Give Life to Yourself

Since today is Election Day I thought this would be fitting for today’s blog topic. I was talking to a friend this morning and I asked them if they had voted; their response was “I can’t vote” I asked why and they stated they have a felony.

What most people don’t know is most states restore your voting rights after your sentence and parole or probation has ended. There are 2 states that allow felons to vote even while incarcerated via absentee ballot, 14 states that restore rights after incarceration, 4 states that restore rights after incarceration plus parole, 19 states that restore rights after incarceration, parole plus probation, and 12 states where you may lose your voting rights permanently.

So many men and women feel lost after they get into trouble; they feel like they are no longer members of society and the truth is, they aren’t. They just exist and live day to day feeling hopeless. The problem is that they don’t have to be in that position, they choose to. The difference between a person who goes to prison, gets out and goes back to school or work or whatever and a person who ends up feeling like hell is on earth, is the ownership of their life and responsibilities. So many people cannot get out of the confines of their own minds, they are prisoners of themselves; locked up between the walls of self-doubt and insecurities, cemented by a failure to thrive and shackled by the words of others.

People must take steps towards regaining their lives or even beginning a new life for themselves. Register to vote and be a part of society, go back to school just to say you have a degree attached to your name, start a business, help the youth make better decisions, turn your talents into profit, become a part of life and the community.

They say “the sky is the limit” but to me, the sky is the initial destination, beyond the sky is space and in space we are free, no gravity, no limits.

If you want to see the requirements for re-registering to vote in your state check out the link and take a simple, but big step towards gaining your life back and making it even better. State Felon Voting Laws

And…It Is What It Is