obviously, no felon is going to get caught as easily as the first time.....
so we don't really know how many kids have been hurt, now do we?
Well, my diatribe has to deal with convictions, since this our justice system mostly presumes innocence until guilt is proven. Would you rather change that and throw folks in jail without a trial?
What words would be more acceptable to you for me to use?
obviously, no felon is going to get caught as easily as the first time.....
That's obvious to whom, exactly? Since a convicted sex offender has his name, face and address posted all over town and in zillions of computers, I'd say it's probably easier to catch him the next time.
so we don't really know how many kids have been hurt, now do we?
You're right, we don't. But what's your point? Does this uncertainty give us all permission to grab the torches and pitchforks so we can go hunt down everyone we suspect might molest children? Should we treat all sex crimes equally, stringing every last one of them up?
The reason I'm debating this at all is not to minimize the seriousness of sex crimes or to defend those who commit them. But this subject seems to be one where all sense of reason regularly gets thrown out the window and people just want someone's head on a platter.
I just wanted to point out some actual facts in the hope that reason could make some headway against the raw emotion of the issue. We have already had enough witch hunts in our nations history. Sex offenders seem to have become the new witches of the 21st century.
Even though violent criminals, those who injure and kill people, are more likely to re-offend than sex criminals, we only hang a long-term stigma on the sex offender. Why isn't there a national homicide registry? Why doesn't anyone seem to be concerned about living next door to an axe murderer? Some of those guys serve their sentences and get out of prison too.
Also, many simply throw all sex offenders into one big pile and say, "Light a match to all of 'em!" It doesn't seem to matter whether the offender pinched a girl's rear or raped children. Some are even on the list because they had consensual sex with a girl only a few years younger than them, but who was a minor. But they still get lumped into the pile. "He's a sex offender! Burn him! Burn him!!"
All I'm asking is for a little thought and reason to temper the anger.
Not every sex offender is a monster. Not every sex offender repeats his crimes. Many of them can be rehabilitated. Rehabilitation does reduce the number of repeat offenders. Other kinds of criminals, including the violent ones, are more likely to repeat their crimes than sex offenders.
Those are the facts.
When does a criminal's sentence end? The law has a range of punishments, and a jury trial has sentenced the criminal to his punishment. But it seems that many folks want the punishment of a sex offender to be eternal, right from the start.
Forget the jury trial. Forget the law. Forget rehabilitation. Forget repentance. Forget forgiveness. String up every last one of 'em.
I just want people to keep the whole thing in perspective. That's all.