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| Rob's Soapbox | ||
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Congratulations!
You have finally landed on the one page on this entire site (and on the entire internet for that matter) that is purely without bullshit... my soapbox page. There are a lot of times during our show that, whether it's because of time constraints and other obligations, I don't always get to address some issues that I feel don't get the attention they deserve. There are even more times when I just don't feel like waiting until the show the next day to get some things off my chest. Thus, I have started the "Rob's Soapbox" page. If you have clicked on this page looking for someone to coddle your fragile sense of self-esteem, or tell you what you want to hear or to reinforce your outdated world view, then exit this page right now and go somewhere else. If you are in search of the last forum for reason and common sense left in the world, then sit back, relax, and enjoy. I make only one promise with this soapbox page... if you read long enough and often enough, you will eventually be offended. So here's my latest soapbox. Listen up, 'cause you just might learn something... |
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April 10th, 2006 COMMON SENSE FROM TWO UNLIKELY PLACES; SOUTH CAROLINA AND CALIFORNIA?Just when you think the American system is broken and we, the people, have lost all say in our nation's future, a few small victories are achieved that keep us coming back for more, empowered by faith in our ability to step to the brink as a country, but never over it. Two such examples of small victories have just occurred in two surprising places. The rampant fear, paranoia and all out panic surrounding the issue of child predators has been steadily building to a crescendo now for going on 20 years. As with most things in the 21st century, sickos molesting children is hardly new (nor is it happening at rate greater than before), it's just so over-reported that people believe it's an epidemic (much like Bird-flu, global warming, mad cow disease and prescription drugs that kill you). The media and government have done such a wonderful job of drumming up America's furor by preying on our most innocent (our children) that they have even successfully achieved their goal of stripping the citizenry of this nation of fundamental civil rights in the name of "security" by allowing, nay demanding, a registry of all convicted sex offenders once they are released from prison. Bravo, I say, to those who want to relieve of us of our rights. Your plan was masterful. By making the nation believe that our children were at risk from a child molester hiding behind ever corner, you got us all to throw up our hands and allow a national registry in the name of one of my favorite clichés of all time, "Well, if it will save one child…" It, of course, has not saved any children as illustrated by the horrible example of Jessica Lunsford in Florida being raped and killed by a previously convicted sex offender who had registered. Wow, who'd have thunk that a sicko who thinks it's ok to molest children also would have registered under a false address? Oh that's right, I thunk that. I also told everyone at the time that allowing registries of convicted felons would lead to registries for all sorts and create a scarlet letter effect. Once you allow the masses to believe that it's the norm and acceptable to make one form of criminal register his whereabouts, the masses will believe that ALL criminals of all ilk must always wear some type of identifying moniker. The illogic is simple; "I want to know if a child molester lives next door to me. Come to think of it, I should know if a burglar lives on my street or even a drunk driver who may someday run over my kid!" Sure enough, states around the nation have begun the practice of branding people for their mistakes by issuing license plates to people convicted of drunken driving offenses which are bright red or bear the insignia "DUI" in the corner. How nice. Nothing screams "America!" more than creating a lynch mob mentality directed at those who have served their time and paid their debt to society. Thankfully, California, in a stunningly rare show of common sense, has just voted down the license plate branding idea for that state. For now, people who make innocent mistakes and don't take lives in the process will still be allowed a second chance in the nation that's supposed to be founded on such second chances. Which brings us to South Carolina. Laws like the license plate branding and sex offender registry have been made possible by ignorant fools who are fed up with the justice system and have taken the law into their own hands by stripping away our rights. Many of us feel that sentences for DUI offenders are too light. The answer, of course, is to pass mandatory sentencing laws, not start branding people in public. Since the hysteria of child predators really kicked into high gear 10 years ago I have consistently advocated the same position I hold today; if we, as a society, agree that child molesters are the worst type of criminal we have because they take away a child's innocence and leave the child irreparably damaged, then why do we let them out of prison at all? If we have justified the registry system because we believe that predators will molest again, then why have we solved that problem by tearing down innocent people's rights? Why do we let them out of prison at all? The answer to the child molester epidemic is simple. Pass laws advocating the nation's highest penalty possible for all predators. I do not personally believe in the death penalty, but that is this nation's highest form of punishment, so let's implement it. I'll even write the law for you for half what an attorney will charge: Molest a child, get the death penalty. End of law. Of all places in this nation, who'd have thunk that South Carolina would have heeded my call first? While it isn't law yet, South Carolina is oh so close to making the death penalty a realistic punishment for a child molester. It isn't a perfect law, but it's a lot better than a registry and it's a start. So from two corners of our nation we have our rays of hope this week. I can hang on and continue to believe that my country that I love so much still has a fighting chance. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go buy the world's biggest air conditioner/humidifier to protect me from global warming and bird flu.
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