SEX OFFENDER: A LABEL, NOT A DEFINITION
Several years ago now the term 'sex offender' cropped up. When it did, something happened. A LABEL was constructed for those having been convicted OF A sex offense. Now they are one in the same. Not a clinical label, in it's form as it has come to be used, it is actually 'name calling'. Name calling under the premise that it is a definition of a type of person or group of people.
Due to media attention, 'Sex Offender' became synonymous to the high profile crimes committed, perpetrated by the most deviant and dangerous, with extremely heinous and hideous outcomes; abduction, sexual violation, murder. With great inertia and momentum from the sympathy naturally garnered of the public, we now have a very despised and loathed person, A 'sex offender'. And a group of people 'sex offenders', reduced to pariahs, monsters, to be feared and more over, necessary to be destroyed!
There is a wrong doing here. We do not justify one wrong with another. Those convicted OF sex offenses are not one in the same as the deviant, criminally dangerous identity which the label now associates. In fact, depending on the state, there are OVER 200 violations and accompanied penal codes that will attribute to a sex offense for an individual. The involving of abduction, sexual violation and murder occur at a fraction of less than 1%. As opposed to the one concentrated, feared, archetypal, sexually driven monster, lurking in the shadows or behind shrubbery to abduct, molest, rape and kill our children, voluminous research and studies repeatedly report the same consistent findings and truths; 'Sex offender's' (those convicted OF sex offenses) are not a homogeneous group of individuals. They come from different socioeconomic levels, races, creeds, genders, age groups. These are everyday people in society. Factually over 90+% are first time offenders (no previous criminal convictions) and again, at a 90+% rate, they do not re-commit another sex offense. It is factually so; the overwhelming number of people which have been designated as 'sex offenders' are law-abiding members of society.
The ridiculous high recidivism rates we see reported by people, and in the news (those who should be accountable for accuracy, but sadly are not) are skewed; they include non-sex offenses in re-offense rates, and/or spread the high percentage of re-offense figures associated to those types of sex offenses with high recidivism, across the board on to the law abiding numbers of people having sex offense convictions. In reality the majority of people who carry the branding 'sex offender', are first-time offenders; having no previous criminal convictions, and do not commit another sex offense; specific recidivism. These are law abiding people!
So 'sex offender' in fact is not a definition for a person or group of people, other than having a sex offense conviction as the common thread. 'Sex offender' has come to be a label, for what it has come to be known as or associated with. It is nothing more than bigotry. To use the words 'sex offender' is unequivocally name calling and 'othering' (a term of Sociology): Other labels or name calling we now acknowledge as such (much to the improvement of humanity!); spic, kike, nigger, retard. Such slights are recognized for the ignorance and cruelty surrounding their use. So is it in referring to an individual as A 'sex offender'. It seeks to force a definition in place of acknowledging the qualities of a human being in that person. It serves to dehumanize; justifying excessive and relentless hatred and retaliation. Because, it is a form of bigotry. It is not acceptable. It is flat out WRONG.
Labeled 'sex offender' one is doomed to re-live payment for the actions and the crimes of the incredibly small percentage by comparison to the lot, of the truly sick, troubled and dangerous; those that by their make-up ARE highly inclined or destined to re-commit sex offenses / crimes. The desire for justice and retaliation of the criminally dangerous individuals perpetrating sex offenses has driven society to craft equally harmful and sick, destructive -in fact unconstitutional laws. Besides the ludicrous aspect of setting up unconstitutional laws, people are persuaded to believe safety can be achieved by such means! We are victimizing ourselves by allowing this. And for the overwhelming number of law-abiding individuals called 'sex offender', we are delusional in taking away their inalienable rights! This effectively and profoundly destroys any remote possibility to live within society, not to mention the extended perpetration and impact on their family members, ...and their children! People filled with hatred and ignorance to define and label a person as A 'sex offender' are justifying their own perpetration's. Two wrongs NEVER equal a right. Never.
Please, judgment or hatred for certain individuals or group of people is no justification for bigotry and cruelty. Have your opinions, but don't delude yourself. Hatred and bigotry are not acceptable rationalizations to banish a populous of human beings. So whether or not you can accept or even like a person convicted OF a sex offense, stop the bigotry, never refer to another human being AS A Sex Offender, thereby removing them of the dignity to be a fellow human being, a fellow citizen. You don't have to like someone to still treat them humanely.
This isn't about keeping society and children safe, there's a way to go about that. Even if this lunacy could be construed as curative / a 'cure', the ol' adage stands true "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". Education is the most powerful, useful tool to yield results and constructive consequences for our efforts.
Please take another 15 minutes or so to read this article. Particularly concerning Patty Wetterling as a parent of an abducted child, Jacob Wetterling. A woman dealing with the actuality of a horror and nightmare we can only but fathom. This woman does not permit emotions nor selfishness of dollar signs to cloud the best interest of all impacted in this matter. A matter that does affect us ALL as a society.
