The state of Ohio avoided both a lawsuit and a potential disaster when it agreed to take steps to inform roughly 34,000 felons on parole or probation that they have the right to vote in this November's election. In Ohio, convicted felons are permitted by law to vote unless they are currently incarcerated. Once on parole, on probation or after having paid their debt to society, felons can once again exercise the right to vote.
David Singleton, an attorney for the Prison Reform Advocacy Center, said testers identifying themselves as convicted felons contacted election officials by phone in all 88 Ohio counties to inquire about voting registration. The lawsuit alleges that election officials in 21 of the 88 counties across the state gave misleading information about convicted felons' voting rights. Felons were informed they could only vote after their probation or parole ended. However, through quick and logical action, the state diffused a
troublesome situation.
Because of this quick action, felons on parole or probation will be able to register by the Oct. 4 deadline and won't be deprived of their legal rights. The agreement between the state and the advocacy group stipulates that the state will inform felons of their rights with a written notice during a regularly scheduled meeting with their parole officers. Ohio should be commended for admitting the oversight and dealing with this problem directly. Felons have the same civil rights as the rest of the public after serving their sentence. Any less action by the state would have been a grave injustice and a violation of civil rights in general. Luckily, this has all been avoided, and in the future, the elections officials should be sure to disperse the proper information.
A helping hand
Scholarships are traditionally awarded for exceptional physical talents or intellectual skill, but increasingly in this day and age, they have also been given to individuals based on their membership in certain minority groups. Earlier this week, The Post published an editorial supporting urban scholarships. On a similar theme, it encourages the awarding of scholarships to people based on sexual orientation. This is a sensitive issue, but it only makes sense that if one minority is able to receive a scholarship, the rest should as well.
Critics of this idea argue that such an action devalues the need for hard work or has an adverse effect in the long term to society and the individual. However, because minorities are disproportionately affected by poverty, prejudice and lack of opportunity, it makes sense to err on the side of caution and also shows a real commitment to advancing equality. No matter the minority, each should be entitled to the same experience given to the majority, and through scholarship programs like this, that goal can be achieved.
An increasing number of charities and non-profit organizations offer scholarships based on sexual orientation. However, sexual orientation is not enough to be the recipient of one of these scholarships. Other criteria for these programs include being victim to exceptional hardships and ridicule, as well as demonstration of scholastic aptitude, extracurricular activities and leadership roles. It is not surprising that the extra criteria are an exact replica of those that universities normally use when awarding their own scholarships. It should not be forgotten that these scholarships are coming from mainly private organizations, and they have the right to distribute their money as they see fit. Another part of the justification is that some homosexual individuals suffer alienation from their families, and in some cases, a loss of financial support for their higher education. Anyone struggling to pay his or her own way in college could easily sympathize and should not let jealously cloud his or her good judgment.
These scholarships serve as an extension of any minority scholarship program. It is not about race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other classification. Instead, the distinction should revolve around a person's work ethic, desire to improve oneself and the pursuit of education. All individuals should be treated equally. There cannot be an imaginary line that excludes minorities from the majority. These scholarship programs, which factor in race or sexual orientation, are necessary to help achieve the goal of equality.
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