UPDATED with Reader’s Reactions
California’s Supreme Court was right to drop Jessica’s Law, @latimes editorial board says. Jessica’s Law — California’s version of it, anyway — was a mess from the beginning. Voters here adopted it (as Proposition 83) in 2006 because they mistakenly believed they were cracking down on horrific crimes against children. They were urged on by nightly harangues from national TV commentators who campaigned on-air for swift action following the rape and murder of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford in Florida, a crime that touched an especially sensitive nerve here because the circumstances nearly mirrored the nightmarish killing of Polly Klaas in California a decade earlier. But emotional outpourings of fear, revulsion and collective guilt too often translate poorly into policy and law, and that was surely the case with Proposition 83. Full Editorial
Good article, maybe people are starting to “get it”? If this info could just get to the pea-brains in Sacramento. They’re all like the lion in Wizard of Oz, they have a roar, but no courage to do what is right.
Sunday edition of the Times is a pretty good start.
Thank you, L.A. Times for speaking the truth and recommending that your readers focus on the facts, not the myths, regarding registered citizens, in general, and residency restrictions, in particular. My favorite statement in the article is: “Public officials and commentators freely label any sex offender as a “predator,” implying that each such person poses an equal risk to the public and thus must be equally restricted and supervised. Clearer thinking, based on data rather than emotion or demagoguery, would serve California better. I would add to that statement: “would serve California and the Constitution better”.
My summary:
The proponents of prop 83 were so concerned about looking like they were for children, they failed to take the time to make sure their law would actually protect children. Because of their cavalier attitude they put children, families and the Constitution at risk. Would you leave your children with these
“Proposition 83 had such broad appeal in part because it ignored those kinds of distinctions. Little thinking was required.”
And it’s really, really clear that “little thinking” by those pushing prop 83 and the public went into this. Proponents and the public always employ “little thinking” and just react.
“Californians can be forgiven if they keep their safety and that of their children foremost in their minds, ahead of justice for criminals.”
Oh yea? Tell that to the families of everyone that have been murdered simply because they were a registrant or an incarcerated suspect. I think this state and the f-tard feds owe us some $$$ for the callous and cavalier disregard of our rights.
This one is straight up laughable!
“But behavioral science and criminal justice research have come a long way since the 1940s. It was once thought that people convicted of crimes involving sex suffered from disorders that made them constant threats to re-offend; or at least that it was impossible to distinguish between those who did pose such a risk and those who did not.”
It appears this authors is unable to distinguish between “have come a long way since the 1940s” and “has spiraled downward to a level of outright Nazism and burning witches at the stake.”
Hey! Somebody’s gotta to be the bad guy! 🙂
Where were articles like this before the Jessica’s Law vote?
Emotion? That’s only part of it. Here’s the real arrogance in action that brought about this mess.
The War on Megan’s Law
So.. it’s an “insult” for SO’s and their family members to feel safe inside their own homes? So basically, ALL sex offenders have to be castigated and their lives destroyed because of the actions of Megan’s killer.
It’s truly sad that Megan’s mother actually believes that this law somehow keeps honors her daughters’ memory and keeps her from dying in vain. When truth be told, every time someone is made to register, her memory is being defiled by making her legacy stand for fear, ignorance and hatred! Not ONLY does this law NOT prevent the same thing that happened to her, it compromises real and actual safety for perceived safety and security of stranger’s children! This is reckless endangerment by making SOs soft targets, sitting ducks and lightning rods for maniacs with guns and other nefarious intent.
Depriving a person of his/her sense of safety and security – inside their own homes – borders on torture and terrorism.
So you see.. it’s the child “safety” advocates that need curtailment in America and be disallowed to fall into the hands of opportunistic lawmakers using the victims’ personal bias stories to craft vengeance and hate legislation that actually makes society less safe. Megan’s Law does the community a tremendous disservice and undermines the Constitution and everything it stands for.
Mention children and switch the brain off.
“If it protects one child.”
Well, then make the Catholic church illegal.
Given that I blame the mass media for most if not all of this hysteria involving registered citizens, it is very encouraging to read such intelligent words coming from an editorial board governed by a mass media outlet. This is a very good step in the right direction.
According to a 2003 report by the Department of Human Services, hundreds of thousands of children are abused and neglected each year by their parents and caregivers, and more than 1,500 American children died from that abuse in 2003—most of the victims under four years old. That is more than four children killed per day—not by convicted sexual offenders or Internet predators, but by those entrusted to care for them. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, “danger to children is greater from someone they or their family knows than from a stranger.”
If journalists, child advocates, and lawmakers are serious about wanting to protect children, they should turn from the burning matchbook in front of them to face the blazing forest fire behind them. The resources allocated to tracking ex-felons who are unlikely to re-offend could be much more effectively spent on preventing child abuse in the home and hiring more social workers.
Eventually this predator panic will subside and some new threat will take its place. Expensive, ineffective, and unworkable laws will be left in its wake when the panic passes. And there are very few who are trying to protect America from that.
No law, rule, policy, code of conduct, or guideline for anything should be based on emotion.
The “problem” with society today is being created by, society. The new trend is to pigeon hole or categorize everybody. The geniuses who believe this is the answer didn’t factor in how quickly one runs out of real estate, or what the ripple effect and mentality of this kind of thinking does to society. The NIMBYS (Not in my back yard)are everywhere now. We polarize people we “think” will not benefit us. It has become a holier than thou society. If you are a this or that, we marginalize those people. I hope there is an awakening; that we are all in this together, traits and behaviors are created and shared by other humans. This mentality causes violence and is creating a ripple effect in our society right now. I hope something or someone pulls everybody together soon. It is an extremely unhealthy approach to fellow human beings.
Well written article. Let’s face it, there are some bad people out there. Although, as most people are unaware, there are high risk, serious and other/non disclosable offenders! So, there is a big difference between some guy who breaks into a home and assaults someone as opposed to the idiot at the massage parlor or guy who flashed his neighbor. Most people are unaware of this and don’t comprehend the magnitude of some of these crazy laws. Posting someone’s personal photo and address is serious business. You are potentially endangering the persons entire family or even a neighbor ect. Furthermore, we have victims families ect who never want to be victimized again, yet you can impose every law you want, but if someone is out of control and wants to break the law, they will and can! As I’ve mentioned before, when people are working, marrying and starting families, they typically become decent hard working and law abiding citizens. Those who aren’t working and are homeless typically are more prone to acting out! So, California needs to continue to wake up and realize a tiered system must be instituted so that registered citizens can eventually fall off the registry of they walk a straight and narrow road.
This is a question(s), would appreciate any knowledgeable answers! If your “crime” was a misdemeanor, and they only list your zip code when registering, are registrants required to tell new landlords that you are a registered offender? I ask because many landlords assume the address is going to be published. Thanks in advance.