It has happened again. An airplane has crashed, killing
everyone on board, including quite a few children. This has happened too many
times in the past and must not be allowed to continue. Clearly 
Furthermore, with this latest incident and the innocent
lives that have been lost on everyone’s mind, we should include
automobiles as well. Statistics show that more children’s lives are lost in car
accidents than plane accidents, so a complete outlawing of automobiles should
have occurred long ago. Think of the children that would still be alive today
had that been done.
And guns—that most sacred of subjects; I can hear the
yelling about constitutional rights, and logically I agree. I am a strong
supporter of our Constitution and the rights and protection it offers, but this
has moved beyond that. We simply must be willing to sacrifice some of our
rights in order to protect our children.
Knives should be included, and swimming pools, and even
bathtubs. How many precious lives are lost yearly by drowning?
More children die each year by any one of these methods,
many, many more, than are killed or even harmed by someone on a sex offender
registry. Yet the notion of eliminating travel by air or auto had those of you
who thought I might be even half serious shaking your heads in disbelief.
Yet let a legislator or any other individual suggest making
something else illegal for those on the registry in order to save one child,
and most of America jumps on it even though research and law enforcement show
clearly that such legislation is a waste of resources because it does not
address the very real issue of child sexual abuse. Studies show that
approximately 96% of newly reported sexual crime is committed
by those not already registered for a previous offense. Law enforcement knows
that virtually all sexual crime against children is committed by those in the
children’s lives in close and trusted positions, namely: 1) relatives; 2)
authority figures; 3) peers.
Why are we so willing to put our children at risk by putting
them in cars and planes, by housing them in proximity to guns and knives and
sometimes killing them ourselves with those same instruments, yet when it comes
to reforming a system that offers nothing in the way of protection against
sexual harm to them, we defend that system with every breath in our bodies? We close our eyes and cheer on the laws that blind us to
the truth and turn us in the wrong direction, and in so doing, we are taking the greatest risk of all.
I owe thanks to Larry for giving me the idea for this post. Thanks, Larry.
I really don't understand your post all that well. People die every day but than again are the police protecting those that have the misfortune of being in a plane or car and getting killed, I think those are called accidents or human error. Don't get my comment wrong. Saving kids is good but where does this all lead into the internet scheme. There must be a lead in somewhere so basically police go into adult chat rooms, lure and con those looking for teenager that want to have sex. Do teenagers go into adult chat rooms to pick up men that are 10 or 20 years older than them?
ReplyDeleteHere's another idea.. Police are suppose to be protecting teenagers yet they will go into adult chat rooms instead of teenage chat rooms. I can only think of one reason why an adult would go into a teenage chat room and I'm sure its not to save a child.
What I feel Shelly is basically saying is that people are more concerned with protecting children by means of these unjust laws and registry, which causes more harm and is a "Feel-Good" law that solves nothing, then they are of protecting their children at home when they have the capability at their finger tips. 300 children died last year alone in pools and spas in the U.S http://www.poolsafely.gov/drowning-deaths-injuries/ and an average of 20 children are hospitalized each day for gun injuries http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20140127/twenty-us-kids-hospitalized-each-day-for-gun-injuries-study Yet many parents refuse to have a safety gate installed around the back yard pool/spa..or store the firearm where the child can't get to it. But are so pumped up with fear when it comes to the registry, something that is of no protection to children, and new laws that.."If it saves just one child"
DeleteSloan44
You forgot 5 gallon buckets. More kids drown every year in 5 gallon buckets than have been killed by sex offenders. We need to see the end of the 5 gallon bucket!
ReplyDeleteWhat puzzles me is that the general public, who by every measure has an extremely low opinion of both the media and politicians,chooses to believe them on this one subject.
So many logical fallacies and inconsistencies surround this it often seems insurmountable.
They need to destroy the internets altogether! Afterall, if there's no internet, then there's no cheese pizza or captain piccard!!! Shut down the internet!
ReplyDeleteWhen i was a kid it was no big deal at all for parents, including my own, to let their kids go unattended to look at the toy section of a department store while the parents did their own shopping in another part of the store. my how things have changed since the 80s. now everytime i go to a store its not uncommon to hear at least one mother tell her kids "you stay where i can see you!".... not that that's a bad thing to be cautious, but hasn't we gotten a bit obsessive of stranger danger? yes, we have.
ReplyDeleteIn your opinion, what steps should be taken to prevent child molestation, rape, and viewing/ distribution of child porn? Morality aside, I would think the apparent horror of conviction, prison, and being on the registry would be an adequate deterrent.
ReplyDeleteExcellent question, and the answer may surprise you. The horror of conviction, prison, and being on the registry, at least during parole, IS an excellent deterrent. That is why the re-offense rate is so low for first-time offenders. All of those things have some value. It is the public registry, the community notification, that has no effect as a deterrent and is counter-productive to rehabilitation. 96% of sexual crime is committed by those not already on the registry, so prevention cannot focus on those already convicted if it is to be effective. Almost all child molestation and a very high percentage of rape is committed by those known to the victims, often in a close, even familial, position. Prevention would involve comprehensive programs of education and awareness in the schools and communities and public service campaigns flooding the TV and Internet--it's working for bullying. Viewing of child porn responds moderately well to treatment. The other aspect of it have a financial component, so that becomes a horse of a different color. The financial component must be removed, and for that I have no answer.
DeleteThank you for reading. Best wishes.
Thank you so much for your reply. I enjoy reading here.
DeleteAlso, while saving that ONE child, they are throwing away over 2 MILLION other children who happen to be related to a sex offender. No one cares that because of the registry and public notice, those children are bullied, collateral targets of vigilantes, denied educational opportunities, and denied a normal relationship with their parents when one cannot go to the park with them, watch their ballgame, take them to church, etc. or even support them or live with them. Over 2 MILLION children are being thrown away to save that ONE child who is not being saved by these draconian laws.
ReplyDeleteExactly. While photographing the Rally in Tally last week I was able to capture a touching shot of a child holding a sign that stated he was homeless due to the registry. As Lauren Book approached the capital it did not seem to phase her.
Delete'Did she notice?" I ask myself. So I sent her the photo, with comment on the sign, to her. It was retweeted time after time, there is no doubt she viewed it..no reply, she just ignored it..I guess only "Laurens Kids" matter to her. It just burns me up how she, and so many others, preach on how "If it saves one child" yet ignore all the "collateral damaged" children that are harmed by the registry. ALL children matter. Well if it will save "One child" the best way to start is by abolishing the registry which will put a end to these draconian laws.
Sloan44