Friday, October 18, 2013

"But....it's okay to bully sex offenders, isn't it?"

Bullying is very much in the news right now. My friend Marie over at Notes from the Handbasket posted a brilliantly done piece today.

And someone called Scoot at wwl.com wrote a most thought provoking piece about bullying.

These are the jewels gleaned from his piece.

"It is imperative for every parent to teach their children the coping skills to deal with bullying. The first simple lesson is that nothing anyone else says to you, or about you, can actually change who you are."

"We now live in a society that has developed the collective belief that we have a right to go through life and not be offended by anything or anyone. There will always be things that offend us in life and no one should expect, or demand, a world that is free of things we find offensive."

"Our quest to achieve a politically correct society has contributed greatly to the idea that we have this right not to be offended. Younger generations have been protected and coddled by their parents’ generations to the point where they are no longer taught the emotional survival skills we learned."

These are tidbits that may more appropriately fit with the philosophy, with which I totally agree, of another blogger friend, Lenore, over at Range Free Kids.

But I started with the Handbasket Notes, and there I will return.

Those who are registered sex offenders, their children, and their families, know first hand about bullying. It has been an element in the suicide of many a person who is accused of a sexual crime or who was on the public registry and found life intolerable. It has been the cause of misery, torment, property damage, and actual physical assault up to and including murder for many, many more. Research done by Jill Levenson and Lynn University in Florida documents the extent to which bullying of registrants and their families has gone.

In the arena of cyber-bullying, that against registered sex offenders as a class exceeds any other. Any article about a sex offender issue draws comments that are vile and vicious. The Internet offers anonymity, and that is when our true natures come out. I cannot judge the condition of another's soul, but if what they write when no one knows who they are is any indication, their souls must be as black as the jaws of Hell.

"Too bad the shooter was such a poor shot!" This was posted on an article about a registrant being shot, barely escaping death, just because his name was on the public registry.

On an article about legislation to forcefully castrate sex offenders at their own expense, we have, "Make them pay for it? I would cut their balls off for free," and, "I would vote for this in a heart beat. In fact, I think these pricks needs to be stripped naked, marched through city streets to a public area where he will be on a high platform for everyone to see...." What follows turned my stomach and made me wonder if all humans really come from the same beginning.

And finally, on an article about a man who was just accused of sexual misconduct being beaten within an inch of his life by a mob, a poster nailed it: "If the government didn't want the registered sex offenders assaulted and beaten, they wouldn't have them register so the public can find them and beat them. I say every one registered should get same treatment as this offender got, if not worse!"

Out of the mouths of vigilantes.

7 comments:

  1. I concur, great article. :)

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  2. the same can be said for an offender who "bully's" a child for sexual gratification.

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    1. valigator you are wrong most sexual offenders that are on the registry are not child rapists there are some that are for adults please do not spread anything you don't even know nothing about. i will pray for you to change your ways before karma bites your heathen behind

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  3. Aiding some one to end there life convincing some one by thought or verbally - by law would be an a accessory . Why is megans law Laura Ahearn and John Walsh author of the AWA not responsible for the deaths and attemted murders of past registrants and their familes . Their laws to register act leaves these people targets that by law are not allowed to prorect them self or their family after time served . They should be brought to justice and face charges of promoting vigilantism for there product of false protection for profit . I can't understand why they are not in jail already along with the legislators who carelessly help pass those laws . Is that why they want to remove juveniles from the hit list , then that would really backfire would'en it .

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  4. I am on that list and yes it happened over 23 years ago. That being said i have been kicked out of 3 churches, treated unfairly at a job or 2, even lost contracts due to no other reason than i was a convicted sex offender, after they where signed i might add.
    I can't help but feel sorry for our society and the direction its going. Isn't what our society doing to us bullying? I thick yes it is no different than making fun of the weird kid on the bus, saying very hateful things to someone cause they are different. If our society is going to move foward towards a greater good.Then convicted sex offenders are a part of the whole picture and we need to be treated as an equal not like some kind of monsters. God created our bodies and minds to. I don't make excuses for being a convicted sex offender but to be singled out without cause and bullied is completely and utterly wrong. Just label us convicted felons that brings enough hardships as it is. To label is sex offenders creates an environment of hatred and witch hunts.

    A convicted sex offender

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  5. This is crazy. A sex offended put his lable as such in same boat a nerdy kid with glasses. I agree some offenders should not be on the Registry) How ever ALL offenses involving kids needs to register. Sadly what these comments that they feel bullied try says. People are not forgiving of child predators. Deal with it. Furthermore this sends a powerful message to those who even think about it. If this prevents even one child from being sexually exploited then the regisry is a success. It not about the offender.

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