There’s a good discussion still going on, and you can join in on it if you subscribe to the WSJ site (it’s free). I’m happy to see that national attention has been brought to this issue which really boils down to the name “Felony Franks” and the fact that a lot of people don’t like it for what ever reason. I don’t understand why people don’t like the theme – those hot dogs painted on the side of the building are very personable, and I kind of feel bad for them.

But let’s get down to the brass tacks here. The media attention is good for three reasons. One – it draws attention to the fact that there is a large amount of reform needed in the area of felony laws, especially those relating to non-violent and “victimless” crimes – if you can say that. Two, it further exposes corrupt politics in Illinois and Three: It exemplifies and exposes the [sometimes] insurmountable problems facing small business owners today in America. The alderman has absolutely no right to deny Jim Andrews his right to put a sign up nor does he have the right to deny him the zoning approval to do the curb-cutting for a drive through. On another note, Father Pfleger, who has always been missing a few nuts and bolts needs to keep his mouth shut. Obviously he doesn’t understand what’s going on here, and I’m making it my personal goal to do a whole string of articles dedicated exclusively to him and his misdeeds.

Anyways, if you have questions you’d like to ask Jim, leave a comment and I’ll see if I can squeeze them into the interview. If not that, maybe support him by stopping by and grabbing a bite to eat with some friends one of these weekends – after all, the food is “So Good, It’s Criminal.”

-Dan

Felony Franks has been in the news several times over the course of this year, and a few people don’t like what Jim is doing because they think it “glorifies crime.” I, like most people completely disagree with that idea. I think Felony Franks is a great idea, and Mr. Andrews hit the nail on the head when he decided to hire convicted felons. In the United States, once you’re convicted of a felony you’re branded for life. You will have a very difficult time finding a job, and those who do are in many cases taken advantage of which is just not right. Whether you’re a felon or not you’re still a human being and you deserve a second chance. There are a lot of laws that need to be changed, and we’re going to expose them in the interview and it’s accompanying post.

A good case in point is a [true] story that Jim told me on the phone when we last spoke. I don’t remember all of the details, so I’ll paraphrase: There was a man driving down the highway, traveling somewhere. His destination is irrelevant, but it is noteworthy that he was an upstanding citizen. As he was driving he had to urinate, but could not find a place to stop. I’m not sure if he had a medical condition or not, but some people do – some people HAVE to go within minutes of the sensation. The man found an establishment on the side of the road and pulled over. It was not open, so he walked around to a place where he would be out of sight and relieved himself. That was that, and he got back in his car and took off. Some time later, he was arrested; the establishment that he had stopped at had a security camera which recorded his act as well as his license plates.

The story is an outrage! I can’t count on two hands how many times I’ve done the same thing myself. Sometimes you just have to go! I also heard a story of an undergrad student who was studying to become a teacher, his lifelong dream. He was out partying one night and did the same thing and was caught by the campus police. He was convicted of indecent exposure and cannot get a job teaching because those who commit “sex crimes” can’t be around children. I don’t think child molesters should ever be allowed to teach or be anywhere near children, but this was a guy with a great upbringing, good grades, and a passion for teaching.

We need your help in the form of questions. What would you like to ask Mr. Andrews, the owner of Felony Franks and a paper company who only hires convicted felons? Any questions are fair game, though we may not be able to get to all of them in the interview. Please leave the questions in the form of comments on this post – you’ll be helping out a lot!

You can also help by stopping by the Felony Franks website, and by dropping in to grab a bite to eat. Business is tough for everyone right now, and there’s less disposable income so why not put your dollars towards a good cause?

I thank you ahead of time for any comments, questions and support you give. It takes a lot of people to make a change.