originally posted 3/14/2010
I committed a victimless crime 10 years ago. What I did was wrong and I accept full responsibility for every decision I made and every action I
took and I paid very dearly for my transgression. All I’ve ever wanted to do since this unfortunate episode was to go back to the productive,
law-abiding, contributory life I previously led. This has been virtually outlawed. I am blocked at every turn.
I’ve been through no less than 5 professions since, and have been forced out all five times. I cannot even VOLUNTEER to help my fellow man. I
am now on my final attempt at legitimacy. I don’t have the energy to start over yet again.
I am not a “sex offender”. “Sex Offender” is present tense. It implies that at this very moment I am committing a sex offense. I am most certainly
not. I am a “former” offender. Someone who 10 years ago made a victimless mistake. Having paid my legal price to society plus personal
suffering dwarfing what is legally prescribed, I deserve a chance to return to life; to give back. Murderers get second chances. I have never
hurt anyone in my life. Domestic batterers get tens of chances, often ending in murder. I’ve never in my life committed an act of violence
(including any and all forms of inappropriate touching). It is only this unique and illogically grouped class of crimes that when once committed,
the longer you go without re-offending, the more dearly you are made to pay.
If even the most vile among us are allowed to have our Constitutional and God given rights stripped from us for crimes others have committed
or that someone mistakenly believes we may one day commit, we are all in danger. It is never wise to act in panic and/or anger, yet we rush to
pass these draconian laws without considering their impact. The media scares up more sales, the politicians score political points for looking
like they are doing something – but at what cost? These laws as they as written have only succeeded in making things slightly MORE
dangerous for women and children.
So sell your advertising, score your points, but know that you have done so at the expense of the safety of women and children. The very
people you CLAIM to want to protect. In effect, YOU are also sex-offenders. Bring sanity back to our laws today.