OK California, what are you doing now?

[MadHound]

I just heard a piece on NPR about Prop 83. Apparently this initiative would not only prohibit sex offenders from living within 2000 feet of a school or park(in effect banning them from living in LA, San Francisco, and other large cities), but it would also require them to be electronically monitored for the rest of their lives.

Really now, is this sort of draconian legislation what you want to be known for. First off, there is the principle of a person having served their time being a free citizen. Don't go into higher repeat rates with me, for crime stats show that people who perpetrate property crimes, assaults and drug crimes(among others) have a higher recidivism rate than sex offenders.

Second, look who gets tagged as a sex offender. Not just the pervs who assault children, but also the guy unfortunate enough to get caught pissing where a child can see him. Or the 18 year old kid who was having consensual sex with his 17 yo girlfriend, and the girl's irate parents decide to "teach him a lesson". You're ruining people's lives here, who shouldn't have them ruined.

Then there is the abhorrent notion of the precedent this sets. Today it's sex offenders, a few years out, who next to get a permanent anklet? Drug users, petty thieves, muggers? As I stated earlier, all of these offenders have a higher recidivism rate than sex offenders. Slippery slope people, slippery slope.

And gee, don't you think that you're punishing those who live in the rural parts of your state? Since they won't be able to live in urban areas, these people will move out to rural areas in great numbers. What did the rural folks do to deserve that? Are their kids second class citizens?

And of course there is the fact that most child assaults are performed by strangers, but instead but somebody that the child knows well, generally a family member. What is this going to do to help?

Please, use your head when you vote on this. For generally in these sorts of matters, California is a bell weather state, and what you enact today is generally enacted elsewhere within a matter of a few years. And frankly I don't want this unConstitutional, unAmerican piece of trash legislation coming to my state anytime soon.

I've got to go for now, I'll check back in on this in a few hours.

[wakeme2008]

1. That is so DUMB ... 500 Million ++++++++ dollars for

what... :shrug:

[Auggie]

2. I intend to vote against 83