ABSOLUTELY! Yes in society’s eyes. You wear a scarlet blood red capital “C”. People will debate and say no. I know no one will admit to it but, if asked in private knowing your answer was secret safe. Would you invite a criminal to your home and entertain them with dinner as one of your guests? Don’t lie, hell no you would not!

Now comes the debate right? Depends on what they did. Just for the sake of that argument let’s just take it to the level of felony. Now keep in mind you don’t have all the facts and intricate details of the case in question. You don’t know if they took a plea deal for a lesser charge. Maybe they did not even commit the crime. they copped a plea though because their lawyer could not prove their innocence. There are innocent people in prison. Granted very few but, it does exist and been known to of happened.

Yes, once you are categorically placed as a criminal you always are. It will show, manifesting itself to you in everyday life. When you apply for things such as a job, credit,bank accounts. Also when you do major things like apply for a home-loan or just renting a house. They say there is a thing called the fair housing act and equal opportunity employment. Then you come across it, the question on every application. Have you ever been arrested? That is always followed by: Have you ever plead guilty to and/or been convicted of a crime? If so, when and for what? WOMP, WOMP, WOMP! Game over! You are out! Then comes the infamous ,”We are just taking applications right now. We will give you a call when something opens up or becomes available.”

Now most people are open to body language. This high payed executive is lying through his teeth. Pulling on, at, and playing with his tie the whole time he is speaking to you. I remember during a job interview them wanting to run a background check. He slid a piece of paper across the desk so I could authorize this check. I slid it back to him telling him everyone has a past. I asked if I could run one on him. This did not upset him. I think it took him aback and maybe threw him off guard a bit. Then I felt like interviewee turned therapist as he divulged his alcohol problems and D.U.Is. Which I might add were after he gained said employment. Also after his initial background check was done. Herein lies a problem too.

Everybody has a past. You are not your past. According to that piece of paper though you are. That is you. You are that same individual. Just visualize something hypothetical with me here. Let’s say you have an individual that has a lengthy criminal past. They have a car accident that leaves them with brain damage. Now when running a background check are you going to see them as their record? NO! No you are not. So in the same token, someone that has a lengthy record that is doing all the right things. Are they going to get the same benefit of the doubt? Absolutely not! So yes, a criminal is always a criminal. I did allow the background check. I was employed with the company.