Sex Offender? Your life will be a living hell.
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Topics not related to music
Forum Name: General discussions
Forum Description: Discuss any topic at all that is not music-related
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=55729
Printed Date: November 28 2024 at 04:53
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Sex Offender? Your life will be a living hell.
Posted By: stonebeard
Subject: Sex Offender? Your life will be a living hell.
Date Posted: February 19 2009 at 19:43
|
Read this story: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123500941182818821.html - http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123500941182818821.html I can't believe things like this are legal! And murderers have it better off than people who had sex while one was under 17? These laws are ass-backwards. Georgia is treating these people like dogs or less, and should be utterly ashamed. Even if someone rapes and kills a child, he should be either told to get out of the state or stay in the state, not peddled around and scrutinized on every little action, especially if there's no account of good behavior. This is a silent injustice. The tyranny of easily-scared voters with no concept of decency. ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Replies:
Posted By: Equality 7-2521
Date Posted: February 19 2009 at 19:45
|
Yeah I always think its a tragedy when someone gets funny looks in the supermarket after an innocent night of child rape and murder. ------------- "One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. " |
Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: February 19 2009 at 19:48
^ Typical comment I was expecting.  ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: February 19 2009 at 19:56
|
I agree with Stonie on this. I am not condoning it, of course not. However, people make mistakes. Some people also want to sort their lives out after doing something like this. Are they not allowed that right in some cases? The multi-offenders, sure, they deserve to be punished more. It all depends on the individual case. Also some people get branded as sex offenders when they're not one, just because some 14 year old doesn't like you, or something. It does happen. Mud sticks. -------------   
|
Posted By: Equality 7-2521
Date Posted: February 19 2009 at 20:10
I don't agree with the policy for the record. I find the whole sex offender registry very suspicious and offensive on privacy grounds. But I hardly feel bad for the people on it, except of course those few unfortunate cases. Don't expect sympathy though. ------------- "One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. " |
stonebeard wrote:Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: February 19 2009 at 20:13
|
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/01/13/sex.offender.lottery/ - OR YOU'LL WIN THE LOTTERY! But seriously, yeah, that is disgusting. Once you're out of prison, you've paid your debt to society. |
Posted By: Henry Plainview
Date Posted: February 19 2009 at 20:17
|
The problem is after you say the words "Sex offender" people think "Pedophile", and after that word, peoples' brains instantly shut off. There are some very interesting stories about large organizations like the CIA or even the Church of Scientology spreading rumors of someone being a pedophile in order to discredit whatever it is they are trying to supress, since that is not a rumor you can ever quash. And of course, the woman whose daughter was brutally abused thinks we're not going far enough, and while a terrible thing happened, she is not judge jury and executioner. :/ James, the actual rate of false accusations is another interesting question, but I believe the general consensus is it is not very high for the most part. For whatever reason, it is very difficult to say "I was raped" in our society. ------------- if you own a sodastream i hate you |
Posted By: zappaholic
Date Posted: February 19 2009 at 20:25
|
First off - child molestation should be a death penalty crime, along with murder and rape. Sorry, but that's what I believe. (And I tend more left than right.)
Having said that, I will say that paranoia is at an all-time high with regard to sex offenders. The definition of what constitutes a sex offense has broadened to such a point that even urinating outdoors can get you branded a sex offender in some communities, and thus ruin your life.
I generally choose not to talk about personal stuff on this forum, but I'll make an exception here. I am 41 years old, male, single, never been married. Given this information, many people would assume I'm gay, which I am not (not that there's anything wrong with that).
I would NEVER, EVER do ANYTHING to harm a child. I have a niece and 3 nephews. But when I am out and about among the public (almost always alone, mind you), and there are children about, I feel like I have to stay away from them and not look in their direction. Paranoia about sex offenders has escalated to such a point that ALL MEN are suspect. Unless a man is accompanied by a wife or girlfriend, and perhaps his own kids, he'd better watch everything he does, because all it takes is ONE accusation, no matter how baseless, and his life is destroyed forever. I've heard tell of men getting daggers stared at them, simply because they were out and about with THEIR OWN KIDS, without their mother around.
How have we allowed things to get this crazy, and is there anything that can be done to stop it?
------------- "Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard." -- H.L. Mencken |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: February 19 2009 at 20:40
Well said, ZH.  I agree with the second part of your comment entirely. However, some sex offenders are indeed married with children, so it's not just single men who do it. You know that though. However, the media do not portray it as such. Also, if for some reason one of us men was to accidently come across an indecent image or two (and it could happen) and we got caught (again, it's possible), then that person would get falsely branded for doing something completely by accident. -------------
|
Posted By: Henry Plainview
Date Posted: February 19 2009 at 20:49
|
Actually exectuting them would be better than making their lives impossible to live.
"Stranger Danger" The best part about the hysteria is that the vast majority of rape is done by someone the victim knows, usually fairly closely. ------------- if you own a sodastream i hate you |
Posted By: TheCaptain
Date Posted: February 19 2009 at 20:52
|
I know a guy who is unfortunately branded a sex offender. He was at a party one night and had a little too much to drink. Of course one thing led to another so he went streaking where unfortunately a parent and child were out walking and saw him. He's now a sex offender. Well, that's my story. Awful story but whatever.
------------- Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal. |
Posted By: Henry Plainview
Date Posted: February 19 2009 at 20:55
|
That is unlikely because of the way they tend to target people, as far as I know. But if the FBI continues http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-9899151-38.html - this tactic , you could be rickrolled to jail. ------------- if you own a sodastream i hate you |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: February 19 2009 at 21:00
|
What a lot of people also seem to forget is that women often are offenders yet nobody looks at a woman in a strange way 'cause they think she's a sex offender. -------------
|
Posted By: Henry Plainview
Date Posted: February 19 2009 at 21:05
I suspect the reason why men overwhelmingly are the rapists and the murderers is probably best left to another thread, though. ------------- if you own a sodastream i hate you |
Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: February 19 2009 at 21:09
|
Yes, I didn't mean to generalise too much. It generally is men but I was just indicating that it isn't always. -------------
|
Posted By: jammun
Date Posted: February 19 2009 at 21:24
|
Well there is always Mary Kay, from my neck of the woods:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Kay_Letourneau - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Kay_Letourneau
Of course we constantly see the same thing with male teachers, sports coaches, etc.
|
Posted By: Henry Plainview
Date Posted: February 19 2009 at 21:31
Although the few instances of female offenders tend to be very highly publicized. And you do have a good point James, women do offend as well. And I understand the mental shortcut of ignoring them, but the mental shortcut of ignoring who actually commits these crimes frustrates me a lot. ------------- if you own a sodastream i hate you |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: February 19 2009 at 22:48
|
I'm a rather strict conservative (who drinks an awful lot, but yeah, yeah)... Anyway, I think this: [...]under state law, can't live or work within 1,000 feet of a church, school, day-care center, skating rink, park, swimming pool or any other place where children gather. is retarded. Can the felon go to church? Can he go skating? Can he swim anymore? Seriously- if a man sexually assaulted my child, he wouldn't have any of the above options at all. But still, why say a man can't live close to a church? Can he not go to a church? Is he not available for repentance and hope? ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Henry Plainview
Date Posted: February 19 2009 at 22:53
|
I don't think that's unusual. ;-)
I assume it's because there are youth groups and such, but yes, it is odd that the "Bible Belt" would bar people from practicing their religion, although I guess you could it in your home. Then again, when I drove to Florida to visit my grandparents, Georgia was the only state with billboards for a strib club by the highway. And there were a lot of them. ------------- if you own a sodastream i hate you |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: February 19 2009 at 23:06
I-85 is pretty nasty for that (so is 95). I understand the reasoning for preventing a sex-offender from being around children. But does that keep him away from attending church? And what if he has his own children?  Honestly, this law is the greatest example of good intentions that do nothing. ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: February 20 2009 at 01:36
And Missouri has the gall to call themselves "the show me state". Seriously, pedophiles and rapists on a registry like that I don't have too much of a problem with. Would make more sense to have them wear a monitoring device. Or a psychological evaluation(s) to determine if they are rehabilitated or would continue to pose a threat before imposing those restrictions. Putting teens on one for fooling around is just ridiculous. |
Posted By: Easy Livin
Date Posted: February 20 2009 at 02:54
|
This is clearly a sensitive topic, and I would ask you continue to post with restraint and maturity.
Please also bear in mind that is is certain that we have members who have been directly affected by sex offenses of many different kinds.
|
Posted By: npjnpj
Date Posted: February 20 2009 at 03:34
| If children are involved, I don't give a damn about the offenders, I'm strictly on the children's protection side. |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: February 20 2009 at 06:46
Absolutely, the real issue to ponder here is does this law actually do what it's intended to do. I was on a jury in Georgia last year that involved a defendant that was 30 something and had what was three counts apparently "consensual" acts with a teenager over the course of a couple of days. I will refrain from the details, fortunately for him, he took a plea on the day we had assembled for the trial, and the teenager was spared from having to testify. If he had not done so, the judge said he was going to get a life sentence if we found him guilty and suspect we would have. As it is, he's going away for 30 years and will be on the registry. Is this guy going to be a threat to teenagers or younger when he gets out? I don't know. He's pretty much wrecked his life being a jerk anyway. I don't know if being on a registry will protect children when he gets out or not or even if he would actually be a threat. Seems like in this case it may be just piling on, but I think the judge made a good call. Just glad I didn't have to make the call. To sidetrack this discussion just a little, Georgia is one of three states that bans drinking alcohol sales in stores on Sunday, but allows it in bars and restaurants. One of the reasons put forward by defenders of the band is that if it's lifted there will be more drunk drivers. Seems to me that forcing drunks to go out and drink puts more out on the road than if they could get some on a Sunday and do it at home. If you live in a county on the border there's a state close enough by where you can get it and bring it home on a Sunday. Actually if you listen to other arguments it's really just a thinly veiled attempt to have a personal religious belief codified into law and is a violation of church and state separation. Of course given the current makeup of the US Supreme Court, highly unlikely it would be struck down if a challenge were to make it there. ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
|
Posted By: The Doctor
Date Posted: February 20 2009 at 06:59
|
I don't really have much sympathy for real sex offenders, but the law goes way too far in some circumstances labelling certain people as sex offenders. Mr. Noles is just one case. It is my understanding that urinating in public in Florida can be considered a sex offense if you're spotted by someone who takes offense. And come on guys, we've all gone behind the bushes after a long night of drinking. ------------- I can understand your anger at me, but what did the horse I rode in on ever do to you? |
Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: February 20 2009 at 07:54
Hell yeah Indiana too!  ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: February 20 2009 at 10:10
------------- |
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: February 20 2009 at 10:19
|
^ Whatever happened to the constitutional rights? Someone commits a crime and is sentenced accordingly. Then, after spending decades in jail, these persons should not not be treated any differently than innocent people. *Unless* their psychological condition makes it highly likely that they commit violent crimes again (as it's the case with some sex offenders), in which case they should simply not be released from prison / custody. Any way you put it, to release them and subject them to lifelong harassment is *not* a civilized solution.
------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: Queen By-Tor
Date Posted: February 20 2009 at 10:45
| I think some people are not bothering to read the article. This guy had sex with his girlfriend who willfully committed to it and they even got married later! My parents are 6 years apart in age and this guy was only 3 years apart from his girlfriend. That's just wrong what they did to him. |
Posted By: The Pessimist
Date Posted: February 20 2009 at 11:17
|
I still think he should have used a johnny or something. Just common sense really, I mean who would want to have a kid at 17? Not me for one thing, and most people I hear of have kids that young due to carelessness. On that note, he should have thought it through better. Having said that, the laws are completely ridiculous. I don't even think a prison sentence was worthy, let alone the further punishment. I think life has its way of punishing some people enough, and having to look after a kid at 17 with a 14 year old is pretty hardgoing enough. Not saying that kids are a punishment, but they would have definitely learned their lesson.
------------- "Market value is irrelevant to intrinsic value." Arnold Schoenberg |
Posted By: Henry Plainview
Date Posted: February 20 2009 at 11:22
The thing is, we don't know how to rehabilitate the real sex offenders. Even if statuatory rape and the other relatively minor offenses were struck from the registry, the laws are arguably excessive, as we don't impose such restrictions on murderers, but on the other hand, we can't "cure" them so we have no idea what they will do. Not that a law prohibiting them from going within 1,000 feet of a pool will actually prevent them from going to the pool to molest people, but I guess we are obligated to try. ------------- if you own a sodastream i hate you |
Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: February 20 2009 at 11:27
Exactly this. The whole idea of prison is that, once you get out of it, you have paid your debt to society and are, for all intents and purposes, an innocent person. |
Posted By: Henry Plainview
Date Posted: February 20 2009 at 11:31
I think parole type restrictions are fair. Society is saying that we trust you enough to let you out of prison, but not enough yet to do whatever you want. The problem is when they go too far. ------------- if you own a sodastream i hate you |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: February 20 2009 at 11:32
That's the thing: If a person murders someone and gets out of prison, they aren't blacklisted from society, are they? ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Pnoom!
Date Posted: February 20 2009 at 12:24
I agree with this as well. But that should be decided on a case by case basis (with guidelines to help the judge decide), not as a blanket rule that ruins the lives of people who've paid off their debt to society (and perhaps even more than that). |
Posted By: TGM: Orb
Date Posted: February 20 2009 at 12:39
Absolutely. |
Posted By: Garion81
Date Posted: February 20 2009 at 13:33
|
Sometimes the laws go to far but overall I see no reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Maybe what is needed is a board that people like the one in the article state to appeal them having register publicly but need to register with the local police. Whenever there is a suspected child abduction the authorities should have a list of people that have already committed such crimes to interview. I am sorry but I feel that is a necessary evil and parents should know about where the real bad ones are. I certainly wouldn't let my kid walk past one of their houses alone. ------------- 
"What are you going to do when that damn thing rusts?" |
Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: February 20 2009 at 14:01
|
I think there is a big difference between a child molester / murderer and two kids of 17 and 14 having sex. People should realize this can happen when people are young and discover their sexuality. There is absolutely no reason to ruin someones life forever because this happened. -------------  BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
Posted By: BroSpence
Date Posted: February 20 2009 at 18:21
| Thats ridiculous. Both people were under 18, and consensually had intercourse. No one should have gone to jail for that. And no one should have to be oppressed by laws that are targeted towards people that actually did something horrible to children. Clearly, something must be done about this. |
Posted By: The Doctor
Date Posted: February 20 2009 at 18:28
|
Yeah, whatever happened to the idea of expunging the crimes of minors from the record (even if you could consider this a crime)? Here's something I found interesting in the article:
"But state law at the time said it was statutory rape for either an adult or a minor to have sex with someone under the age of 16."
So if they were both 14 at the time would they have both gone to jail and both been labelled sex offenders? ------------- I can understand your anger at me, but what did the horse I rode in on ever do to you? |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: February 20 2009 at 18:47
| You know, being deep in the US immigration issue, I have seen what can happen to people who try to petition for a foreign spouse or fiancée when being tagged as 'sex offenders' for having had CONSENSUAL sex with someone underage. I would say that putting these people on the same level as REAL sex offenders, and to all intents and purposes sabotaging their lives, is totally absurd. |
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: February 21 2009 at 02:13
In Germany we have laws that *in theory* mean that offenders who are suffering from conditions that make them a threat to society are not released from custody after their time in jail ... instead they're transferred to mental homes. I think that's the only sensible thing to do - if someone molested a child and is bound to do it again, you simply must not give him a chance to do so. But what you're doing over there - releasing them and then constantly harassing them and exposing them to angry/scared people - simply doesn't make much sense to me. Having said that, I should also say that the situation isn't perfect here ... we have those laws, but the difficult part is obviously to determine whether someone poses a permanent threat to society (no rehabilitation possible) or not. ------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: February 24 2009 at 10:37
|
Hey! These weirdos are incurable. I`d better not say what I would do with them here.
------------- |
Posted By: TheCaptain
Date Posted: February 24 2009 at 17:51
|
I'll say that if you ever have to live next to a registered sex offender or you ever encounter one, make sure you get their story and a police record. Sex offender paranoia is a problem and here's a list with a few examples: http://theirtoys.com/sexblog/sex-offender-paranoia-weve-gone-too-far.html - http://theirtoys.com/sexblog/sex-offender-paranoia-weve-gone-too-far.html Also one more story from social news site reddit.com (which is where I got the above article)
------------- Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal. |
Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: February 24 2009 at 18:41
|
There is often an hysteria about sex offenders. Hug a child and give it a kiss, especially if you are male, and you become a sex offender. There are some other forums Jean and I are on, and when I remarked on one of these forums that we bathe with our kids some people behaved as if we were sex offenders. Goddess, there is nothing more natural than a mother bathing with her kid, especially if it is a small kid. And I would have no problems bathing with one of my daughters in about 10 years. We have a big tub which easily allows two grown ups to bathe together, and two kids will also fit in provided they are not too big. Our kids are becoming a bit too big now, so we either need an even bigger tub or have to give up the habit of family bathing. We always had lots of fun bathing together, and it was definitely NOT sexual fun ------------- BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: February 25 2009 at 15:59
------------- |
Posted By: mrcozdude
Date Posted: February 27 2009 at 01:39
[/QUOTE] Man Ordered to Move Because of Public Urination 20 Years AgoThat one^ I find absolutely ridiculous.If i were in America i'd probably be deported for the amount of times I've urinated in public.Never in a city centre mind. Thats Not to say the laws are only absurd in America ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/cozfunkel/" rel="nofollow"> 
|
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: February 27 2009 at 02:34
laws are NOT simply laws. there is always the words of a law and the spirit of a law. a law is made for a purpose; If a case arises where following the laws to the letter would simply be absurd or inhuman or contrary to the purpose then it is high time to think of the spirit of the law. "laws are Laws" also is the cheap excuse some people who committed what we call crimes today during the Nazi era but which were perfectly legal then. would you agree with them? I don't, though I admit it may not have been easy to choose in a given situation back then. and in today's world we live in a very different situation than the people during the Nazi regime in most countries, and choosing is definitely easier -------------  A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |