A Super Hero To The Rescue?

A look across the states shows many contradictions in how sex offenders are being dealt with. Some areas are concentrating on residency restrictions long after other areas have discovered they prevent nothing. One has to wonder why such people don’t just look around at all of the failures.
In TX there is a new law on the table that will require parents to attending counseling with their teens involved in sexting. This is interesting. There are cell phones available without cameras that would prevent teens from sending or receiving any sort of photographs. Getting back to basics would solve the problem.
TX is also considering the deregistration of some youthful offenders. It might have happened sooner but there was always the 10% penalty in Byrne Grant Funding that held the hostage. Now TX is saying NO to the Adam Walsh Act (AWA) and the 10% can only be taken once. For the first time since registration began states that refuse compliance with AWA have the freedom to handle registration however they please.
The feds will not give up on AWA. Force will cause the defiant states to dig in deeper. Money to sweeten the pot might do it but states have learned the hard way that there are strings attached. Many in society are screaming about the Feds overstepping and change is being demanded.
There is one thing that could change the picture and work to the benefit of the feds. What they really need to whip everyone back in line is a grisly murder by a registered sex offender. Unfortunately it will happen. Some poor child will be victimized, brutalized and murdered. The offender will escape and Americans across the country will be glued to television sets as we watch a manhunt take place. John Walsh will be everywhere to spread his message of “these monsters” although it will be an act by a single individual.
Some horrible crimes have been committed against children and it is such a boost to an already thriving business of exploiting children for fame and fortune. John Walsh would be out of a job is these things stopped happening. One of the most difficult things to accept is that we have a whole slew of people that are working hard to make sure it continues.
We all know the aftermath of the Jessica Lunsford case. Suppose a similar story could be written with an action hero. He is a step ahead of the law and when authorities find the John Couey character he is dead. We don’t know exactly how but our action figure announces to the world that this was one man that caused their panic and heartbreak and he no longer exists. All sorts of stories with messages of prevention and words to heal victims could be a part of these stories. Can we make comic books as a beginning to change our image? They could reach television. The super heroes from comic books are becoming very popular again and it would be a good tool for cutting off the politicking that accompanies these issues. Building self-esteem in children would be a great goal.

Halloween and Politics

Halloween is quickly approaching and being scared gets the adrenalin flowing. Big money is spent on costumes, haunted houses, horror movies and practical jokes. Local authorities are out in force to make a political statement and garner votes. Our children are used as an excuse to say “you need me”.

Actually their offer only applies to those that have already been caught. They have no idea which children and parents belong together so their message of reassurance is dangerous. There is no evidence that there is a spike in sexual needs or that people tend to go rogue on this one day of the year. Any stranger that gets near my child will be eyeball to eyeball with me. That includes strangers with badges.

Over the years we have learned that a parent is the key when it comes to stranger danger and that applies every day of the year. We all know the horrible story of Megan Kanka and how this 7 year-old roamed the neighborhood and dropped in to visit neighbors. There should have been household rule that this behavior is appropriate only when an adult family member is available to roam with her. Megan was such an easy target and she could have been prevented from being a target at all.

Adam Walsh was left alone in the toy department. Reve Walsh claims she was in the lamp department for 7 minutes. It would have been wise for her to have spent 7 minutes with Adam in the toy department and then taken him with her to spend 7 minutes in the lamp department. Seven short minutes of leaving a 6 year old unprotected made Adam a target and cost him his life.

We are aware that bad things can and do happen. These two high-profile cases show gaps in diligence and common sense. We cannot police the entire world and few children encounter stranger-danger. Most of us would never let our young ones roam at will or leave them alone in public areas. Most of us have a fear of losing our children in crowded areas so we keep a closer watch in those situations.

Parental instinct guides us to protect our young. Ignoring those instincts can be deadly and everybody in the world can be blamed for a lapse in judgment. The truth is that these are examples of such lapses and these losses could have been prevented.
This year alone 48 children have died from being left in hot automobiles. In spite of all of the warnings this is an all time high. The time of rushing too many directions and being distracted is costing the lives of our children.

Halloween is approaching and it is should be a time of light-hearted fun with parents seeing that their small children have a safe and enjoyable few hours of creating memories. Authorities can do nothing but rain on our parade by turning this into a day of gloom and doom. No, we don’t need political interference. Votes are earned on performance throughout the term so there is plenty of dazzle time. One day a year to come together under the pretense of caring for our children is a ploy that voters are seeing through. Votes are not likely to be won on Halloween procedure but they sure can be lost.

Have a safe and fun Halloween!