Another Mob Robs Light St. 7-11 and Beats Store Owner (Baltimore: house, neighborhood)

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by ToneGrail

Or even better, eliminate the income tax altogether and replace it with the national sales tax and let everyone vote except felons. That would be the fairest way to do it.

Denying felons the right to vote, well, I have this question: How would a felon voting be harmful to society?

If a felon has done his time in prison, how is not being able to vote suppose to help the felon transition back into society?

[sephiro499]

Originally Posted by ToneGrail

Or even better, eliminate the income tax altogether and replace it with the national sales tax and let everyone vote except felons. That would be the fairest way to do it.

The problem with the sales tax is that it disproportionately affects the poor. Take states like TN with around a 8% sales tax. Poor people would be paying obscene tax rates, just for basics.

I'm only all for some sort of national sales tax if you also have federal exemption, which would include all of the basics of life in the 21st century. Put the sales tax on the premium, upscale, or luxury items, NOT essentials.

Denying felons the right to vote, well, I have this question: How would a felon voting be harmful to society?

If a felon has done his time in prison, how is not being able to vote suppose to help the felon transition back into society?

I agree, once your time has been served the debt to society is wiped clean. How is it fair to take away someone's fundamental right to vote?

[mrboltonman]

Originally Posted by sephiro499

The problem with the sales tax is that it disproportionately affects the poor. Take states like TN with around a 8% sales tax. Poor people would be paying obscene tax rates, just for basics.

This is one reason I'm against it.

Originally Posted by sephiro499

I'm only all for some sort of national sales tax if you also have federal exemption, which would include all of the basics of life in the 21st century. Put the sales tax on the premium, upscale, or luxury items, NOT essentials.

You would have to find a way to tax items that are bought in other countries and brought back to the US like clothes, jewelry, etc.

[Woodlands]

The sad irony in all of this is that the youth descended on 7-11 because they were giving out FREE Slurpees..This will either inspire big bad Southland to do more.. because the City clearly has a youth problem and they want to continue to be a good corporate citizen.. OR do they do less because the hand that fed was bitten and they have no confidence that the City can protect and serve...or atleast this individual operator may feel that way..pay attention to "at participating locations" subtext the next time around when 7-11 does this again... we will see how many in Baltimore "participate".

[GunsMass]

The worst thing about retail is all the damn people.

[B.K.]

Originally Posted by green_mariner

Denying felons the right to vote, well, I have this question: How would a felon voting be harmful to society?

If a felon has done his time in prison, how is not being able to vote suppose to help the felon transition back into society?

I think many people have missed the point regarding felons losing their voting rights (along with rights of gun ownership, right to serve on a jury, ability to access certain governmental benefits and jobs, etc.). The concept of society deliberately aiding criminals to "transition" is a relatively new one. The loss of a Constitutional right is designed to serve as a deterrent to crime, as in crime and Punishment. I believe we have come so far from the original intent of law that we now focus on "rehabilitation" as the outcome of imprisonment. Prisons are not there to "rehabilitate", or ease "transition"-they exist to remove the violent and undesirable from our midst so that they cannot commit more crimes against the law-abiding citizenry. In short, they are there to punish the criminal offender.

If one thinks so little of the rights of others that he chooses to deprive them of their rights to person or property, then he has chosen to forfeit those rights of his own, for good.

[deandre]

Was yall there? You knwo what happened? Dont speak about what you dont know about.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Ah, the return of deandre! Troll extraordinaire!

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by B.K.

I think many people have missed the point regarding felons losing their voting rights (along with rights of gun ownership, right to serve on a jury, ability to access certain governmental benefits and jobs, etc.). The concept of society deliberately aiding criminals to "transition" is a relatively new one. The loss of a Constitutional right is designed to serve as a deterrent to crime, as in crime and Punishment. I believe we have come so far from the original intent of law that we now focus on "rehabilitation" as the outcome of imprisonment. Prisons are not there to "rehabilitate", or ease "transition"-they exist to remove the violent and undesirable from our midst so that they cannot commit more crimes against the law-abiding citizenry. In short, they are there to punish the criminal offender.

If one thinks so little of the rights of others that he chooses to deprive them of their rights to person or property, then he has chosen to forfeit those rights of his own, for good.

But if a criminal is going to be out in society again, that person has to be able to participate in society. If not, then you might as well keep criminals locked up permanently.

[rfp]

B.K. is a voice out of Dickensian England. They hanged pickpockets at the Old Bailey back in those days. Some of us have moved on.