These prison walls
The ruling class only extends rights to the underclass when it feels it can safely do so without sacrificing its power, and at present, the electorate in Iowa is very evenly divided between the two major parties. Therefore, politics is rearing its ugly head as Democratic Governor Tom Vilsack attempts to restore voting rights to convicted felons who have completed their prison sentences. By signing the executive order on the 4th of July, Vilsack made Iowa the 46th state to allow felons to vote, and according to a national advocacy group, the blanket restoration will effect an estimated 50,000 Iowans.Republicans at the Statehouse fear that the majority of felons will vote Democratic. Kathryn Hove, a former aide to Republican Governor Terry Branstad, has raised the red herring that many of the felons have not paid their court costs or attorney's fees, and therefore have not fully paid their "debt." Others claim that the convicts have not made financial restitution to the victims of their crimes. The Republicans cannot legally prevent the order from taking effect, but future governors will be able to rescind the move.
This issue is about fundamental fairness and human rights. A healthy society, which I like to believe we have, is committed to rehabilitation and re-integration with its criminal justice system, not simply punishment. It should also be clear to anyone concerned with crime rates that re-integrated citizens are more empowered and less prone to recidivism. Actions like Vilsack's are in the best interest of society at large, as well as for the convicted, who deserve the chance to escape the de facto indentured servitude that keeps them imprisoned in America even after prison release, even if it's all to the political detriment of knee-jerk, so-called "tough-on-crime" politicians more committed to spreading fear than accurate information.
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Good news and bad news for the Chicago Cubs. The bad news is they've slipped under .500 for the year, and will likely remain there through the All-Star break, with games remaining this week in Atlanta and Miami. The good news is that, thanks to the Wild Card, it's the best time in baseball history to be under .500.
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As a fan of a National League baseball team contending for the pennant, I'm terrified of the prospect of playing the Washington Nationals in the post-season. Because of the Nationals' talent on the field? No. Because they're owned by Major League Baseball, and will be put up for sale after the season. The commissioner's inability to resolve the financial and competitive conflict of interest surrounding the Expos-slash-Nationals may be his biggest failure on the job. And that's saying something.
posted by CM @ 10:10 PM
11 Comments:
A convicted felon voting is a subset of a larger, more interesting question. Who should be allowed to vote in the U.S.? It's interesting to think about how often the official answer to this question has changed throughout the history of our country. Personally, I can think of a long list of people who should not be voting in this country. For example, those who can't figure out a butterfly ballot, those who don't know what the Bill of Rights is, non-citizens, those who murder someone for no good reason, etc. In reality, I don't like the idea of the government putting any limits on the right to vote (even though voting is virtually meaningless at the Federal level). I say let every citizen in jail vote. I would let citizens of any age vote if they could pass a basic test about U.S. government. TA
I'm just impressed with your vocabulary coming from rural Iowa and attending a farmer's college like ISU.
"restitution", "recidivism", "restoration", "Republican".
Oh wait, it looks like the dictionary was just left open to the page with words from "rebel-reward". Must have been when you were looking up the cross-reference for Tony LaRussa (see "retard").
Anyway, I was glad to see I didn't have to defend D. Lee's All Star selection since everyone else who reads this blog knows that was the correct choice.
Hey TA - what is a good reason to murder somebody?
I was thinking along the lines of as a last resort to save innocent lives from criminals. Maybe there's a more accurate legal term, but it all depends upon who the judge is at the trial anyway. TA
Is "self-defense" the legal term you're thinking off, TA?
I looked it up. It's on the "self-centered-seltzer" page in the dictionary.
Coincidently, the word "self-centered" also has a picture of Tony LaRussa. The entire Reds pitching staff is pictured next to "self-destruction".
Actually, I agree with Chris that Pujols should be starting. He's produced more runs and he's meant more to a better team.
And I'm not just saying that because Derrek Lee has ruined me twice this week in mlb.com "Beat the Streak". Wait, maybe I am.
I definitely think, though, that Aramis Ramirez should be starting over Scott Rolen. Rolen's been hurt! I don't care how good he's been over the last few years if he's missed two months this year.
And also, if you make a case for Scott Rolen being named an All-Star, can't you make a case for Mark Prior?
If Mark Prior were considered the best player at his position during this decade then the answer would be yes. For him to be considered that, though, he would have to have two or three 20 win seasons, two or three Top 3 finishes in the Cy Young voting, and/or a couple big post-season wins, instead of the zero of these things he has.
You'll find his picture in the "R's," along with Kerry Wood, under "rehabilitation."
No, I don't think I can make a case for Prior as an All Star. But, I do believe he had a top-3 finish in Cy Young voting in 2003.
You must be kidding that Pujols has meant more to his team. As of 7/7, he has scored 4 more runs than Derrek Lee, but those 70 runs make up 15.9% of St. Louis' runs scored this year. Lee's 66 runs make up 18.1% of the Cubs total. I think we all know that without Pujols, the Cards are probably still leading the Division, while without Lee, the Cubs are a lot worse than 2-games below .500.
The Cubs ARE a lot worse than two games under .500, but time will tell. The point is then, who cares? Roger Clemens means more than both of them. Derek Lee is the Cubs' Most Valuable Player-- most valuable to the Cubs. Pujols is the National League's Most Valuable Player-- most valuable to the league.
Lord Jesus Christ, doesn't winning count for anything anymore!?
Maybe we should just give the Cy Young and MVP every year to the best pitcher and player on the team with the best record. Except, the problem is that these awards are individual awards and a winning TEAM is not an individual accomplishment.
Winning is rewarded with playoff appearances, pennants and World Series rings. But, it is no doubt the team as a whole that determines the success over an entire season and not an individual player.
Why punish a great player because he is on a horrible (or oft injured) team. Blame the GM, or the manager, or even the broadcasters in the booth for a bad team (joke). But don't eliminate a great player from receiving an indivdual award just because the other 8 guys around him didn't live up to potential.
I have no doubt in my mind that if the MVP were voted on today, it would be given to D. Lee.
You're right. Just as Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson, and Sammy Sosa won MVPs, Lee would win if the writers voted today. What's the common denominator? They play in Chicago, the third largest television market in MLB. Ozzie Smith, Mark McGwire, and Albert Pujols? They play in the 23rd largest.
Apparently, you've never heard the old axiom in sports that great players make the players around them better. I'm sorry you have two 13 win pitchers that are hurt a lot, and a shortstop that's annually hurt, but the Cubs made a conscious decision to financially build their team around these frequent casualties, instead of a strong bullpen and players that can execute the fundamentals of the game. The Cardinals have had Pujols' protection in the batting order out of the line-up for half of the first half, and a 7 time Batting Champion (Larry Walker) has provided almost no protection. They lost an All-Star SS (who's a hell of a lot better than Garciaparra) to free agency, and have had to also replace their top starting pitcher, their team leader behind the plate, and their lead-off hitter from last year. Players on subpar teams should not be completely ignored, but the MVP's not a consolation prize, either.
I don't remember you arguing for Mark McGwire seven years ago when he topped Sosa by 100 points in both slugging and on-base percentage, and hit an MLB record 70 home runs. I was told at the time that Sosa was in a pennant race and McGwire wasn't. It might surprise you, but probably won't, that the difference in the standings between the two teams was 6 games. Nothing like the 12 game lead the Cardinals already have.
I don't know how this argument between Lee and Pujols changed from All-Star voting to MVP consideration, but now your argument that team results don't count is just baffoonish, and downright ignorant of baseball history. Light-hitting middle infielders like Phil Rizzuto and Marty Marion have won MVPs on pennant winning clubs. Field generals like Walker Cooper and Johnny Bench have won them. Emotional leaders like Barry Larkin and Kirk Gibson have won them, and Ted Williams lost one the year he won the Triple Crown.
Albert Pujols is the best player on the best team, and he's the reason they're the best. He hustles all the time, pushes for extra bases, and is the first person in the video room every day. The team's pursuit of excellence, even when there is no team in their division to push them, is a reflection of his attitude and work ethic.
The greatest statistic for Pujols this year is that, despite being a moderately slow runner, he's 8 for 8 in stolen bases. He pushes all the time. He's the engine that propels the best team in the National Leauge. The Cubs are often sloppy in their play, by their own accounts, and may be the worst baserunning team of the decade, of which I'm hesitant to exclude Lee, having seen him get picked off in some big games. Pujols is also the best fucking hitter in baseball.
Just for the record, my top 5 in MVP voting in the NL at the halfway point would be...
1. Pujols
2. Chad Cordero
3. Andruw Jones
4. Roger Clemens
5. Derrek Lee
...but Scott Rolen shouldn't be an All-Star this year.
I don't care how established a guy is, when you have a .265 batting average and just 5 homeruns and 25 rbi in 47 games, you're not an All-Star.
Actually, it's interesting what's happened to the guy since they started testing for the juice.
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