I don't agree with the "felon" law. Look at the guy that was CEO for S&W. Sure, he was (WAS) a felon but he turned his life around and became someone who pulled himself up by his bootstraps. Now, I know the anti's are going crazy (crazier?) over the fact that he is a felon in charge of a gun factory but I think that it helps to show that people do change their lives after "sowing the oats" as a young adult/teenager.
I think that most felon's stay that way because of the way they are treated after they pay their debt. Jobs are harder to get, once people find out (through the information act) that you went to jail for doing something stupid they tend to treat you different, you lose most of your Rights, so what do you have to look forward too? Not much so they just say Screw It and continue their old lifestyle.
Everyone screws up once in awhile. Some are never caught, some are. For those who paid their debt and the state/feds say that they are okay to get out of jail should have their full Rights restored, not just some, ALL. I would agree with a period of time, lets say five years, of "probation". If any felonies (not misdeamors) are NOT committed then they get full Rights. And the way things are going, more and more misdeamors are becoming restrictive to firearm ownership. If some of the new "sentences" were in effect back when I was a young adult, I would now be restricted. I got a $1000 fine and a 6 month suspension of my drivers license when I was 22. I just bought a firebird with a 305 engine and drove it the required 1000 miles at normal speeds. I then decided to "see what this baby will do" and round her out on a straight, lightly used road in NM.
Was clocked at 150mph in a 55mph zone
D) and was charged with "endangerment" and "reckless driving". In court the judge asked "why the hell did you do that" and I said, "Sir, was just "testing her out" to see what she could do. I'm sorry and it was just one of those stupid things that a 22 year old would do". He agreed, ordered the fine (which was fine with me, I was looking at around $10,000 for the charges in fines) and told me that since my father wasn't there to "whoop me" that he would impose the suspension.
Have you ever been with a brand new car and couldn't drive it... that hurt but I learned my lesson. Now days, I could have been barred from my Rights for that.
M