No Date:Vigilantism; Our definition:
Once the actual crime is over, then it is up to the laws of the day to punish for the criminal acts. Now, any actions towards persons convicted or accused of crimes, however subtle, which are not part of the sentence carried out by someone who is not under the sentencing court's jurisdiction executing the judges sentence, gets into the world of vigilantism. Persons who exact their own form of personal hate and harm, however subtle, to those who have committed crimes or are accused of crimes, cross the line of being a vigilante. Remember, it is every person's constitutional right, "to remain silent," and you are not required to love thy neighbor! Finally, if you close to act towards your neighbor when you do not have to, then you have crossed that vigilante line.
Comments made by public figures, likely they wish they hadn't, or are glad they did? Verbal / Political Vigilantism? You decide!
10) by a Florida legislator, Sen. Nancy Argenziano (se also #5 below), on bills in the Florida legislature which legislators are not agreeing on. April 2007:
Sen. Nancy Argenziano said those bills likely will die because of their "reactionary" nature. She said removing predators from a neighborhood might cause the predators to go into hiding.
"If you make it so hard on predators, they won't register, and we're going to have a harder time with knowing where they're going to live," she said.
"There's only a certain amount you can do besides taking them out and shooting them in the street - which is illegal." Quoted from: "Many Sex Predator Bills Run Into Resistance"
9) Georgia: by House Majority Leader Jerry Keen 8-16-2005:
House Republicans want to keep a closer eye on the state's worst sex offenders by mandating that they wear electronic tracking devices as long as they live in Georgia.
"If it becomes too onerous and too inconvenient, they just may want to live somewhere else," House Majority Leader Jerry Keen (R-St. Simons Island) said in a recent interview. "And I don't care where, as long as it's not in Georgia." [[[[snip]]]]
"I don't have a problem with [electronic monitoring] because of the aggravated nature of this crime," Keen said. "I'm more interested in the rights of the 8- or 10-year-old child whose innocence has been taken away from them than the rights of any people convicted of these crimes." Quoted from "Law to track sex offenders studied" for the rest of the story.
8) Florida: by County Commissioner Randy Harris 6-16-2005:
A county commissioner in Central Florida has offered a controversial proposal of sending the area's worst sex offenders out of the United States to Mexico, according to a Local 6 News report. Phone calls have bombarded Marion County Commissioner Randy Harris' office after he voiced his idea of banishing American sex offenders, "The American prison system is not a deterrent to these serious crimes," Harris said.
Harris said the answer is more severe punishment, Local 6 News reported.
He said the United States could strike a deal with Mexico and send the worst offenders to harsher Mexican prisons where it is more economical to house them, Local 6 News reported. "We can pay under a contractual agreement the cost in Mexico and again I'm sure it would be a huge savings to the American taxpayer," Harris said.
The idea is far from being widely accepted, Local 6 News reported. An unidentified woman told Local 6 News that she welcomes sex offenders into her mobile home park. Quoted from news: "Commissioner: Send Sex Offenders To Mexico" for the rest of the story.
7) Florida: by County Commissioner Randy Harris 4-23-2005:
The molester is dead and the community is divided -- over whether their condemnation killed a man that many had wished would vanish anyway. [[[snip]]] SIGNS OPPOSED Some said that Claxton had served his time and posed no threat. Some opposed the idea of signs, saying it would devalue their real estate and drum up fear. [[[snip]]]
The town is also fiercely debating how to manage its sexual offenders. Early this week, just before the Claxton fliers went up, Randy Harris, a county commissioner, urged that warning signs be posted in neighborhoods where convicted offenders live. ''I take no pleasure in hearing the report of anyone's death, even in this particular case,'' Harris said of Claxton's suicide. ``But I don't think we can go too far in providing information.''
Harris has found his strongest opponent in Marion County Sheriff Ed Dean, who believes warning signs would foster fear and violence. According to Dean, the county's 530-odd sexual predators are accounted for and have been visited by sheriff's deputies. Dean also said he plans to increase the frequency of such visits and notify people living within a mile of predators. ''I don't see what purpose signs would do, other than have an unintended consequence like this,'' said Dean. ``It creates hysteria.'' [[[snip]]]
Harris, for his part, said he would only strengthen his push to have warning signs posted in neighborhoods where sexual offenders lived. ''Real simple. There's been a suicide that occurred when we had 530 sex offenders in Marion County,'' said Harris. ``There are still 529.'' Quoted from "SEX OFFENDERS: Town torn over molester's suicide" for the rest of the story.
6) a Montana double header: by Rep. John Sinrud and Rep. Michael Lange:
A bill senators touted as a national model of a tough and smart way to both punish and treat sex offenders has been drastically changed by the House, and was approved Wednesday with more focus on punishment and less on treatment.
"Let's put the money where it should go, into prisons, not into the treatment of a sick freak who is going to get out of prison and rape again," said Rep. John Sinrud, R-Bozeman. "We don't need to throw good money after bad." ..........
An amendment from Sinrud that stripped a part of the bill that would have provided additional treatment for less dangerous sex offenders passed on a 51-49 vote. But much of the debate surrounding the amendment centered on whether the most dangerous sexual predators should receive treatment, which was originally part of the bill and was not changed by the amendment.
"The only place there ought to be reform is at the end of a rope," said Rep. Michael Lange, R-Billings. "If that sounds harsh, I don't care."
After the floor discussion, Sinrud clarified that he supports treatment for less dangerous sex offenders but doesn't think there is sufficient information to show it works for the most dangerous ones, who, he said on the floor, "need to be shot." Quoted from: "House alters sex offender bill to focus on punishment"
Seems like the focus here is on "money" and "punishment," but, what about "preventing crimes" so that there is NO next victim? Should these two remain in the legislture? Don't ask for my opinion! Yet, in the middle of this turmoil is a ray of light, hope, hope that there should not be a next victim:
"I don't know how anyone can argue that treatment doesn't work," said Bob Anez, a spokesman for the Department of Corrections. "It flies in the face of facts."
Give this man a cigar. Unfortunately, he is not the one who will vote for or against the bill, but he may in the next election!
5) by a Florida legislator, Sen. Nancy Argenziano, on the passage of the Lundsford Act in the Senate in April of 2001:
"The bill's sponsor, Sen. Nancy Argenziano, R-Dunellon, fought tears as she urged senators to vote for the bill named after the 9-year-old who lived in her district and told other sex offenders who prey on children that the bill was meant as a message to them: ``You better start fleeing the state because we're not going to put up with you anymore.'' Quoted From: Associated Press Release"
The bill was about increasing sentences for sex crimes. Well, who was she talking to, the ones who commit crimes, if so they are going to be brought back when caught anyway, so she must mean all other RSOs. Is this a "Get outa Dodge" comment? Strange how all Florida legislators IGNORE that, had they provided sex offender therapy for prison inmates the Lundsford murder, and others, may not have happened at all! Remember, Couey asked for help years before the Lundsford murder, and was laughed at, told go find it for yourself, when he could not afford it. Prior Governor stopped sex offender therapy in prison because of money. Hummmm, they have the money to lock people up for 25 plus years, after a crime is committed, but now enough money for therapy, before a crime is committed. What are their priorities?
4) an Oregon double header: by Rep. Kirk Pearson and Rep. John Ahern:
It now goes back to the Senate for concurrence. "We're going to take a good step in this state," said Rep. Kirk Pearson, R-Monroe. "Porn can be extremely harmful in the wrong hands."
Rep. John Ahern, R-Spokane, said he wants the longest possible community protection zone -- miles from any population center. "Get those dudes out in the middle of the wheat fields, and a lot of people like to do bird hunting," he said. "Do I make myself clear?" Both quoted from news: "Series of sex offender bills approved by Legislature." For the rest of the story.
I cannot pass up the opportunity, my favorite, is about the porn, in the right hands it is NOT DANGEROUS? Whoa! The bill he is speaking about covers "Child Porn," obviously the newspaper made a mistake. With that said, does the Oregon Legislature have an ethics committee? Given the comments seems to be made in the context of legislative business. Do I make myself clear?
3) by Georgia's Rep. Jerry Keen on the horendous HB-1059 Residency Restrictions which has already resulted in the death of one child:
"My intent personally is to make it so onerous on those that are convicted of these offenses . . . they will want to move to another state," Georgia House Majority Leader Jerry Keen (R), who sponsored the bill, told reporters. Quoted from: "Some curbs on sex offenders called inhumane" For the rest of the story.
2) by John Walsh of America's Most Wanted TV show:
Calif., July 25 People who molest children should have chips embedded in the rectum that would explode if they violate their parole, "America's Most Wanted" star John Walsh told a photographer for Fox and father of two at Summer TV Press Tour 2006 as a couple dozen speechless TV critics looked on. Quoted from: "Summer Press Tour, Day 16: An Explosive Interview" For the rest of the story.
1) by Sen. Hatch of Utah, on the Nancy Grace show 7-16-2006, speaking about the Adam Walsh Act which was not yet enacted on that date:
SEN. ORRIN HATCH (R), UTAH: Well, the bill really puts the screws to those who are sexual predators, and you know, sexual offenders. You know, we have ... Quoted from: CNN Transcript of Nancy Grace show 7-16-2006. For the rest of the story.
And I thought the purpose was to protect children? Guess I was wrong. eAdvocate.
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