During the 9:00 a.m. hour of the July 16 "MSNBC News Live," Richard Pompelio, a lawyer with the New Jersey Crime Victims' Law Center, appeared as a guest for a segment on a New Jersey appellate court’s recent decision that cities cannot implement their own laws regarding child sex offenders. After asking Pompelio to describe Megan’s Law -- which requires law enforcement personnel to provide information about a child sex offender to the community in which the offender lives -- "MSNBC News Live" host Contessa Brewer worried:
The question that always comes up when you have these community hearings where law enforcement gather the neighbors and they say "look, we just wanna let you know that there's a sex offender moving in so that you can keep an eye on your children and stay safe." The neighbors say "why, why is he moving into my neighborhood.?" But they've served their time, they’ve done their, they've done the punishment so don’t they deserve a chance to come out and try to live a good life?
What Brewer must have forgotten is that the inspiration for Megan’s Law was the brutal 1994 rape and murder of seven-year-old Megan Kanka by Jesse Timmendequas, a twice-convicted sex offender who happened to live across the street from Megan.
Pompelio responded to Brewer’s question by noting a difference between serving time and still being sick with an incurable sexual perversion:
The response by the courts, and it’s in this decision, is these tier three most dangerous people are predators. They’re never cured whether they’ve served their time or not. They’re just as dangerous as when they went in. That’s the reality.
A transcript of the segment, which aired at 9:14 a.m. on July 16, follows:
CONTESSA BREWER, host: When sex offenders try to move into neighborhoods families often take action trying to stop them. In New Jersey, some towns have passed ordinances banning sex offenders from living near schools or parks but a state appeals court says towns can’t make up their own rules on where sex offenders can live. Richard Pompelio is a lawyer with the New Jersey Crime Victims’ Law Center. Richard, good to see you today.
RICHARD POMPELIO, New Jersey Crime Victims’ Law Center: Thank you.
BREWER: Okay, so I know that the court said that Megan’s Law, well publicized law in New Jersey, should be what determines how to deal with sexual offenders. What does Megan’s Law say about sex offenders?
POMPELIO: Um, it talks about registration and notification. Megan’s Law offender has to register and certain people within an area where he lives have to be notified. That’s pretty much the extent of what Megan’s Law does. It only regulates, again registration, notification and when the person can get of Megan’s Law. Has really nothing at all to do with where or where they cannot live.
BREWER: Okay but the appellate court said that these local ordinances, these towns that say in our town a sex offender can’t live X number of yards from a school or from a park where children are. The court said that those local laws interfere with and frustrate the purposes and operations of the statewide scheme.
POMPELIO: Yeah, that’s what they said and I think the appellate division did not want fifty some, five hundred some municipalities having separate ordinances. It might be chaos. So they used what I think courts do often and that is saying it’s preempted and that’s what they did here.
BREWER: The question that always comes up when you have these community hearings where law enforcement gather the neighbors and they say “look, we just wanna let you know that there’s a sex offender moving in so that you can keep an eye on your children and stay safe.” The neighbors say “why, why is he moving into my neighborhood.?” But they’ve served their time, they’ve done their, they’ve done the punishment so don’t they deserve a chance to come out and try to live a good life?
POMPELIO: The response by the courts, and it’s in this decision, is these tier three most dangerous people are predators. They’re never cured whether they’ve served their time or not. They’re just as dangerous as when they went in. That’s the reality.
BREWER: Does it leave New Jersey families frustrated then that you could have these sexual offenders, these predators living close to playgrounds?
POMPELIO: Absolutely. I mean I think, I think what the municipalities have done is they’ve reacted to the upset of their local citizens and said “well, this is how we’re gonna protect you.” Whether that’s the best way to do it, I don’t know.
BREWER: Okay, so what’s next? Are you going to see then the New Jersey legislature coming together and saying if not at the town level, then it must be the state level?
POMPELIO: That’s really an interesting question for New Jersey. It’s been done in other states. It’s been done in Illinois, Iowa -- Illinois, Iowa and Georgia. But in New Jersey you have something like eleven hundred and forty seven people per square mile so if you try to legislate on a broad statewide basis, you’re gonna get entire towns in New Jersey where a sex offender can’t live. Okay, if you say a sex offender can’t live within a thousand feet of a school, playground, uh any place where children gather-
BREWER: Problematic.
POMPELIO: Yeah. It’s gonna -- it’s really not gonna work.
BREWER: Rich, it’s good to see ya. Thank you for coming into the studio.
POMPELIO: Thank you.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
He should have said, you
July 16, 2008 - 13:37 ET by Dan The Man 2He should have said, you are right. From now on we will remand them to your care and introduce them to your kids and families imediate and extended. How about that? These offenders are almost never cured, and the only cure seems to be death.
Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.
NOPE!!!!
July 16, 2008 - 13:42 ET by oldArmyNOPE!!!!
"But they've served their
July 16, 2008 - 13:43 ET by kg"But they've served their time, they’ve done their, they've done the
punishment so don’t they deserve a chance to come out and try to live a
good life?"
San Francisco will take them.
"Forget change, I want improvement!"
THE DUMBEST BROAD ON TV
July 16, 2008 - 13:45 ET by SgthulkaWatching her is like watchng a panel discussion on nuclear physics at a sorority house.
If anyone knows the name of the MSNBC exec she's sleeping with in order to keep her job, please post it.
Too many "pretty faces" on
July 16, 2008 - 14:19 ET by ForeverOnTheRightToo many "pretty faces" on the news, I doubt that they are journalist. Most I am sure just wanted to be in broadcasting and aren’t qualified to be anything other than news readers, much less interviewers. Contessa I am sure was hired because she looks damn good and can handle herself well in front of the camera.
Talking heads are not journalists
July 16, 2008 - 14:37 ET by jefflebowskiMy first wife was a newscaster. She was in several major markets and won emmys. She is dumb as a post. Get her off the teleprompter and she couldn't complete a sentence. She was good looking, though. I know a lot of the current newscasters on some of the networks and cable. They are not very bright. Most of them are more interested in their clothing allowances and talking with their agent than what is going on in the world.
Jeff Lebowski
www.angrywhitedude.c...
Hollywood actors are in the
July 16, 2008 - 14:46 ET by KillgraveHollywood actors are in the same boat. Just because they are good in front of a camera when speaking someone else's words, they think they can pull it off using their own words. And nothing is more pathetic than arrogance on top of stupidity.
I think a journalist asked Billy Joel some political question, probably expecting some typical b*llshit liberal response, and he said something like "why should anyone care what I think? I just play a piano!". Ironically, that is probably the most intelligent thing a celebrity ever said.
Cue Don Henley
July 16, 2008 - 21:29 ET by GrannyGrump42We got the bubble-headed bleach blonde comes on at five
She can tell you 'bout the plane crash with a gleam in her eye
....
We can do the innuendo, we can dance and sing
When it's said and done we haven't told you a thing
We all know that crap is king
Give us dirty laundry
Watching? Sorority house?
July 16, 2008 - 15:11 ET by Copperhead Ridge"
Watching her is like watchng a panel discussion on nuclear physics at a sorority house."
Yeah, you can't stand to listen, but you can't take your eyes off the discussion, either.
Yeah, kid-touchers of the
July 16, 2008 - 13:57 ET by PeskyDaneYeah, kid-touchers of the world, unite. Sheesh.
Some I do feel sorry for...
July 16, 2008 - 14:00 ET by nnptcgradThe only sex offenders I do feel sorry for are the ones who I've heard about who are 18 year old guys and sleep with a 15 or 16 year old girlfriend (or vice versa) and get a statutory rape sentence, when it was consensual. Were they dumb? Yes. Should they suffer for the rest of their lives? No.
On the other hand if it is proven to be an actual rape, then HELL YES they should suffer. Unless they kill someone, then they should only suffer a short time, i.e. as long as it takes to load a gun.
Mother nature is a bitch - Ninth Corollary of Murphy's Law
Should they suffer for the
July 16, 2008 - 14:13 ET by PeskyDaneShould they suffer for the rest of their lives? No.
Yeah, I have never gotten the logic behind that. A kid doing something dumb should not be put into the same category as a child predator.
There are other situations,
July 16, 2008 - 14:23 ET by KillgraveThere are other situations, like when some hapless schmuck gets caught downloading pron that he thinks was "barely legal" but it ends up being "barely illegal".
Should he suffer crippling embarrassment? Yes. But should he get, for the rest of his life, the exact same scarlet letter as some monster who assaults a woman or a child? From what I understand, the "sex offender" labeling makes no distinction.
the two aren't mutually exclusive yanno
July 16, 2008 - 18:47 ET by UndercoverConservativesuffering for a "short time" and "the rest of his/her life" can be exactly the same thing.
Because until these @ssholes can prove that their victim is totally and completely cured/healed/"over" the attack then why should the perpetrator get a lighter sentence than the victim? If a kid is traumatized badly for life, why should the scum get better treatment?
here's a wild, "progressive" idea: if someone thinks the penalty for child molestation is too harsh, then maybe (hold on for the radical part) they shouldn't commit the crime *in the first place*!
Just like "Three Strikes" laws, death penalty for violent crimes, etc. If ya can't do the time, don't do the f**kin' crime.
"to call an illegal immigrant an "undocumented alien" is the same as calling a streetcorner drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist".
"You spend your money anyway you want and respect other's rights to do the same"
I'm not sure why we're
July 16, 2008 - 14:02 ET by KillgraveI'm not sure why we're having this debate in the first place.
If someone is guilty of actively violating women or children, they should be kept locked up. Then they won't be in a position to move into anyone's neighborhood.
And I'm sure I could get sarc's backing on this, but if we were to empty our prisons of drug users (simple possession) then we would have plenty of room for these creeps.
tis simple.
July 16, 2008 - 14:08 ET by mbuelMarxist logic (dems) dictates that criminals have more rights than victims, or potential victims.
Conservatives should really use this point to hammer home that dems don't really give a damn about children. (or women for that matter....)
What?
July 16, 2008 - 14:38 ET by cayenne523These people that rape women and children should not be in prison. They should be hanging from a tree or light post. The person raped never recovers. It is a memory they are sentenced to for life by the rapist. Rape should be punishable by death. On one hand people say the criminal in these cases cannot be cured. If they cannot be cured they should be put to death. On the other hand people say lock them up. Why? So we can house them the rest of their miserable lives? At the age of four I was at home when the less of a man broke in our home and tried to rape my mother. She escaped and so did my sister and I. What we did not escape was the memory. It has now been forty three years and I can still remember that night as if it was last night. I have very strong feelings about this subject. The authorities that allow these people to walk the streets should hang right next to them for allowing them to be on our streets searching for their next victim(s).
What?
July 16, 2008 - 14:38 ET by cayenne523These people that rape women and children should not be in prison. They should be hanging from a tree or light post. The person raped never recovers. It is a memory they are sentenced to for life by the rapist. Rape should be punishable by death. On one hand people say the criminal in these cases cannot be cured. If they cannot be cured they should be put to death. On the other hand people say lock them up. Why? So we can house them the rest of their miserable lives? At the age of four I was at home when the less of a man broke in our home and tried to rape my mother. She escaped and so did my sister and I. What we did not escape was the memory. It has now been forty three years and I can still remember that night as if it was last night. I have very strong feelings about this subject. The authorities that allow these people to walk the streets should hang right next to them for allowing them to be on our streets searching for their next victim(s).
Let's just make lots of things legal then
July 16, 2008 - 14:49 ET by Unsanebut if we were to empty our prisons of drug users (simple possession) then we would have plenty of room for these creeps. Legalizing murder would be a much better idea. That would free up even MORE room.
That's a pathetic excuse. TX has so much prison space, we lease it to other states. And we make room for more by occasionally whacking some bad apples. Problem solved.
"Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." - from the Bhagavad Gita, quoted by J. Robert Oppenheimer at 0530 MST on 16 July 1945
I agree.
July 16, 2008 - 16:41 ET by mjgI agree.
I'm not sure folks from
July 16, 2008 - 14:03 ET by ConservativeRexI'm not sure folks from New Jersey would ever take my advice but seems to me they have two options....make sure you know who these people are, and then make sure the never live anywhere near you and your children, by any means necessary. Or, move to another state.
As you can see, the politicians and judges have way too much power over the innocent peoples lives in New Jersey. They seem only to care about the criminal element in your state, the worst type of criminal at that. Now, the innocent folks of New Jersey know where they stand. What are you going to do about it? They're daring you to do something about it. Will you good folks of New Jersey rise to the challenge?
"But they've served their
July 16, 2008 - 14:13 ET by SickofLibs"But they've served their time, they’ve done their, they've done the punishment..."
Yeah, and as a group, they're overwhelmingly likely to repeat the crime.
So you'd like to banish the concept of MUNICIPAL government? Hey Pompelio, you pompous ass, rape isn't all that much fun in reality.
Sex Offender Registry
July 16, 2008 - 14:44 ET by ricklailI have worked in the prison system for going on 12 years. I see many of these sex offenders. So I signed up at the NCDOJ so I could keep track if any moved into my neighborhood or the neigborhoods where my grand kids lived. It was been useful several times. It only works if the offender registers as he/she should. In NC it is a felony not to register or report a change of address. If you would like to sign up and be notified when a sex offender moves into you town here is the site for NC.
From my years of experince I would not trust most of them leave here. The only way would be if they are castrated.
I don't care to hear the liberal wienie line about having done their time. Most will be back. They can't help it. Prison has no programs to reform them.
Be kind to your kids. They'll be choosing your nursing home.
Voluntary castration
July 16, 2008 - 15:17 ET by garyganuI have never understood why we don't castrate these "tier three" incurable sexual deviants. This would include violent rapists and pedophiles who commit rape.
I frequently hear the argument that rape is a crime of violence, saying that rape it is not about sex. Experts often say that castration will not prevent them from repeating these violent crimes. For example, they will use an object such as a broom stick or beer bottle to carry out a rape.
As a layman that argument seems ridiculous to me and I think that these so called experts are disingenuous and dangerous because they are convincing good people of something that defies my personal experience, reason and common sense. I believe the reason why "experts" are opposed to castration is because they think it is inhumane punishment. I disagree.
I believe that the main motivating factor of these criminals risking their freedom, their life and their very souls, is an uncontrollable urge and desire, that can only be satisfied one way. I believe that these criminals would welcome a solution to this problem even before they attacked their first victim. Your article says that these "tier three" sex offenders are afflicted with an incurable sexual perversion, I agree, and I also think that this is obvious even to the criminal sex offender himself. His uncontrollable desires put him in a lose-lose situation, where he is damned if he does and he is damned if he doesn't. I do not think that anyone would choose to have these unnatural, incurable, criminal desires.
I am sure that some men rape out of a desire to control someone through violence, although not all rapists have that motivation, not even most. For most rapists and pedophiles, they commit their crimes out of a twisted sexual fetish that can only be satisfied in a particular way. Just as some men are afflicted with desires for bestiality, necrophilia, addiction to prostitutes, masturbation and pornography. However those disorders do not have the same horrific results that pedophilia and rape do, of course.
When I lived on a farm in Oregon, 20 years ago, we would castrate most of the male calves to make them into steers rather than letting them grow up as bulls. One reason why we did that was because only a few bulls were needed to impregnate the cows. But the main reason was because bulls were very hard to handle, steers were not. As a matter of fact, the bulls were violent and dangerous. They would frequently break out of their corrals, break fences, and even kicked the owner and broke 3 of his ribs on one occasion. On the other hand, the steers grew up to be docile, just like the cows.
I believe that castration affects a man's tendency toward aggression as well as his sexual urges, just like I witnessed with bulls and steers. In terms of the human experience, statistically, men are ten times more likely to commit murder than women. There is a connection between male hormones and violence.
In this day and age of men mutilating their genitals in so called sex-change operations, how could it possibly be considered cruel to castrate a man as punishment or even as a precaution to prevent him from committing horrific sex crimes?
I recommend that all violent, incurable sex offenders be given life imprisonment for their crime. But if they chose to be castrated, they will be allowed to make a deal for early release or parole after serving a minimum sentence of 25 years perhaps. Also, I recommend that less violent sex offenders also be offered the option of castration to mitigate their prison sentences. Thirdly, I recommend an aggressive public relations campaign (TV, radio, billboards, etc) to persuade potential sex offenders to go to their private physician for voluntary castration. If a person has these abnormal, violent desires, it would be to their own benefit, as well as society at large, if they nipped it in the bud and got themselves castrated, before they offended, or before they get caught.
This would be a win-win situation for society and the offender. Some criminal offenders would be given a second chance without putting society at risk. Other potential predators will nip their desires in the bud, thus protecting themselves from a lifetime in prison, and eternity in hell. At the same time they would be protecting innocent victims from crimes they will never commit.
You make excellent points Gary G
July 16, 2008 - 15:29 ET by Dee BunkI agree.
If they were let out and still committed a violent sexual crime with an object, at least the child or woman couldn't get pregnant or some sexually transmitted disease.
A sexual assault after release should cause life imprisonment without possibility of parole.
so what about the female offenders?
July 16, 2008 - 19:02 ET by UndercoverConservativeThere's plenty of reported, sadistic and violent *female* sexual predators out there. How do you suggest to castrate *them*?
Sex crimes are not a male-only problem. In fact, any bets on how many bits of abuse or rape are *not* reported out of shame on the male victim's part? Or as a young male he's supposed to be proud of his possibly involuntary conquest?
"to call an illegal immigrant an "undocumented alien" is the same as calling a streetcorner drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist".
"You spend your money anyway you want and respect other's rights to do the same"
"so what about the female
July 16, 2008 - 19:09 ET by Clear thinker"so what about the female offenders?"
Send them to my house.
;-)
45 Communist Goals for America http://www.nationmakers.com/com_goals.htm
Ct,
July 17, 2008 - 21:30 ET by R D HelmLOL. :-)
The truth is insensitive. - Neal Boortz
I was not aware that there
July 16, 2008 - 20:59 ET by garyganuI was not aware that there was a significant problem with female sex offenders. Can you provide me with the proportion of male to female "tier three" sex offenders? Females also do not report many cases of rape also out of shame.
Common sense, reason and my personal experience tell me that female "tier three" sex offenders do not pose a significant threat compared to males.
Contessa: What is the recidivism rate for sex...
July 16, 2008 - 15:03 ET by ThalpyContessa: What is the recidivism rate for sex offenders? Probably higher than Contessa can count. Yes, these people do deserve a chance to come out and try to live a good life right next door to Contessa Brewer.
Contessa Brewer
July 16, 2008 - 15:15 ET by UnsaneNothing can turn me off faster than a hottie like Contessa Brewer demonstrating that she is a total idiot. (Stupid women are an absolute turnoff for me.)
I have a better idea...why have one of these sex offenders live next door to Miss Brewer? Better still would be for her to adopt one of these cuddly, innocent sex offenders. She can hire them for various tasks around her house and put them up, providing them with room and board, thus ensuring that they have a good life. Right?
"Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." - from the Bhagavad Gita, quoted by J. Robert Oppenheimer at 0530 MST on 16 July 1945
He he he
July 16, 2008 - 21:34 ET by GrannyGrump42>>Yes, these people do deserve a chance to come out and try to live a good life right next door to Contessa Brewer.<<
Remember "Bloom County"? Sleezy lawyer Steve Dallas wanted his client released without bail. The judge said sure -- she can stay at your house!
Ax Murderess Awaiting Trial: "Is this the cellar?"
Steve: "Call it home."
I ANYTHING being done to
July 16, 2008 - 15:17 ET by ForeverOnTheRightI ANYTHING being done to prevent these monsters from being created? Nobody just on the spur of the moment decides out of the blue to rape someone. It takes a process of declining morals, from being a decent human being who would not hurt a fly to a morally depraved monster. What happened? As a society are we doing anything to prevent or discourage this in the first place?
"Do your own thing" certainly contributed
July 16, 2008 - 21:38 ET by GrannyGrump42I still remember when I was a young adult, and shrinks were telling the public, "It doesn't matter what you think. They're just thoughts and don't hurt anybody. It's all right to explore dark fantasies."
Then we learn how wrong they were -- it all starts out as fantasies and escalates into action.
The genesis of a lot of sex crimes is Pop Psychology that taught perverts that it's okay to fantasize about anything, anything at all, even child molestation, rape, torture, and murder, on the gounds that "thoughts don't hurt anybody". Turns out they teach the thinker to fixate on harming others, and God alone knows what percentage of them start acting on it.
This tells me that all Pop
July 16, 2008 - 21:42 ET by Clear thinkerThis tells me that all Pop Shrinks are liberals!
45 Communist Goals for America http://www.nationmakers.com/com_goals.htm
Let's not loose the reason
July 16, 2008 - 15:46 ET by athoughtor2Let's not loose the reason for this clip. What the F is going on in NJ. Another prouod "Jersey Lib" moment. I am from NJ, exit 14 on turnpike and 142 on parkway. This is over the top: Protect the convict and hell with our children!
At least Springsteen got the recognition he's do for his role in ending the cold war and tearing down the berlin wall today....
Stupid Question - Simple Answer.
July 16, 2008 - 15:50 ET by richflanjBREWER: "But they've served their time, they’ve done their, they've done the punishment so don’t they deserve a chance to come out and try to live a good life?"
ME: "No."
I'm Sure...
July 16, 2008 - 15:50 ET by geoff.gale...that Contessa Brewer would welcome a former sex offender to live in her building or on her block. What a hypocrite! Too bad that Pompelio didn't have the stones to confront her just to get her on record as saying she wouldn't mind a former sex offender to take up residence near her.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
- Edmund Burke (1729 - 1797)
www.conservativeboot...
I can't help but wonder if
July 16, 2008 - 16:16 ET by bigtimerI can't help but wonder if Contessa has any kids yet...
Btw...I have watched Miss Wunderkin since she started, one of the dumber ones...and that is saying a lot.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Carefull what you wish for
July 16, 2008 - 16:36 ET by richb313I know I will recieve a lot of flak for what I am about to say. I have no love of anyone who would harm a child in any way. I think they are the scum of the earth, but there are a lot of problems with the whole premise of continued incarceration or State Interferance after the punishment has been served. The whole Sex Offender laws have been turned upside down anyway to begin with. The roles of the Sex Offender have been filled to capacity with the names of literally thousands of people who simply should not be there to begin with. Many husbands who are involved in a custody battle can attest to this. It is easy to be put on the list but almost impossible to be removed. Also many individuals are on this list who have never harmed anyone.
This is a very scary precident. The next thing you know any activity can be considered justification for heavy handed government interference. DUI and then you will be listed for life and denied due process. Too many speeding tickets and the same thing could apply.
This entire debate, while defintely emotionally charged, is really about how far we will let government intrude in our lives. This is definitely the slippery slope. If and when we lose our liberties it will be because we invited the government to make us safer. The government can never make us safe. We are the only ones who can do that. Be very carefull what you wish for, because you might just get it. Everyone should read or re-read George Orwells "1984", and Aldous Huxleys "A Brave New World". We are very close to the scocieties described in both these scary novels.
Rich, I couldn't agree more...
July 17, 2008 - 00:32 ET by HillbillyKingwith your comment.
How far will we go to be "safe" from other people? If we look at it, there are a number of types of criminals that pose a clear and present danger of recidivism.
For example, look at DUI statistics here:
http://www.ohioinsur...
and tell me why there is not a registry for those criminals? I find it very easy to imagine a repeat drunk driver living in a neighborhood where children reside. Wouldn't parents want to know if a raging alcoholic with 3 DUI priors was gonna move in 2 houses down?
Let's take it a step further. How about robbery, murder and felony assault. Look at this:
http://findarticles....
Shouldn't everyone be informed when someone convicted of armed robbery, MURDER (e.m.) or felony assault moves into any neighborhood anywhere in America? They have already proved to be violent, right?
How about everyones favorite...Drug offenders. Look here:
http://www.ojp.usdoj...
and you can see why we should all be told when someone moves in down the street that was into drugs. They could get someones kids hooked on drugs, or rob their house to pay for more dope.
I use these 3 examples to illustrate how logic and reason take a back seat to emotion when crimes against children are involve.
There are waaaayyyy more alcohol related crimes, (here)
http://www.ojp.usdoj...
way more drug crimes, (here)
http://www.ojp.usdoj...
and way more violent crime,(here)
http://www.ojp.usdoj...
http://www.ojp.usdoj...
http://www.ojp.usdoj...
Than there are sex crimes, (here)
http://www.ojp.usdoj...
http://www.ojp.usdoj...
(these two links were the most recent studies I could find at the Bureau of Justice statistics, if anyone can find more recent ones I would be thankful to see them)
I really believe that when we allow the emotion of fear to be the driving force behind our actions we will wake up and have no freedom left at all. Or as Ben Franklin put it
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you.
Don Marquis 1878-1937
Hillbilly I agree that
July 17, 2008 - 10:46 ET by amberHillbilly
I agree that people let their emotions get involved when it comes to criminals. I don't think megan's law even has a purpose in civilized society. Pedophiles and child rapists (and I am not talking about the 18 yo who has sex with a 16 yo) should be executed. Children have no means to defend themselves. I do not mind a convicted rapist living next door, I welcome it, I carry my beretta at all times expressly for that purpose, but I do not trust myself if a child rapist lives within 10 miles of me. I do not believe in life in prison and I do not believe sexual criminals will be cured. Give them 10-15 years just in prison just in case they did not do it, then execute them. There is no reason to risk the safety of children.
And the castration argument is void of any understanding of what drives these people, it is not the orgasm, it is the power and domination they crave. Take their penis away and they will use the stick end of a shovel.
Thanks Amber...
July 18, 2008 - 02:41 ET by HillbillyKingIn case your interested there is a novel by a guy named Tim Green called The Fifth Angel.
http://www.timgreenb...
I enjoyed it.
If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you.
Don Marquis 1878-1937
One thing has always
July 16, 2008 - 17:08 ET by Cureboy675One thing has always bothered me about this sex offender registry. Meaning I hope parents don't fool themselves into a false sense of security just because they don't have a registered sex offender living in their neighborhood.
You need to assume that there is a sex offender living maybe even two doors down. Every person on that sex offender registry was, at one point, an unregistered sex offender when they committed their first crime.
And many sex offenders are
July 17, 2008 - 10:48 ET by amberAnd many sex offenders are AWOL.
"Always remember that you are unique. Just like everybody else." --despair.com
Cured
July 16, 2008 - 17:48 ET by JDWI wonder how many sex offenders are libs.
JDW
SAPPY NEWS
DAILY WAVE
It really should come down
July 16, 2008 - 18:25 ET by mostlymoderateIt really should come down to the "degree" of the crime involved. A 35yo+ male that preys on someone under 12yo should basically be shot to death slowly starting with the feet moving upward. But a 19yo male that has consensual sex with a 16yo should probably just do his time and be given a second chance. The problem with our system is we don't use common sense anymore. We lump ALL sex-offenders into one category and I am not sure I agree with that.
Contessa's qualifications
July 16, 2008 - 18:56 ET by JohnKNone of Contessa's bios mention a husband or children, and her pictures show her ringless on her left hand, so I think it's safe to say she doesn't have any children.
In my opinion a person without children is not qualified to make any commentary on any issue affecting children or their parents.
No childless person can even imagine the sensitivity a parent has to any hurt inflicted on their child, or the worry which accompanys the raising of a child in our modern society.
Contessa should keep her opinions to herself until she experiences being a parent.
Clarification needed
July 16, 2008 - 21:18 ET by UnsaneContessa should keep her opinions to herself until she experiences being a parent. So, what of we NBers who have no children such as myself? Are we to shut up on all matters such as this until we have a membership card that indicates we are parents?
"Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." - from the Bhagavad Gita, quoted by J. Robert Oppenheimer at 0530 MST on 16 July 1945
Be clear you do not have a
July 17, 2008 - 10:53 ET by amberBe clear you do not have a parent card so we can weigh your comments appropriately. Unless you have a child, you just never know the vilence a parent is capable of, seriously. I was a lot more peaceful until I had children.
"Always remember that you are unique. Just like everybody else." --despair.com
You don't have a monopoly, sorry!
July 17, 2008 - 21:56 ET by UnsaneUnless you have a child, you just never know the vilence a parent is capable of, seriously. Really? You forget that I did not emerge from the womb in my 30s. You also forget that I am more than capable of having children of my own. You also do not realize that I have a nephew and a niece, and that if such terrors as outlined here can be visited upon your children, they can just as easily be visited upon my nephew and niece.
So forgive me if I view violence and evil acts upon children with just as much disgust, horror and rage as you, the parent, clearly do.
Whoever casts a vote for Barack Obama is nothing more than a common thief. Whoever fails to vote against him is nothing more than a moral coward.
Brewer
July 16, 2008 - 22:32 ET by oopsIsaiditagainDumber than a box of rocks!!! And yet K.O. and Danno don't have the onions to make her and Tamron WPITW or a LOSER in the Beat The Press segments...two more reasons MSNBlah is unwatchable.
Some stick you will never
July 16, 2008 - 22:43 ET by jdhawkSome stick you will never see at MSNBC studios, but you know it must be taking place:
Contessa has her big girl skirt on - check
Contessa has her big girl blouse on - check
Contess has her big girl hair done - check
Contessa has her big girl make on - check
Contessa has her brain - UH OH! Houston, we have a problem . . .
Let's have a great big MSNBC welcome for Contessa Brewer. Come on folks, give it up for Contessa Brewer. She has won the very prestigious, "I am terminally stupid, but I am still in broadcasting award." Yes folks, Contessa snatched defeat from the jaws of victory tonight by besting Keith Olberman in this widely recognized and important MSNBC category . . .
jdhawk... I am roaring
July 16, 2008 - 23:01 ET by bigtimerjdhawk...
I am roaring with laughter...that was great!!
I needed some kind of an alert there...got my screen wet from a sip of my coffee when I got to Uh-OH Houston we have a problem....
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Brewer...
July 16, 2008 - 23:02 ET by HeavyChevylooks good in that skirt, I bet the just released sex offender thinks so also...I hope my point was just made.
For Christsake, Do You Even Know What A Sex Offender Is?!
July 16, 2008 - 23:49 ET by The7SticksHow can any of you be this stupid? Nothing infuriates me more than this whole nonsense of some child predator epidemic being propogated to the masses. This all started as a quest for ratings by the MSM, specifically Dateline NBC when it started its "To Catch A Predator" routine. There was never a huger threat about sex offenders before that. Now we have all these nonsense Megan's Laws and Jessica's Laws over a non-issue. Nobody would have ever heard of these crimes if it weren't for the monolithic reaches of the MSM. Do any of you even know what exactly constitutes as getting you registered on a sex-offender list? Well, a woman going topless in public, even on a public beach, can get them registered. Sure, it may offend some, but does that psychologically scar children? And I thought the hard-left liberals thought they were protecting the children. When will you soft-minded morons, left or right, stop it with this whiney "It's for the freakin' children" defense? SCREW THE FREAKIN' CHILDREN. They're just a bunch of snot-nosed brats that have no business bothering us because we certainly don't want to bother them. At least I don't. It's just Playboy centerfolds for me, which I last check, is not grounds for a sex offense.
→ Slow down sticks
July 16, 2008 - 23:57 ET by Cool ArrowMaybe you could be writing for the New Yorker, because it's hard to figure which parts of your post are serious and which are satire, or even sarcasm.
LYDSEXICS UNTIE
Cool,
July 17, 2008 - 00:01 ET by RESTLESS 1I think he is just stupid. I was going to respond to his "post", but then I decided contemplating my navel was more important and rewarding.
"This
liberal would be all about socialize -- uh, uh, would be about
basically taking over and the government running all of your companies."-Maxine Waters 2008
→ Thanks R1
July 17, 2008 - 00:06 ET by Cool ArrowThe words were blurring together and I was starting to doubt my cognitive ability.
LYDSEXICS UNTIE
Have you ever sit down and
July 17, 2008 - 06:35 ET by ricklailHave you ever sit down and read crime reports for these perverts? In my job I have access to the records of all inmates in the state of NC. With that comes the ablity to read what they did from the VICTIM'S side. It would make you sick. Raped/molested victims names are not released to the public but they are in the reports.
Be kind to your kids. They'll be choosing your nursing home.
They deserve to be able to
July 17, 2008 - 02:34 ET by cocodrieThey deserve to be able to live just as good a life as their victims.They should be beaten and brutally raped anytime anyone has the urge to do it and if they killed their victim they should be put in a deep grave and covered over with dirt.
Street Justice
July 17, 2008 - 16:01 ET by BigSpoon65BigSpoon65
What they deserve is about an hour in a locked room with the victim and the victims family and lots of sharp objects and power tools available. I would even pay to watch that!