[Alexander Rubin]

Ummm...No?

Please stop.

They have records for a reason.

[RockinRight]

Here's a thought...stop comminning crimes...

[Americanexpat]

Seems to me they shouldn't be able to get a felony expunged. What about child molesters, sex crimes, murder, etc.?

[nathanbedford]

Maybe they can get this guy to efface General Forrest's record, selectively of course, and then they can leave the general's statue intact and his bones undisturbed in the park in Memphis.

[wideawake]

U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis of Chicago, whose district includes stretches where 70 percent of black men aged 18 to 45 have a criminal record

It's whitey's fault.

[ikka]

The San Francisco public defender's office has a full-time lawyer doing nothing but expungements.Why?

[TXBSAFH]

If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

[Rodney King]

Earlier this year, the Rev. Mark C. Olds, who served time for bank robbery and manslaughter, launched the National Restoration Movement USA in Cleveland, holding expungement forums there and in other Ohio cities

I can understand expunging the record of a 35 year old employed guy who did something non-violent when he was 18, but robbery and manslaughter? This is nuts.

[Paradox]

Some crimes are legally expungable. If that is the case, then so be it. I know a nice white republican in good standing that has something on his record that needs expunging, who is otherwise a law abiding and moral citizen. So I cant say its something completely wrong or just something that blacks want done. Case by case I guess.

[Sonar5]

Well, I guess if Slave Reperations are off the table, they have to do something with their time.

This is Just stupid....

[ßuddaßudd]

Why not just rewrite history full of many great things so they can have some pride and do better in life? It is hard to grasp the whole 'I am a victim' mentality from my blue collar, been arrested, anglo background.

[Young Scholar]

Salahuddin is the manifestation of a nationwide movement to contend with a crisis: With unprecedented numbers of African-Americans carrying some kind of record, and post-9/11 employers ever more vigilant in checking backgrounds, black communities are choking with folks who remain blacklisted even after paying their debt to society.

A person doesn't "pay his debt to society" by going to prison; he costs society thousands of dollars a year for his living expenses while there. "Society" doesn't profit by sending people to jail; it performs an unpleasant task necessary to protect itself.

In my opinion, violent criminals and others who committed serious crimes (such as burglary) should never be able to get their records expunged. We can't keep people in prison as long as they could possibly be a danger, and society needs to have a way to evaluate the potential risk of hiring a person. The main use of expungement should be so people can remove smaller things that happened while they were young and stupid, such as drug posession and small property crimes. A person should have to show years of good citizenship to get anything expunged.

[Casekirchen]

Darnit, from the title, I had hoped that there was finally going to be something done about gansta rap.

[clearlight]

""It's just a fraud to suggest that America is the land of second chances, because clearly it is not," says Margaret Colgate Love."

It's just a fraud to suggest we live in Utopia, where there are no consequences for one's actions. Don't leaders in the African American community ever get tired of squealing about victimization?

[Triggerhippie]

The pharmacy across the street wouldn't hire him as a security guard when he told them about his drug conviction.

Did he expect the pharmacy would give him the keys to their controlled substances? Sounds like he is still using...

[SALChamps03]

Sounds like this guy has a pattern of lawbreaking going on in his life. If you don't won't a record, then don't break the law.

[RFEngineer]

"When he arrived at the first, he recalls, "I'm thinking to myself, `Somebody must be giving out food baskets here.' There were 700 to 800 people." "

This is the funniest part of the article, even funnier than felons not wanting to not be held accountable for their crimes.

[Looper]

A couple of things about this are absolutely absurd. First, why are tax dollars at the SF Public Defender's office being used for this purpose? The PD is supposed to defend those accused of crimes, not try to expunge records of criminals.

Second, I agree that someone should not be prevented from cutting hair due to a conviction, but I don't want any convict electricians, who will be working in homes (such as mine while I'm at work and my wife and kids are there) and offices (where they can pilfer things).

Third, as some have said, enough with the whining and looking to the past. Don't commit crimes, don't have kids out of wedlock, make your kids go to school, and you'll be surprised at how much things will improve.

[TheForceOfOne]

Hell, why don't we just abolish the entire justice system and let anarchy engulf America. No laws, no crime, no reason to wipe the records of murderers, rapists, etc. who roam the streets.

Good Fricken Grief!

[montag813]

I have no problem with this guy. You should expunge whatever you can get away with, just as your objective is a perfect credit rating and to pay zero taxes.