Leave The Past Behind

Marrissa Swetlikoe
123 Green Ave,
Penticton, B.C.
V2A 3W1

February 10, 2011

John Smith
Mayor
City Hall 568 Main Street
Small Village, B.C.

Dear Mr. Smith,
Although I am not excusing Mr.Grass' actions, I do believe that by exposing his past to the town it may result in a disruption of the peace due to his numerous contributions to the wellness of the community.

His past acts are clearly inexcusable but I have no doubt in my mind that Mr.Grass lives with the guilt and grizzly images of those trying times in the concentration camp everyday. I'm sure one could say that the contributions he has made to the community stem from his haunting guilt however, without those contributions many families would become very distraught. By putting  Mr.Grass in jail you would indirectly be taking the food out of mouths of those in poverty. His monthly contributions to families struggling to make ends meat makes all the difference in the world to them, they rely on his generosity.

Also, exposure of his past may result in an uprising of the factory he himself built. Workers would have a moral dilemma of their own in whether it is right to work under a man who was once responsible for the deaths of 1,000s of innocent people, and who's blood money no doubt contributed to the building of the factory. You may in fact have a uprising or boycott of the factory putting almost your entire town out of a job.

And lastly, his past is his past. Everyone has at least one black mark on their record and I understand his is a major one but either way, it is clear he has changed. A criminal is put in jail in order to change and then set free; Mr.Grass has been in his own personal jail and has evidently changed so he as well must be set free. Leave the past in the past and simply focus on the future. Mr.Grass' grandchildren do not need the guilt of their grandfather on their shoulders. Leave it be and keep the peace.

Thank you
Marrissa Swetlikoe