Violent Criminals Should Not Automatically Get Rights Back
Virginia's 1902 constitution has nothing to do with allowing violent criminals, rapists, and pedophiles to walk.
by Paul Goldman
TD columnist Michael Paul Williams should get his facts straight. I know it’s popular to call guys like me racist for the views that follow. But I believe the proposed constitutional amendment to automatically give violent felons their rights back is wrong. Williams and his supporters say Virginia’s constitutional ban against automatically restoring the rights of felons after their terms are completed is racist. Williams and others say this ban was first enacted last century specifically to disenfranchise Black citizens.
Williams is wrong. Why do I know this? Because I was the only white person in Virginia willing to manage Doug Wilder’s historic campaign breaking the color line in Virginia state politics. You can read all about it in the book When Hell Froze Over.
In order to help Doug, I decided to read up on Virginia history. I didn’t attend school in the Commonwealth. The history is clear. When Virginia started making it all but impossible for felons to get back the right to vote, few Black Virginians were allowed to register to vote. The white segregationists running the state controlled the local voter registration process. They could block anyone from voting. In that regard, Mr. Williams and his backers are absolutely correct.
Meaning: Since few Black citizens were allowed to vote whether ex-felons or not, the white politicians running Virginia self-evidently passed the ban on restoration of rights to penalize a certain segment of the White population.
Political history is clear. The elite white establishment running the state feared poor white citizens might be enticed to join a populist anti-establishment political revolt. This had happened before.
The infamous “white supremacy constitution” of 1902 cited by Williams and others had various provisions aimed at disfranchising half the white population! Mr. Williams needs to do the math. Black voters made up perhaps 7% of the 1902 voter rolls. This didn’t pose a threat to segregationist rule. If I remember correctly, this is why the 1902 constitution is the last one enacted by the General Assembly without a vote of the people. You didn’t want to give voters a chance to reject the constitution aimed at stripping half of them of any future vote.
The current Virginia Constitution did away with many segregation era provisions but still includes this disenfranchisement of felons. It only allows the Governor to individually restore rights to felons. Mr. Williams and crew want to make restoration automatic for every felon who’s completed their term. They want the Governor role’s role eliminated. Thus the proposed amendment on the November ballot.
Society should give people a second chance if this is a reasonable possibility. This is a good societal value. But should we feel compassion for an unrepentant rapist or violent predator who essentially gives a victim a life sentence?
I ask Mr. Williams and others: why all the concern for violent felons?
I’ve been fighting for years to get poor black and white kids equal educational rights. How come Mr. Williams and others aren’t equally concerned by the fact a provision of the Virginia Constitution inserted by segregationists years ago specifically denies equal educational rights for all? Why all the concern for violent felons and not innocent children? Bottom line: It’s not racist to believe violent felons need to show remorse before getting back their rights. It’s not racist to believe if you spread OxyContin and Fentanyl you should not automatically get back your rights either.
Hear what I’m saying: I don’t want Williams and others to twist my words. I’m saying it shouldn’t be automatic.
For example, there are about 4500 inmates convicted of felonies involving sex crimes in our state prisons. Why should they automatically get back their rights when they’ve inflicted a lifetime of mental torture on their victims? More to the point: why does my believing this make me some kind of racist? There is absolutely nothing wrong or racist in requiring a violent felon to show some level of contrition getting back his rights.
With all due respect Mr. Williams, I think your showing mushy headed thinking for a Pulitzer Prize winner. I’ll put my record against Mr. Williams or anyone else in the state when it comes to who’s fought more to get a quality for all the citizens. Like I said, maybe I take a different view if you were fighting it’s hard to get innocent kids their constitutional rights.
PAUL GOLDMANis former Chairman of the Virginia Democratic Party, a former candidate for mayor of the City of Richmond, and author of “Remaking Virginia Politics.”
