Hey, isn't honesty ALWAYS the best policy? I think so, regardless of the consequences. If the offender has been through the system, there is no double jeopardy, so it's not like they are really being persecuted for the same crime twice. Neighbors have a responsibility to be forgiving, but not stupid and careless. I mean really, how many people are REFORMED in the justice system? Many end up coming out of it worse criminals than they went in. Sure it should be public knowledge. Wouldn't you care to know if someone who had been prosecuted for child rape was living next door to you if you had a child playing in your back yard? This would not give anyone the right to judge, or to harass, but just to be cautious. The problem with this scenario is the lack of forgiveness and support. Maybe if this former criminal were accepted, and people tried to reach out to him/her, they may find love and acceptance that they never had before, and their hearts would change, so that they were no longer the dangerous person they once were. Optimistic, I know, but that's the way it's supposed to work. If this offender is humiliated and persecuted and harrassed by neighbors and the public in general, then what would be their motive to change or reform? It seems that they would end up even worse off. So, in summary, I would say let the people know the truth, but the truth is a big responsibility to handle. What the people do with that truth is what matters. They can react sensibly, or they can go on a witch hunt.
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God loves you and so do I!
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God loves you and so do I!