(I originally posted this on another blog, for which I am sure I am about to get flamed. However, this post conveys my feelings not about sexual predators, but about the Constitution and our civil liberties. It is in reference to the NBC story linked here.)
I want to make something clear right off the bat: I am all for the police doing anything they can to protect our children, and to arrest the predators that have committed crimes against them.
However, I have a feeling the rest of my opinion will not be very popular here.
I have never liked the NBC show nor the legal aspect of these "stings" (please see link above). I believe that if there is a crime:
1. It has to actually be committed, and
2. There has to be an actual victim.
I know these people are the scum of the Earth, and I don't really feel all that bad about the ones they do bust and prosecute, but there is a serious slippery slope here when it comes to the Constitution and our civil liberties. Think about this: when a guy gets arrested in one of these stings, the "victim" is an adult playing the part of a child, AND there was never a possibility that the crime would have taken place. Repeat: no victim ever exists, no crime was ever committed.
Do you realize what that means?
That means people are being arrested for their thoughts.
This means they have now made it legal to arrest and convict people for what is going on in their heads. I am extremely uncomfortable with the government having that much power. Where do you draw the line? Can I someday soon get a ticket because it was overheard that I plan on speeding today? This sounds like something straight from Orwell's "1984". And it frightens me.
As for the guy who committed suicide, that was a poorly written article, so it is hard to gauge what exactly happened, but I really think that sister has a case. Again, I'm not defending that sick bastard, but not only was there no crime and no victim, there was no intent! Maybe he thought about molesting a kid, but he decided not to do it. So now it is a crime to even make an illegal consideration in your head, even if you decide against it later? How many people have ever thought of doing something illegal and then decided against it?
I actually DO feel bad for the guy. Maybe he had a lapse of reason, came to his senses and decided not to do it!
Again, since I know I'm going to get flamed, I want to make it clear: I am all for nailing these sick people and protecting our children. I am just highly uncomfortable with the way it is currently being executed.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
"Dateline NBC: To Catch a Predator" Perp Commits Suicide
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3 comments:
These "stings" aren't holding any weight in court. It's entrapment. The law is not always just, but I believe God and society take care of what the law can't. Somebody famous (I think it was an old president) once said, "It is better to let 100 guilty men go free, than to accuse an innocent man". I agree. Touchy topic Joe.
We convict people of "attempted" murder and "attempted" robbery every day. People get arrested/convicted for soliciting prostitutes even though actual sex never happens.
Our legal system is set up to recognize "intent to commit a crime" as well as actual crimes. If you put a bomb in a shopping mall, but it is found and defused before exploding, do you get off scott-free?
For some reason i firmly support our constituional rights and To Catch a Predator has always stuck in my craw. not because of the goals of the show but their methods. I would be willing to allow intent if it progressed furtherbut from what i can see the show actually violates the following ammendments: 1. freedom of speech they havcent done anything and they can say what they want.
4. it is unlawfully gathered evidence due to the fact that it is recorded without consent or knowledge, (i admit its a fuzzier line)
5. they use the text or his words as witness against himself effectively forcing some sort of guiltiness and there has not been due process of law in regards to evidence collection and warrants
6. slander makes impartial jury impossible
8. some of those takedowns are very excessive force
and lastly 9
9. dont violate all the others
the constituion was written because our societal values change. 200 years ago this show wouldnt have existed and these people wouldnt be considered predators. our values 30-40 years from now are likely to change again. 100 years ago it was illegal to teach evolution. in the 1940's the jews had all of their rights suspended and african americans didnt recieve a full set of rights till not too long ago.
we plaster some folks as less than human for their beliefs ideology and skin color. just because we dont like them doesn't make it okay to suspend their rights.
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