[Peace-discuss] Forgiveness Weekend program schedule

Sun Feb 13 22:04:43 CST 2005

Randall--

My question was about the "overall goal of the event," not (as you rightly
say) "Bevel's undeniably objectionable support of the Larouche and Moon
cult."  I'd like to see spelled out what it is one is being asked to
support -- information apparently absent from the web-site and publicity
for the event.

My "bias" against the event arises from my suspicion that it attacks the
wrong problem (and may even overstate it).  Do you think that there should
be no restrictions placed on felons? That's a very different matter from
the the fact that many people become felons inappropriately, owing to the
present drug laws.

Aaron lists a number of these restrictions.  I don't know that they all
exist.  (It is for example not true that an ex-felon is debarred form
being president, as he says: the only requirements for president are in
the constitution.)  Nor do I think that all such restrictions are
necessarily inappropriate. Do you think that the "murderers, rapists, and
pedophiles," whom Aaron mentions, should not be prevented from being a
"public school teacher, principal, counselor, bus driver, coach or
janitor"?

Aaron admits that there is no literal disfranchisement of felons in
Illinois (i.e., they can vote). But his ultimate demand is for "full
voting rights restored to all felons who have paid their debts to society
by serving their time" -- at best a misleading statement of the goals of
the rally, apparently.

As I said, I'm afraid that the Forgiveness Weekend is at best working on
the edges of a serious social problem, perhaps inefficiently (the reforms
requested will do nothing to lessen the prison population) and even
wrong-headedly (some restrictions on true felons may be appropriate).

Regards, Carl

On Sun, 13 Feb 2005, Randall Cotton wrote:

> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "C. G. Estabrook" <galliher at alexia.lis.uiuc.edu>
> To: "danielle schumacher" <danielle at illinoisnorml.org>
> Cc: <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
> Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2005 8:11 PM
> Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Forgiveness Weekend program schedule
> 
> 
> : What, specifically, is the disenfranchisement of felons that this
> : conference seeks to end? In Illinois, strictly speaking, there isn't any:
> : the franchise (right to vote) is restored to felons who have completed
> : their sentences.  Metaphorically, disenfranchisements for released felons
> : include the prohibition of owning a gun.  Is this the sort of thing you
> : have in mind?  What else?
> 
> 
> Carl, you may find an answer to your question in what Aaron said in his
> recent "Public Square" commentary (included below).
> 
> You say below that "efforts should be directed to penal reform". Does
> Aaron's argument below not qualify?
> 
> You seem predisposed toward disparaging "Forgiveness Weekend". I'm
> quite certain that you're fully capable of distinguishing between the
> overall goal of the event and Reverend James Bevel's undeniably
> objectionable support of the Larouche and Moon cults. So I'm a bit
> mystified as to why you seem biased against the event. Perhaps you'll
> be willing to clarify =8-)
> 
> R
> 
> from:
> http://www.will.uiuc.edu/community/publicsquare/transcripts/transcript050128.html
> 
> ----
> 
> Peace be upon you all.  My name is Aaron Ammons, also know as Brother
> A-Dub.
> 
> I'm a local activist, husband, father, and published poet.  I am also
> co-founder of CU Citizens For Peace and Justice which is just one of
> the reasons why I will give you the following information concerning
> felony convictions.
> 
> When one hears that someone has a felony conviction, images of
> murderers, rapists and pedophiles might come to mind.  But did you
> know that a person can receive a felony for minor crimes such as
> possession of a small amount of marijuana, video and audio taping of
> traffic stops of police officers or giving the police a false name.
> 
> Why should someone who smoked a little bit of pot in Illinois, for
> example, lose the following rights:
> 
> The right to apply for a Pell Grant to pay for college tuition and
> books.
> 
> The right to bear arms or be around guns or bullets.
> 
> The right to work as a firefighter and police officer.
> 
> The right to be a Public School teacher, principal, counselor, bus
> driver, coach or janitor.
> 
> The right to hold municipal elected office such as Mayor or city
> council member or President.
> 
> The right to obtain licenses for cosmetology, such as Barbers or
> Beauticians.
> 
> The right to volunteer at places such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of
> America.
> 
> The right to serve in any of the armed forces or reserves.
> 
> The right to work as an insurance agent.
> 
> And these are only some of the rights taken from a person convicted of a
> felony.
> 
> Furthermore, in Champaign, if a felony crime is less than five years old,
> landlords are allowed to deny housing to people who have been convicted of
> felonies.  Felons are also tax paying citizens yet are denied many of the
> rights other tax paying citizens enjoy even after paying their debt to
> society.
> 
> It is unconstitutional to repeatedly try and convict an individual for the
> same crime. People with felony records need to earn a living and yet there
> are many jobs denied to them even after serving their time.  There are local
> businesses such as convenience stores home improvement stores who refuse to
> hire people with felony conviction.  You won't be hired for a job with the
> city or park district even after serving your time.
> 
> This sweeping perpetual noose must be re-evaluated, after all the numbers of
> felons certainly are not decreasing.
> 
> And, in 12 states people with felony convictions are banned from voting for
> life. Florida is one of those states. Thankfully, people with felony
> convictions in Illinois can still vote.
> 
> The Illinois Constitution Article 1 of the Bill of Rights says: "all men are
> by nature free and independent and have certain inherent and inalienable
> rights among which are LIFE, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of happiness."
> 
> However, a man cannot have LIFE and be sentenced to Death! Ex-States
> Attorney John Piland once said that the consequences of a felony conviction
> are a death sentence!  One cannot experience Liberty when he is harnessed
> like a horse and controlled by the bridle of a felony conviction, and it is
> inescapably true that ones pursuit of happiness is more like a veil of
> misery and stress.
> 
> In Illinois we want amendments to laws that prevent felons from working as
> firefighters, bus drivers and counselors.  We must allow citizens who have
> made mistakes to still receive Pell grants for a college education, and we
> absolutely must allow them to participate in the making and enforcing of the
> laws that govern them.  Finally, we want full voting rights restored to all
> felons who have paid their debts to society by serving their time.
> 
> ----
> 
> : I ask this with a clear understanding that the War on Drugs creates many
> : (but not all) felons and the suspicion that efforts should be directed to
> : penal reform and reform (that is to say abolition) of the drug laws.
> :
> : The War on Drugs is a vicious attempt to control a potentially dissident
> : segment of the population defined by class and indexed by race. As a
> : result, we Americans imprison more of our fellow citizens per capita than
> : any other country: with 4% of the world's population, we have 25% of the
> : world's prisoners.
> :
> : The War on Drugs should be ended, and so should laws on "controlled
> : substances."  Our Libertarian friends are right: governments should not be
> : enforcing what we can put into our bodies.  But corporations should be
> : controlled by public policy on what they can sell, and (accurate)
> : informational campaigns by governments on the dangers of drugs (notably
> : alcohol and nicotine) are appropriate.
> :
> : I have the impression that the Forgiveness Weekend is at best working on
> : the edges of a serious social problem, perhaps inefficiently and even
> : wrong-headedly.
> :
> : Regards, Carl
> :
> :
> : On Sun, 13 Feb 2005, Randall Cotton wrote:
> :
> : > Folks were asking during the AWARE meeting today about what the
> : > program schedule was for Forgiveness Weekend. On Feb. 3rd, Danielle
> : > Schumacher posted the following website link with that information:
> : >
> : > http://citizen.freeshell.org/forgiveness.html
> : >
> : > Danielle, is this schedule current? Is it final?
> : >
> : > Thanks R
> : >
> :
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> 