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To: GAGOPSWEEPTOVICTORY
It stinks of ex post facto to me.

Well, I KINDA agree.

Being on the registry is no doubt unpleasant, but it isn't done as punishment, it is done as a service to the community. RE: all the other databases you were talking about, I think they should exist for any crime that involves predation. The government has no obligation to protect predators from the natural social consequences of their actions, and hiding public records for the benefit of predators smacks of conspiracy.

The problems with the registry are many, IMO. Chief among them is that they ARE used as punishment, as is the "predator" label. An example comes to mind wherin two 13-year-olds were put on the sex offender list for having sex with eachother. Nobody was "warned" of anything by that, the purpose was to humiliate the kids publicly.

Another problem, at least locally, is that you can't really tell the difference between someone who only said no 5 times to an agressive 16-year-old, then gave in, and someone who raped a 9-year-old.

So the problems are many. But, at the same time, I have a problem with the abrogation of the social contract by which the government operates. As citizens, we say, "Okay, we'll put down our torches and pitchforks and let you handle this in a civil manner." But then this judge says, "The only way you are going to remove these predators from your midst is with lynch mobs, because I won't let you LEGALLY keep them away from your children."

I think the whole system needs work. But at least most places aren't as bad as that epicenter of corruption and criminality, SC's shameful blight: Newberry County.

58 posted on 02/10/2004 1:34:11 PM PST by Yeti
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To: Yeti
The pracitcal problem is that the registry, while admittedly a service to the community, also carries with it some affirmative obligations on the part of the offender. It's not as simple as being a compliation of public information, which I would take no issue with whatsoever. Under most statutes, if the sex offender does not register in a timely, it's a misdemeanor or a felony offense. To me, it's just dangerous precedent to add this condition after the fact.

I also agree with you about the issues of the registry itself. All of the offenders are lopped together from sexual battery (like grabbing a boob, to consentual sex of two minors, to rapists, to child molestors.
61 posted on 02/10/2004 2:58:19 PM PST by GAGOPSWEEPTOVICTORY
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