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This is just absolutely stunning. I simply cannot believe this is happening in a democratic country.

by elliekelly 6y ago

wizzwizz4 6y ago
It's not. Many of the people who are targeted lose voting privileges.
- dillondoyle 6y ago
  Florida is heinous. Statewide voted overwhelmingly to restore rights to returning citizens in a constitutional amendment. Then, Republicans who control the state leg & Gov. DeSantis passed a poll-tax which virtually excludes 1 million or more citizens who served their time from voting. It's disgusting. It's being litigated but it's too late for this election.... They passed the law a couple weeks before a previous election the timing was on purpose. There is no statewide easy system/paperwork for most of these citizens to even know how much they owe in ridiculous court fees etc. Let alone it seems a vast majority can't afford to pay if they are able to ever find out. It's indentured servitude to a criminal system (i'm calling the state the criminal in that sentence). I feel so hopeless about our country. I work in politics. I used to feel optimistic and good about the work we/I have accomplished and making incremental progress. But over the last two years I've grown this close to completely giving up - which feels disgusting. I hate that we've strayed this far. It feels intentional and as someone with a relatively large amount of power I feel virtually powerless.
  - wizzwizz4 6y ago
    If you can, start a blog. Don't put sensational stuff on it, just… write your thoughts. The laws going on, how you feel about it, that kind of thing. If you can provide more transparency to your citizens, even if it's just a public diary… either it'll help solve the problems, or it'll help the revolution start a day earlier. (Which depends entirely on whether the people we've trusted with power start using it for the things we gave them the power to do.)
goodluckchuck 6y ago
It's ironic that you'd be surprised, because he's an elected sheriff. This is the result of democracy.
vkou 6y ago
It's quite possible for a country to both be mostly democratic, and at the same time, a police state.
- sudosysgen 6y ago
  Once the country becomes a police state, democracy isn't really possible anymore because the police gains an inordinate amount of power relative to the people. The defining aspect of democracy isn't really elections, it's how much power the average person has and how equitable that distribution is.
coliveira 6y ago
The US is transforming itself into a hellhole because part of the country (represented mostly by republicans) cannot accept democracy and want to transform the country into (or maintain it as, you decide) a white supremacy state.
- Hnrobert42 6y ago
  Let’s not assume we know why people do the things they do. A criticism of the things the do should suffice.

This is just absolutely stunning. I simply cannot believe this is happening in a democratic country.

wizzwizz4 6y ago

It's not. Many of the people who are targeted lose voting privileges.

dillondoyle 6y ago
Florida is heinous. Statewide voted overwhelmingly to restore rights to returning citizens in a constitutional amendment. Then, Republicans who control the state leg & Gov. DeSantis passed a poll-tax which virtually excludes 1 million or more citizens who served their time from voting. It's disgusting. It's being litigated but it's too late for this election.... They passed the law a couple weeks before a previous election the timing was on purpose. There is no statewide easy system/paperwork for most of these citizens to even know how much they owe in ridiculous court fees etc. Let alone it seems a vast majority can't afford to pay if they are able to ever find out. It's indentured servitude to a criminal system (i'm calling the state the criminal in that sentence). I feel so hopeless about our country. I work in politics. I used to feel optimistic and good about the work we/I have accomplished and making incremental progress. But over the last two years I've grown this close to completely giving up - which feels disgusting. I hate that we've strayed this far. It feels intentional and as someone with a relatively large amount of power I feel virtually powerless.
- wizzwizz4 6y ago
  If you can, start a blog. Don't put sensational stuff on it, just… write your thoughts. The laws going on, how you feel about it, that kind of thing. If you can provide more transparency to your citizens, even if it's just a public diary… either it'll help solve the problems, or it'll help the revolution start a day earlier. (Which depends entirely on whether the people we've trusted with power start using it for the things we gave them the power to do.)

goodluckchuck 6y ago

It's ironic that you'd be surprised, because he's an elected sheriff. This is the result of democracy.

vkou 6y ago

It's quite possible for a country to both be mostly democratic, and at the same time, a police state.

sudosysgen 6y ago
Once the country becomes a police state, democracy isn't really possible anymore because the police gains an inordinate amount of power relative to the people. The defining aspect of democracy isn't really elections, it's how much power the average person has and how equitable that distribution is.

coliveira 6y ago

The US is transforming itself into a hellhole because part of the country (represented mostly by republicans) cannot accept democracy and want to transform the country into (or maintain it as, you decide) a white supremacy state.

Hnrobert42 6y ago
Let’s not assume we know why people do the things they do. A criticism of the things the do should suffice.