A surprising number of nice adult people turn out to be drug dealers. They seem well-adjusted and might even talk about legalization in an abstract way. They’d even care if your kid overdosed and died from drug abuse. They’d probably bring over a casserole.
They just don’t happen to care enough about that to stop selling drugs before it happens, however.
Why would anyone choose to interact with a convicted rapist? Maybe I’m strange, but I sure as hell wouldn’t.
I’m not saying be best friends and invite the guy in for cookies, but while the guy does have a past, they’re neighbors now. And like everyone else has said in this post, it was before, so maybe the guy will open with something like, “I have a feeling I know the reason you’re here. I just want to tell you that I made a mistake years ago- no excuses. I’m trying to live my life right now.”
If he told me that, would I let him babysit? No, of course not. But it also might make the OP shake in fear just a little less. People make mistakes. We’re under no obligation to forgive them or trust them again, but we have to make reasonable accommodations for the folks we live with- if nothing else, for our own sanity.
Why would she thank you, you bad mother? Look!Even the Dope knows! ;)
I understand your point of view here. You are a better person than I. (Sincerely. No sarcasm) Personally though, I wouldn’t waste a minute of my time on someone with a history of violence. I wouldn’t place a bomb in his car, but neither would I answer his hello.
I think the issue there is this: what differentiates ‘a history of violence’ with ‘made a mistake/mistakes in the past’? The former phrase conjures up something ongoing and un-regretted–the latter, not so much.
As a random aside, I discovered that it’s a criminal offense in my state to use the Sex Offender registry for the purposes of enabling harassment of sex offenders who’ve done their time.
This. I have a deep-seeded loathing of sex offenders. There was one in my apartment complex: same building, 4 apartments down. I never talked to him or got to know him, but he was always around the neighborhood kids. My kids were young enough where they were with us all the time anyway, so it didn’t bother me much.
One day, someone who thought they were trying to be helpful came knocking on every door, advising that we had an RSO in the complex. I said, “Yeah? I know.” “Well, aren’t you afraid of him? Don’t you want him out?” “My kids are always with either my husband, myself, or both, so no, I’m not worried. Now you should get out of this complex, because you are violating his rights and I am calling the police.” I watched from the front window as she hightailed it out of the complex.
I wasn’t saying mine was to brag, more saying it to make the “gated community” point. My community isn’t gated - but you end up with yahoos everywhere and moving is no guarantee that your next door neighbor won’t get arrested for dealing drugs or smuggling guns.