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by thebradleys from Semi-demi rural WCFL

Last Post 198 days, 22 hours Ago


Sex Offenders/Predators: Good Neighbors?
Feb 29, 2008 | 5:33 AM
Category: News
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Made ya' look. ;-)

 However, they soon could be coming to a neighborhood near you - if they aren't there already! We are seeing in the news again folks in an uproar over predators/offenders moving into their neighborhoods.

 Prevention of crimes against children is at the top of everyone's list right now.

 Communities are actually passing regulations preventing these criminals from residing within x-amount of distance from schools, etc.

We are experiencing radical budget cuts, with more heading down the pike, in almost every field of law enforcement. Change in the way things are handled costs money. A lot of it.

If we jail them all, we would have to build hundreds more prisons, staff them, and be prepared to spend about $35K per prisoner per year (thereabouts).

I also heard somewhere along the line that for every 1 we know about, there can be as many as 3 (or so) we do not.

These people cannot be rehabilitated. Ergo, can they be productive members of society? Would they be allowed to be even if they could, or shunned?

In the back of my mind, that sheriff out in the desert west who has constructed a tent city prison is starting to look brilliant. 

You see where this is going?

As we discover them, throw them all into their own little city with a nice big wall around it. I dunno. As a group we complain and whine and appear united in what NEEDS to be done (prevention) but when it gets down to it, there's more dithering around than action.

We know exactly where one cow with Mad-cow-disease is located among the millions and millions of cows in America , but we haven't got a clue as to where thousands of sex offenders and predators are located. Maybe we should put the Department of Agriculture in charge of it!

(The preceding is not intended to "make light" but to "point out" a disparity in tracking!)

I predict, with all the dithering and lack of decisive approach, an abundance of Lunsford-type lawsuits with nothing really changing as that would ultimately require higher taxes.

What do YOU propose as a national fix-all for this growing situation?

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Member Comments Total Comments: 31
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Jumpy983 read my blog view my photos
Feb 29, 2008 | 7:19 AM

Bullets are a cheap alternative.
thebradleys read my blog
Feb 29, 2008 | 7:30 AM

Ahah.

I'm a "shoot'em all and let God sort'em out" kinda' girl myself, but some might view that as being a tad harsh....
Jumpy983 read my blog view my photos
Feb 29, 2008 | 9:13 AM

No harsher than abusing children and leaving life long issues and scars
For_The_People read my blog
Feb 29, 2008 | 9:39 AM

No doubt these people who are true preditors are dangerous and should not be entitled to interact with the rest of society. But what about the young people charged with "Statutory Rape" for having consentual sex with a girlfriend/boyfriend? I have a friend that spent 2 years in a youth correctional institution for having sex with his girlfriend when he was 19 years 8 months and she was 15 years 3 months old....she was between the ages of 13 and 16 and he was more than 4 years older than her. They dated for 6 months with the parents approval. Luckily for him, he doesn't have to register due to the amount of time that has passed as it occured and he completed his sentence before 1994. He is married and has a few kids, but has never been in trouble since. We worked together, and being management, I received a copy of his background check in the hiring process. Yes, after he explained it to me and showed me documentation as to what it was, I hired him...but I had bad thoughts about him when I first found out before knowing all the details.

How different is it from the neighbor I have at one of my properties in a Nothern state were the guy is 34, his wife is 27 and they have 6 kids with the oldest 13? They are happily nmarried, upstanding members of the community and go to church evey other Sunday. He can own guns and hunts. What is the difference of the two???
For_The_People read my blog
Feb 29, 2008 | 9:46 AM

Should either or both of these individuals be put in your walled city or shot? Should they be required to register for the rest of their lives? Should we feel any different toward them than a couple who are 10 years apart and married when the younger partner was 16? Will they have a greater chance of being a sex offender in their later lives because of the things they did as a young adult?
Jumpy983 read my blog view my photos
Feb 29, 2008 | 9:56 AM

Obviously there's a difference between abusing children and false claims of statutory rape.

We need a bit more common sense in our courtrooms and among our community to distinguish between an actual crime and people who have nothing better to do than clog up the system.

Additionally, when a person is found guilty of a heinous crime against anyone, child or otherwise, save the system and tax payers some money and just take 'em out back for a few rounds of ammo dodgeball.
For_The_People read my blog
Feb 29, 2008 | 10:10 AM

Jumpy,

It wasn't false claim. He admitted that he broke the law and instead of having a trial, took a plea bargain. But the law is the law, and he was lucky that he was under 21 and sentenced to a "youth correctional institution". The neighbor up North, when you do the math, his wife was 13 when she got pregnant and he was 20. That would constitute a violation of the law, and he would be a felon unable to own guns had the parents pressed charges.

Now what about those that are convicted of the same charges as above, their sentence was not completed before 1994, and are required to register. When people find out, they will automatically assume they are a monster and shun them. What if these convicted of "statutory rape" then go onto get married and have children. What kind of life will their children have when the parents of their friends and school mates find out their parent is a registered sex offender, even if it is for a "statutory rape" offense? What about if you know like I do that my neighbor commited "statutory rape" with his wife but was never charged?? Should I run around and tell the other neighbors that he is a sex offender?

It's nice to lump everyone labled into one group, but logic says it's not possible.
Jumpy983 read my blog view my photos
Feb 29, 2008 | 12:37 PM

FTP,
Call me jaded. I guess I feel if you avoid situations that can be misconstrued you'll stay out of trouble, ie these people had never dated or waited until the ages were appropriate. Yes, I do realize I'm talking about hormone raging teens LOL I dunno, everything is so complicated but, short story here.

I knew a man who was convicted and had to register as a sex offender. His story was similar to your first story, the girl said she was 16 and he had just turned 18. They went to a party and she ended up sleeping with him and all his friends (not that night, but eventually). She then filed complaints against this man and 2 of his friends claiming statutory rape. Keep in mind, this is HIS version of the story.

I took it at face value and felt bad that the system had failed him. He seemed decent enough and was good friends with someone close to me, so I thought there was no reason to doubt him.
Until I ran into someone who knew him. She told me to look him up on the internet and find out what the real story was. She wouldn't say any more than that.

When I finally did look him up, his charges were for SEX BAT BY ADULT/VCTM UNDER 12; F.S. 794.011(2) (PRINCIPAL)

I can understand a 14 y/o passing for 16, but there's no way a 12 y/o can.

It's just sick. He's released now.
thebradleys read my blog
Feb 29, 2008 | 3:33 PM

For the People, I appreciate your frustration, but if I am hearing you correctly, your issue lies with the current laws and apparent indiscrimination between perdophiles and hormonal teenagers, which is not with the topic I was trying to bring to fore.

The population for the "walled city" as you put it, WOULD BE the pedophiles and sick sick sick individuals who target CHILDREN. However, that is not the ONLY thought presented. I was TRYING to get a Think Tank started.

Abuse like this is cyclical and the ONLY way to stop it that I can think of is get rid of the source before it spreads. (Note: I am NOT saying all abused children perpetuate their own traumas on others.)

Shootin' 'em is cheaper, but if the liberals want'em to hang around securely apart from everyone else, then the liberals need to figure out a way to fund that.

The "walled city" is not my first choice. ;-)

There are some farsighted and very intelligent people on this board and I suspect some good ideas could come forth.

It is very frustrating to constantly hear the outcries for change, but when it comes to solutions, you can generally hear a pin drop.
MoonOwl read my blog view my photos
Feb 29, 2008 | 3:38 PM

Shoot em in the head!
thebradleys read my blog
Feb 29, 2008 | 3:47 PM

That's what I'm sayin'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hehehehehe

Course, you just KNOW someone is going to be standing there saying "And who do you think is going to clean up this mess?"

x.x
Jumpy983 read my blog view my photos
Feb 29, 2008 | 6:23 PM

we could shoot 'em out in the desert...then no one would have to...or let the buzzard problem in Bartow get 'em.
thebradleys read my blog
Feb 29, 2008 | 6:47 PM

Now see? Jumpy might just be onto something. Creative problem-solving at its best!

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For_The_People read my blog
Feb 29, 2008 | 7:02 PM

The point I was trying to make is that there are different levels of offenders, and some people living amoungst us that had they been charged for what they did in their youth would be classified as an offender. Since they were never charged, they are not classified as an offender and you would treat them as if they weren't, even though they are.

There are people that just from their personalities I would never let my daughter, who is 15, be around alone. Then we have the champion of the cause who was found with "child porn" on his computer, and indications that he chatted with 14 year old girls online. Would you want a Mark Lunsford alone with your teenage daughter?

It comes down to as parents we never know who would be an offender given the chance, so it is important to not let your children around people that you are absolutely sure are not prone to be an offender, and look for the signs so that if your child is a victim, you can stop it before it does more damage than it has already done.

Just think about how many people with public trust... policemen, firemen, school teachers, coaches, politicians, judges, attorneys, have been found to be sexual predators/offenders, yet we feel safe leaving our children with them before we know they are evil, many would be more dangerous then some guy or girl that is registered as a sex offender because he had sex with his underage partner.
Jumpy983 read my blog view my photos
Feb 29, 2008 | 7:34 PM

FTP,
I do see your point, but I think that TB and myself are thinking along the lines of 46 y/o's having inappropriate relations with 4 y/o's. There's no reason or excuse. There's no gray area. They should be taken out back and shot.

Also, why is it that the justice system ends up combating things that ultimately boil down to parental neglect?

I'm not saying EVERYTHING does, but it seems to me, that parents are the first line of defense against everything evil in the world. We should be doing everything we can to protect our children. I understand that parents are human though, and sometimes things happen, but why does it seem that parents now are less vigilant? I know where every sex offender around my house lives (thank god there's only 1 in the immediate vicinity) it's not perfect, but it's a start. Hopefully we'll be moving to a better neighborhood when my child is older but it's not going to stop me from trying to shelter my kid as much as possible. The closer she sticks to me, the safer she is. (but I'm not gonna make her think the world is evil n scary...)
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thebradleys

We have watched Good Day Tampa Bay and Fox News 13 since it became Fox many, many years ago. I've lived on this coast since 1982 but hail from Horse Country, TN. In RL I not only run two websites, but am researching a compilation work for publication (I can disappear for days in my books!) I work with wildlife (naturally Cynthia Smoot is one of my fave journalists!) and I like to participate in the "wildlife" here on the Blogs - a little human interaction is a refreshing change on occasion. However, hiding behind a monitor does not give one license to be rude; personal attacks reveal their maker's own inadequacies and insecurities as a speaker. (Is that the best ya' got???) Thoughts and opinions may differ (thank God for choice as Americans!), but the more reasonable a differing opinion sounds, the more likely the listener is to consider it fairly. Be safe, be fair, be nice - and most importantly, don't run with scissors. They haven't invented downloadable bandaids yet.

Member Since: 2/14/2007


 

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