Posted on 07/22/2005 4:56:57 AM PDT by Former Military Chick
This is a waste of time! They can still harm children and will have even more rage to fuel their behaviour.
They need to be kept in jail forever or executed.
My ambivalence to the death penalty does not extend to those who murder children (I have 3). Funny how that works.
Won't fly.
There's that little bit in the US Constitution about "cruel and unusual punishment." Mutilation was exactly what that phrase was intended to prohibit.
They will win the lawsuit.
Dead men can't sue (or reoffend).
I just heard a story about a man who was convicted and had to register as a sex offender. I don't remember the state.
A little girl was playing near the street and ran out into the street into the path of an oncoming car. The driver narrowly missed the girl and jumped out of his car to chastise her. In the process of doing so, he grabbed her arm. He was charged with involuntary restraint of a minor and was required to register as a sex offender. Under this law, I guess he would have been castrated as well.
Our system of justice is based on deterrence through punishment, not revenge. While this might seem to be a deterrent, I would offer that if we imposed longer jail terms and then actually had convicted offenders serve their time, this would probably be unnecessary.
I wonder if there is language in the bill regarding repeat offenders. If we are talking about a three strikes law, there is probably some wisdom in it. Obviously repeat offenders are not going to be deterred by jail time, so at that point, it is time to take more drastic measures.
Finally, it sounds like knee-jerk to me. Politicians who want to appear to be proactive on all the heartbreaking stories we have heard on the news lately. Being politicians, they are largely ineffectual and this was the best they could manage, not even addressing the real problem and solution as I mentioned above.
Riley's in trouble with his constiuents for trying to raise their property taxes, they haven't forgotten; and Judge Roy Moore is coming on strong. He needs something to look tough on and nobody can really argue against it, but if I recall correctly castration can be done by chemical means as well as with a knife.
Once you approve a law which requires mutilation for this one crime, you will have variations of the same demanded for other, less appalling crimes. Just consider our criminal property confiscation laws if you want to see how a trend gets out of control. Soon, Sharia Law and American jurisprudence will look the same - completely ugly and subject to gross abuse.
"If they're so concerned about sex offenders, especially those that molest children, why not just lock them up longer? What's next, cutting off the hands of people convicted of theft?"
I agree, I don't want western civilization becoming like primitive barbaric middle eastern civilization. Besides I've read countless articles stating sexual deviants even if castrated would still attack children and women, etc., because the violent act isn't about the sex, it's all about "control" over their prey.
This infuriates me.
I believe that when a person commits a crime against another person he chooses to sacrifice his civil liberties, some of them permanently.
It seems to me that a person who's been convicted of sexual abuse then serves a sentence, and then is released at the end of that sentence, doesn't deserve to have all of his civil liberties restored.
It's perfectly reasonable for him to sacrifice, for example, complete freedom of movement by having to wear a tracking device, or to lose his freedom to have sex by being castrated.
After all, by his crime, he stole civil liberties from his victim. Those victims will always have restricted freedoms because of emotional scarring.
You don't need to castrate them. You just need to lock them up permanently.
Can you cite an instance where a woman committed a violent sex crime against a child under age 12?
It may have happened but it would be extremely rare.
I think you're right. What would stop a castrated male lunatic from finding another way to fill his perversion?
Supposedly, neutering calms a male dog and takes away the desire...but human with a proven evil track record? Who knows?
Castration of sexual offenders is becoming more common in the US. I do not not believe it is effective in stoping convicted sexual offenders from repeating their crime.
If we are to believe that sexual assult of any kind is not just about sex, instead it is all about power and control over an individual, castration is pointless. During my criminal justice studies, we were introduced to cases where a person has gone through surgical and chemical castration as a means to prevent them from offending again. Castration did little to stop those who were hell bent on repeating their crimes. Instead of using their sexual organs, they resorted to other parts of their body or inaminate objects to abuse their victims.
I fully believe their are only two ways of preventing recidivism of sexual offenders. Life in prison without the possibility of parole, or my choice, the death penalty for any person convicted of sexually abusing a child under the age of 16.
Castrate them from the neck up
The bill does not go far enough. In addition to castration it should mandate life in prison without parole. It should also include the provision that when a death occurs during the commission of the crime, that the death penalty is mandatory.
Because we know that "without parole" is almost never enforced, upon release a tattoo should be placed on the forehead and the back of the hands consisting of the letters "CM" in red 3 inches high so that convicted sex offenders can be identified immediately.
The bill does not go far enough. In addition to castration it should mandate life in prison without parole. It should also include the provision that when a death occurs during the commission of the crime, that the death penalty is mandatory.
Because we know that "without parole" is almost never enforced, upon release a tattoo should be placed on the forehead and the back of the hands consisting of the letters "CM" in red 3 inches high so that convicted sex offenders can be identified immediately.
Overcrowded prisons. Of course, we could build more prisons, but while we like to lock 'em up, we don't seem to like paying for it.
"Look forward to reading what my fellow Freeper's think of this?"
"...after release from prison."
I don't agree with this part. ;)
A long term permanent solution must be found.
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