Did a Crime, Served Your Time Versus “It's My Business!”

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So here in Texas the politicians are making a move to "ban" the law where if you apply for a job and you have been incarcerated for a crime, the prospective employer can't ask about that. It's all in the name of giving potential job candidates (ex-criminals) a “fair chance”. Here was one reason offered. (It's what I heard.) Well the person did something when they were 18, i.e. had a “brush with the law”, and now they're 40 years old and what they did is still dogging them. * * * I don't buy that. First of all, from 18 to 40 is about 2 decades and I think by that time, anybody using their common sense can see that the prospective employee did not have a “pattern of behavior”. Don't get me wrong. Everybody should have a shot at redemption. But we have to weigh both sides. In my opinion, the scales are tipped in favor of the employer (and the other employees who are not ex-criminals). What's my rationale? OK. Let's say I'm looking to hire someone to work in MY company, where possibly my spouse and children work, because it's a family business. You're telling ME I can't thoroughly check into that person's background and use my own judgment to make a decision on whether or not I want to hire that person? You're saying if I decided not to hire that person because they have a criminal record, that I'm discriminating against them? Well the EEOC (Equal Opportunity Employment Commission) already said that. “Federal law does not prohibit employers from asking about your criminal history. ...” REF:eeoc.gov/laws/practices/inquiries_arrest_conviction.cfm According to our (American English) dictionary, the definition of “discrimination” is “the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex”. So you're saying, a business that I built legally with my own blood, sweat and tears, that I want to preserve and pass on to my kids, I'm being UNJUST for wanting to take precautions to protect that investment by choosing not to hire a person with a criminal record and I'm not giving that individual a “fair chance”? So now … me, the prospective employer … I'm the BAD GUY? I'm the business OWNER and I'm the one BREAKING THE LAW? Race, Age, Sex, Criminal. Which one of these is “not the same”. Sorry. I disagree with the current law/policy-makers. “It's My Business!” What does that mean? How should that be interpreted? ~ It's my business that I once got arrested for breaking the law and nobody needs to know because that's not giving me a "fair chance". OR ~ It's my business because I own the company and I have a right to protect my investment, my family, etc. “Supporters for "Ban the Box" believe it creates a larger work force base and helps integrate ex-criminals into society, but critics believe it represents interference into private business practices.” I agree with the “critics”.