Mondale Concedes to Republicans in Minnesota and the Republicans gain control of Congress.

What a disappointing day. We shudder to think at the ramifications for criminal justice reform and civil liberties' protection.

We really need to make a strong grass-roots effort to take back our government. If not for ourselves, for our children and the millions of politically disenfranchised and marginalized citizens and residents of this country.

Statistics from the Department of Justice show that 3.9 million felons are currently or permanently disenfranchised. That's a lot of potential votes--enough to affect the outcome of an election.

Here are the actual numbers on the impact of felony disenfranchisement from the recent report by the Sentencing Project:

· An estimated 3.9 million Americans, or one in fifty adults, have currently or permanently lost their voting rights as a result of a felony conviction.
· 1.4 million African American men, or 13% of black men, are disenfranchised, a rate seven times the national average.
· More than 2 million white Americans (Hispanic and non-Hispanic) are disenfranchised.
· Over half a million women have lost their right to vote.
· In seven states that deny the vote to ex-offenders, one in four black men is permanently disenfranchised.
· Given current rates of incarceration, three in ten of the next generation of black men can expect to be disenfranchised at some point in their lifetime. In states that disenfranchise ex-offenders, as many as 40% of black men may permanently lose their right to vote.
· 1.4 million disenfranchised persons are ex-offenders who have completed their sentences. The state of Florida had at least 200,000 ex-felons who were unable to vote in the 2000 presidential election.

Felony disenfranchisement laws vary from state to state. A grass-roots effort is already underway in each state. Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Mexico, and Texas are the latest states to make some positive changes. In the past two years, Delaware and Maryland have substantially scaled back their lifetime voting bans and New Mexico repealed its prohibition entirely.

That leaves a lot of other states that we need to work on, particularly Florida. We need to increase awareness among policymakers that the voting rights of all citizens are essential in a democracy.

Here are the basics: