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April 15, 2005
National Registry Proposed
Don't have a heart attack, but for once I agree with Sen. Feinstein.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., told FOX News on Thursday that she agreed that the "Amber Alert has been amazingly successful," but added that Lunde's disappearance, the fourth missing girl in such a short period of time, "points out a big problem and we need to take a look at it. There are clearly people out there who shouldn't be out there and we need to find out why."
Good question, Senator. Why indeed. Congress is proposing a national registry for sexual offenders, with increased monitoring of those released. A good step forward. But I frankly don't think it goes far enough.
Why are these predators being released into society to begin with? Any therapist who works with these people will tell you, the honest ones anyway, that rehabilitative therapy rarely works. That there is a high likelihood that they will re-offend.....some with increasing levels of violence. So why the hell are they out in society?
And don't give me that tired old argument about "they've paid their debt to society". Bullshit. The few months or years they actually serve don't even begin to pay for the lives they've destroyed. Besides, the problem isn't the debt they've paid, it's the fact that more likely than not, they are going right out and run up another substantial debt. Much like an alcoholic with an limitless bar tab.
But they have a compulsion they can't control, you might say. Absolutely. No argument there. They do. And some of them, the ones that haven't completely gone over to the Dark Side, are as disgusted by what they do as you or I. They are just as mentally ill as Ted Bundy or any other serial killer. But you know, we don't pat serial killers on the wrist and let them move into our neighborhoods. The fact that they can't help it doesn't mean we should let them back out into the world to do it again.
A national registery and improved tracking is fine for lower level, less likely to re-offend sexual offenders. But the Level 3 & Level 4 ones should never be allowed to draw another breath of free air. Ever. Lock 'em up & throw away the key. Put them away where they will never have the opportunity to re-offend. And if a child is killed as the direct result of their crime, automatic death penalty.
Harsh? Maybe. But I happen to think our children are worth protecting....that their right to not be molested, tortured or murdered trumps the right of some sick bastard to get out of prison & go trolling for his/her next victim(s).
And that it's about damn time we made our government do something about it.
And please don't toss out that old canard about how they should be castrated. One, that is barbaric. Two, and more importantly, it doesn't work. (Trust me, if it did, I'd be first in line with rusty scissors.) Their compulsion has nothing at all to do with sexual organs. The things these people do to children (and adults) with things other than a penis would make you vomit. Repeatedly.
Short of a pre-frontal lobotomy, which I'm told is cruel & unusual punishment, the only sure way to keep a sexual offender from re-offending is to keep them away from the victims. Permanently.
Posted by Rita at April 15, 2005 01:18 PM
Comments
You've got that right.
Adults who prey upon children?
Honestly, I would pull the switch myself.
Posted by: Toby1 at April 16, 2005 06:27 PM
RE: "there's more". Yeah. My girlfreind tells me that chemical castration was abondoned in European countries because it was found that fatalities INCREASED amongst victims of re-offenders. They couldn't satisfy their urges and took the frustration out on the victim. Doesn't work.
Posted by: Toby1 at April 16, 2005 06:39 PM
Nope. Doesn't work because it eliminates the wrong organ. Lobotomies work, but you can't do those here.
Posted by: rita at April 17, 2005 12:32 PM