If you have children, please read.

[im10ashus]

It's sad that one would even have to worry about this. But when it comes to the safety of your kids, you just can't be too careful. I don't have children, but you can bet I am sending this to all of my siblings and friends.

Go to this link and enter your street address...it will show a "house" in the middle of the map, that's your house... all the little colored boxes are registered sex offenders... click on them and you get a name, address & picture of the person along with his crime... Pretty amazing and scary...it shows you where they live and/or work in proximity to your home and the local schools.

http://www.familywatchdog.us/

[Atman]

1. What a great FEAR MONGERING site!

FEAR FEAR FEAR! They need a link to some Bush TERRA! clips to make it complete.

[TAPat]

8. I, for one, am glad to have such a tool.

I have a 6 year old daughter and I check the registries regularly. It was nice to know that my car mechanic served several years in prison for literally fucking around with little girls in his former neighborhood. He lives and works 3 blocks away from my home and 1 block away from the elementary school.
While he is a fabulous mechanic and very trustworthy in a business sense, I would rather that he not know I have a little girl, in his preferred age range, who lives within walking distance from his home.

[MercutioATC]

9. Why?

It provides information that some might find useful. Wouldn't you want to know if a convisted sex offender was lifing in your neighborhood...especially if you have children?

[Orrex]

22. What if you found out that you were wrongly listed on that site?

How would you seek a redress of grievances?

And what do you say to the guy who shows up at your door with a baseball bat, thinking that you're a predator because the website told him so?

[IndependentVoice]

34. Well thats easy

you call the police station, have them check your records to show your innocence, then report it to the site. Really now, how often do you think thats going to happen?

[Orrex]

40. At least once, according to this thread

In essence, you're saying that every citizen must check every one of these sites nationwide to verify that he or she isn't erroneously listed as a psycho-rapist. And if Bob from five houses down from you has, in the meantime, learned from the site that you are a psycho-rapist, do you think that he's going to check back in a week to make sure that the information was accurate? By that time, he'll already have shown up at your door with the baseball bat.

"Honestly, Bob! I didn't rape that woman. Check the site again, and you'll see that I'm innocent."

That's pollyanna insanity of the highest order. The damage is irreversibly done as soon as someone receives faulty information from the site.

You're entirely comfortable, I take it, with the TSA's no-fly lists? If you're barred from getting on a plane, all you have to do is call the TSA, have them check your records to show your innocence, and then have your name stricken from the list.

Really now, how often do you think that's going to happen?

[Atman]

47. "That's pollyanna insanity of the highest order."

I couldn't have said it better myself. This is a feel-good but do-nothing site. And it's larger goal is gather your name and address for it's mailing list, and getting the clicks for those big advertisers like Best Western and Aly & AJ.

[IndependentVoice]

56. Seems like you two are the fear mongering ones

telling me about people who are going to come to my door and take a bat to my head because they saw my name on the site. Funny how hypocrisy works...

[Name removed]

60. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JHH]

75. "sorry" "not name calling" NOT you have called someone a idiot & me a Rat

complaining about a site that outs pedophile neighbor while you derange the neighbors on this site is not very nice

[Atman]

82. Huh?

Uh...okay, so YOU miss the point to. Show me where -- anywhere -- that this site "outs pedophile neighbors." It never claims to do any such thing. It provides a list of sex offender, which you can also obtain from your local law enforcement agencies. But "sex offender" and "pedophile" are not interchangable. Get that through your thick skull.

Oh, and I didn't call you a rat. I said I smelled a rat. As in, something's not right. It' an old phrase, perhaps you've heard it before. "You're a rat" would have been calling you a rat. Got it?

[JHH]

91. the site lists in red those who committed a "Offense against children"

last time I checked that is what a pedophile was. And since I know from personal experience that our local governments will not remove a pedophile from society even when caught in the act the warning of neighbors of those who committed a "Offense against children" is not a problem

[merwin]

122. Is statutory rape considered an "offense against children"?

[JHH]

127. Rapes are listed separately in yellow not as "offense against children"

[merwin]

129. Click on some of the 'offense against children'. You'll find child rape in

there a lot.

Some of the mugshots lead me to believe that it includes statutory rape as well.

[Orrex]

61. Ah yes, that old tactic

Attack the person who points out the error, rather than attacking the error.

Very progressive.

[China_cat]

54. A lot

and getting yourself off one of those registries is about as easy as cancelling AOL.

Not to mention that you are also registered as a sex offender if you were seen by kids when you had to take a piss and thought no one would see you using that tree. Or the guy who is now a sex offender because he is having sex with his WIFE...she's 14, he's something like 21. Or the 18 year old having consensual sex with a 14 year old.

There's too many levels of 'sex offender' that DON'T mean raping little girls or boys. Fix that problem and I could back it 100%

[Atman]

63. BINGO! The main point here...

"There's too many levels of 'sex offender' that DON'T mean raping little girls or boys. Fix that problem and I could back it 100%"

This is the FEAR MONGERING part. Equating "keep your children safe" with "sex offender." As I pointed out in my other post, and you just did too, there are many classifications of sex offender. And a considerable number of them have nothing whatsover with children or rapists.

[China_cat]

72. The other thing about it is that if you really want to keep

your kids safe, it isn't the guy down the street who's going to be the biggest danger to them...it's going to be someone in your own family or someone (you think) you know really well.

[Horse with no Name]

87. "as easy as cancelling AOL"

:rofl:

[merwin]

99. I laughed at that one as well :)

[TAPat]

161. Can you cite any cases in which someone

pissing on a tree has been charged and convicted of a sex offense? Or where a man legally married to a 14 year old wife has been convicted of statutory rape due to having consentual sex with said wife?

[Atman]

165. In Massachusetts

Not sure about the pissing on a tree on, but here, as I've pointed out in an earlier post, a man sued the state for being placed on the registry after having been arrested for having consensual sex with another man, deep in the woods near an interstate rest stop. He wasn't stumbled upon and reported by some shocked hiker, he hadn't exposed himself to anyone. The cops had a tip that the rest area was being used as a gay meeting spot, so one of them was "undercover" in said woods when he spotted the two men. It is difficult to tell how anyone was harmed here, and how it is proportional justice to force him to now live with his name and address on a web site because of consensual sex with an adult, no children or even other adults involved or harmed in any way.

It DOES happen. A lot.

[TAPat]

172. I said a legally married heterosexual couple

engaged in consentual sex where the wife is 14 years old.

The homosexual thing is an entirely different issue from the question I asked.

[China_cat]

166. Yes

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8716780/

even a woman for giving a blow job
http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A98753

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1105&dept_id=151632&newsid=16038686&PAG=461&rfi=9
Scroll down to
" For starters, the 2,000-foot rule applies to all persons convicted of a so-called "sex crime," including such offenses as indecent exposure and public urination."

[TAPat]

174. Thanks for those links

China Cat.

[treestar]

175. You don't have much experience with government bureaucracy, I see

You really think it's that easy once there's something wrong, to correct it?

[MercutioATC]

71. That's an accuracy issue, not a reporting issue.

Besides, the charges of which the people were convicted are listed right on the site. I'd think it would be extremely unlikely that they were in error.

The guy who "shows up with the baseball bat" is breaking the law...again, that's not a reporting issue.

[Orrex]

85. What if you're turned down for a job

solely because your prospective employer, checking your background, learned that you're on this registry? Your neighbor might not let his kids play with your kids. You might have difficulty selling your house. No one will let you borrow their lawnmower. No laws are being broken in those cases, but you're still suffering the consequences of the error, and you might not ever know why.

Besides, the charges of which the people were convicted are listed right on the site. I'd think it would be extremely unlikely that they were in error.

All it takes is for a name and photo to be applied incorrectly, and the damage is done forever. If you enjoy the idea of a bunch of unaccountable websites having that kind of power over your reputation and your future, then that's entirely up to you.

[MercutioATC]

89. Why do you assume innaccuracies?

Unless it's updated regularly the addresses might be incorrect, but I don't see any reason to suspect that the actual offenders are listed in error...no more in error than federal and state crime databases, anyway (which is what your employer uses if he checks your background).

Newspapers make mistakes when reporting crimes and misidentify people at times. Should we, then, prevent them from providing information that has a slight chance of error to the public?

[Atman]

33. Will it HONESTLY change your behavior?

If there is a sex offender living in your neighborhood, and you don't know about it now, what will you do differently when you know? Aren't you already teaching your children to be safe? Aren't you already teaching them the "stranger danger" stuff? If not, why not? Do you assume only registered sex offenders you've found online will do your children harm?

This is feel-good vigilantist crapola. Look at the whole tone of the site. Bad guys are lurking right around the corner! Be afraid! Monitor everyone! Really now, what the bloody hell is one going to do with an e-mail alert about a sex offender in their neighborhood? Light the torches and grab the pitchforks? Is the sex "offense" published? Because in Massachusetts, there was a lawsuit awhile back by a guy who was forced to register as a sex offender after being caught having consensual sex with another man in the woods near a hiway rest stop. Does the site point that stuff out? My sister in law is like this...lives in a beautifully homogenous well-to-do neighborhood in Florida. One day they neighborhood watch group found out that a kid in the neighborhood had climbed into a nearby house window and stole some cash or drugs or something. She armed herself to the teeth. Started keeping a can of pepper spray at the front door, and a second one on her keychain. FEAR! FEAR! She never bothered to asked herself what she'd do with the stuff. The kid in question climbed in a bathroom window...but she put pepper spray at the front door, presumably for the polite burglars who knock first, and wipe their feet on the mat.

Look, all I'm saying is that I'm just sick of the FEAR mongering. Doesn't Bush do it too us enough without setting yourself up for e-mail and telephone alerts that sex offenders are about? For Christ's sake, they're in your office, on your street, in the grocery store. Just teach your children common sense safety skills and get on with life.

[IndependentVoice]

37. Take a deep breath and relax

Its just a site, and the people who it does freak out and scare are the same ones who are scared of their own shadow, its not going to cause mass panics, riots or other things like that.

[Atman]

41. Take a deep breath and stop projecting

I am relaxed. It IS just a site. I am not freaking out about it...I said I thought it was bullshit. You might direct your "relax" stuff to yourself and the other people who freaked because I dared question the usefullness of such a site. M'kay?


Now take that deep breath...

[IndependentVoice]

45. I'm the one whos perfectly calm

Your the one who said FEAR, FEAR, FEAR, no?

[Atman]

49. Yes. And you saw my demeanor as I typed it?

You don't think I'm capable of typing twelve letters without breaking into a cold sweat and panting? It's only typing, man. Get a grip...your omniscience is weak today.

[TAPat]

171. As I said in my response to your first reply to the OP,

The site is useful. I take it for what it's worth - which is a tool. I paid exactly zero attention to the rest of the content of that site.
Seems to me that you are acting a bit like a Watch Dog for the not-so-smart DUers - trying to save us from possibly using a tool from a FEAR mongering group.

[MercutioATC]

77. Yes, it will.

My son's 15, but if he were younger I'd point out the specific house and/or the specific person listed as a child sex offender (there aren't any on my street).

Regardless of how well you instruct children, pointing out the specific threat is of value, IMO.

[IndependentVoice]

30. More good comes from it than harm

I feel like I say this so much on this site but here it goes again. Its like gay marriage, don't like it, don't marry a gay. Don't like the site, ignore it. It doesn't have the intent of fear mongering, there would be nothing to gain from it. I'm sure there are some cases where its even prevented some rapes or such by raising awareness, even if it might not be up to date. So take a deep breath and relax, this is not some fear mongering conspiracy site, just a site made by people who are, instead of just talking about trying to make a difference, are actually doing it. Which is saying a lot considering most people just sit around and complain.

[Atman]

39. How are these people "making a difference?"

I don't get it. They're publishing information which is readily available to you anyway. They then go the next step and ask for your name and phone number so they can "alert" you. To what? When the guy is about to climb in your window? When he empties his trash with his robe open a little too far? What exactly are they doing?

And, btw, I'm also sick of people saying "relax! It's not a conspiracy!" First of all, I am perfectly relaxed, I just found the site to be bullshit. Secondly, wherein did I even IMPLY that any sort of "conspiracy" is involved?

[IndependentVoice]

52. I said TRYING to make a difference, I'm done wasting my time on here

I'm not going to argue in circles all day when neither of us is going to give any ground, its not only pointless, but a waste of time. There are better threads out there and you seem to be to busy screaming fear to be bothered so I say to you good day sir.

[merwin]

48. You seriously think that 'mobile phone alerts' is not fear mongering?

"Don't wait until you check your email to find out who has moved into your neighborhood. Receive an immediate notification on your mobile phone."

[MercutioATC]

92. You wouldn't want to know if a sex offender moved next door?

The "mobile phone alerts" are just a method of diseminating that information. I don't see why it's any different than receiving a letter (other than it provides more timely notification).

[merwin]

97. Mobile phone alerts... for when you need to know the second a sex

offender moves next door to you. That way, you can pick up a new set of deadbolts and a shotgun to protect your family on your way home.

Do you think that this person who moved next door is going to snatch your child out of your hands? I don't leave my child alone with anyone that I wouldn't trust my life with... I certainly wouldn't leave my child alone with the neighbor who just moved in next door.

[MercutioATC]

104. Might a reasonable person leave a 10-year-old alone in the back yard?

...the same back yard that abuts their neighbor's back yard...

Wouldn't YOU want to know if a person who had physical access to your back yard was a convicted child sex offender?

Nobody's talking about anybody "snatching your child out of your hands". Plenty of people feel it's reasonable to leave children of a certain age unsupervised for short periods of time.

It's a matter of being aware of possible threats.

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[IndependentVoice]

43. Something like that happened to my friend

When he was 7 an older guy who we hung out with molested him when they were alone, and told him "now your gay cause you had sex with a guy", he was 7 so it not only tramatized him but really confused him. The asshole judge let him off "because he was a minor", and because his attorney played the race card the whole way through.

[Name removed]

51. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JHH]

62. A Rat? you sit in front of a judge who uses the term liberal to describe

them self and then lets the person who was caught giving your 3 year old a blow job go free and you will see who is a rat!

[Orrex]

114. Good lord! I hope that your child was/is able to recover!

That's a terrible experience!

If someone molested my son, I would kill the offender with my bare hands. Then I would resuscitate him and kill him again, repeating until either he or I couldn't keep it up anymore. I would do this without hesitation and without thinking twice. I suspect that most parents can make a similar claim.

And that's exactly why the people who are understandably in the throes of a horrible emotional trauma should not be allowed to dictate public policy. To allow the traumatized victim (or his parents) to craft the laws that punish the victimizer is to abandon the rule of law in favor of a lynch mob.

After I was done killing and re-killing the offender, I would proudly turn myself in for the murder and let the courts decide my fate. I wouldn't hide behind the "all's fair" vigilante attitude that's so disturbingly popular among erstwhile liberals.

Sex crimes are monstrous and far-reaching in their impact. But they are crimes nonetheless and should be prosecuted according to law. As soon as we label some subset of society "too monstrous" to be allowed civil rights, then we've abandoned the rule of law altogether.

I am very sorry for your family and for your child. I hope that, with your support, he or she is able to enjoy a happy and healthy life despite this awful experience.

[JHH]

119. Thank you for you thoughts

[Nutmegger]

183. You said it Atman - no flaming from me.

A "sex offender" can be someone who took a piss and was spotted or a 25 year old having relations with, say, a 17 year old. Yet all who are on that registry are teated the same, like child molesters.

And now people are hunting down people on these registries and committing violent acts (i.e. vandalism, shoothings, etc).

I just read that Danbury (I believe it's Danbury) wants to ban all sex offenders from parks and other areas where "they pose a risk". WTF?

Read this NPR article: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5355980

[T Wolf]

2. I will take this type of vigilante behavior serious when they start

alerting people to all criminals' locations.

How about warning senior citizens when a corporate pension raider is living nearby?

Or how about warning everyone when a polluting industry executive lives in your area?

Once someone has served their sentence, punishment by the state (and its citizens) should be over. This is just red meat to keep everyone fearful and distrustful.

[cgrindley]

6. You cannot be serious

Once a pedophile, always a pedophile.

I guess you don't have children.

[merwin]

12. Can it tell me where dumbasses live as well? I have a child and I think

that this is the most ridiculous thing ever.

It's complete fearmongering.

Why not show a map of convicted criminals? Once a criminal, always a criminal! That way we can see exactly how fucked up our neighborhood is and never let our children leave the safety of their house. While we're at it, why not do background checks on the parents of all of their friends. You can never be too cautious.

[cgrindley]

28. That's a good idea

I'd love to know where all the felons in the neighborhood are. I'd love to know if my next door neighbor specializes in breaking and entering. Matter of fact, I think I have a right to know.

If I knew that the parent of one of my children's friends had done serious time for drug dealing or for robbery or sexual assault, there's no way I would allow my child to hang out at that kid's house anymore.

I want my neighborhood to be safe. I want to know where the creeps and assholes are.

And if a felon is rehabilitated, then let them apply for pardon. This week, for example, I just wrote a pardon petition for a former student of mine who was once convicted of a major drug offence. She has rehabilitated herself and now, after a decade of being clean and sober and of working her way from highschool to a PhD, is ready to make the final steps to finish attoning for her mistakes.

My own brother, as another example, was once convicted of a minor drug offence (possession of pot, a crime that nowadays in Canada, and rightly so, wouldn't even result in the cops taking your weed), and he applied and received a pardon.

Should sex offenders receive pardon? Absolutely no way.

[merwin]

42. Extreme paranoia is the exact same thing that led much of this nation

to hate Muslims and support attacking any Muslim nation after 9/11.

Fear and hatred only breeds more fear and hatred. Nothing else.

What if it was someone who was a convicted criminal from 20 years ago who has spent the last 20 years doing good? Would you want that person stoned for their behavior then?

You don't have the right to know ANY of that. You have the right to your own privacy, as do they. Nobody has given ANY citizen the right to know the whereabouts of every criminal. You just seem to think that you have the right to whatever you want. That is the beginning of a police state.

How about giving people the benefit of the doubt and trying to help others? Many criminals are criminals because they are told over and over that they are evil after doing something maybe not so bad, and in turn become the exact thing you are trying to prevent them from becoming.

Just food for thought.

[cgrindley]

58. WTF!

One. How, by any stretch of the imagination, are America declaring war on an innocent country and a public database of sex offenders even remotely similar?

Two. I am not afraid of felons, nor do I fear them. Do you have a point?

Three. Who said anything about stoning anyone?

Four. INCORRECT. With very few exceptions, criminal trials are matters of the public record.

Five. Your question is irrational. I can, as it turns out, help society by not giving anyone the benefit of the doubt.

Six. There is no such thing as evil. Recividism has nothing to do with hurt feelings.

Seven. In my opinion, in a left-leaning and progressive socialist democracy, the rights of the most defenseless members of the community (eg children) supercede the rights of felons.

[merwin]

65. Let's move all of the felons to a big fenced area in Montana then.

That will protect the children. Purge them from the voter rolls while we're at it. Don't want them chosing who will be leading and protecting our children.

In a progressive democracy, everyone has the same rights as everyone else, and once they serve their punishment, they can return to being a normal citizen. Unfortunately, in our current 'democracy' once you are branded a felon, you are a felon forever and lose much of your rights.

By branding someone a felon forever, you are going the exact opposite direction from a progressive democracy. The only way that this person can be unbranded is by having an elected official pardon them... or not pardon them.

[cgrindley]

80. On felons

1. Obviously, felons should be able to vote. people in prison should have the vote.

2. No one should be moved to Montana against their will. On the other hand, people who have criminal histories of pedophilia should be responsible enough to move to Montana on their own. Obviously, they shouldn't live near schools. Period. They should have the intelligence and the common sense and the responsibility to society to self-select appropriate accomodation.

3. In some situations, even the most progressive of democracies have established that there are some crimes for which you can never repay your debt to society, and even though your jail term is over, you have not served your complete punishment and perhaps might not until your dying day. For example, I do not believe that convicted sex offenders should work in schools or that someone with a bunch of DUIs should drive for Fedex.

4. Obviously, the pardon system needs reform, but the idea that an elected official should have the power to grant a pardon is a good idea. In an earlier post, I commented that right now I was helping someone go through the pardon process. Even the person I'm helping believes the process to be fair, but then again, that person actually is sorry for what that person did and has gone to amazing lengths to attone for the crimes.

[merwin]

90. If there are situations where you can never repay your debt to society,

then why are you out of jail? If someone has been determined to be a danger to society, why the hell are they out on the streets?

There is NO reason that someone who is not rehabilitated or is a severe danger of committing a violent crime against others should be let out of prison, for any reason.

There is something wrong with a system where someone can be classified as a severe threat to others AND be roaming the streets.

Fear mongering lists such as these are not the answer. If they are truely a threat to others, they need to still be in prison.

[cgrindley]

94. I'd almost be in favor of that

Life without parole for pedophiles. Great. But it's sort of a waste to keep people locked up in the sort of environment that prisons typically offer to pedophiles. I think lifetime probabtion is probably a better idea. Having them controled and monitored in the selected parts of our community is probably better for everyone in the long run. If pedophiles were able to work and pay taxes and so on, they could thereby contribute to the welfare of the many.

[merwin]

101. Like I said, if they are a serious threat to society, they should not

be with the general population. Put them in a minimum security prison with Martha Stewart if they are still a considered a serious threat. Make a special prison for pedophiles that suits them. But don't let them mix with the general population if they are a serious threat.

How about releasing the kids who were convicted of minor drug offenses and locking up these pedophiles instead?

[cgrindley]

107. You got a deal

plus blanket pardon for anyone convicted of anything to do with pot. and a special drug court for those charged with possession of reasonable amounts of harder drugs, a system that would result in 1 year custodial rehab programs that once completed, would not result in a criminal record (I'd be in favor of mandating a GED for those who didn't have one as terms of the rehab).

[merwin]

117. See? That wasn't so hard!

We can agree :D

[Atman]

59. "I want to know where the creeps and assholes are."

And what will you do that information? And what if they weren't creeps when you met, but turned out to be after you got to know them? And what if one of the creeps happens to be your best friends? And when do you start construction of the impenetrable dome over your house?

[cgrindley]

64. So you'd rather not know

where all the convicted felons in your neighborhood are? Why? That just doesn't make sense.

1. If as you say they truly have put the convictions behind them, then great. Let's all have a few beers and watch baseball.

2. If they haven't put their criminal pasts behind them, then at least me and the other neighbors will know to keep an eye on them, we can let them know that they're not exactly welcome in our neighborhood, and if they try any shit, we can tell them that it's not going to end well for them.

[Atman]

67. Your post makes no sense.

If they're criminal, call the police and have them arrested. If their convictions are behind them, then they are released from prison and have paid their debt to society. Nothing else should be expected of them than of any other ordinary citizen, because legally they have paid their debt. Unless they are out some sort of probation or house arrest, you really have no right to know shit about your neighbors. You may have a desire, but you have not inherent right.

[cgrindley]

81. I have a right to know all public records

That's the definition of a public record, something that I have a right to know.

[Atman]

83. Is someone arguing with you on this point?

Not me.

[cgrindley]

98. Did you read your own post? Here's the offending quotation:

Unless they are out some sort of probation or house arrest, you really have no right to know shit about your neighbors. You may have a desire, but you have not inherent right.

You just said it twice.

So I'll repeat myself. I have an inherent right to know anything and everything that is part of the public record. Period.

[Atman]

Of course you do, and I didn't say otherwise.

They key words are PUBLIC RECORD. You have the ability and the right to know anything PUBLIC about anyone. But you have no right to know anything else about them. As I stated, you may desire to know everything about your neighbors, but you only have a RIGHT to information that is already public.

"So I'll repeat myself. I have an inherent right to know anything and everything that is part of the public record. Period."

That isn't repeating yourself...this time you added "part of the public record," and it changes the meaning entirely. Period.

[cgrindley]

108. So what are we arguing about?

I thought I had said that I had a right to know if my neighbor was convicted of some felony, and you said that I didn't, but since criminal trials are public, then I can just look him up and see if he has one.

[DiverDave]

44. So, if you see a photo

of a convicted molester, and then you see him strolling around your house, you'll just ignore him, huh?

[merwin]

69. I treat everyone I meet the same, until I know differently.

I don't immediately hand my child over to anyone either. I keep a careful eye on EVERYONE near my child until I feel I can trust them and have talked with enough people who know this person closely.

I don't need a list to tell me who is good and who is bad.

[Atman]

73. A convicted molester?

What does that mean? We're veering dangerously off course here. The thread is about fear-mongering based upon perceived threats to our children. What are you referring to? A CHILD molester, or a SEX OFFENDER? Do you see how the two terms are being interchanged here?

Did the guy in you example serve his prison term? Was he released on probation, and is he legally a free man or is your "convicted molester" an escapee? If that is the case, and I saw him strolling around my house, well...again...you leave so many convenient holes for the fear lovers so lap up! What do you mean "around your house?" Do you live on a corner, an he has to walk around it? Or do you mean walk past your house on the sidewalk? If that were the case, I'd be legally obliged to ignore the man and let him go about his business. After all, he's paid his debt as ordered by the courts. He is a free man, and I have no right or obligation to do ANYTHING if/when he is "stolling around my house."

Now, if by "strolling around my house" as in "on my property," in my yard, peeping in my windows, then, well...we all have a right to defend our property. I'd do so, right after I dialed 911 first.

[LiberalEsto]

66. Pedophiles are different

I've worked with sexually abused children and I've read a lot of the literature about it.

Pedophilia is a sickness that is NOT TREATABLE, according to all the experts I've read or heard from, including the people who run the sex offenders unit for the NJ state prison system. A pedophile can serve years in prison and undergo therapy, and will still have the compulsion to sexually abuse children. It is a sickness, and it cannot be cured. In some places, the justice system is finally beginning to recognize this and sentence some of these people to special facilities for indeterminate terms.

Until and unless a permanent cure is developed, pedophile sex offenders should not be released to live freely among us and our defenseless children. There should be special psychiatric facilities for them in every state, and they should be confined to these and given every possible sort of therapy and vocational opportunities. But they should be kept away from the public.

Sexual abuse can cause tremendous mental and physical life-long harm to a child. Some of them, as a result of the abuse, may grow up to become sex offenders themselves. Others are fortunate enough to receive good medical and psychiatric care and family support and may get through it. But not everybody does. And these victims suffer greatly.

Too often, our justice system does not know what to do with pedophile sex offenders. And some judges are moronic enough to let them loose to prey again.

In the balance, the future emotional and physical health of an innocent child is worth far more than the "rights" of an uncontrollable pedophile.

[merwin]

You can't cure a manic depressive person either. Should we put them

on a list? When unmedicated, many of them are likely to burn my house down or shoot me.

Just because you can't cure something doesn't mean that it can't be treated.

Find a good medication for them, put them on it. If they don't want to be on their meds and start doing dangerous things to other people, put them somewhere where they can't harm anyone and teach them that they want to take their medication.

(I just know i'm going to get flamed for trying to force meds on people)

[LiberalEsto]

79. If you worry about manic-depressives

burning down your house, that's too bad.

Most manic-depressives harm few people besides themselves and their families. They don't roam around looking for houses to burn down.

Pedophiles, however, specifically look for young children. And as I said, they cannot be treated. Sure, you could dope them up with Thorazine until they can barely move, but that would require constant medical monitoring.

If you had a young daughter who was victimized by a pedophile, I think you would think differently. Please try to understand the point of view of the victims and their families. They deserve to be protected. If we cannot protect the most innocent and vulnerable members of our society, we cannot call ourselves civilized.

[merwin]

84. As someone above said, the people who are most likely to molest

your young child is someone that you already know and trust, possibly even a member of your own family, and not some random person on this list.

And how many people on this list are actual pedophiles convicted of raping a young child? How many of them are 25 year old people convicted of having consensual sex with a 17 year old? How does knowing where someone who took a drunken leak and happened to get spotted and arrested help your child?

[cgrindley]

100. The two in my neighborhood

are creepy 50 year old skinny bald white dudes convicted for child porn. Yuk.

[merwin]

102. Yeah, same with all of the ones in my neighborhood

according to that list.

They're people I wouldn't let my child near in the first place... even if I had never seen that website :-)

[Atman]

78. AGAIN...where does this site suggest it is limited to CHILD MOLESTERS?

Your post, while well thought out, misses the fundamental point. The web site in question used your CHILDREN to press the fear button, but the sex offender registry is NOT a "child sex offender registry." It is for ANY sex crime. In most states that could even mean undressing with the blinds open and a neighbor sees you. Why can't we stay focused on that issue...that this site is praying on our fears and using our children to build its mailing list and garner page views and ad clicks. It will do NOTHING to keep your kids safe.

[T Wolf]

26. I have two daughters that we have raised to think for themselves.

So don't make assumptions.

Do you think that all criminals should be listed? Why only single out sex-offenders?

[cgrindley]

38. Yep

But it's sort of a moot point considering that all adult criminal convictions are a matter of public record. Getting the data would be incredibly cumbersome but it would be possible to do. I suppose if I really cared about whether or not my neighbors have been convicted for shoplifting, I could look them up one by one, but I'm not terribly interested in that. Although, it probably would be useful to know which ones have a string of DUIs or any identity theft convictions. I'd probably like to know if anyone has any old arson convictions too.

So yeah. I would like to know who the neighborhood felons are and exactly what each did.

[bleedingheart]

3. It only works if your local law enforcement will update their records

did you know that?

so for where I live (not far from a city) there are only two boxes...and I know that can't be true..

[seabeyond]

4. we have onein our neighborhood. the neighborhood a block

up the street a massive cluster of over 40. the biggest cluster in our whole town. was an amazing site. wow.

[Lerkfish]

5. for one thing, its not accurate or up to date.

we know through our daycare of two offenders within a couple of blocks from us, and they aren't shown, and the offender address they do give has new owners.

If someone were to go by this site, they'd be misinformed.

Besides, its more important to arm your kid with sense and saftey than to try to pinpoint offenders around you.

[EFerrari]

7. "Who are the people in your neighborhood"!

Yikes, I've some pretty scary neighbors. Thanks, I'll give this to my bro. He has three girls under 15.

[Not Me]

10. How about showing convicted murderers too...

nt

[Mojorabbit]

11. I don't think I trust this map

First it puts my house many miles from where it actually is. Then there is a red square in my house. I have lived here for fifteen years and no one here is an offender.

[bleedingheart]

14. As I stated above, these sites only work in areas where the information

is updated.

I spoke to an attorney about this stuff and he told me that in Pennsylvania very few community police forces actually update or provide this type of information because of cutbacks and the fact that there aren't guidelines on how to handle sexual predators.

A guy who was convicted of taking a whiz on a wall outside a bar can get harrassed by someone who won't know that the individual is not a dangerous criminal...

This site is a waste of time and effort.

I put in Pittsburgh PA and it found only 4 offenders???? yeah that's believable...

[Orrex]

17. "I put in Pittsburgh PA and it found only 4 offenders????"

Either those four offenders have been extraordinarily busy, or Pittsburgh is a lot safer than I'd realized.

[bleedingheart]

35. This is why these sites are a waste of money and effort

while some people may find it comforting to know where offenders are, I think that it provides a false sense of security. A lot of child molestors go unreported because...the molestation occurs within families. I seriously wonder how many people haven't turned in ole "Uncle Walt" because he has a wife and kids to feed and his going to prison would be bad...so they sweep it under the rug...or a wife/husband turns a blind eye to behavior for a variety of reasons...all wrong but it happens.

[Mojorabbit]

182. Updated is not the only problem

They can't even put my house on the correct location on the map. No predators here. Incorrect in every way. Creepy.

[Orrex]

15. You'd better keep a close watch on yourself just in case

You never know what you might try to do while you're not looking.

[merwin]

16. You're a sex offender? I'm going to set up a protest outside of your house

to try to drive you out of the neighborhood! The map said you were, so you must be!

[Orrex]

19. Why do you hate America?

And why have you not attended the daily Two Minutes' Fear as required by Homeland Security?

[merwin]

21. I have a feeling I am going to get re-educated very soon...

Can't hide from Big Brother.

[Odin2005]

13. I bet it treats people convicted for stautory rape the same as...

class 3 sex offenders, :eyes: vigilante crap.

[merwin]

18. By the number of 'crimes against children' dots in my neighborhood,

I'm guessing that it is included there

[MercutioATC]

20. No, it doesn't. It color-codes them by type of offense.

...and then lists the charge on another tab.

[loudestchick]

95. It does. The two "offenders" listed near me are both listed as statutory.

[cobalt1999]

23. You think this information should be hidden from us?

Have young girls and tell me if you wouldn't want to know. Even if it isn't totally up to date, it's better than nothing.

[im10ashus]

24. You are responding to me?

:-)

[cobalt1999]

27. oops.

my posting skills are rather limited right now (no coffee yet). No this was supposed to be a reply further up. Sorry.

[im10ashus]

32. I figured as much.

Enjoy your coffee.

:hi:

[merwin]

25. You can ignore all of the green dots. They are unrelated...

Things like Indecent Liberties, Residential Burglary, Out of state felony violation.

Yeah, I'm glad that a burglar is on the sex offender's list!

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

29. What are people supposed to do?

Warn our children not to talk with strangers? Always check where they are? Yeah, like we DON'T do this anyway.

And what if there ISN'T a little scarlet letter colored dot anywhere near one's house? Relax because our children are safe? Riiiiiight.

[sleipnir]

36. FEAR, RUN, FEAR...FEAR

n/t

[jerry611]

46. I am so sick and tired of this culture of fear

We need to be afraid of bird flu.
We need to be afraid of terrorists. (although I do have duck tape and plastic sheets ready!)
We need to be afraid of Islam.
We beed to be afraid of sex offenders.

The government uses fear as a way to establish control. When people are afraid of something, they rally behind the government to protect them.

[merwin]

53. Thank you for saying that in a way I couldn't.

Putting thoughts together into words is not always my forte... you stated my position PERFECTLY.

[idgiehkt]

76. yes, but if you have kids, you need to fear sex offenders.

My history is why I don't have kids, because I know they are everywhere. You can't trust anyone, ever. Not relatives, not friends, or the spouses/partners of friends. I learned this the hard way, growing up, and I wish I had been protected.

The government, IMO, isn't out there educating people about sex offenders. This is an off-shoot of the feminist movement, which definitely is not Uncle Sam. I'm not putting my street address in this site just now because I don't know enough to know if this is legit, but it scares me to think that people think that warnings about the danger of sexual predators is 'fear-mongering'. It isn't. You can't be too careful. There was a topic in one of the forums yesterday about a priest of some kind busted for pedophila and all of his previous occupations were working with children in some capacity. Any person who works in a career with access to children could be a pedophile, down to pediatricians and dentists. My pediatrician was, and a friend of mine was molested by her dentist on every visit. The risks to children in this culture are so great, because all it takes is one episode to severely traumatize a child and/or ruin their life.

[merwin]

86. The world is inherently dangerous. That should be no reason not to have

kids.

Educate your children on how to deal with strangers and pedophiles, and until they are old enough to understand what you are telling them, don't leave them with anyone you wouldn't trust with your own life. Period.

[Atman]

88. You have issues that are sapping your happiness.

Seriously. I am saddened that you had something terrible happen to you in your past. But this site is PROTECTING anyone. And in fact, I think you CAN be too careful. Look at yourself, if I am reading you correctly...you've deprived yourself of happiness and the joy children can bring because you FEAR someone will hurt them. You focus on a proportionately miniscule number of events in a nation of 300,000,000 people and fear that most of them are out to hurt you, when in fact, 99.999999999999 percent of them don't know you and will never cross your path. You need to take common sense approaches to teach your children proper safety techniques and allow them to play and have fun the way children are supposed to do. Adults are allowed that, too, you know. I sincerely hope you find peace in all this.

BTW, my first child moved out of the house Monday. 20 years without so much as a lollipop offered by a stranger. Go figure.

[jerry611]

93. #1 killer of children are automobile accidents

Should we fear those as well?

Maybe you shouldn't let your child ride in a car. You are putting him/her in grave danger statistically...

[cgrindley]

113. Why do you think they're not allowed to drive?

jeez. talk about a no brainer.

[merwin]

123. But yet I read a story here about a DOG who ran a car into a house.

How is a DOG allowed to drive, but a child is not?

[Orrex]

180. Did the dog have a license?

And will it hereafter be listed in a registry?

[SmokingJacket]

50. Not all sex offenders are out there looking for kids to attack.

A lot of them are just idiots whose "girlfriend" happened to be under the age of consent, or cowardly jerks who molested their own children because it was an easy thing to do, or assholes who participated in a drunken gang rape -- all people who deserve punishment, of course, and not anyone I'd want to invite to a birthday party, but not people who are out actively stalking children, as these sites want to make you to think.

Instead of pointing out to my children the "scary" houses to avoid, I'd rather just make sure they spend all their time under the watchful eye of someone I know until they're old enough to protect themselves.

[merwin]

55. Watching your kids and teaching them how to protect themselves?

NEVER! It won't work!!!

[MadHound]

57. Sorry, but I think these types of "tools" are wrong, in a number of ways

First, there is no differentiation between actual pedophiles and people who got popped for statutory rape, inadvertent indecent exposure in presence of child(drunk and whizzing in an alley), etc.

Second, there is the ideal in this country that once you've paid your debt to society, you are to no longer be punished. Yet by publishing the locations of people's home and work, sites like this are open invitations for vigilante justice. There have been many, many sexual offenders who have been forced from their homes and/or jobs because of sites like this one, and people taking justice into their own hands and hassling and threatening such people unmercifully until they are forced to move. And don't give me that old canard that sexual offenders have an unreasonable rate of recidivism. They don't, people who commit property crimes, assault and drug crimes all have a much higher recidivism rate than sexual offenders.

Third, sites like this are notoriously inaccurate. Witness the poster upthread who noted that his has was shown on the map as several miles from its actual location. So is mine, and in addition the local schools aren't shown at all. As the site states, it depends on the reporting of law enforcement groups in each area, well those sorts of updates can take awhile, and will still be inaccurate. What happens when an innocent person, never charged with a crime, all the sudden is on the receiving end of harassment and community anger simply because of mistake?

And finally, one scary that I see on this site is "crime creep" Originally sites like this were designed only to locate pedophiles. Now here is a site publishing the location of *all* sexual offenders, no matter what their true crime was. What's next, publishing the home and work addresses of thieves, muggers, and drug users? Like I said, their repeat offense rate is higher than that of pedophiles and other sexual offenders. This is a huge slippery slope we're staring down folks, one that could wind up with some of their posters here finding their home and work addresses published at sites like this.

This sort of attitude, these sorts of sites go against the entire concept of American justice. It invites vigilante retaliation and doesn't differentiate the severity of crimes. Sorry, but this is wrong and frankly un American. I fully understand parents worrying about their children, but rather than relying on faulty sites like this one, instead take responsibility for your own children's safety. Teach them to stay away from strangers, get to know your neighbors and neighborhood. And always know where your children are and what they're doing. Don't rely on a faulty crutch of a sensationalistic web site.

[merwin]

74. Good luck convincing many people here of that...

It would be great if people could understand that, but I doubt it will happen in large numbers anytime soon.

[HamdenRice]

68. They are ludicrously innacurate and fearmongering

I came across this site several months ago and checked my neighborhood. I was shocked at how many "sex offenders" there were. But when you click on the nature of the offense, the vast majority involved heterosexual statutory rape or similar offenses by twenty something men with 16-17 year old girls. While I don't approve of that kind of relationship, none of the offenders were "pedophiles" or "sexual predators."

[Turbineguy]

70. Assuming that the map is correct...

I am amazed at the number of offenders (I believe one nearby is at an assisted living facility as an "other").

I have to wonder, does this sort of stuff help assimilate these people back into society after they serve their time? That, it seems to me, is the most important thing and the key to avoiding recidivism.

[Atman]

96. Right. And when the bastard can't get a real date, and no one talks to him

because his name showed up on that list...then what? All the adults in the neighborhood shun him, some slash his tires at night, some throw dog turds on his porch. He sure as hell can't hold a relationship, because every time he meets someone new in town, the word gets back to them that he's a "sex offender." He can't get work locally because of it. His life was probably better behind bars, in fact. But now, he's free, in a neighborhood full of adults that point to him, run from him, whisper about him as he walks by. He's got no friends. Everybody in the neighborbood has cut him off. Except those nice little kids down the street. They don't pre-judge. Kids make friends easily. Maybe he'll go talk to them. After all, all the parents in the neighborhood will have nothing to do with him because they think they're keeping their kids "safe."

[jerry611]

103. Society doesn't want them to assimilate back into society

Society wants to kill them all.

And saying that pedophiles are the only criminals to repeat their offenses is a media lie. Pedophiles don't repeat their crimes any more often than does a drug dealer, gang member, or robber. It all just proves that prison doesn't work for any crime. The system is broken.

[michiganbuckeye1970]

105. More fear...just what we need

Why does everyone want to live in fear? I think a good deal of our population gets off on being afraid...The republicans love this. Keep the population dumb and afraid...this idea, my friends, is the basis of tyranny.

The average person in this country is paranoid enough without this site. Most of those listed are not child predators. I assume that if they are listed they have either served their time or were never deemed dangerous enough to be locked up (which is saying something in our current age of throw the book at everyone).

Not only that...but many of the sites on stats contradict the need for the site (for example a molester will molest 117 times before being caught; most children are molested by someone they know, etc). By those stats alone, I'm more concerned about the people that are not on the list than those that are...

The fact of the matter is that good parenting goes a long way toward prevention...I'm not saying that all cases would be avoided, but I think a good many of them would be. Of course, you always have the worry that their may be a closet pedophile in the family...but I don't think this site is going to help you with that.

If we are going to have some sort of site like this, perhaps the people being listed on it should be able to file some sort of personal statement, giving their side of what happened.

One last thing and I'm done: prosecutors in our country so blatantly overcharge people, that many people would rather plea out to a far lesser crime than take the chance of some crazy jury finding them guilty of the inflated charges....It comes down to doing 6 months or a year in jail vs. a possible life sentence. We all know that you can only get a fair trial if you have unlimited resources, like the very wealthy or the state, itself.

In case you are wondering, I'm not on the site, but I do know someone who is...and he is no child molester. Just someone who made a mistake when he was young.

[jerry611]

106. I got my duct tape and plastic sheets. I have nothing to be afraid of!

Who said I am afraid?

I have my hurricane preparedness kit.
I have my bird flu preparedness kit.
I have my chemical weapon attack preparedness kit.
I have all the sex offender registries bookmarked.

I have nothing to be afraid of!

[merwin]

109. You have nothing to fear but fear itse.... AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Run! Hide!

[AlCzervik]

110. i compared this site to Megans law and one of them is way off

i don't know which one. My daughter doesn't go out without me and i pick her up and drop her off at school. Sometimes i think too much info can be a bad thing.

[shrike]

111. A sex offender is not necessarily a pedophile

"Sex offense" is a very broad category. I remember reading about a former minister who had an affair with an (adult) member of his parish. Other than the moral hypocrisy involved, these two were consenting adults. However, somehow, for some now forgotten reason, he ended up on the sex offender registry.

[jerry611]

116. Society misues the term because it is an emotionally loaded term

According to the American Psychological Association' Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th edition, all the following must be true for someone to be diagnosed as a pedophile:
-Over a period of at least 6 months, recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child.
-The person has acted on these urges, or the sexual urges or fantasies cause marked distress or interpersonal difficulty.
-The person is at least age 16 years and at least 5 years older than the child or children in question.

The World Health Organization defines prepubescent children to be children under the age of 11.

Im not saying at all that a 12 year old is ready or can consent to sex. I am stating the psychological diagnosis of what defines a pedophile. So don't misunderstand what I am saying here.

A person who has sex with a 17 year old could be grossed out by the thought of having sex with a 10 year old. That kind of person may have a problem depending on the situation, but that person is certainly not a pedophile.

You really need to take these things case-by-case.

[helderheid]

112. recommended, thank you - our community is still reeling over the Destiny

Norton case:
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_4106498

[shrike]

115. As an ex-police reporter

I must add that while covering the crimebeat, most molestation cases I wrote about involved a relative of the victim. Grandpa Joe or Uncle Thomas, etc.

[jerry611]

118. I read that it is actually 80% of cases

80% of all child molestation was by a member of the child's own family.

[gulfcoastliberal]

120. I'd be a lot more worried about the dead oceans inundating coastal areas,

the fact they'll likely work in a society with no middle class, and have to struggle with the rampant global warming and decaying infrastructurethat most don't seem to give a shit about. Nice planet we'releaving them to inhereit.

[michaelpush]

121. Here in Maine we had a case

where a guy was going around killing people on the offenders state list. He actually managed to kill 2 people before they got him. A few others were lucky, they were not home that day. There is a negative side to this. I believe it should be the responsibility of parents to teach their children and watch them diligently. The police should keep accurate track of these people and notify citizens in an area they live if the offense warrants it. Serious criminals should have chips for tracking them.

[merwin]

126. Like I said to someone else, if they are that dangerous of a criminal,

they should not be out of prison. Period.

The laws need to be changed so the punishment fits the crime. A 25 year old who has sex with a 17 year old should not be treated the same as a 40 year old who has sex with a 10 year old.

If a person is dangerous enough to have their every movement tracked, maybe their punishment was not harsh enough and they should still be in prison.

And maybe that kid convicted of a minor drug crime and sentenced to 2 years in prison should be released.

[michaelpush]

128. Thats a whole new subject...

The Justice sytem does need a lot of work...

[JHH]

135. what do you do with a 30 yr old who has sex with a 3 yr old & is let off?

[Atman]

137. What does that have to do with the sex offender registry?

You have a serious situation, I agree. I feel badly for you and whay you and your child went through. Personally, after the courts let me down like that I'd probably need to take justice into my own hands. BUT, with the complete knowledge that my own law breaking will not change anything, it will only make me feel better, that I had avenged my child. But I'd also get my affairs in order and prepare for a trip to the big house should a judge not be moved by my story.

There are always choices. No one said you can't do anything about it. You probably just can't do much LEGALLY about it. (Have you tried a civil suit against the guy?)

[JHH]

140. if this site can help a person protect even one child it is Worth it

unlike some on this site the site in question does not advocate violence agents any one. Ones some one is sexually assaulted it can not be undone my understanding is that the site uses info that is public and makes it available to inform other of the possibility so they will be more aware

[Atman]

141. If it destroys three innocent adults in the process?

Is it still worth it? What is the trade off? Is there a specific value on people's lives you know about that we don't? Is this like killing innocent guys on death row as a deterrent to everyone else? Sure, maybe some innocent people get offed...but you know, it's worth it!

Except for that crime never goes down, prison populations never reduce.

And I notive sex registries and vigilantes don't seem to make sex offenders go away, either. Interesting.

[JHH]

143. From what I saw all that were listed had been convicted of a sex crime

[Atman]

146. Of course the LIST said that. The point is, it can be WRONG.

And if the names themselves can be wrong, maybe the color of those dot, too? One posters house was on the wrong street. With a red dot on it. That is the whole point, it can be WRONG. And wrong info can destroy an adult's life, just as a rapist can destroy a grown woman's life. And that is why it is imperitive that this information not be treated as some casual web-surfing event. Why don't you post your onw home phone and address on DU? Many of us are afraid of crazed righties seeking us out and egging our houses (or worse) just for our political opinions. But you want to publish people's information, even if it is WRONG, because it might -- MIGHT -- save a child some day.

I don't buy it. Adult's lives have value, too.

[JHH]

149. with out a public list how would know that your name had not been add

by mistake true it will not be very easy to correct but if the list was only seen by "the Government" then you may never know until it was to late

[im10ashus]

145. What is the solution?

Or what is the solution as "you" see it. "I" say give them life in prison with no parole. Pedophiles don't change. As to whether someone is a "sex offender" or a "pedophile," I will let the courts decide that, even if I don't always agree with them.

:shrug:

[Atman]

147. Many in this thread don't seem to agree with you...

"As to whether someone is a "sex offender" or a "pedophile," I will let the courts decide that,"

It seems many here think they're the same thing. But even you must admit that peeing on a wall (a "crime" which will land you on many state's registries) is not quite the same level of "sex offense" as raping a child, right?

[im10ashus]

148. I can live with someone disagreeing with me.

It's not the end of the world for me. And I agree, peeing on a wall is not the same thing as molesting a child or raping someone. I would think the court would know the difference as well.

[Atman]

150. Okay, I guess we have to finish this up

I guess you're not listening to me, and perhaps I'm just not getting you.

I would think the courts would know the difference as well, too. Okay? We ALL do. But that isn't what this is about. This is about a private, for-profit web site building a mailing list and selling ads while inviting people to try their hands at vigilante justice. That is what people are arguing about. You and JHH and others keep getting back to "child molesters! child molesters!" but that is NOT what me and the others are discussing. OF COURSE no one wants child molesters roaming our neighborhoods. Come on, that's a given. But the issue is one of privacy, legality, errors, vigilantism. That is the reason for what you call "vitriol." It is no such thing, just a very real difference of opinion.

I'll tell you what...the first guy whose name mistakenly appears on this site and get his head whacked by an angry neighbor, well, he'll own that web site, and the people who publish it.

Buh bye.

[im10ashus]

155. And your pointless arguments are solving nothing.

You can keep arguing all you want, there is no harm in arming someone with information which may help keep their children safe. You don't agree? Fine. Don't agree. I don't care. I am entitled to my opinion, as are you. But YOU choose to call people names who don't agree with you. I'd point out those posts, but the moderators have been good enough to delete them already. So save your soap box lecture for someone who agrees with you. I personally couldn't care less what you have to say because all your arguments are attack-based and full of rage and serve no purpose.

Buh bye.

[merwin]

138. Pray that the jury gets sat on by large elephants?

[JHH]

142. there was no jury the prosecutor let him off because it was his"1st" time

[merwin]

154. Then that prosecutor needs to be sat on by a large elephant...

and then sterilized so his stupidity can be removed from the gene pool.

[JHH]

158. Come to think of it he might have been a elephant the repuke type

thanks for your thoughts

[Sparkle]

124. There's one registered in my neighborhood.

And I hate the fact that he lives on the same street and his address is one number off from mine. :-(

[RethugAssKicker]

125. Wouldan 18 year old male who had sex with a 15 year old

show up on this site as a sex offender..

Many 15 year olds look legal. That definitely would not be fair.

I have very mixed feelings about this law/site.

[Name removed]

130. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mopinko]

131. YOUR CHILDREN ARE IN DANGER! YOUR CHILDREN

ARE IN DANGER! YOUR CHILDREN ARE IN DANGER! YOUR CHILDREN ARE IN DANGER! YOUR CHILDREN ARE IN DANGER!

really, we need to find a way to disarm this kind of psyops crap. one of the first symptoms of the corporate takeover of the news was- if it bleeds it leads. the point of this was both to push people's buttons, make them feel unsafe, activate their lizard brains, but also to make people turn off the news, and tune out the outside world.
i was listening to an old mike malloy show with david ray griffin a while ago, and had a real slap my forehead moment when he pointed out that one of the first things to raise his suspicions was his feeling that they had very deliberately placed bush in a classroom on 9-11.

[Atman]

132. I never thought of that...they DID claim W didn't want to scare the kids

He was protecting them! LOL! Actually, I think he didn't want to stand up until the pee stain on his trousers dried.

[deaniac21]

133. What if the site listed those who committed crimes against birds?

[JHH]

134. your point is?

[deaniac21]

151. Mopinko raises birds....

[JHH]

153. thank you for clearing that up

[merwin]

139. Damn those pigeonphiles. We need to make sure they don't

sodomize any more birds!

[JHH]

144. If your child was sodomize I drought if you would find it so funny

[merwin]

152. I didn't say anything about sodomizing children. I was making a joke

about a previous post, regarding posting the addresses of people who commit crimes against birds. You must admit, crimes against birds have nothing to do with sodomizing a child.

[JHH]

156. and very Little to do with this discussion

[merwin]

159. neither does sodomizing children. Unless you can find which of these

offenders on the list are convicted of sodomizing children.

I'm sorry, but this list is meant to scare people into believing that every dot on the map is a sexual predator that is salivating over the thought of your child.

That just isn't true. It doesn't list the specific crime, just a generalized category. "Rape of a child" could refer to both statutory rape as well as the rape of a child. Those are two completely separate things.

I would put money down on the fact that a miniscule fraction of these dots on the list are non-family members who raped a child under the age of 11 who lived within 1 mile of the offender.

I'm not in any way defending the twisted people who rape young children. I'm just saying that this list is meant to incite fear, and is in no way practical or helpful.

[JHH]

163. Before I allowed my child to have a sleepover I might want to check

that site. Many of the dots listed what the person was convicted of ie; Sex assault on a child by one in a position of trust - pattern of abuse (2002); Sex assault on a child by one in a position of trust (2002); Attempted sex assault on a child (2001). I do not believe that would be statutory rape.

[mdelaguna2000]

162. Exactly

Can't believe you have to argue this viewpoint so hard on this thread. I'm a mom too and will appreciate any database that is publicly available and of course I wouldn't assume it was completely up-to-date or that all offenders committed the same crime. BTW, some of the registers I have consulted in my area actually list the exact offense, its nature, and the number of offenses. Some of us parents are intelligent and are actually capable of nuanced reasoning - just because we consult a register doesn't earn us a sheep-like label of cowtowing to all manner of administrative fearmongering.

Some respondents suggest parents would foolishly only rely on a database or two to try to protect their kids, which is a ridiculous characterization as no doubt many of us do everything we can, educating them, supervising them, etc... As if "80%" of offenders are from the immediate circle argument holds any weight - it's your child and it only takes one occurrence to do permanent damage to them and your family should someone from the other 20% be involved. (Assuming these statistics are even correct).

I am so sorry for what happened with your son and can't imagine how a parent would regain sanity after that event - and the judge's ruling - except for the sake of trying to everything you could to help your child afterward.

[JHH]

173. Thank you for your thoughts

This is the First time that I have shared this publicly since it happened I hope no one ever experiences what we did, but my son is alive and with counseling is doing well. I thought that in this neighborhood I could open my hart and I am surprised how many people here seem to think that info on sex offenders should not be made public. If we truly believe in a open society which acts with compassion and kindness then lets start at home and try to respect and understand each other hopefully with out flaming out.

[mopinko]

168. fyi, i have 5 kids

and i choose not to buy into the psyops that have been perpetrated over the last 20+ years.
these lists are deliberately overly inclusive, imho, to stoke the fear. just like the whole readykids bullshit.
i refuse to cower, or have my energies dissipated by this kind of worry. i wish we would/could all just spit in the face of this kind of crap.

[elehhhhna]

136. Tis site gives people a false sense of security, imo.

Local cops tell me that we have NO IDEA how many of these creeps are loose in our towns because if one pleads down on a first offense, they don't register. And there are lots of them.

[Gregorian]

157. Why isn't there one of these for NEOCONS?

It's the ones who are starting the wars who I am worried about.

[JHH]

160. because we know where they are (running the U.S. into the ground)

[Roxy66]

164. Fear Mongering?!! Excuse me!! Child molesters should never get out!!!

[Atman]

167. But they're out. Please follow the thread first, then comment.

We've been over all that "they should never get out" stuff. It isn't about child molesters.

Got that? This web site is not about child molesters. They only use that to whip up the fear and build their mailing list. The site lists sex offenders, not just child molesters. Two different discussions.

[im10ashus]

169. The thread was not yours to begin with.

It was mine. And if you are offended by the site, don't visit the site. Don't like the way it's operated? Call them and tell them. Want to have a different argument? Start your own thread. But don't tell someone what this thread is about. It's not about fear. It's about you not being able to have a debate with someone without having a freaking panic attack and calling them names. Got THAT?

[Atman]

170. I didn't know the threads were owned by anyone. My bad.

You're becoming hysterical. I just don't know what you're on about. Nice, polite PM off the boards, then attack me in public. Nice touch.

BTW, mine was the first response, and basically wound up taking the thread in the direction it went. So, you know, I think I can comment on what it's about.

[im10ashus]

179. Telling someone to react a certain way?

Give me a break. I don't recall being anything BUT civil to you and have stayed out of your little circular firing squad because I can spot absolute nonsense a mile away. Don't like it? Hit ignore. Don't tell people what a thread is about. I think we can read for ourselves. And for the record, I will post my response to your tired little PM if you'd like. I don't have time to babysit your emotions. Good luck on that.

[soup]

176. name search: Claxton

city, state:
Ocala, Florida

Yep, he's listed - a year and 1/2 after his suicide.


04/26/05
SANCHEZ: Ocala, Florida, is about an hour and a half drive from the place where both girls were found murdered -- crimes that created a mood of fear and caution. People were holding on to their kids just a little tighter. So, when they heard a convicted sex offender was living among them, they decided to take matters into their own hands.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think a lot of people were sick, just sick and saddened, by what they heard. And I think they still are, and in shock.

SANCHEZ: County commissioner Randy Harris is a tough-minded politician who makes no excuses for his proposal to identify and label all sex offenders with signs and posters.

HARRIS: I believe that the county commission should post signs in neighborhoods and inform the public of where these people actually reside, because they are residing in a neighborhoods where people simply don't know.

SANCHEZ (on camera): In this Central Florida town that proudly displays its red, white, and blue, the people see this issue as black and white, cut and dry. A sex offender should simply not be allowed to conceal himself. Parents need to be told about them so they can protect their children.

What happens, though, if there are mitigating circumstances? If one case is different perhaps from others? Maybe, just maybe, it's not so black and white.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0504/26/pzn.01.html


04/22/05
Bright yellow, laminated signs displaying Claxton's picture, date of birth, address and the words "child rapist" appeared earlier this week on utility poles in his neighborhood after a county commissioner proposed posting such information in the community. The sheriff rejected the idea.

"I think this is a clear example of an unintended consequence, which can occur when we go beyond what we call police protocol when handling sex offenders," Sheriff Ed Dean said. "I understand the concern of parents for their children. But we must not allow hysteria to take place."
http://www.unknownnews.org/0504260422badmandead.html


The county sheriff's office is investigating the distribution and posting of the fliers. They were downloaded from the FDLE website, which is legal, but the addition of the words "child rapist" constitutes tampering, according to a sheriff spokesman, and it is a first degree misdemeanor. The sheriff is having them processed for fingerprints and intends to prosecute. Given that the claim was also untrue -- he was not by any stretch of the imagination a 'rapist' -- there may be additional charges possible if the individual is identified.
http://www.naebunny.net/~mommylemur/archives/2005/05/you_call_it.html


Were the perpetrators found? Were charges ever brought against them? (If so, I can't find anything.)

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

177. It's because I have kids...

that I ain't giving in to fear-mongering.

[Up2Late]

178. Nobody in my working class neighborhood,

Looks like you have to go where the rich people are to find a few.

[militaryWife]

181. "Your family I will distroy and claim its destruction as my victory"

here is an snip from a SO website, writen by the spouse of a sex offender www.sosen.org

...
I don't ask that you welcome us with open arms. We
ask for something far more simple: to be left alone,
just as we were all those years in which we did
nothing wrong under the law. However, if you demand
that every offender be eternally punished for his or
her past, then show the moral courage to hold
yourself accountable for the present.

When you demand offenders be pushed out of your
community, say out loud, "and their children should
be hounded out of their home, too."

When you demand longer and broader notifications,
state bravely, "and I want their children to be
shamed whenever they leave their home, to live in
terror of vigilante violence forever."

When you demand offenders be banned from schools,
proclaim as well, "and I want their children to be
mocked and beaten by their classmates, to never have
a friend."

When you demand the government step in to 'protect
the children,' say to the offender's child, "But you
I will purposefully endanger. Your family I will
destroy, and claim its destruction as my victory."

When you demand an offender be again punished for a
decades-old crime, at least have the decency to say
you're willing to inflict certain damage on
thousands of children in exchange for the many-times
disproved promise of better security for yours.

Don't like the way that sounds? Tough. Stand up, be
honest, and live with it. We do. We live according
to the whims of civil madmen every day.

....

life is never as simple as we try to make it, is it?

[Generator]

184. False security

I just ASSUME anyone(and I do mean anyone) COULD be a sex predator. Sure, that site shows you the known offenders. What about Uncle John? Your husband's best friend? I don't ASSUME my child is safe with anyone in a private situation. They are constantly watched, listened to and told what to do if anyone messes with them. It's usually not a stranger, it's usually someone you know.