Seadog
04-05-2006, 10:49 AM
Today, I was once again trying to figure out the strange world we live in. In one case, we have a respected member of the Washington bureaucracy being arrested for sexually explicit communication with a minor. Things like that make me long for punishments that we are too civilized to allow.
And then, I read about the little toddler that died in England. She escaped from a day care center. The day care apparently did not immediately notify the parents or police, and she was later found dead in a pond. What upset me, was that a local man saw her running around free and was afraid to rescue here before she got in trouble. He probably could have kept his mouth shut and no one would know, but he was too honest for his own good. The reason why he was afraid to help the little girl, was he was afraid to be accused of being a pervert.
At first, my reaction was shock. Then I got to thinking that even being alone with my nieces has sometimes worried me. It is not unusal to hear about innocent people being crucified by innuendo and fals accusations. The article mentioned several cases where others have been afraid to do anything to children without a professional or parent around. And then I read this story:
quote:
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Last summer, an Illinois man lost an appeal on his conviction as a sex offender for grabbing the arm of a 14-year-old girl. She had stepped directly in front of his car, causing him to swerve in order to avoid hitting her.
The 28-year-old Fitzroy Barnaby jumped out his car, grabbed her arm and lectured her on how not to get killed. Nothing more occurred. Nevertheless, that one action made him guilty of "the unlawful restraint of a minor," which is a sexual offense in Illinois. Both the jury and judge believed him. Nevertheless, Barnaby went through years of legal proceedings that ended with his name on a sex offender registry, where his photograph and address are publicly available. He must report to authorities. His employment options are severely limited; he cannot live near schools or parks.
Arguably, the law would have punished Barnaby less had he hit the girl or not cared enough to lecture her.
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quote:
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Recognizing the stigma that comes with being labeled as a sex offender, the appellate court said "it is [Barnaby's] actions which have caused him to be stigmatized, not the courts."
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I have to wonder about a prosecutor that would press such a charge, or a judge that would allow it to stick. And why the heck would the governor not pardon this person? Are they so afraid of appearing soft on sex crimes that they would allow this injustice?
:mad:
And then, I read about the little toddler that died in England. She escaped from a day care center. The day care apparently did not immediately notify the parents or police, and she was later found dead in a pond. What upset me, was that a local man saw her running around free and was afraid to rescue here before she got in trouble. He probably could have kept his mouth shut and no one would know, but he was too honest for his own good. The reason why he was afraid to help the little girl, was he was afraid to be accused of being a pervert.
At first, my reaction was shock. Then I got to thinking that even being alone with my nieces has sometimes worried me. It is not unusal to hear about innocent people being crucified by innuendo and fals accusations. The article mentioned several cases where others have been afraid to do anything to children without a professional or parent around. And then I read this story:
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last summer, an Illinois man lost an appeal on his conviction as a sex offender for grabbing the arm of a 14-year-old girl. She had stepped directly in front of his car, causing him to swerve in order to avoid hitting her.
The 28-year-old Fitzroy Barnaby jumped out his car, grabbed her arm and lectured her on how not to get killed. Nothing more occurred. Nevertheless, that one action made him guilty of "the unlawful restraint of a minor," which is a sexual offense in Illinois. Both the jury and judge believed him. Nevertheless, Barnaby went through years of legal proceedings that ended with his name on a sex offender registry, where his photograph and address are publicly available. He must report to authorities. His employment options are severely limited; he cannot live near schools or parks.
Arguably, the law would have punished Barnaby less had he hit the girl or not cared enough to lecture her.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recognizing the stigma that comes with being labeled as a sex offender, the appellate court said "it is [Barnaby's] actions which have caused him to be stigmatized, not the courts."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have to wonder about a prosecutor that would press such a charge, or a judge that would allow it to stick. And why the heck would the governor not pardon this person? Are they so afraid of appearing soft on sex crimes that they would allow this injustice?
:mad: