> They said they were saving abused animals from farms, not doing violence to people. I don't think the crime should matter at all. We, as a society, decided l

> They said they were saving abused animals from farms, not doing violence to people. I don't think the crime should matter at all. We, as a society, decided long ago the justice system is the means by which we mete out punishment. So long as they served whatever punishment, if any, was arrived at by verdict of a fair trial/court of competent jurisdiction, refusing to hire someone who has committed certain crimes is a de facto additional punishment for which that person was never given any opportunity to defend themselves from (and that's morally wrong). Moreover, how are these people supposed to become productive members of society again if nobody offers them a job? Should they only work "those" jobs, not "my" job? Or be forced to find out if they are competent entrepreneurs? The parent's viewpoint is too extreme for any instance. (This topic has been written about, and I feel like has even topped HN a few times, though I am struggling to find a good citation at the moment.)