[452] in peace2
Vote No on Question 2!
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Aimee L Smith)
Fri Nov 3 12:32:41 2000
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To: alsmith@MIT.EDU
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Date: Fri, 03 Nov 2000 12:32:16 -0500
From: Aimee L Smith <alsmith@MIT.EDU>
Sorry for any duplicate posting-- please read at least one time!!!
In hope,
Aimee
Please vote "No!" on Question 2 next week!
The following is a short summary of some of the history behind this
attempt to silence what little voice prisoners are officially allowed:
In 1997, a group of prisoners and their families formed a political
action committee ("PAC") to petition the legislature on issues affecting
prisoners, particularly the lack of relevant programing, rip-off phone
rates, third-world health care and a death rate approximately four times
higher than the communities from which we came. These were and are: REAL
ISSUES.
But our current Governor, A. Paul Cellucci, became so enraged that
incarcerated citizens and their families dared to exercise their right to
petition the government that he declared the PAC illegal, confiscated
prison voting materials, put the prisoners that organized the PAC in max,
and took away statutory good time where he could. The court, upholding
democratic principles as always, declared the governors actions legal. But
that wasn't enough for Governor Cellucci. So, Governor Cellucci filed an
amendment to the Massachusetts constitution to take away the right of all
incarcerated felons to vote in both state and federal elections.
The most disturbing aspect of this vengeance amendment is just that - it
was proposed purely out of vengeance. It certainly has no impact
what-so-ever on public safety. And the REAL ISSUES still remain unaddressed.
Taking away the right to vote from any politically unpopular group leaves
me with the uncomfortable question, "Who's next?" Welfare mothers?
Ex-incarcerated people? The Homeless? Sound far fetched? I had a
chilling discussion with my state representative Kevin Honan the day of the
legislature voted for the second time to take away your right to vote.
He kept referring to the constitutionally guaranteed right to vote as a
"privilege." I wonder how many other "guaranteed" constitutional rights
will become "privilege" in the future.
Barbara A. Jaehn
for Life After Framingham
<LifeAfterFramingham@excite.com>
