What is it with Catholic Priests?

[Al B. Sure!]

Do the laws apply equally to everyone?

Literacy test laws were applied equally to everyone in Jim Crow South as well. That doesn't mean it wasn't a form of racial disenfranchisment. (grandfather clauses also allowed some illiterate whites to vote, however).

[Ben Kenobi]

Literacy test laws were applied equally to everyone in Jim Crow South as well. That doesn't mean it wasn't a form of racial disenfranchisment. (grandfather clauses also allowed some illiterate whites to vote, however).

So are you suggesting that black people are incapable of obeying the law?

Isn't that a rather racist sentiment?

[Al B. Sure!]

Okay Ben, we're taking a step back here...

Someone commits a felony and is convicted. He is sentenced and serves his time. Do you feel that that is not sufficient punishment for the crime?

[Al B. Sure!]

So are you suggesting that black people are incapable of obeying the law?

Isn't that a rather racist sentiment?

I'm suggesting that if you have a group that generally speaking for a whole host of reasons is statistically more likely to be CONVICTED of crimes (NOTE the distinction from committing crimes), and you want to disenfranchise that group, it would be in your interest to make it tough or impossible for those with records to vote.

[Ben Kenobi]

Someone commits a felony and is convicted. He is sentenced and serves his time. Do you feel that that is not sufficient punishment for the crime?

For a felony, I believe that other things should apply.

Loss of franchise makes sense to me.

Deportation for anyone who isn't a citizen, including those on other forms of visa.

Loss of a passport.

Loss of license for possession of firearms.

Ineligibility to serve on a public office and on a jury.

I'd add a few others.

I can see the argument for not having them in public employment. If I wouldn't hire a felon, then why should I be hiring them through my taxes. This is balanced by the need for rehabilitation. I think it's important that even former felons have some way to make a honest living. So for now, I'm undecided.

[Ben Kenobi]

I'm suggesting that if you have a group that generally speaking for a whole host of reasons is statistically more likely to be CONVICTED of crimes (NOTE the distinction from committing crimes), and you want to disenfranchise that group, it would be in your interest to make it tough or impossible for those with records to vote.

I think that if 13 percent of black people are committing felonies, they have serious problems as a community.

Black people need to understand that the same rules apply to everyone. White, black, red, yellow. There's no reason why black people should have higher rates than anyone else. No excuse other then looking in a mirror.

I don't think it's a terrible injustice when the segment of the population that just doesn't seem to get it, that these things are wrong gets put away.

I've been on the receiving end of four break and enters. Why should I have any sympathies for these punks? They sure didn't have any for me.

[OzzyKP]

Although African Americans comprise only 12.2 percent of the population and 13 percent of drug users, they make up 38 percent of those arrested for drug offenses and 59 percent of those convicted of drug offenses

In 1986, before the enactment of federal mandatory minimum sentencing for crack cocaine offenses, the average federal drug sentence for African Americans was 11 percent higher than for whites. Four years later, the average federal drug sentence for African Americans was 49 percent higher.

http://www.drugpolicy.org/communities/race/

[Al B. Sure!]

I guess in the Catholic faith, Jesus does not forgive

Anyway, first of all, you have a group that is over-all disproportionately undereducated and disproportionately poor, particularly urban poor who are very likely to commit crimes. Granted, I'm the first one to stress that everything ultimately comes down to personal decision-making but it's clear that a history of racism is still having an effect today. Whether or not racism exists today is not an issue. Even assuming that institutional racism is dead, there is so much cultural, social, and economic momentum still being felt to keep poverty and crime at high rates among the Black community. Things have definitely improved over the last 40 years but it'll take a lot to overcome the cycle of poverty (what are white rates for getting out of poverty? What is the % of impoverished whites whose children get college degrees, etc.? What are the % of impoverished whites with criminal histories? I'm not sure it's any better than the poor Black community)

And that's not even mentioning the demonstrated racial disproportionalities in arrests and convictions.

[giblets]

I think that if 13 percent of black people are committing felonies, they have serious problems as a community.

Black people need to understand that the same rules apply to everyone. White, black, red, yellow. There's no reason why black people should have higher rates than anyone else. No excuse other then looking in a mirror.

I don't think it's a terrible injustice when the segment of the population that just doesn't seem to get it, that these things are wrong gets put away.

I've been on the receiving end of four break and enters. Why should I have any sympathies for these punks? They sure didn't have any for me.

No one is suggesting that black felons get special treatment. All felons should be able to regain enfranchisement after they've done their time and reentered society without having to fulfill unreasonable requirements like a bill passed by the state legislature.

[OzzyKP]

I guess in the Catholic faith, Jesus does not forgive

Ben certainly doesn't speak for all Catholics.

[DinoDoc]

WTF does any of this have to do with the thread topic?

@ Fun: It displays the same level of reasoning you did in your post about celibacy.

[giblets]

WTF does any of this have to do with the thread topic?

It shows how the Catholic church can destroy minds and fill people with ignorance and hate. (luckily many Catholics have resisted this)

[Al B. Sure!]

WTF does any of this have to do with the thread topic?

It started when our resident spoiled brat HC said that non-voters do not matter in our great Constitutional Republic because if you're too lazy to vote, you deserve to not matter... so I noted that various groups are disenfranchised, including those with past felony convictions who have served their time. Other than that, Ben is being an idiot as always.

[RGBVideo]

you know, considering bk is a canadian who is ineligible to vote for himself in the us, you'd think he was a troll trying to get americans vote for democrats.

yeah, and ben kenobi: THANKS A LOT for thread****ting all over this thread. i think i had a fair point about the proportional rarity of pedophiles as priests, considering the huge number of catholic priests (and how media stays absolutely hush-hush about muslim imam pederasty while sensationalizing even the smallest of invididual cases with catholics as MASSIVE SCANDALS), but whatever

[Hauldren Collider]

Ben certainly doesn't speak for all Catholics.

QFT. I am actually starting to get mildly offended by much of the rather baseless assumptions made at the expense of all catholics.