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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looking for someone to coddle your fragile sense of self-esteem, or tell you what you want to hear or to reinforce your outdated world view, then exit this page right now and go somewhere else.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, 2005
Years ago this nation stupidly and emotionally embraced "Megan's Law," a well intentioned but horribly thought out piece of legislation that accomplished nothing and harmed much. The law requires people convicted of sex crimes against children to register with local authorities when they leave prison, and was designed to provide some peace of mind to the parents of America who at the time were swept away by the hysterical fear that a pedophile lurked around every corner. I argued at the time of it's passing, and hold to this day, that "Megan's Law" was one of the worst ever. Like most things symbolic (the law symbolizes our "get tough" stance against child rapists), it accomplishes nothing, harms much, and gives a false sense of security. The premise of the law is flawed and its' execution is laughable. The law exists because we have legitimate reason to believe pedophiles are sick people who are never actually "cured," meaning that once they get out of prison they are likely to commit a similar crime again. Fine, I say, then stiffen the laws to keep them in prison for life. Don't create a stupid registration law that strips the rest of us of our rights and freedoms just to make you feel safe. The well-meaning people who created "Megan's Law," should have used their resources and energy to pass a mandatory life sentence law for all child rapists. That would have been real, meaningful legislation. Instead we got a law that requires people who have served their time to wear a Scarlet letter, which has two fatal flaws. First, a person who is intent on committing a crime is not going to follow a law designed to keep him from committing the crime. In other words, they'll simply not register with local authorities, or what we're finding is more common, they'll register at a fake address miles away from where they really live (which usually winds up being next to a school). Secondly, the registration law completely goes against our system and creates a horrible precedent, encouraging vigilantism. More and more communities across the country are calling for new registration laws in which convicted drunk drivers, burglars, rapists and drug users also have to register where they live so that their neighbors can picket outside their houses and create mob rule. Of course the same rules apply as with pedophiles, either these people have cleaned up their lives and deserve to be left alone, or they're life long dirt-bags and aren't going to follow rules or laws no matter how many of them you create to make yourself feel better. The fact of the matter is simple; either we have a system that allows people to pay their debts to society or we don't. The other false sense of security created by "Megan's Law," is the idea that if you don't have a registered sex offender living on your street, you are somehow safe. As I covered in the previous paragraph the fact is that if you live on a street of children and/or near a school you are actually more likely to have a previous pedophile living on your court even if there's no one registered there (because they lie). More than that though is the reality of life; all pedophiles start somewhere. Just because you don't have a previous rapist living next door to you doesn't mean you don't have a sicko ready to do it for the time living there. Which brings us back to Jessica Lunsford. She was taken out of her bedroom by a man who has served prison time on child sex crimes and was required by law to register with authorities. Like most, he lied about where he lived and then spent his time elsewhere. Again, sick people intent on doing crime won't follow meaningless laws. While hanging out miles from where he was registered, living with relatives, he spotted Jessica and decided to rape her. He took her from her home and kept her hidden from everyone for days. His family didn't know he had her, but they knew that he should have registered with local authorities. They knew his past. Despite that, while Jessica's parents and authorities searched frantically for her, the people harboring the sicko who was holding Jessica hostage lied to cops twice about his living there (while it turns out, she was still alive) and never bothered to believe that he could be involved with Jessica's disappearance. Further proof that pedophiles will find ways around "Megan's law." If these people are going to find sympathetic families to harbor their lies, then they are going to find ways to rape your kids. That's why we should never let them out in the first place. "Megan's Law" is not a good start, nor is it a step in the right direction. It is a trip backwards to a time when we allowed crowds of people to meter out justice on others because of what they might be capable of. It sets us back centuries to a time of angry, vengeful mob rule, which accomplishes nothing and keeps no one safe, while at the same time pushing us closer and closer to a Nazi Germany like existence where people are required to register their presence with local governments. "Megan's Law" has done more harm than good. It has created a false sense of security for both parents and law enforcement officials and has only furthered our hysterical culture. It is time for us to admit our mistake, remove emotion from the equation, and write and enforce new laws that truly protect our kids, while never forgetting that risk is a part of parenthood. We have adopted the idea recently that we can protect our kids from the world. This is a lie. While one child being raped is too many, the cold hard facts of life dictate that it is impossible to raise a child who is prepared to enter the world as an adult while at the same time always protecting him.
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