Quote From: vbaldri1The things we hear on the news sicken me. How can anyone do such terrible things to an innocent child? But on the other hand we need to make sure that these things are true about this person. These accusations can ruin a person's life forever . I know of men that had their ex wives tell their children to lie and say that they were molested by their fathers so they can keep them from seeing the child and right now my grandson is going though the same thing with a stepchild. I love my grandchildren so much i would probably be in jail right now if someone violated them but i would want to be sure before i would see someone go though all that and be innocent.
yes, it is heartening to see that people still want to make sure the person accused actually is guilty of the alleged offense...it's also heartening to see some people posting here have asked the very question, how do people come to be such perpetrators, one alluding to the fact that in many, but not all, cases of pedophilia, the "perp" is also a victim of this...so we hold them accountable for coming to the wrong conclusion, that is, as long as one goes around as a perpetual victim (the idea that one can NEVER recover from sexual assault) that's ok, but if you act on it, well, of course society has to reach out and stop it. well, how does "society" contain the seeds of this kind of crime in the first place? if even perpetrators were once innocent children who lost their innocence, obviously, if that is the root of the problem.
Some people here are calling for capital punishment for this kind of crime...oh really???...i believe that anyone who advocates capital punishment should NOT expect society to carry out the penalty on their behalf, that is, if one is ready to advocate putting another person to death, one should be ready to do the act themselves, that is, perhaps there should be a lottery system for "executioner" just like there is for jury duty. If you can't go through with it, i would assert that your advocacy for capital punishment is all talk. the reason i say this is that I believe one should really think it through, is death penalty really a solution? if it is, who carries it out? well, the state-paid executioner, of course...in other words, the way to solve a problem, society says, is to kill. Hmmm, seems to me in the totalitarian states of days of yore, such as England, 300 or 400 years ago, it was a capital offense to even steal a loaf of bread when you were hungry...well, what about the people who opposed that? were they "soft" on hunger? that is, obviously the root of the problem is a lot deeper than eliminating the perpetrator. Same with "castration" as a punishment. if you can't carry out the deed of taking the guys balls yourself, then don't recommend that the "state" should do it on your behalf. and remember, just because someone can't "get it up" does not mean that he can't go around sexually assaulting people...maybe we should remove the defining term "sexual" and just call it assault, that is, if someone beats someone up but doesn't touch their genitals then it's not as terrible an assault? come on!!!
So, just to remind you all, just because I raise the "spectre" of "innocent until proven guilty" does not mean that i am "soft" on child abusers. but it would be a terrible society indeed, if all that is needed is an allegation to put a person away, or worse, down. Remember the case in south of England where a pediatrician was murdered by members of his community because they misunderstood and thought pediatrician meant pedophile. is this a true story or urban legend? i think pedophile is a badly formed word anyway, since "phile" means to love, as in Philanthropist, so why not, misoped, or something that implies hatred of children instead, for how can someone who truly loves children harm them by violating their boundaries so profoundly?
finally, i have heard it argued that sexual predators are "sick", that is, they can't be cured of their "illness" or "disease"....well, if we are calling for criminal punishment for a sickness, then next time someone has any other kind of illness, off to jail they go! Well it's not the first time it has happened in society, after all, as short a time ago as 100 years, society would isolate people sick with leprosy, into far away places, and basically, a death sentence, as society would not assist them in any way. I have heard people adamantly arguing that pedo"philes" are "sick"....well, why punish someone if they really, genuinely, are "sick"....i am challenging the idea that behaviour can be called a "sickness", you know.
You've read the headlines, now watch the story about a crime so heinous some would rather see the suspect dead than in jail. The manhunt for the nation's most wanted alleged pedophile ended last night as fugitive Chester Stiles, accused in the videotaped molestation of a three-year-old girl, was arrested outside Las Vegas. Stiles had been wanted since October 5 on warrants issued for 21 felony charges in connection with acts seen on the videotape. Could you spot a child predator? Is your family at risk? Be there when Dr. Phil tells you the warning signs to watch for -- you'll be shocked! Plus, the reported victim's mother breaks her silence in an exclusive interview with Dr. Phil. Then, hear what Stiles' ex-girlfriend's son has to say, and what the victim remembers about the attack. If it's happening now, Dr. Phil is going to deal with it now! Don't miss this breaking news Dr. Phil Now. Join the discussion.
