Too young to vote before I committed my crime,
Too young to understand what it meant at the time. I couldn’t understand those who had to fight for the right, The right was once a privilege for only men who were white. The black and white piece of paper to settle a controversy, Hasn’t changed for those begging to show mercy. To those asking, don’t kill the messenger, But you cannot register. It didn’t register how this was happening, My voice didn’t count, and it was maddening. I studied and increased my knowledge, Took poli-sci and learned about the electoral college. I learned as much as the informed citizen, And heard what the definition of “is” is again. What to do with all this new information, Line up in formation. Wait in line to pay your taxes, We need your help to defeat the Axis. Your money is all you’re good for, Is this what the founding fathers stood for? I stood up to help make a change, Just as in 1867 and the Grange. Voting rights for all is just, Passing Prop 17 is a must.
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I stand back and absorb
the energy of the formerly confined who Have forgiven time and stand in line My beautiful wife awaits her moment - her voice unleashed, seeing their power together, uniting for peace is all the vote I need
Prison silences you
the silence is equated to a form of isolation No voice no power powerless , reinforces one’s worthlessness, That I'm a criminal an animal I don't belong , therefore I don't have no say so in life – Life seems to not exist for me – and so , now free !, life barely exists for me , still no real voice am I ever to be Free … Subdelegated you own My opinion , You voiced my comments in complaints , you are my voice … subdelegated , still silent but at least, a Whisper … through you you are My Voice . A Voice A meaning Finally, A piece of My Life To give back to life, Finally, Regaining that voice, A meaning, A human aspect So long desired--- I’m really Alive, I’m really Free!! Now the Real Battles The Real Struggles BEGIN… Gangsters run the the city
and the boys in blue are simply the suits goons running errands like a dope fiend with no money working off a hit. When you live in the darkness the shadows of humanity shine brilliantly. From the Cave those who dwell in the light are too afraid to communicate who they are so why would I trust their community. I'm exorcised and disfellowshipped enough to be included in back room deals that jockey for true power. Poor saps think their voice matters. The dopeboy with a fix and a prostitute hold more sway over the addicted politician who owes more favors than he has ability to cash in. I have to get out of this hole and dwell in square bliss where I feel my check on a piece of paper matters enough to make me feel whole. Maybe one day I will vote too. who knows. When I was in prison, every waking moment of every single day felt like perpetual state of misery. The civil death that incarcerated individuals experience erodes the soul and deepens the sense of disenfranchisement that many of us have felt our entire lives. While I was incarcerated, as each election cycle approached, I would contact my friends and family who had the right to vote and encourage them to do so, not only because it is their civic duty, but because many of us who would love to vote cannot.
As is the case with most prisoners, I could not wait to return to my community, to work, to pay taxes, and to contribute to society in definitive and meaningful ways. Since my release I have held a full-time job with the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC), an organization that I love and have the honor of serving. Community service is the creed that ARC lives by. I started as an intern and eventually was offered a full-time position as a life coach inside California’s only maximum-security prison, Pelican Bay State Prison. I help the men confined in Pelican Bay rehabilitate so they can earn their freedom and, more importantly, never return once released. What I have not done since my release is vote. Since I am on active state parole I am barred from the electoral process. In essence, I have no voice in the country that I love, which makes me feel like I am not a part of our democracy. I proudly paid nineteen percent of my total income in taxes last year. And since taxation without representation should never be tolerated in a democratic society, I should be able to just as proudly cast my vote. When the day finally comes that I can vote while being on parole, I will finally feel like I am a “full” American citizen participating in the “full” breadth of our democracy. I have to serve at least seven years on parole, at which point the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) will review my case to consider whether or not to release me from parole. If the electoral system stays as it is, that means I will not have the right to vote until at least September 11, 2025. And technically speaking, I can be on parole for the rest of my life, which means I may not have the right to vote for the rest of my natural born life. Where is the justice in that? Until I have the right to vote, I have no voice! Once my right to vote is restored, and as a direct result my voice is heard, I will for the first time in my life feel whole. To say I will rejoice if Proposition 17 passes is a gross understatement. It is estimated that here are 44,000 collateral consequences associated with a criminal conviction, and few are as consequential as losing the right to vote. Once my right to vote is restored, I will cast my vote in any and all elections to honor those who fought and died for this sacred right. I will cast my vote for the future generations who are counting on us to get democracy and the liberty it breeds right. I will cast my vote so the United States of America can finally live up to the phrase “The land of the free.” Because until the day comes that I can vote I am not truly free. If you value democracy and justice I encourage you to vote “Yes” on Proposition 17, so those of us who value democracy just as much can partake in the process too. My head is not in the sand but yet I'm still ostracized.
The hundreds missing from my check remind me that I contribute to a society that feels as if my voice doesn't matter. But just you watch my actions I will lift my voice in song and poetic verse to reach the hearts and minds of those who do have a say. For I am not without Power I amplify my ability by asking for honesty and transparency. My actions speak for themselves. I am apart of this community because they communicate with me and I tell those who will listen their story. |
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