Illegal acts and Punishment

[The Radius Kid]

This could get touchy,but I have a question:

If you are found to have committed an illegal act[tried and convicted or not],should you be allowed to hold a position of authority,advisorship,or otherwise influence people and the way they think to your benefit or someone else's that may or may not benefit you indirectly.
We see it all the time,people commit crimes and are allowed to run for political office,advise large corporations,etc.
Yet they walk around thumbing their noses at the people they've wronged and keep doing what they're doing.
So who pays the price?
You and I of course.
So I've started a poll and welcome all opinions.
The little guys in this world may not get justice all the time,but at least they'll know they're not alone when they feel frustrated enough to vent.

 

[salvageV6]

Obviously it depends on the illegal act.....

 

[GNSCOTT]

Police officers are not allowed to work if they have a felony on their record and politicians have even more power. They should not be allowed to hold office with any felony. JMHO

 

[The Radius Kid]

Interesting point.
The people who are appointed to uphold the law are allowed zero tolerance.
But the people who make and shape the laws and to a lesser extent,the public's thinking,are allowed much more leeway.
Interesting.

 

[Two Lane]

FIRST, GET ELECTED...

Most politicians wisely wait until they're in office before committing their various felonies!

 

[bruce]

Get drunk, kill a gal by letting her drown,
hmm, the name Kennedy come to mind?.

Most of the senators and congressmen couldn't be a cop because of their legal problems.

Not to mention the ones that have no clue about what the Constitution is and means, but hey, even the Supreme Court's taken a nap on that.

 

[The Radius Kid]

I see some people have chosen to let the law look after them.
What happens if the law can't or won't deal with them?
Enron's a good example.
Destroy the documents.
Keep your mouths shut and play dumb.
Your money will be waiting for you in the Cayman's[or wherever].

What do people do then?
Many lost their entire retirement portfolios to these scammers.
Think they'll ever see their money again?
Not likely.
I see no justice in allowing a party or persons to screw people and then allow them to get away with it.
The government seems to be good at that[both Canadian and American].

 

[Matt Weiser]

Originally posted by GNSCOTT
Police officers are not allowed to work if they have a felony on their record and politicians have even more power. They should not be allowed to hold office with any felony. JMHO

I agree. In fact, I'd go one step further. I think elected officials should be held to an even higher standard, because their job is to MAKE and UPHOLD LAWS in the public interest. Therefore, anyone with a proven inability to heed the law should not be allowed to run for office. All candidates for public office should be subjected to a background check. If it reveals any criminal activity, they can't get on the ballot.

A good example is Darrell Issa, the creep behind the recall of California Gov. Gray Davis and who wants to replace him. I'm no fan of Davis, but Issa doesn't deserve anybody's vote. He seems to have a long background of criminal behavior and lying. That's enough for me to believe he should be kept off the ballot:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/06/25/MN2908.DTL