Hi Sadie! I want to thank you for this story. It is right at the core of what my wife and I have been discussing lately. As a former police officer, I have seen a lot of people make choices that land them in prison and often label them as felons. Clearly, some of the choices that I have witnessed are heinous and disgusting. However, there exist countless individuals that make poor choices due to a myriad of factors, many of which you discussed in your story. It is my true belief that many people change for the better over time. Essentially, they learn from their mistakes, and they make efforts to become a better person. And the heartbreaking piece is that many felons are not bad people to begin with......they simply made lousy decisions---often due to factors beyond their control. And yes: while there are those individuals who are truly depraved, the reality is that many of them would probably not exercise their right to vote anyway.

I guess my point is this: regardless of whether you find yourself labeled as a felon, or whether you live a charmed life.......you should be afforded the right to vote and have your voice heard. I'll admit that there may have been a time when I did not feel this way. But as you get older and gain life experience, you often begin looking at things through a different pane of glass. I really want to thank you for taking the time to write this story, Sadie! I look forward to more of your work.

-Scott