Sex offenders are the foremost pariahs of our current day. In opinion polls, even intravenous drug users place higher. A recent series of high profile cases involving child sexual abuse have revealed the maddening frequency of the problem. My hometown newspaper now exists in electronic format, and as I read the local news, it seems that every other week brings a report of a new crime against minors. This is only the tip of the iceberg. Most are the product of incest, unreported, hushed up within families. The offenses that occur in a public setting, among those who aren’t blood relatives, most often make it to most peoples’ attention.
One of the few places sex offenders are welcomed and made to feel included are in houses of worship. It shouldn’t be said that the red carpet is necessarily rolled out for them. Yesterday, during Meeting for Worship, an issue that has lain smoldering for over a year once again took center stage. A frequently tone-deaf member of the Meeting implied strongly in her vocal ministry that the sex offender who has been Worshiping with us has no right to participate. He has provided no problems whatsoever for anyone since he began attending, three or so years ago. In her mind, exhaustive policies made to ensure child safety were a waste of time, since there was no way to contain the potential threat. Full Article
No person (even registered ex-sex offenders) are for anything that might harm children. Many registered sex offenders are parents as well and most offenses by those on the registry are NOT involving children. Remember these citizens after going through probation, therapy and time served wish only to live normal lives with their families. 95% of sex crimes against children aren’t from those on the registry but are new offenses by those in the families of the victim and by those known to the victim. The registered sex offender recidivism rates are only 1.9% according the the latest California Department of Justice report. California has the largest population of registrants in the nation (105,000 and growing). The DOJ is NOT a friend of sex offenders. So these stats are factual. Why do we have probation and parole Departments? It’s so that those that come out of jails and prisons must walk a hard tight rope up to 5+ years to ensure they’re safe to be back in society. The sex offender registry serves no real purpose other than to enact continued harm on these citizens and their families. The registry is a form of Living Death, it is Evil and it is wrong. It was started from a place of fear and darkness and continues to grow by leaps and bounds adding more and more punitive measures at the whim of any politician looking to get elected. The registrant is today’s new whipping boy for votes. There are children on that list as young as 9 years old. This adds to the sad truth of our country no longer being a place for second chances, liberty and freedom. The registry ladies and gentlemen is not a thing of freedom but of Tyranny! No wonder we have 50% of the world’s prison population with only 5% of the world’s population. In time either you will be a part of the criminal injustice system or have a job servicing it in one form or another. TRUTH. Wake up sheepeople The reason why so few re-offenses happen by registered sex offenders is due to those in law enforcement including probation and parole. Those people have a thankless job but it is one part of why those getting out of incarceration remain safe in society. I’m quite overt and out in front of fighting for the rights of those that have paid their debt to society. I should perhaps live in fear, but I took an oath as a 16 year Army Veteran (to fight against enemies foreign and domestic) not to give into terrorist, and in fact sir, yes those that support the sex offender registry are in fact terrorist (in my humble opinion). Terrorist come in many forms. One of them is in the form of spreading lies and partial truths. In fact the most harmful type of terrorist in our society are those that support these kind of draconian laws. In time I believe truth will rise above the lies like in the days of McCarthyism and the communist black list that had evil people like Lucille Ball on it. Perhaps he didn’t like her sense of humor. The other truth is I believe in the power of change. I believe one day we will be able to stand hand in hand with the most vile of former ex- sex offenders and recognize that the only constant in life is change and yes second chances and change can go that far. My fight is as much for that change in you as it is for that of the whole sex offender registry. Yes even for those haters out there, I believe they are worth fighting for as well. TRUTH.
Ignorance breeds fear. Fear breeds hate. That is what architects of these laws count on. Truth has very little chance in this arena.