I Shouldn't Have Done It
Ricky Walters, better known to hip-hop fans as the eye-patch wearing rapper Slick Rick, received a full pardon today from New York Gov. David A. Paterson. In the early 1990s, Walters was sent up the river for weapons possession and the attempted murder of his cousin. Since then, the feds have been trying to deport him to his native England. Here's what Gov. Paterson has to say:
Mr. Walters has fully served the sentence imposed upon him for his convictions, had an exemplary disciplinary record while in prison and on parole, and has been living without incident in the community for more than 10 years. In that time, he has volunteered at youth outreach programs to counsel youth against violence, and has become a symbol of rehabilitation for many young people. Given these demonstrated rehabilitative efforts, I urge federal immigration officials to once again grant Mr. Walters relief from deportation, so that he is not separated from his many family members who are United States citizens, including his two teenage children.
I'm curious what reason readers think. Does this humble immigrant deserve a second chance? Or should we send him and other lawless foreigners back to their native lands?