In saner times, what Josh Gravens did would be called “playing doctor” or “adolescent curiosity.” General embarrassment and a stern talking-to would have followed. And that would have been the end of it. But in this age of hysteria, the childhood misdeed will never end for Josh.
And now the city of Dallas considers making it worse by declaring a great majority of the city off limits for him to live. By extension, that would mean his wife and five children, too. Full Opinion Piece
From the same author:
Kids are being held captive by parents’ fears
We can do better on sex offender laws
“Josh said he was encouraged by council members who said they want to make a decision based on evidence, not exaggerated fears or political expediency.”
If I ever hear this from a city counsel here in the stupid state I do believe I’d fall out of my chair! The same goes if I ever see an article written here that is as factual and honest as this article is! The author is not feeding the boogeyman fairy tail. He actually has done some little research instead of listening to imbecilic “the sky is falling” crowd.
im·be·cile (mb-sl, -sl)
n.
1. A stupid or silly person; a dolt.
2. A person whose mental acumen is well below par.
3. A person of moderate to severe mental retardation having a mental age of from three to seven years and generally being capable of some degree of communication and performance of simple tasks under
adj. also im·be·cil·ic (mb-slk)
1. Stupid; silly.
2. Well below par in mental acumen.
“The term belongs to a classification system no longer in use and is now considered offensive.”
Perhaps it is considered offensive; but it fit’s so many city counsels in this state so, so well. I think the word needs to be dusted off and brought back into use.
As an individual, the biggest thing you can do is let your legislator know how these laws have impacted your life. Tell them what you have done to improve yourself as a person, how hard you have worked to move on, how certain you are that you are NOT a danger to ANYONE. Explain how doors are shut in your face when you apply for work, try to rent a room or apartment, or attempt to take classes at the local community college. If you are a member of your state’s advocacy group, they may be able to help you develop a public testimony for use at a hearing when a new law is introduced. Or perhaps there will be specific letters to write. The important thing is to GET INVOLVED. You can learn as you go along!