So today my adorable mother came to me with a look of concern on her face and said, "So Maria, do you think you really ought to swear on your blog?"
To which I replied, "Aw shit mama, it's no big deal!" I was joking of course, but she shook her head in quiet disapproval anyway, probably thinking something like, I've raised a vulgar little girl with a mouth like a sailor. Fuckin' A right! (Another joke mom!) Next comes the tattoo of a half naked lady on my forearm that jiggles and wiggles when I flex.
So today I received an email that had a link to the Michigan Sex Offender registry on it. Although I am opposed to the idea of a sex offender registry I decided to punch in my zip code just to see how many names came up. About 50. Which was less that I thought it would be. Now, you may disagree with me on this one (and please, do let me know, but no swearing!!), but I think that the Michigan Sex Offender Registry -- in a word -- sucks. It's none of my business which of my neighbors was once convicted of a sex crime, and if these people have any hope of attempting to carry on a normal, healthy, rehabilitated life once they are released from prison then it probably doesn't help that there is a website that has their full name, birthday, height, weight, race, and complete ADDRESS on it, with a listing of all of the crimes they've been convicted of. Crimes with names like 1st Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct, which encompass many, many different offenses, which aren't specified in the registry at all. Someone convicted of 1st Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct could be an 18 year old male (a senior in high school) who has consentual sex with his 14 year old girlfriend (a freshman in high school) and gets caught by her father who decides to press charges in spite of the pleas of his daughter; or it could be a 47 year old male who uses force or coercion to have sex with a mentally and physically impaired woman (or man for that matter) of 25. On the scale of sex crimes, I find it hard to believe that those two crimes fall into the same class. Now, I of course would not be happy if I found out my 14 year old freshman-in-high-school daughter was having sex with her 18 year old senior-in-high-school boyfriend, but I wouldn't want to send the kid to jail for it. I'd want to keep my daughter in on Friday night, and talk to her about how men are horny bastards who want sex sex sex all the freakin time! (Not that sex sex sex all the freakin time is bad either, I'm just saying....)
See, that's my biggest problem with the Sex Offender Registry. People will hoot and holler because they, "Have a right to know!" and because they have to, "Protect the children!" Newsflash: the world is a totally fucked up place. You should be worrying about protecting your kids (and yourself!) from everyone you don't know (and even some people you do know) at all times. Saying that the existence of the Sex Offender Registry is legitimate because it helps people protect their children is moronic because people don't use it that way. Anyone who would regularly go into the registry and scan the list for the names of their neighbors or coworkers or just new people they meet is probably a cautious enough parent to be able to protect and educate their child without using it at all. And in spite of its existence there are still people in this world who will let their children have fun, unsupervised sleepovers at a 40 year old adult man's mansion that is clearly designed to enchant children in spite of previous and extremely public accusations of child molestation!
Granted, there are some very bad and sick people who commit sex crimes, serve time for them, and are released into the world only to continue doing exactly as they did before. But can't we manage to use our brains and common sense to avoid falling victim to them? You know, things like park near a light in big, dark parking lots. Don't set down your drink at a bar, walk away from it, and then come pick it up and drink it again. Don't get wasted at a party where you don't really know anyone. Don't go places with strange men you don't know. Don't park your car between two ginormous Econoline vans with no windows in a parking structure. Learn how to administer a swift knee to the balls, and so on. Most of the time just good common sense will keep you out of any kind of trouble that familiarity with the Sex Offender Registry would. And if you end up becoming a victim of rape because you got a flat tire on the highway at 2 AM and a previous sex offender posing as a good samaritan ended up not being so helpful, then what good did it do in the first place? There is nothing that registry did to protect you, you were just tragically a victim of a terrible and unpreventable crime. You can blame nature for creating a person that would do such a thing, or his father who abused him as a child. Try blaming Ford for making shitty cars that break down, or Nextel for having crappy service in that area so you can't call anyone for help, or Michigan driver's ed classes that don't make it mandatory to learn how to change a flat tire before giving you a driver's permit. None of that would be very helpful to a woman in that situation, and neither would the Sex Offender Registry. It is just humiliating and dehumanzing to the people who are actually trying to move on with their lives and put a bad mistake behind them. And I think most of know what it feels like to want to put a bad mistake behind you.
So that's how I feel about that one. Lawyers, sound off.
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The trials, triumphs, and occasional tribulations of a girl in the Motor City.
About Me
- Maria
- I say that I am smart, have weird toes, have an open mind and heart, and am up for a challenge. My best friends say my toes aren't that bad, I'm always there when they need me, and I'm honest. My mom says I'm just like her, except for my stubborn attitude, which she of course blames on my dad.
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7 comments:
so people that commit crimes should just be forgiven after they serve a sentence? I think not. They still have to prove they can change and that they can make it in this world and put all behind them. But until that time it is the peoples right to know what type of neighborhood they're moving into.
Did you know that 4 kids killed in the past 2 months were killed by previous sex offenders? But in those states they don't have the list. These kids were out playing and then taken advantage of. If their parents knew a sex offender lived in their hood would they have left the kids alone in a park? Probably not, or at least we hope not. So....survey says, the list is for the better of the community and the people.
I looked into this after our conversation and names are removed after certain time. So if they can prove they are a straight and narrow citizen again, then eventually their name will come off. That is something i like, they have the choice to change.
Besides, being on that list is a daily reminder why not to do stupid shit again. If jail didn't do it, then the list might. If you do the crime today, you know that you can face jail and the list...so think!
Holla
not all states list the ENTIRE address as well. plus, it is NECESSARY for sex offenders to register in other states when they move out of state. i was glad i received the link, due to my new journey, and due to the fact that i will be on my own for weekly stinks when my "hubby" is out working. i'd rather be a little safer.
a little suggestion: check out other zip codes so you can see how other states have their offender lists set up. i agree that having the entire address is a bad idea, because the folks out there trying to better themselves may get stalked by some psycho who is out to make their lives a living hell. the vague description is kinda useless too, because if the guy commits incest, the thought of him coming after you, a complete stranger, is a little less likely. (not always, but sometimes.)
i shared the link with my roommate, dani, and she said that one of her ex-husband's friends was on the list cause he committed statutory rape. then when she checked out her hometown, she found that one of the guys she dated was on there for sexual assault twice. (luckily, this isn't the guy she's now dating.) from where i sit, i think it's important to know. (due to my personal history.) i think it's an extra kick in the ass to stupid guys who rape people. especially date rape cases. it is nice that the names get removed after a period of "good behavior" per shaun's post. with the move to wa, and being alone at times when bri is gone, i want to know that i can go to the park without fear of someone attacking me. (since i don't know the area AT ALL.)
anyway, i didn't read your post to go on a LONG soapbox comment. haha. opinions are like assholes... we all have one. the last thing i have to say is that i hope that the individuals on the list don't get harassed by the general public around them. that's not the list's fault, but the fault of jackasses who think taking the law in their own hands is a good idea. freedom of information needs the fine print explained to those kinds of dopes out there.
First off, I don't think that people who commit crimes should just be forgiven after they serve a sentence. I agree strongly with the concept of probation and parole officers, and think that there should be more of them and that they should be better paid. Recidivism rates in the U.S.A. are extremely high, and we are the most incarcerating nation in the world, so we definitely need to be doing a better job of monitoring and helping prisoners once they are released back into society; that readjustment period is often traumatic.
I agree with Shaun that criminals do have to prove themsleves, but prove themselves to who? On the same note, at a certain point you must begin to ask about who the criminal needs forgiveness from. Society as a whole? The state, county, or city they live in? Their victims and their families? It is likely that even if a sex offender manages to go straight and never commit a crime again, that he will never be forgiven by his victim (and rightfully so). Could you forgive someone who raped your daughter, or molested your son? I couldn't. And I would probably want to see them locked up for the rest of their lives, and raped and brutalized in the same way. Which is another reason why the registry shouldn't exist; it is not our individual job to administer justice, there is a whole system of government to do it for us, and for good reason. Most people's idea of "justice" would probably involve them committing any number of crimes. Occasionally, our government does have to protect us from ourselves.
As for the children in the park who were murdered by a man previously convicted of a sex crime, while tragic, one must still ask, where were their parents? Yes, it would be nice if we lived in a world where you could send your kids down to the park to play and not have to worry about who they might meet, but sadly that is not reality. I am not saying that it is the parents' fault, but shouldn't you always assume that a "bad guy" could appear at any time, on any corner, in any neighborhood? Regardless of whether or not you know for absolute certain that a criminal lives in your neighborhood, shouldn't you always be prepared and wary and cautious and careful?
I'm not trying to preach a doctrine of paranoia here, but rather a familiarity with the fact that there are bad people who live in this world with us, and we should realize that without having a list with specific names and people's addresses. It is the natural way of things. Common sense and preparedness will probably keep you out of most bad situations, but sadly misfortune and tragedy can strike anyone, at any time. So carry pepper spray, watch your back, and keep your eye on your loved ones. And don't forget to be thankful for each night you go to sleep and get to wake up to a beautiful morning, husband or wife, children and pets and bills and stress and fresh coffee and scrambled eggs.
OK, the sermon is over now, my bad y'all! Oh and thanks for the responses, I love a good debate1
you are a lunatic, straight up crazy!
We just watched a video(one with bad teenage actors) on sagatory(no idea how to spell) and if two people who are both underage have consenual sex, the one with the more advantaged(usally the male) is charged and if put on the sex offenders list, and the person charged had to pay money to the "victim"
Our class had this huuuuge discussion on it. Everyone thought it was pretty stupid.
-Natalie
Nat, I think maybe the word you're tryin to spell is statutory. How did they determine who had more, "advantage," and why was it usually the male? Because guys are generally physically stronger than girls? What if the girl was older, or taller, or weighed more? And who brings the charges, their parents? I'm interested to know why the kids in your class thought it was dumb, and what your teacher said when moderating the discussion.
Whoever was more emotionally/physically vunerable or intoxicated would be the victim, and they said the court decide who the victim was.
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