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Oppose expungement of criminal records
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Posted on Dec 27 2011
As a citizen of the CNMI I am dismayed that a bill like the expungement of criminal records would even be proposed by one of our elected representatives. The very first sentence of this bill sums up its lack of logic. It states that “law abiding citizens of the Commonwealth are being unfairly burdened.” If these citizens are law abiding then why do their records need expungement? We need to ask ourselves several questions concerning this bill. What is the logic of this bill and it’s ramifications? What is the impetus for this bill’s introduction? Who suggested that maintaining criminal records is a problem? Specifically, whose past are we trying to whitewash? What is the message we are sending to the general public, especially our children? Are we saying that committing crime is okay because you can eventually have your criminal record expunged? Why must we continue to lower our standards in the CNMI, instead of raising them? As law abiding citizens, isn’t it our civic duty to teach our children what is right and wrong and inform them that their actions have lasting effects on their lives and the lives of their families?
Like most people in the CNMI, I am afraid to leave my house unattended. I am afraid to leave my car unattended. What kind of way of life is this? Instead of worrying about the feelings of the criminals, how about the feelings of the majority of your decent law abiding constituents who try to lead honest lives? And by allowing convicted criminals to occupy elected office, this bill will make a mockery of those very offices. Elected leaders are supposed to be a little better than the rest of us, not worse.
This bills author seems to be worried about the “rights” of convicted criminals. What about the rights of your decent law abiding constituents? Your constituents have a right to know the background of those criminals that live and work in their community that they come in contact with, either as public or private employees, elected representatives, or neighbors. How about worrying about us for once?
House Bill 17-52 will not serve the CNMI general public and has no merits and needs to be opposed.
[B]Herminia Matsumoto Fusco[/B] [I]Capital Hill, Saipan[/I]
