]

4. he said non violent, has nothing to do with Sanders

im pretty sure nonviolent doesn't include killers and rapists.

[LongtimeAZDem]

8. Leslie McCrae Dowless is a nonviolent offender

[JI7]

9. agree that's why im opposed to it

but he was probably thinking drug users

[OilemFirchen]

18. James Bain was a violent offender.

James Bain spent more time in prison for a crime he did not commit than any other American exonerated through DNA evidence. In 1974, at the age of 19, Bain was convicted of rape and kidnapping. He was released in 2009 at the age of 54.

https://www.innocenceproject.org/cases/james-bain/

[LongtimeAZDem]

19. Yes, he was wrongfully convicted. That has nothing to do with this issue.

It does raise issues of false accusation and faulty victim identification, but those are outside the scope of this discussion.

Furthermore, since he was convicted of kidnapping and rape, he would not be one of the nonviolent offenders O'Rourke is talking about, in any case.

[OilemFirchen]

22. It's absolutely within the scope of this discussion.

Setting an arbitrary boundary for felon voting rights based upon the nature of their crimes is an unfair and unworkable plan meant only to mollify the citizenry. Your example vs. my example illustrates only one of perhaps countless flaws in a system such as that being described. Is a woman convicted of involuntary manslaughter for killing her abusive husband less deserving of the right to vote than a gang leader selling hundreds of pounds of fentanyl? Is a man convicted of election fraud deserving of his franchise, while a man wrongfully accused of kidnapping and rape not?

Either all felons obtain the right to vote or none of them do.

TBH, this is likely the most craven campaign issue I've encountered in many years of Democratic primaries. It's idiotic, will create nothing but ill will, and is powerful fodder for the Party's adversaries. And the slow pile-on is disgusting.

[LongtimeAZDem]

23. Since I'm in the "none of them" group, I tend to agree

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

13. Riiiight, so Beto goes for 99.99% of those prisoners Bernie wants to give back the right to vote...

Beto can TRY to out-Bernie Bernie... not going to fool anyone!!


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[BannonsLiver]

11. He's not advocating for Dylan Roof or the Aurora movie theater mass murderers like Bernie is

Key words being “non violent”. Bernie thinks everyone in prison including terrorists and mass murderers should be allowed to vote.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

12. Yeah, so many of those... let's just say Bernie got the ball rollin for 99.99% of prisoners...

Okay, feel better?! Just admit Bernie leads out on most progressive issues... his fellow Democratic candidates follow along!! ('Cept for those campaigning to maintain the status quo.)

Good for Bernie!!


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[BannonsLiver]

24. Doesn't change a thing

You think the GOP would focus on the non violent offenders in a general?

This is one of many reasons why Bernie would make a terrible nominee.

[LongtimeAZDem]

2. Damn; and i was just warming up to him.

[aeromanKC]

3. NO!!

Get off paper and then get your voting rights restored!!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

14. No, give human beings basic human rights!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[BannonsLiver]

25. Why not just let them all out?

If Bernie were advocating for that you’d be in favor of it.

“It’s a basic human right not to suffer consequences for their actions.” or something like that. SMH.

[leftofcool]

5. I am so thankful that Pete and Joe are not jumping on this train

[marylandblue]

6. Me too. I agree with the idea, but it's a political nonstarter.

We are just not ready for it.

I'd rather talk about how to keep people out of prison to begin with. Things like not sending them there for a tiny amount of pot.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

15. Yeah, we've heard the excuse we sposedly "weren't ready" for a lot of human rights

that have been restored over the centuries.


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[David__77]

10. I can understand his perspective.

I think suspension of voting rights should be rarely applied as a criminal penalty.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

16. Yes, perhaps, make that part of the sentencing process... great idea!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[AlexSFCA]

17. NO WAY

not until after they are relased from prison. Goodbye Beto’s candidacy.

[Indygram]

20. To me, this sounds like saying he would consider signing legislation that didn't take away voting

rights from non-violent offenders, like drug possession, when in jail IF it were passed by Congress. I'm not a fan of such a law and I don't think one would ever pass...but it's not a deal breaker for me.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

21. I support voting rights for all incarcerated citizens. I also think it's not a useful campaign

issue.