.An angry mob of citizens gathered at State Fair Park last week to publicly proclaim, lest anyone think otherwise, that they definitely did not like sexual predators and did not want them housed in their communities.
Many had high praise for grandstanding local politicians who openly pandered to the mob by declaring their equally vociferous opposition to housing sexual predators anywhere. Much of the crowd's vitriol was directed at a state committee created by an act of the Legislature to recommend at least three possible sites for a transitional facility for so-called sexual predators returning to the community. [snip]
There's more to political leadership than getting out in front of an angry mob armed with torches and pitch forks and egging them on. Political leadership includes educating the inflamed and the uninformed about the need for responsible action. One of the unintentionally saddest comments at the public hearing came from a mother who had clearly terrified her own child.
"What do I tell my child when she asks, 'Mommy, are monsters real? Are they coming to get me? Where can I hide?'" Safety of children is a legitimate concern of any decent parent. But the truth is the overwhelming majority of sex crimes against children are not committed by predatory strangers in the neighborhood. They are committed by monsters in their own homes. : by Joel McNally ..more..
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