When I was growing up and misbehaving, my grandmother used to say, “Watch it! You’re extremely close to being put on my ‘S&*T List.’” That warning was always enough to curtail my objectionable activity and to keep me from finding my name on my grandmother’s unenviable ledger. I was not exactly sure what would have happened had my name been inked in my grandmother’s register, but it was clear from her tone that shame, fear, and regret would have been part of the torment. Her cautioning emphasized that a list punctuating poor conduct was intended to be punitive.
Near the end of Arthur Miller’s play, “The Crucible,” there is a powerful scene between John Proctor, the protagonist who has been accused of practicing witchcraft, and Thomas Danforth, the Chief Magistrate. Proctor has decided to avoid The Rope (hanging) by signing a document that confesses his sin as a witch. Upon learning that Danforth plans on publicly posting his confession to the church door, Proctor refuses to hand over the signed document. When Danforth conveys that the confession will not be valid unless it is nailed upon the church door, Proctor responds with, “I confess to God…God knows how black my sins are. I have confessed myself! Is there no good penitence but it be public…You [Danforth]are the high court, your word is good enough.” And when Danforth continues to insist that Proctor’s name be secured to the church door for proper testimony and wonders aloud why Proctor will not allow for his name to appear in public, Proctor exclaims, “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” Danforth’s insistence that Proctor’s name be made public spotlights that posting his name was part of the punishment. The Salem Witch Trials provided insight to the extensive damage that came along with public shaming via lists on church doors: personal lives were devoured; and families were shattered.
Miller was no stranger to being “listed.” During the era of McCarthyism (named after Senator Joe McCarthy) in the 1950’s, Miller refused to name “names” (Communists) during a congressional hearing and was subsequently blacklisted in Hollywood. Miller’s placement on that ignoble list prompted him to travel to Massachusetts, and research The Salem Witch Trials. Miller later admitted that “The Crucible” was an allegory to McCarthy’s oppressive tactics. McCarthy’s List brought staggering struggles for those that were on it. Many lost the opportunity to work in any capacity for years. Those on the list had their names and legacies wrecked.
Currently, as the battle against the Registry rages, it is important to point out that the Registry is tantamount to punishment. Recently, in a ludicrous explanation, the 10th Circuit explains, “The statutory text itself explains that ‘it [was] not the general assembly’s intent that the information [contained in the Registry] be used to inflict retribution or additional punishment on any person,’ but rather [the law] was intended to address ‘the public’s need to adequately protect themselves and their children’ from those with prior sexual convictions.” The whole point of incarcerating someone is to punish that person AND protect society from that person. Once that person has been released from prison, any official attempt to serve notice to the public about that person’s crime is extending retribution.
Lists that include names associated with prohibited behavior are antagonistic and harmful. A “Most Wanted List” is intended to lead to the capture and punishment of those on it; a “Detention List” posted in a classroom is expected to shame and punish those on it; and even Santa Claus has a “Naughty List” that is designed to expose and punish those on it. The creators and supporters of The Registry understand the destructive power it infuses into society. And it is their callous disregard for honorable justice that has led to colossal calamities. State and Federal Governments can gin up any pomp and circumstance they want regarding the notion that the Registry is only instituted to protect the community; it is unadulterated hogwash. The Registry is punishment. Anyone who believes otherwise is officially on my grandmother’s “S&*T List.”
Very well written. Everyone knows the registry is punishment. All judges and DA’s know it. It is one of the greatest fears that someone should be on “The Registry.” Everyone knows it is the scarlet letter, and it may have started out in some other manner, but it has morphed into something very different. Nobody with a Price Club card fears getting assaulted or killed due to their membership, nor do they get denied housing, employment, or access to social interaction. The entire DOJ is continuing with a nod and a wink that the registry is just a manner of keeping people safe from those who may or may not have offended a child a decade or three ago.
Excellent post! People need to understand how the registry is a pointless burden/punishment on registrants and their families.
Being placed on the sexofender registery is definitely punishment u can pick any sexofender liveing in California from middle class to the dirty smelly homeless guy living behind the dumpster and made a documentary on every day life on the list and documented all the horrible and phuct up sh@t one gose through to survive in California it would scare the hell out normal every day people living in society mostly parents with young adult children ages 17 to 20 who’s lives can eazyly be ruined by this sh@t list.
With everything going on in America today Law Enforcement has found themselves public Enemy #1 I guess you can say there getting a taste of there own medicine and yes not all cops are bad cops just like not all people on the sexofender hit list are SVP’S or pedophiles but because all cops are placed on the same list as Law Enforcement Police have found themselves under attack by Society cops are being shot beaten rocks throne recorded and shamed some even prosecuted the Irony yep Karma is a biitch and this is just the beginning of change to come.
Sexofenders in California need to man up they cant hold us all forever America is allready in turmoil people from all walks of life are standing up and protesting against unjust laws racism and law Enforcement’s obsessive abuse of power 90% of people forced to register knows this more then anybody in America why are they so so quiet.
Law Enforcement has ruined so many people and their families lives enforcing these 290 registration laws with no remorse and you best believe once things in this country start to calmed down and Law Enforcement is no longer under the scrutiny of the public eye they’ll continue placing their boot on the necks of sexofenders
good luck
This S&*T list from one’s grandmother is correct in many standard & poors areas or does life at times throw us all a curve. Did we always listen to grandmother in her many views or keep an open mind to isses that can crop up in life.
In this article of topic it talks about the crucible. Well I was just trying to understand this death of a salesman and what it was all about. Sure Miller was a good playwright and yes their is a lesson in everything if one opens their eyes.
I am like many of you all on here and I can’t understand a lot of this registry bolderdash or should we all go back to gin rummy or go back to the days of moonshine and ukkeguak whiskey or Gleason saying I’m gonna barbequet your Ass.
So who wrtes this sex offender ordeal in many of these robberies of the conscious. Many good things can come out of the registryif one looks at all the good, bad, and the ugly of this regitry. One could talk about vain glory issue’s, quota issues, prevent measures, unternet usage measures, or abusive measues. After 10 or so are all these registries black and white or some blue law of past decades.
I’m still learning about McCarthysm my dad spoke about in some view’s during that era. If helping people in a good way with much of this oxymorish offender is good than we all should stand up to brig brother. Now I’m sounding like some of those hippy freaks but didn’t they promote love. What does the sex offender promote in many ways. As one lady on her said “if” it saves one live. So what is this pandemic doing today.
I’m going to let everyone here in on a secret which no one in law enforcement, the courts, government, mental health, or any other area of expertise will admit.
Not one person anywhere in the world is able to convince anyone else of any viable solutions to the root problems and implement them effectively.
Starting with a somewhat simple example:
A person is walking in a parking lot to their car. Someone runs up to them and takes off the coat they were wearing revealing themselves to be completely naked.
Someone reviewing the details of the incident might believe the problem is the indecent exposure, but is it? Most people would agree the exposure was improper. However very few reasonable punishments would have any impact on preventing someone else from doing the same thing (for whatever reasons) in the future. Yet in the world we live in this is about as good of an outcome as could be expected. Except what society hopes for is to deter or divert someone (even the same person) from this behavior in the future. Unfortunately no toolsets exist socially, legally, through mental or physical health services, business, or any other avenue to successfully stop anyone from inappropriately exposing themselves to anyone seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years before they even think about doing so.
Right there is the biggest hurdle because if and that’s a big if in plenty of instances, the root problems are understood nothing anywhere in the world has been implemented to prevent them from becoming of concern in the first place. Instead the reaction is punishment in hopes of deterrence, which often doesn’t work as conceptualized for any number of reasons. After the fact monitoring and tracking and supervision that just like the punishment doesn’t address any of the causes let alone seeks to make a difference in the future. Counseling with curriculum too broad in some cases, narrow in others, acquainted, inapplicable in some respects more often than expected, and rarely backed by the kinds of data it should be for it to be utilized so much.
Until actual solutions are in use to the root problems everyone is stuck with all the BS lists because sadly for now they are the best societies have allowed to be put into practice. If anyone was able to lay out ways to actually stop someone who is currently 5 years old from potentially murdering another person at 43 a decade or more prior it would undoubtedly launch an effort to apply strategies for outright preventing crimes way before they can happen.
I was listening to someone talk about deep thinking. Placing someone in a certain place with “evidence” showing them being in a particular location when in reality they never were there. Now we have technology of your voice that can used to make you say something you never said. When I heard that I thought about the movie Tango N Cash and how much FUBAR society would be at the hands of evil people.