Thanks, it’s super refreshing to hear this take. I fear where we are headed.

I robbed a drug dealer some odd 15 years ago while strung out. No excuses, but I paid my debt (4-11 years in state max, did min) yet I still feel like a have this weight I can’t shake.

I have worked for almost the whole time, am no longer on parole or probation. Paid all fines. I honestly felt terrible for what I did.

At the time I had a promising career and a secret clearance. I still work in tech as a 1099 making way less than I should. But that is life.

What does a background check matter when the first 20 links on Google is about me committing a robbery with a gun?

Edit: mine is an extreme and violent case. But I humbly believe, to my benefit surely, that once I paid all debts it should be done. That is what the 8+ years of parole/probation/counseling was for.