Less than 72 hours ago the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the states 5th Circuit's decision and declined to hear a challenge on allowing "Certain" felons their unalienable right to vote. 

Shortly after, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves took to Facebook immediately to say, in a very demeaning manor, that he agrees with said decision. (pictured in cover image).

...and I quote: "If you've committed certain felonies, you don't deserve to have a say in how we run our state - it's simple as that."

The issue with this is voting, much like our MANY other rights, are SUPPOSED to be inalienable. So, my question is, when did our rights become alienable? When did we as humans (all men are born EQUAL) or Citizens of this country decide it was ok to treat other countrymen and women as "less than"? When did we decide our rights come in degrees? And where does it say this in our constitution?

Mr. Reeves holds an elected office that is supposed to represent the people of the great state of missisisippi. This comment not only shows his incredible bias, but demeaning nature to those he feels are obviously 2nd class citizens and do not deserve their rights to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness! Which are directly tied to our INALIENABLE RIGHTS and not being able to vote or have a say so in who runs our state or how it is ran is a HUGE problem in the eyes of the very Democracy that you all claim to love. Even though we are supposed to be a Republic. 

I, myself am a felon, one who made a simple mistake DECADES ago. Now luckily, I never lost my rights to vote. However; i am nowhere near the same person i was at almost 37 that i was at 18 when i made my dumb mistake and i am nowhere near the only one. Why on Gods green earth should i have to live as a 2nd class citizen just because of a simple mistake? While i did not lose my right to vote, they tell me i lost my right to bear arms. Which, in the state with one of the highest gun crime rates in the country and a family to protect leaves me walking an impossibly thin line. Do I exercise my right, protect my family and chance prison? Or do i not and chance someone taking my family from me in a gun crime that i could've prevented with my UNALIENABLE RIGHT?! Same thing as voting, same concept. 

Mississippi has a populous of just over 200 thousand people. To which 11% total of that are felons (not incarcerated). 16% of the entire Black Mississippi voting age people, cannot vote. Felony disenfranchising of the citizenship of this country is rising alarmingly as we continue to have the worlds highest rates of incarceration annually. However, Mississippi rans 3rd in citizen disenfranchisement in the United States. One of the only categories in which we rank higher than last or next to last place and its not even in a good way. 

Disenfranchising crimes include things like: Arson, Armed Robbery, Bigamy, Bribery, Embezzlement, Extortion, Felony bad check, Felony Shoplifting, Forgery, Larceny, Murder, Obtaining money or goods under false pretenses, Perjury, Rape, Receiving stolen property, Robbery, Theft, Timber Larceny, Unlawful taking of a motor vehicle. Statutory rape, Carjacking and Larceny under rental or lease agreement. 

A plethora of our countries U.S. Supreme court rulings already directly abrogate the ruling made by the very same U.S. Supreme court on this matter that prompted Mr. Tate's unnecessary response. Cases likes; Hurtado V People of the state of California, Davis V Wechsler, Miranda V Arizona, Shuttlesworth V  City of Birmingham, AL, Sherer V Cullen, Yick Wo V Hopkins, Murdock V Pennsylvania and Hoke V Henderson; just to name a few. These are all cases that have set past precedence's that are still withstanding and unchallenged as of today (01-30-25).

Furthermore, Marbury V Madison teaches us "that statutes which would deprive a citizen of the rights of person or property without a regular trial, according to the course and usage of common law, would not be the law of the land". The very same case law tells us that "The government of the United States has been emphatically termed a government of laws, and not of men. It will certainly cease to deserve this high appellation if the laws furnish no remedy for the violation of a vested legal right". 

See, for a law to be lawful there has to be Remedy & Recourse. In this America, we are constantly standing inside of hypocrisy and directly going against our founding documents. No elected government official has the right to alter or change a god given right. Only WE THE PEOPLE have that right as elected officials are only empowered by us to represent us! the created cannot trump the creator!!!!PERIOD!! 

GOVERNOR TATE REEVES,

WE THE PEOPLE of your great state demand your resignation from the office of governor of this great state as clearly you have no issue thinking your opinion and office powers give you the right to ignore the Constitution of the United State of America. Making us felons, yet again, second class citizens. We are STILL the only group of people in this country circa 2025 that can still be legally discriminated against in all areas of life. So much for equality huh??!! WE'RE TIRED OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU INDIGNIFYING US CONSTANTLY!!!! Y'all holler that prison is all about rehabilitation ultimately but give us no real avenues to pursue rehabilitation truly. All we're doing is preparing ourselves to come out of prison into a damning society who only wants to see us fails so it will give y'all something or someone else to talk about on the evening news. WE DONT PICK AND CHOOSE WHO CAN TAKE PART IN OUR RIGHTS!! ALL MEN (WOMEN) ARE CREATED EQUAL UNDER GOD!!!!!! Prisoners have no voting rights, for over 3 decades have had no real avenue of furthering education, etc. only to come back into society and HOPEFULLY you get lucky enough not to be a part of the recidivism rates with all the road blocks and negative connotations we endure. 

Sincerely, 

A MISSISSIPPI FELON

C.O.O. of MCPVR (Mississippi Coalition of Prisoner Voting Rights) 

Tony Woodfin Jr.