Annitston Star gives a really bad editorial -- FEAR MONGERING AMONG US

I've never understood just newspaper would print such nonsense when they refuse to print the truth or any of my editorials.

http://www.annistonstar.com/view/full_story/9592985/article-Predators-among-us?instance=home_opinion

Predators among us

by our readers

 

Moms, shut your doors and keep your kids in; the “big bad wolf” is lurking around the corner. The reality is that sex offenders are littering our country. Kids can be snatched from our front yards and become victims of a sex offender.

The “Leave it to Beaver” days are long gone, and mothers need to be aware of the ever-growing danger. It is even a risk to let our kids go alone to school. The offender knows where there is an “easy catch.” Those men are sick individuals who need regular follow-ups with officials. Kids ought to have special classes that teach them how to protect themselves.

Our children have become easy prey, and we need tough laws to protect them. Playgrounds, wooded areas and close-to-home schools should have extra security. Sexual abuse and the killings of our children have become a national cancer.

The $587 million and most costly school in the U.S. recently opened in Los Angeles. That money was wasted and could have been used to enforce better security and build more jails for outlaws.

Margit Suesser

Anniston

Read more: Anniston Star - Predators among us

HERE IS MY COMMENT TO THE ANNISTON STAR:


This has to be the worst excuse of fear mongering and blind ignorance I have ever seen in an editorial. People are always saying we see "these kinds of stories" "every day," but statistic from the NCMEC show those high profile cases are extremely rare.

We're already spending more on costly prisons and security. We treat school children like prisoners these days with random pat downs, metal detectors, and heightened security. The only "epidemic" in this country is the epidemic of fear. We fear everything from Pig Flu to Y2K and Satanic Cults in Day Cares.

Like everything else we have grown to fear in our generation, our fears are based upon media sensationalism. Nancy Grace's bread and butter are "Tot Mom" and sex abuse cases. It is interesting to note her two favorite cases on her show, the Caylee Anthony and Sandra Cantu murders, were committed by people not on any public registry.

There are a lot of problems with the public registry. It gives people such a narrow focus on a small group of people, of which only 3%-5% of them will ever commit a new sex crime (there is such a thing as "rehabilitation"). The focus is so narrow we miss the 95% of new cases that will be committed by first time offenders, i.e., people not on the registry.

It has become obvious that these laws are based more on revenge than rehabilitation. The shame game, social ostracism, and denial of second chances has failed to reduce recidivism. Yes we need more education, but you have to include topics like sexual accountability to your youth.