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My gut instinct is to say that the Wisconsin sponsors of that bill are playing politics with an emotional issue and people who've paid their debt should not be targeted for harassment.
A different license plate could affect a person's chances of getting a job, staying with a church, and could isolate them, which I imagine would exacerbate the disease.
However, studies appear to show a high rate of recidivism among pedophiles. So this makes me doubt my initial revulsion at having sex offenders identified.
I don't know what the answer is, but assigning a different-colored license plate is not the answer. And applying the law to all levels of sex offenders is absolutely crazy. For the same reason that I am against the death penalty -- because our justice system is not perfect -- I am against an across-the-board assignment.
This is a really difficult subject, and I hope that people won't allow politicans to manipulate them into supporting the wrong decision.
Bob, I'm praying for you.
A therapist I met in Pennsylvania said that she feels too many are willing to call themselves survivors of child molestation or sexual abuse. "Being a survivor," she offered, "is little more than being alive. What I train victims to be is an overcomer." She trains them to recognize what has happened, the pain it caused, and then points to their ability to control rather than be controlled by events not of their choosing. This is not, she offered, an easy thing to do but in her opinion a goal worth considering.
The spate of legislation gives the impression of rampant recidivism but the actual numbers do not support such a belief. As a matter of fact, offenders who have gone through treatment reoffend at a lower rate than most others convicted of non-sexual offenses. One new victim, however, is one victim too many. It seems to me, however, that if society could somehow support and encourage the work done in treatment as a means of drastically reducing molestation, that would be far preferred, I think, to slapping a green license plate on a car and conceding to the distorted idea that change is not possible.
You provide even more good reasons why this is a bad idea.
Good points.
This is the first I heard of the license plate thing, and my initial reaction makes me want to oppose it. It does seem like a "scarlet letter" type of thing that would only invite incidents of "vigilante justice." It seems like a punitive measure.
What else are they trying to accomplish? Keep children safe from someone who's dangerous? If an individual poses such a direct threat to children that he needs to be marked this way, then what is he doing walking free?
It was my understanding that we let people out of prison because they had paid out their debt to society and they were no longer a threat. Maybe that's flawed. Maybe it only has to be one (and not necessarily both) of those things. But it seems to me that if their social debt is paid and they're safe enough not to be detained any longer, what's the point?
I would also hate to see the healing process so set back for someone genuinely seeking it.
A therapist I met in Pennsylvania said that she feels too many are willing to call themselves survivors of child molestation or sexual abuse. "Being a survivor," she offered, "is little more than being alive. What I train victims to be is an overcomer." She trains them to recognize what has happened, the pain it caused, and then points to their ability to control rather than be controlled by events not of their choosing. This is not, she offered, an easy thing to do but in her opinion a goal worth considering.
The spate of legislation gives the impression of rampant recidivism but the actual numbers do not support such a belief. As a matter of fact, offenders who have gone through treatment reoffend at a lower rate than most others convicted of non-sexual offenses. One new victim, however, is one victim too many. It seems to me, however, that if society could somehow support and encourage the work done in treatment as a means of drastically reducing molestation, that would be far preferred, I think, to slapping a green license plate on a car and conceding to the distorted idea that change is not possible.
This is the first I heard of the license plate thing, and my initial reaction makes me want to oppose it. It does seem like a "scarlet letter" type of thing that would only invite incidents of "vigilante justice." It seems like a punitive measure.
What else are they trying to accomplish? Keep children safe from someone who's dangerous? If an individual poses such a direct threat to children that he needs to be marked this way, then what is he doing walking free?
It was my understanding that we let people out of prison because they had paid out their debt to society and they were no longer a threat. Maybe that's flawed. Maybe it only has to be one (and not necessarily both) of those things. But it seems to me that if their social debt is paid and they're safe enough not to be detained any longer, what's the point?
I would also hate to see the healing process so set back for someone genuinely seeking it.
I agree with you on spending our energy on recovery and therapy. Thanks again for sharing your heart.
That said, the hell I do remember made it difficult at first to see predators as humans worth attention and ministry. BUT that was dealt with a long time ago. I have always been open to Bob and his friendship (since we really got to know each other over the past six or so years.)
Plus, if you posted on this send a trackback to link to it.
I also share the experience of watching a couple of men seeking to overcome their struggle with pedophilia and finding success.
You provide even more good reasons why this is a bad idea.
Good points.
My gut instinct is to say that the Wisconsin sponsors of that bill are playing politics with an emotional issue and people who've paid their debt should not be targeted for harassment.
A different license plate could affect a person's chances of getting a job, staying with a church, and could isolate them, which I imagine would exacerbate the disease.
However, studies appear to show a high rate of recidivism among pedophiles. So this makes me doubt my initial revulsion at having sex offenders identified.
I don't know what the answer is, but assigning a different-colored license plate is not the answer. And applying the law to all levels of sex offenders is absolutely crazy. For the same reason that I am against the death penalty -- because our justice system is not perfect -- I am against an across-the-board assignment.
This is a really difficult subject, and I hope that people won't allow politicans to manipulate them into supporting the wrong decision.
Bob, I'm praying for you.
I came across your blog via a suggestion for information about General Pace. I took some time to scan your blog site and came across the green plate blog entered yesterday.
As a believer that we are indeed a new creation in Christ once we are saved (some denominations don't "buy" that, believe it or not) and as a believer in the American Constitution and Bill of Rights, I have to say that all points lead to "nay" on the green plates proposal. One Right that we have - the 8th Amendment - to not have cruel and unusual punishment would not allow this continued and cruel punishment.
Believe me, as a mommy, I want my babies safe, but as Bob pointed out, how can one overcome and change and grow if they are not allowed to by society? How can we uphold the Constitution if laws like this are allowed? Essentially the green plate is a continued sentence and that is unjust. I don't think that our forefathers nor God would have that.
It was difficult for me to reach out for help. Shame, for one, was such a huge issue. Also, fear played a huge role. I feared I wouldn't be believed, for one. Such a quiet, mild-mannered person like myself- surely I wouldn't think of doing such a thing?
I also feared I would be believed but that I wouldn't be believed when I said I hadn't acted on them (at least not with a child- fantasy and porn, yes.) I'd heard it said often enough about others, how can one have such thoughts and not act on them? (The same accusations and assumptions thrown at those with unwanted homosexuality). This person must be a liar and manipulator.
We get mixed messages in this society. One, that 'those with attractions toward children can never change. They just can't help themselves.' And two that they should be thrown away in jail for life and be called perverts and evil. The conflict here, is if a person cannot help it (which I don't believe one cannot help his/her actions), how can they be at fault? If a person cannot help it, how can they be thrown in jail instead of a mental hospital? If that is who the person is, then we say that there ARE evil people in the world, and make ourselves capable of judging who the evil ones are and who they aren't.
It was difficult for me to get help because of those fears and inconsistencies. I had another option, though, which I found through the internet. There are those websites who cater to the victim mentality those of us with attractions to children are tempted to possess. ('No one understands me, I can't help the way I feel, etc.') The websites offer us the option of accepting that this is who we are, though instead of in the way the media does it negatively, this way is to accept it as a sexual orientation. Natural to us. We are born this way. They work together to change the way society views child sex abuse, as okay, they say, etc.
Thank God He pulled me away from those people.
I eventually did seek psychological help, but secular therapy didn't help. God is bringing about healing with Christian counseling, support groups, and discipleship (at an Exodus ministry, actually). People at my church are very supportive also, and I have hope.
I have gone on and on here. What I am trying to say is the green license plates are a bad idea. It's hard enough to get help before you act out. Things like that only serve to divide people. The media will call us monsters and in shame, some of us take on that label (I did for most of my life.) The websites will use that shame to bring people more into their underground world. The needs of children far outweigh the needs of sex offenders, however, when more people go underground, the children are even more at risk.
The stigma of child abuse of any kind should remain. It should NEVER be accepted or excused. I take full responsibility for my fantasy life and porn viewing. I should not be excused. Those of us who've committed crimes should be put away for a very long time. However, we shouldn't be shamed.
One man did tell his pastor and the result was that he was immediately removed from the choir as well as one or two other church-related memberships--none dealing with children.
Fortunately, he did not run but continued to seek help. Eventually he found an older man to mentor him, a relationship that truly was heaven-sent. That man eventually got married to a woman who knew of his struggles (which actually did diminish) and was willing to continue to encourage her husband in his relationship with the older man.
I know that not all situations work out well, but I am also a firm believer in the notion that God encourages all of us to live beyond our struggles, to live in the light of His love. I literally know hundreds of offenders who live each day with this as their motto.
Maureen: Thank you for sharing some good things. I could not, however, let pass an opportunity to point out that the recidivism rate for sex offenders who have completed treatment is about 13% and according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, sex offenders have a recidivism rate lower than any other convicted felon released from prison.
There are some studies that show offenders who have parole violations for non-sex related offenses (some for a simple violation of rules) are included in higher recidivism rates despite the fact that they committed no new sexual offense.
I have absolutely no problem with people watching me closely wherever I am. As a matter of fact, I see that as a blessing because the attentiveness of others is also a protective boundary for me.
In a little more than a year, my wife and I will be moving closer to my family. The city council for the area where we hope to live recently passed a 2000-foot rule and added that the rule effectively locks offenders out of 95% of that city's limits. Am I afraid? Yes, but I have to trust God the same way in this as I have from the day of my arrest.
One man did tell his pastor and the result was that he was immediately removed from the choir as well as one or two other church-related memberships--none dealing with children.
Fortunately, he did not run but continued to seek help. Eventually he found an older man to mentor him, a relationship that truly was heaven-sent. That man eventually got married to a woman who knew of his struggles (which actually did diminish) and was willing to continue to encourage her husband in his relationship with the older man.
I know that not all situations work out well, but I am also a firm believer in the notion that God encourages all of us to live beyond our struggles, to live in the light of His love. I literally know hundreds of offenders who live each day with this as their motto.
Maureen: Thank you for sharing some good things. I could not, however, let pass an opportunity to point out that the recidivism rate for sex offenders who have completed treatment is about 13% and according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, sex offenders have a recidivism rate lower than any other convicted felon released from prison.
There are some studies that show offenders who have parole violations for non-sex related offenses (some for a simple violation of rules) are included in higher recidivism rates despite the fact that they committed no new sexual offense.
I have absolutely no problem with people watching me closely wherever I am. As a matter of fact, I see that as a blessing because the attentiveness of others is also a protective boundary for me.
In a little more than a year, my wife and I will be moving closer to my family. The city council for the area where we hope to live recently passed a 2000-foot rule and added that the rule effectively locks offenders out of 95% of that city's limits. Am I afraid? Yes, but I have to trust God the same way in this as I have from the day of my arrest.
I recently went on Google and searched stigma and drug users, stigma and prostitutes and both times immediately came up websites where they are fighting the stigma to help people get their lives back. But when I searched stigma and child offenders I think I came across one website fighting the stigma. The rest were talking about the online registration, the license plates and how to promote the stigma. It seems that once a child is involved in these questionable acts the ball game changes, and it does.
I am not a mother so I know I am missing a big emotional part in this argument but I do believe as many have stated there is a line between informing the public and taking away basic human rights. Yes, it might be a horrible thing that has been done but sin is sin is sin. For example why is there such a huge stigma on homosexuality in the church yet the problem of pornography is often overlooked. What gives us the right to decide one sin is greater or worse than the other? Who said that an addiction to cocaine is worse than an addiction to desserts and gluttony? Yet we want to call one a junkie, and the other we want to get medical help because they can't help it.
I don't think we should use license plates and registrations as a substitution for parenting and caring where are children are. Community is not easy but I think we want to skip community, put on the scarlet letters and go back behind our fences and deadbolt locks again. Just as has been stated, Jesus did not do that and if he would have we all would be screwed!
So what is a healthy balance of public informing and allowing people to move past their sins? I don't know for sure. But I am so happy to hear that this discussion is happening and people are willing to address this issue.
I recently went on Google and searched stigma and drug users, stigma and prostitutes and both times immediately came up websites where they are fighting the stigma to help people get their lives back. But when I searched stigma and child offenders I think I came across one website fighting the stigma. The rest were talking about the online registration, the license plates and how to promote the stigma. It seems that once a child is involved in these questionable acts the ball game changes, and it does.
I am not a mother so I know I am missing a big emotional part in this argument but I do believe as many have stated there is a line between informing the public and taking away basic human rights. Yes, it might be a horrible thing that has been done but sin is sin is sin. For example why is there such a huge stigma on homosexuality in the church yet the problem of pornography is often overlooked. What gives us the right to decide one sin is greater or worse than the other? Who said that an addiction to cocaine is worse than an addiction to desserts and gluttony? Yet we want to call one a junkie, and the other we want to get medical help because they can't help it.
I don't think we should use license plates and registrations as a substitution for parenting and caring where are children are. Community is not easy but I think we want to skip community, put on the scarlet letters and go back behind our fences and deadbolt locks again. Just as has been stated, Jesus did not do that and if he would have we all would be screwed!
So what is a healthy balance of public informing and allowing people to move past their sins? I don't know for sure. But I am so happy to hear that this discussion is happening and people are willing to address this issue.