Terry McAuliffe, the Governor of Virginia, issued an executive order that felons who have served their time and finished their probation would be allowed to vote. His action overturned a law passed after the Civil War aimed at keeping blacks from voting.
The law still affects blacks and poor people disproportionately. Now Republican legislators, who control the Virginia legislature, are considering a push to overturn the Governor’s ruling. They say it will benefit Democrats.
First of all, this law needed to be overturned, no matter which party benefits. Once you have served a sentence, you should not continue to be punished. In fact, I believe that prisoners should be allowed to vote. Just because you are imprisoned doesn’t mean you give up your citizenship rights.
Secondly, I don’t care if this law benefits Democrats. We are seeing state after state under Republican domination pass voter suppression laws with one object in mind, and that is to disenfranchise Democrats. Unlike this ruling, those laws take away rights. So, Virginia Republicans, shut the f--- up.
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