Hooray!
The Georgia Supreme Court unanimously struck down a state law Wednesday that limited where registered sex offenders could live, ruling that the statute was so restrictive it unconstitutionally deprived the offenders of their property rights.
Can I just say that this rocks? Yeah, you all think I'm a sicko now. But "sex offenders" have become the lepers of modern American society. yes, some of them have done really shocking things, and shattered peoples lives.
and gone to prison for it, and gone through treatment for it, and maybe they are sober for years now, and are doing really amazing things with their lives. And nobody cares. Because they are a (oh my god) "sex offender". Meanwhile, nobody prevents George Bush, Daniel Murphy, or Dick Cheney from living in any particular neighborhood, despite the things they've done or instigated which are *way* worse than anything even the most heinous sex offender in the country has ever done (come one, argue with me here)
They're not the bogeymen we make them out to be. They're not monsters. They're human beings who have fucked up. Like the rest of us. Period. Hooray for the Georgia supreme court!
6 comments:
Just because the politicians you mention may be bad, doesn't mean that what sex-offenders do isn't also bad, and a grave danger. Mr Bush will have to have security guards for his own safety for the rest of his life, so he's not totally free. (Not that I justify in any way what has happened in Iraq, I just think we have to protect the vulnerable whatever they are and that may be uncomfortable for previous offenders).
We don't have these laws in Oz, but if we did I would probably want to know if a known sex-offender was going to come near my kids.
We have to have police checks if we want to work with kids in any way, but of course so much abuse happens within private homes and is unreported.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and Megs and give her a hug from me.
Kate
The question is how communities can live with people who have taken one of the most precious things - children's innocence - from them.
I agree with you that the sex-offenders have rights, but then it is understandable that few parents want them around their children.
People who sexually molest children have a condition that does not allow them to offend only once. It's worth pointing out.
Kate,
It's totally reasonable, as you say for people to be made aware of the fact that a sex offender is moving into or living in the neighborhood. But that's different from restricting where they can live to such an extent that they can't live anywhere.
Joe
I hear you. I think it's a good question. And I think finding the answer to it is part of becoming more human.
Stephy,
I'm wondering if you mean that A. Sexual offenders rarely offend just once. or B. Sexual offenders can't *stop* offending. Because I agree with A., but B seems a pretty big stretch. There are *lots* of people who have offended, been through the system, honestly worked through treatment, continue to work through treatment, continue to have accountability, and *do* stop offending. I know 2 such people myself, and they are fully human people, just like you and me, who in one sense have a level of self awareness and a committment to remaining human which I hope to emulate.
Well of course I meant A, and I certainly wouldn't leave my daughter with any offender, no matter how long ago they'd last offended.
Stephy,
yeah. Me neither. And of course the responsible ones wouldn't *let* you leave your daughter with them.
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