The Journal

Issue date: 3/23/06 Section: Opinion/Editorial

Ryan Martin

Redemption is an interesting thing. A person can do everything to redeem himself of herself in life but, if he or she has made mistakes in the past, it's difficult to achieve true redemption.

America is thought to be a land where upward mobility is a possibility. Individuals are seen as equals and have equal opportunities. That is, unless they go to prison. Once you enter the penitentiary, you are a convict for life. Your past will come back to haunt you every time you get pulled over by the police, every time you get a background check done and every time you fill out a job application.

Convicts are expected to integrate back into society when they're released from prison. One of the first, and most difficult, things they must do is get a job. However, no rehabilitation took place in prison because convicts were taught nothing during incarceration. Convicts hang out with other convicts and wait to get back out. It's hard for a convicted felon to get a job after prison because they haven't had a job since incarceration and they weren't taught any additional skills. They must also disclose that they're convicted felons on job applications. That isn't giving an individual equal opportunity.

Convicted felons are also denied their rights guaranteed to them by the Constitution. Federal law strips all convicted felons of their Second Amendment rights. Any person convicted of a felon can't own or possess a firearm. It doesn't matter if the convicted didn't use a firearm in a felony act or if the act was non-violent. For instance, a man who committed a felony act of burglary when he was 17 years old can't purchase a gun when he is 48 years old to go hunting with his pastor. The felony he committed 31 years prior is still a part of his life.

The restrictions placed on the rights of ex-convicts are nothing but obvious signs of discrimination. No rehabilitation exists in the penal system. Convicts aren't given the necessary skills to integrate back into society and convicts need equal opportunities to do so. It's understandable if in a job interview for a position at a bank the question of felony burglaries comes up. However, your past shouldn't haunt you forever. Convicted felons who prove they are law-abiding citizens should be kept to that standard.

Convicts who haven't committed violent crimes should have the right to bear arms - something promised to all citizens by the Founding Fathers of this nation. Any such law forbidding that right should be deemed unconstitutional.

Redemption is an interesting thing. Some would argue that it appears in the eye of the beholder, but I would like to add a rebuttal to that argument. That view is very idealistic in that it doesn't involve the characteristics of the real world. In the real world, having an equal opportunity is a must. Competition is tough and a bad past can hurt someone's chances of success. Society needs to look at these issues and explore ways in which true redemption can be achieved.

I think Thomas Jefferson said a good thing about the past when he said, "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past."



Ryan Martin, a senior journalism major, is a staff writer for The Journal.

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