| Topic Name: |
Sex Offender Hysteria |
| Message Name: |
Lots of emotion with this... |
| Date Posted: |
05/04/2005 |
| In Reply To: |
Good point... Considering I have seen so many lame sex offender stories lately...
This is what we do worst -- add perspective to the story... Why are they on the list? How many of them are seriously at risk for offending again? Talk to cops, they know which ones you need to keep an eye on, and which ones would likely never offend again... Why do most lists never include what the person was arrested and eventually prosecuted for? Sure, it's easy to scare people, it's a heck of a lot more difficult (and more important) to give it some perspective... |
| Message: |
Like many other stories we cover in this business, we seem to gloss over important facts that can be an important part of the story. I agree with hejduk22. When we do a story on a sex offender, it's all about the "sex offender in your neighborhood... be scared cause he's gonna get you." We never bother to look at whether this person is really a threat. We just lump all offenders together. What we need to do is exercise restraint and perspective. There are some offenders out there who should never be let out of prison... ever, and those are the ones we need to follow. But, not every sex offender on the list is a time bomb. In my state, a few years ago, an 18 year old boy had sex with his 16 year old girlfriend and got her pregnant. Of course, he gets convicted of statuatory rape and now has to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. C'mon!
I also want to know why we watch sex offenders like hawks, but give murderers and drug dealers the right to go wherever they please. Seems to me, a drug dealer can mess up a child's life about as much as a pedophile. And yes... I would like to see people convicted of theft put on a registry, as well. I had both my house and car broken into. It took me months to get back a fraction of what I lost. Plus I spent a hell of a lot of money to do it. Granted, a thief is not a pedophile, but ask anybody who has ever had their tv and stereo ripped off and I think you'd be surprised at what they'd do to the guy who did it.
My point is... if we register one group of criminals, we should register them all.
Just my 2 cents.
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