Quote:
Originally Posted by Reads2MUCH
I never denied the fact that they were guilty according to our laws. And I don't wish to change them because in our system, changes usually lead to more actual criminals getting off the hook. What I would like to see is a system that actually looks at the individual and not just their rap sheet. A system that understands love sometimes outweighs reason. A system that recognizes the difference between a an actual rapist and statutory rape. You are right that my friends were guilty, but their crimes should not have been enough to warrant the stripping of their rights in my opinion.
But I will concede to your point about forethought and prior knowledge. They did know what they were doing and did so willingly without coersion. They broke the law and both faced the full penalty under the law. I just wish that after they had served their time and paid their debts to society, they would also be free to live their lives again without constraint. Because guns and voting aren't the only thing you lose when you have a felony. You also basically lose your right to a good job. Yeah, I know it isn't written in stone, but once you are labeled a felon the only choices you really have are restaurant jobs or working for the state. And while working for the state isn't bad, they only have so many positions and I doubt they want an entire workforce made up of felons themselves. I just feel the punishment for some of these unfortuante people does not fit the crimes they committed.
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In some instances, the penalty doesn't suit the crime(crack vs. cocaine) but I don't think that does anything in regards to the judgement of the convict. Our system recognizes the difference between a forcible rapist and a statutory rapist. Penalties are different but statutory rape is still a crime that must be fully enforced. If someone clearly knows that they are committing a felony and decide to go ahead with it, they need to fully accept all of its consequences to include losing there right to a firearm. I have a heart but it gets a little hard when it comes to those that willfully commit a felony. I in no way view them as "unfortunate". Of course there are cases of wrongful and/or biased convictions but that's for another thread. Losing out on job prospects are up to individual employers. But it's still a result of those that committed the crime. Can you blame an employer for not wanting to hire a criminal? Again, employers look for responsible people that they can trust and a person that knowingly commits a felony is not trustworthy.
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