Sex Offenders' Homes to Be Marked With Pumpkin Symbol

[Dos Equis]

The ACLU opposed to this?  Didn't see that one coming.   

Sex Offenders' Homes to Be Marked With Pumpkin Symbol
Thursday, October 16, 2008
 
The Washington Times


This sign was recently mailed to registered sex offenders in Maryland to warn children and families on Halloween.

ANNAPOLIS —  Sex offenders in Maryland have begun receiving paper signs in the mail that read "No candy at this residence," which they must post on their front doors or possibly face a parole violation.

The signs began arriving last week in the mailboxes of the about 1,200 violent and child-sex offenders across Maryland. The signs were accompanied by a letter explaining they must stay at home, turn off outside lights and not answer the door on Halloween.

Maryland is also distributing pamphlets statewide to warn families to stay away from homes with the pumpkin signs.

"Halloween provides a rare opportunity for you to demonstrate to your neighbors that you are making a sincere effort to change the direction of your life," the letter to sex offenders reads.

"Because Halloween is a holiday in which large numbers of children interact with strangers, the concern among parents and other community members about sexual offenders in their neighborhoods is naturally intensified during this time of year," Patrick McGee, interim director of the state's Division of Parole and Probation, wrote in the Oct. 1 letter.

Maryland, which began the program in 2005, is among a number of states placing Halloween restrictions on sex offenders. Maryland's regulations are almost identical to those adopted in Missouri, where four convicted sex offenders and the American Civil Liberties Union are challenging the state law in federal court.

"We've had very good results," Wonda Adams, said a supervisor at the Parole and Probation Division and coordinator of the Halloween watch program.

"Our goal is public safety, and in keeping with that we need to make sure that the individuals under our supervision are provided with the enhanced supervision that we're committed to."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,438725,00.html

[liberalismo]

Bad.

1. It's a good way to encourage ostracizing and vigilantism.

2. It also causes turmoil for people who live in the house who were involved in no crimes, such as family of the offenders including wives and children. How damaging would it be to a child when everyone knows that their dad is a sex offender?

3. Does this include sex offenders who broke a law where the age between them and the victim was small? Such as a 20 year old and a 16 year old?

4. How realistic is this really? How many children get abused by people they try to get candy from?


Essentially a reactionary bonehead idea with good intentions, but in the end is likely to have a lot of unintended negative consequences and be very ineffective.

[Dos Equis]

Good. 

1.  Any reasonable parent wants to know if there is a registered sex offender in their neighbor, particularly on Halloween.

2.  Pedophiles are particularly dangerous, because some believe they cannot be rehabilitated.  Their recidivism rate is astronomical. 

3.  People who commit sex crimes don't deserve the benefit of the doubt, accommodations, etc.  If a person doesn't want to face a lifetime as a registered sex offender, then don't commit a sex crime. 

This is a special class of criminals. 
 

[headhuntersix]

Bad.

1. It's a good way to encourage ostracizing and vigilantism.

2. It also causes turmoil for people who live in the house who were involved in no crimes, such as family of the offenders including wives and children. How damaging would it be to a child when everyone knows that their dad is a sex offender?

3. Does this include sex offenders who broke a law where the age between them and the victim was small? Such as a 20 year old and a 16 year old?

4. How realistic is this really? How many children get abused by people they try to get candy from?


Essentially a reactionary bonehead idea with good intentions, but in the end is likely to have a lot of unintended negative consequences and be very ineffective.

Wow ur kidding me right....

1. They should have executed them or chemically castrated them in the first place.
2. Who gives a shit...I take it u don't have kids
3. Whatever
4.I would expect plenty since we've had story after story of kids being picked up by neighbors,boyfriends etc

Really u Libs should be ashmed. How did u guys get to be such wusses.

[liberalismo]

Good. 

1.  Any reasonable parent wants to know if there is a registered sex offender in their neighbor, particularly on Halloween.

That can be done by a simple online search. 

2.  Pedophiles are particularly dangerous, because some believe they cannot be rehabilitated.  Their recidivism rate is astronomical. 

And a little pumpkin sign will stop them? 

3.  People who commit sex crimes don't deserve the benefit of the doubt, accommodations, etc.  If a person doesn't want to face a lifetime as a registered sex offender, then don't commit a sex crime. 

This is a special class of criminals. 
 

There are no "special" classes of criminals. Your reasoning is flawed in many ways. Firstly, What about families of sex offenders who also suffer ostracization due to these stupid sorts of things? Secondly, What about sexual offenders who are only listed because of outdated laws which classify 20 year olds who have 16 year old girlfriends as "sex offenders".

[/quote]

[headhuntersix]

Again..kids don't go to the door...the scumbags don't begin to target them....no problems. Who cares about the famlies and I would bet most don't have famlies/wives or kids.

[liberalismo]

Wow ur kidding me right....

1. They should have executed them or chemically castrated them in the first place.
2. Who gives a shit...I take it u don't have kids
3. Whatever
4.I would expect plenty since we've had story after story of kids being picked up by neighbors,boyfriends etc

Really u Libs should be ashmed. How did u guys get to be such wusses.

Wow, your response is so well articulated and thought out...  

You might not care about the effectiveness or even logicality of these sort of stupid measures, but intelligent people do. You might not care about the damage that is done to family members when a huge "X" is painted on someone's forehead identifying them as a sex offender in their family, but this is only because you are far too ignorant to sympathize.

Now, You might ask me to sympathize with the victims of sex offenders, but I already do. The difference between you and I, however, is that I have the ability to 'think' and can thus question such knee jerk measures on their logicality and effectiveness. Try to imagine yourself being the child of a sex offender, who is constantly ostracized by others. How much worse would it make it for you to have a huge pumpkin in your yard announcing that your dad is a sex offender? You're clearly to ignorant to imagine yourself in such a situation, and thus you can't sympathize, but I don't suffer from that same problem.

Inability to think is the ultimate sign of "wussyness".

[Dos Equis]

That can be done by a simple online search. 

And a little pumpkin sign will stop them? 

There are no "special" classes of criminals. Your reasoning is flawed in many ways. Firstly, What about families of sex offenders who also suffer ostracization due to these stupid sorts of things? Secondly, What about sexual offenders who are only listed because of outdated laws which classify 20 year olds who have 16 year old girlfriends as "sex offenders".

You gotta be kidding me.  Not every parent does an online search.  Plus this is only one time out of the year.  

Of course a sign isn't going to stop a pedophile.  The sign is for the parents so they keep their kids away.  

Yes, sex offenders are indeed a special class of criminals.  Outside of murder, they commit the most awful crime in our society.  They are a danger to the community.  That’s why we make them register, but not people who shoplift.    

Family members of the criminal always suffer when a person is convicted of a felony and loses the right to vote, work certain jobs, carry firearms, have to deal with probation/parole officers, social stigma etc.  That's an unfortunate side-effect of criminal activity.  The solution is don't commit the crime.    

I care more about the victims and the rest of the public.  

[liberalismo]

Again..kids don't go to the door...the scumbags don't begin to target them....no problems. Who cares about the famlies and I would bet most don't have famlies/wives or kids.

You're way too naive and simplistic. Do you really think that sexual predators who want to abuse children will let a simple pumpkin sign stop them? Why can't they just go out into the neighborhood? Any responsible parents would accompany their children up to the doorstep anyway when trick or treating, and if a predator really wants to abduct some kid then they won't just wait for them to come to their door step.

Holy fuck...I'm wasting my time.

[Option D]

Wow, your response is so well articulated and thought out...  

You might not care about the effectiveness or even logicality of these sort of stupid measures, but intelligent people do. You might not care about the damage that is done to family members when a huge "X" is painted on someone's forehead identifying them as a sex offender in their family, but this is only because you are far too ignorant to sympathize.

Now, You might ask me to sympathize with the victims of sex offenders, but I already do. The difference between you and I, however, is that I have the ability to 'think' and can thus question such knee jerk measures on their logicality and effectiveness. Try to imagine yourself being the child of a sex offender, who is constantly ostracized by others. How much worse would it make it for you to have a huge pumpkin in your yard announcing that your dad is a sex offender? You're clearly to ignorant to imagine yourself in such a situation, and thus you can't sympathize, but I don't suffer from that same problem.

Inability to think is the ultimate sign of "wussyness".

typical repub though

[liberalismo]

You gotta be kidding me.  Not every parent does an online search.  Plus this is only one time out of the year.  

Of course a sign isn't going to stop a pedophile.  The sign is for the parents so they keep their kids away.  

Yes, sex offenders are indeed a special class of criminals.  Outside of murder, they commit the most awful crime in our society.  They are a danger to the community.  That’s why we make them register, but not people who shoplift.    

Family members of the criminal always suffer when a person is convicted of a felony and loses the right to vote, work certain jobs, carry firearms, have to deal with probation/parole officers, social stigma etc.  That's an unfortunate side-effect of criminal activity.  The solution is don't commit the crime.    

I care more about the victims and the rest of the public.  

It won't make any difference and will only cause vigilantism and unnecessary turmoil for innocent family members.

The solution to an innocent family members turmoil is not to commit the crime? They didn't commit the crime and they don't control what their family members do. How can a child control what their mother or father do? They can't. Your reasoning is nonsensical.

You care more about the innocent public than innocent family members of criminals? Why? What's the difference? Innocence is innocence.  Or do you think that family members of criminals are somehow second class citizens?

[headhuntersix]

Wow, your response is so well articulated and thought out...  

You might not care about the effectiveness or even logicality of these sort of stupid measures, but intelligent people do. You might not care about the damage that is done to family members when a huge "X" is painted on someone's forehead identifying them as a sex offender in their family, but this is only because you are far too ignorant to sympathize.

Now, You might ask me to sympathize with the victims of sex offenders, but I already do. The difference between you and I, however, is that I have the ability to 'think' and can thus question such knee jerk measures on their logicality and effectiveness. Try to imagine yourself being the child of a sex offender, who is constantly ostracized by others. How much worse would it make it for you to have a huge pumpkin in your yard announcing that your dad is a sex offender? You're clearly to ignorant to imagine yourself in such a situation, and thus you can't sympathize, but I don't suffer from that same problem.

Inability to think is the ultimate sign of "wussyness".

ut

Ok welll here we go so i don't hurt your high intellectual feelings ok. Most sex offenders don't have families. Generally they never did, but once convicted, I would imagine most that did, lost em. But I guess crimes against children don't register as a crime to u? If I was a child of a sex offender, i would imagine I was molested by said sex offender and hate the guy. Ur logic is so ridiculously flawed I really have no response. Welcome to the board I am going to have some fun with u......

[headhuntersix]

It won't make any difference and will only cause vigilantism and unnecessary turmoil for innocent family members.

The solution to an innocent family members turmoil is not to commit the crime? They didn't commit the crime and they don't control what their family members do. How can a child control what their mother or father do? They can't. Your reasoning is nonsensical.

You care more about the innocent public than innocent family members of criminals? Why? What's the difference? Innocence is innocence.  Or do you think that family members of criminals are somehow second class citizens?

Funny I never loose sleep over that, ever, for any reason. Again...u don't have kids do u. Jesus do u have any idea what ur even talking about. This guy didn't rob a gas station, he molested a child. How many families stay together after that? How many rapists have immediate famlies?

[liberalismo]

ut

Ok welll here we go so i don't hurt your high intellectual feelings ok. Most sex offenders don't have families. Generally they never did, but once convicted, I would imagine most that did, lost em. But I guess crimes against children don't register as a crime to u? If I was a child of a sex offender, i would imagine I was molested by said sex offender and hate the guy. Ur logic is so ridiculously flawed I really have no response. Welcome to the board I am going to have some fun with u......

I'd like to see your sources...On everything.


Crimes against children don't register as crimes to me? What is this? An intentional misreading of my posts or simple stupidity? I can't tell.

You think that all children of sex offenders are molested by said sex offender? They aren't. Also, What about wives or husbands of the sex offender? Or even parents?

You say that my logic is so flawed that you don't have a response...Yet you responded? You have no response to most of my posts because you can't counter what I have said. That's all.

I'll save myself the time and neglect you of your "fun" by simply avoiding your B.S. as much as possible.

[Dos Equis]

It won't make any difference and will only cause vigilantism and unnecessary turmoil for innocent family members.

The solution to an innocent family members turmoil is not to commit the crime? They didn't commit the crime and they don't control what their family members do. How can a child control what their mother or father do? They can't. Your reasoning is nonsensical.

You care more about the innocent public than innocent family members of criminals? Why? What's the difference? Innocence is innocence.  Or do you think that family members of criminals are somehow second class citizens?

You're reasoning is right out of the ACLU handbook:  protect the criminal at all costs, even if he belongs to NAMBLA, screw the victim, and screw society.    

Darn right the solution is don't commit the friggin crime.  

Geeze.  Why don't we just open up the prisons?  Let criminals go home on weekends for conjugal visits.  After all, we can't let the innocent family suffer for something they had nothing to do with.  That's carrying your comments to their illogical conclusion.  

I care more about those who are not victims.  Family members are already victims when their loved ones violate someone else, especially a child.  Frankly, I favor life sentences for pedophiles.  One and done.  Then we wouldn't have discussions like this.    

[liberalismo]

You're reasoning is right out of the ACLU handbook:  protect the criminal at all costs, even if he belongs to NAMBLA, screw the victim, and screw society.    

Darn right the solution is don't commit the friggin crime.  

Geeze.  Why don't we just open up the prisons?  Let criminals go home on weekends for conjugal visits.  After all, we can't let the innocent family suffer for something they had nothing to do with.  That's carrying your comments to their illogical conclusion.  

I care more about those who are not victims.  Family members are already victims when their loved ones violate someone else, especially a child.  Frankly, I favor life sentences for pedophiles.  One and done.  Then we wouldn't have discussions like this.    

My concern isn't for the criminal, it is for society in general as well as the other people in the household of the criminal. Simple minded people tend to try to ostracize people who associate with the criminal or ostracize their family.

Afterall, How dare they be the family of a sex offender?
If their house is burned down by a vigilante, they deserved it!
Screw the innocent family members!

[Dos Equis]

My concern isn't for the criminal, it is for society in general as well as the other people in the household of the criminal. Simple minded people tend to try to ostracize people who associate with the criminal or ostracize their family.

Afterall, How dare they be the family of a sex offender?
If their house is burned down by a vigilante, they deserved it!
Screw the innocent family members!

Oh stop with the bleeding heart nonsense.  Of course you care more about the criminal.  In terms of priority, what society has already said by passing tough sex crimes laws and a lifetime sex offender registry, is these criminals are different.  They are predators.  Society has also decided that punishing the criminal, justice for the victim, and protecting the rest of society are more important than minimizing ostracism of the criminal's family.     

How serious is this?  States have passed laws allowing the death penalty for some sex crimes.  Although it didn't get past a divided supreme court, the issue is not over. 

Thankfully, yours is a minority opinion. 

[headhuntersix]

Good job Beach...where did this nut come from.
...
Lib...I don't have to provide u with numbers..do ur own home work. U said that it doesn't work. I would suggest that u have no idea what the hell ur talking about because people in law enforcement thought it wasn't a bad idea. Ur worried about feelings while real people, in the real world are worried about children. I would normally never even respond to one of Beach's interesting public service posts, I'm more of a foreign policy thread guy, but after reading this liberal drivel....wow. Good job Beach.

[liberalismo]

Oh stop with the bleeding heart nonsense.  Of course you care more about the criminal.  In terms of priority, what society has already said by passing tough sex crimes laws and a lifetime sex offender registry, is these criminals are different.  They are predators.  Society has also decided that punishing the criminal, justice for the victim, and protecting the rest of society are more important than minimizing ostracism of the criminal's family.     

How serious is this?  States have passed laws allowing the death penalty for some sex crimes.  Although it didn't get past a divided supreme court, the issue is not over. 

Thankfully, yours is a minority opinion. 

Your responses contain insults and don't respond to the actual content of my posts. I've got better things to do than argue with a wall.

[Dos Equis]

Good job Beach...where did this nut come from.
...
Lib...I don't have to provide u with numbers..do ur own home work. U said that it doesn't work. I would suggest that u have no idea what the hell ur talking about because people in law enforcement thought it wasn't a bad idea. Ur worried about feelings while real people, in the real world are worried about children. I would normally never even respond to one of Beach's interesting public service posts, I'm more of a foreign policy thread guy, but after reading this liberal drivel....wow. Good job Beach.

Thanks mang.   

[liberalismo]

Thanks mang.   

Oh, how touching...

[Dos Equis]

Your responses contain insults and don't respond to the actual content of my posts. I've got better things to do than argue with a wall.

Insults??  What insults?  Quit being a hypocrite.  You've pretty much done nothing but insult HH6.    

Dude I could care less if you don't want to continue the discussion.  

[headhuntersix]

Like i said ur new here...me and Beach.....we're like well...

[Dos Equis]

Hahahaha!   

[liberalismo]

Like i said ur new here...me and Beach.....we're like well...

The fact that you take pride in comparing yourself to a fictional duo of idiots and xenophobes....