Zeitgeist October 2011

October 24, 2011

Lenore Skenazy: Take Your Kids Out to the Park and Leave Them There
A sane voice that, were parents to listen to, would build trust, community and stronger kids.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3VtWOap9g0

The Invisible Man: How the Sex Offender Registry Results in "Social Death" 
Worth asking, of course, is if the Social Death suffered by those forced to register as sex offfenders is an intended or unintended effect.If "intended" as I think it obviously is, then studies demonstrating "social death" will be greeted by most Americans as an affirmation of current draconian policies.
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1938397

Registered sex offender arrested for entering museum
Yes, it has come to this. And where will it end?
http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/10/17/1573581/registered-sex-offender-arrested.html

Sex Offender Registers At Occupy Portland
The underlying hysterical assumption being that somehow a registered sex offender poses a threat to a gathering of citizens exercising their right to peaceable assembly.
http://jezebel.com/5850478/sex-offender-registers-at-occupy-portland

Riverside County to consider restricting sex offenders’ Halloween activities
This Halloween scare-ritual, the specter of registered sex offenders handing out candy and displaying jack-o-lanterns, is played out year-after-year, as reliably as the appearance of pretend witches and goblins. It doesn't matter that there is no substance to the fear; that isn't the point. The point is to tell scary stories and to experience the thrill that comes with their telling. After all, who doesn't enjoy a good ghost story!
http://www.swrnn.com/2011/10/17/riverside-county-to-consider-restricting-sex-offenders-halloween-activities

also, this from Riverside County, California:
Riverside County: Lights out proposed for sex offenders
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/swcounty/article_62d4b26a-8c46-5e54-989e-df21272e2b74.html

Court Orders French Cop-Watching Site Blocked
This is when a Bill of Rights comes in handy. Not that U.S. cops aren't trying to do the same thing, it just makes it more difficult.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/17/technology/court-orders-french-cop-watching-site-blocked.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail1=y

Forget the fantasy of porn-free youth
Just what is it that we're protecting them from, anyway?
http://www.salon.com/2011/10/16/forget_the_fantasy_of_porn_free_youth/singleton

Nearly half abuse claims against teachers 'malicious'
One wonders just WHO would want to become a teacher in this day and age?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-15319933

America has the worst child abuse record in the industrialized world. Why? 
If you can ignore the sex abuse hysteria wrapped up in the BBC's report (would we expect anything less?), they do raise some sobering points about the prevalence of actual abuse in the U.S.. 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15288865

All Work and No Play: Why Your Kids Are More Anxious, Depressed
When a friend of mine who is a mother of two explained to me some years ago what (parentally-coordinated)  "play dates" were, I knew kids were in deep trouble. The results have become manifestly apparent...
http://www.theatlantic.com/life/archive/2011/10/all-work-and-no-play-why-your-kids-are-more-anxious-depressed/246422

False crime reports from kids can cause big problems
So, is it acceptable yet to say that kids can also lie about having been "molested"?
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/crime/os-children-reporting-false-crimes-20111015,0,5486635.story

New York Opts Out of Compliance With Adam Walsh Act 
Let's hope this is a trend.
https://sites.google.com/site/nebraskansunafraid/hot-news-1/newyorkoutofcompliancewithadamwalshact

The Little ISP That Stood Up to the Government
Consider switching your internet service provider to Sonic.net. Reward those companies willing to support the rights of their customers rather than caving-in to the demands of a growing police-state. http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2011/10/09/the-little-isp-that-stood-up-to-the-government/?mod=WSJBlog&mod=

Porn is good for society
Another cherished assumption challenged by free-thinking individuals.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/oct/12/porn-society-government-opt-in

'Erotic boysexuality' author facing charges from OPP
"Police search author's residence, seize computer"
Keep in mind, you may now be prosecuted for text-only "child porn"! As many of us predicted 25 years ago, the laws defining illegal pornography have grown dramatically broader over time and with no signs of abating.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/story/2011/10/13/sby-lucky-lips.html

How Japanese manga can land international travelers in jail
And, of course, even highly-stylized drawings can now land you in prison!
http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/play/how-japanese-manga-can-land-international-travelers-jail-333153

Alternative response to bullying Bullying: an actual threat to the well-being of kids.
http://articles.boston.com/2011-10-13/news/30276055_1_phoebe-prince-antibullying-law-video-plea

and this:
Seth's Law strikes back at bullying in schools
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/17/BA2S1LIR0D.DTL&type=gaylesbian

Lawsuits Filed Against New Sex Offender Registry Law
Some are resisting "Social Death".
http://www.kptm.com/story/15685129/lawsuits-filed-against-new-sex-offender-registry-law

Lawmakers Call On N.Y. State To Get Tough on Child Predators
Yeah, right! As if they have been terribly "lax" so far.
http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=16&id=46734

October 16, 2011

Sentencing Shift Gives New Leverage to Prosecutors

A major reason why freedom in America is on life support.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/26/us/tough-sentences-help-prosecutors-push-for-plea-bargains.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&hp

U.S. bishop charged for not taking porn to police.

Americans are now compelled to report their observations to police at the risk of their own freedom.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/10/14/national/main20120751.shtml

Revisiting last years Comstock decision:

The Trouble with Comstock

"How do we get from the power of Congress to regulate interstate commerce, which was designed to ensure a free market in goods among the States, to this 1977 act for the protection of children against sexual exploitation? This is a perfect example of how the Commerce Clause has been expanded way beyond its original purpose and understanding. The Federal Government cannot do that under a proper reading of the Constitution. Thus does the Commerce Clause, in conjunction with the Necessary and Proper Clause, become in effect a general police power of a kind that was reserved to the states—
and with that, a Constitution of limited government evolves into its opposite.

AUDIO:
http://www.cato.org/multimedia/daily-podcast/trouble-comstock

Conversion "Therapy" for Gay Kids
What does "Christian" therapy for Gay kids consist of? Despicable, violent and life-threatening child abuse!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Qf5dqzcy3bc

State Opts Out of Compliance With Adam Walsh Act

We can only hope other states follow their lead.

http://congress-courts-legislation.blogspot.com/2011/10/state-opts-out-of-compliance-with-adam.html

FBI to launch nationwide facial recognition service

We can now easily imagine a society in which government will know, at any given moment, exactly where you are and what you are doing.

http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20111007_6100.php?oref=topstory

Florida School District Begins Fingerprinting Students

Government schools as instruments of control of child- citizens.

http://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/10/08/1824223/florida-school-district-begins-fingerprinting-students

Montville finds small comfort in safeguards for sex offender facility

There seems only to be overreaction today. The citizenry is thoroughly programmed to react in predictable ways.

http://www.norwichbulletin.com/archive/x1611317288/Montville-finds-small-comfort-in-safeguards-for-sex-offender-facility#ixzz1aXFfuNUh

Kindergartner allegedly sexually assaulted by classmates

Given the current obsession with kids and sex, how could we ever know the truth?

http://clutchmagonline.com/2011/10/kindergartner-allegedly-sexually-assaulted-by-classmates


Fear is shaping our children

The "Precautionary Principle", the belief that all risks are unacceptable risks and must be engineered-out by government, is ascendant.

http://www.informationliberation.com/index.php?id=15486

Australian man held indefinitely for his thought crimes

"Pedophile Kerry Patrick Valence's views about a child's ability to consent to sex ensures he will remain behind bars"

As with thousands of men held in the United States after their terms of imprisonment have been served, this Australian is still being held in prison several years after he should have been released and will remain there until he changes his "inappropriate" belief that boys can consent to sex.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/ipad/pedophile-still-a-danger-to-kids/story-fn6ck45n-1226157204575

http://www.news.com.au/pedophile-kerry-patrick-valences-views-about-a-childs-ability-to-consent-to-sex-ensure-he-will-remain-behind-bars/story-e6freoof-1226163054404

Three great articles from Spiked on the British witchhunt:

With its ceaseless promotion of fear and suspicion of adults, the NSPCC undermines organic bonds between generations.

http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/11050

How the vetting frenzy alienates adults from kids

http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/10177

And so the British authorities’ sick obsession with child sex abuse continues...

http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/8269

New Book Says Sex Offender Registries Are Too Harsh

http://blogs.babble.com/strollerderby/2011/08/31/new-book-says-sex-offender-registries-are-too-harsh

United States Supreme Court Encourages Wrongful Convictions

We should not assume that our courts have, as their greatest interest, the pursuit of justice.

http://www.crimeandfederalism.com/2011/09/united-states-supreme-court-encourages-wrongful-convictions.html

RECONSIDERING CALIFORNIA’S SEX OFFENDER RESIDENCE RESTRICTIONS POLICIES

But of course, once in place, even the most ridiculous of laws are exceedingly difficult to get rid of.

http://www.casomb.org/docs/Residence_Paper_Final.pdf

Second Circuit panel reverses child porn restitution award to "Amy"

The idea that an individual looking at an old photograph somehow directly traumatizes the photo's subject does not convince all judges.

http://sentencing.typepad.com/sentencing_law_and_policy/2011/09/second-circuit-panel-reverses-child-porn-restitution-award-to-amy.html

Kids in some families face peril every day — and not from kidnappers

Children of immature, drug-addled or otherwise disturbed parents are truly endangered.

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/10/09/3197569/kids-in-some-families-face-peril.html

Calvary students learn about 'safe touch'

These Bahamian children can now benefit from the same obsessive paranoia which began to infiltrate the culture of its giant neighbor several decades ago. 

http://freeport.nassauguardian.net/national_local/127382218704895.php

October 7, 2011

Texas School Cop Shoots and Kills Unarmed 14 Year Old Boy

The boy, earlier involved in a fist fight, was attempting to hide from the killer cop when he was discovered in a back-yard shed and shot dead.

http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/09/13/39729.htm

The Incentive to Overpredict Violence

Like the moon's effect on tides, the pull to overpredict violence exerts a powerful influence, even on seasoned forensic evaluators who know its strength.

http://forensicpsychologist.blogspot.com

Risky Business: Addressing the Consequences of Predicting Violence

http://www.jaapl.org/cgi/reprint/39/3/396

Abandoned in Guatemala - The Failure of International Adoption Policies

“International adoptions around the world are decreasing, largely due to the influence of UNICEF.” I would add, also as a side effect of the world's hysterical obsession with pedophilia.

http://reason.com/blog/2011/10/06/reasontv-abandoned-in-guatemal

Lessons from Sharing the Story of My (Possibly) Gay 6-Year-Old Son

If only every gay child had a parent as supportive and loving as this mother.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/Amelia/gay-children_b_954350.html?ref=mostpopular

Little Brothers Are Watching: The Example of Massachusetts

The sheer creepiness of the encroaching police state.

http://www.truth-out.org/little-brothers-are-watching-example-massachusetts/1314215927

Does Law Banning “Luring a Child into a Motor Vehicle” Cover Simply Offering a Child a Ride?

Surprisingly, this court said "no".

http://volokh.com/2011/09/30/does-law-banning-luring-a-child-into-a-motor-vehicle-cover-simply-offering-a-child-a-ride/#more-51159

SNAP Exposed by Dr. Bill Donohue of the Catholic League

Nevertheless, he feels compelled to vilify B4UAct in much the same way that SNAP is vilifying the Catholic Church.

http://www.thesestonewalls.com/snap-exposed-by-dr-bill-donohue-of-the-catholic-league

French Kissing Is Sex -- Especially Between Adult and Minor, Court Rules

Mission creep in our definition of sex offenses.

http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2011/09/vampire_freaks_sex_crime_convi.php

Scalia and Thomas disagree about children and free speech

Thomas, seeing children, essentially, as property of their parents, believes that the first amendment does not apply to adults who speak to children. Even Scalia thinks he's off-base.

“ I am sure that the founding generation would not have understood ‘the freedom of speech’ to include a right to speak to children without going through their parents.” - Clarence Thomas

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2011/06/30/AGikhmwH_story.html

FBI seeks to expand definition of rape

Redefining "rape" in order to get the numbers up

http://senseoffenses.blogspot.com/2011/10/as-cream-runs-out.html

“A convicted pedophile maintained views about children's ability to consent to sexual activity which made him a danger if released back into the community, a court heard”.

In other words, he is "guilty" of "thought crimes"

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/pedophile-still-a-danger-if-released-court-hears/story-e6freoof-1226157206720

Child abuse worsens in Arizona, Chandler police say

A reminder of what actual child abuse looks like and why it should horrify everyone.

http://www.kpho.com/story/15595841/police-say-child-abuse-on-rise-in-arizona

Report calls for sharply reducing juvenile incarceration

Can any sane person doubt that government is the greatest abuser of children?

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/04/justice/us-juvenile-jails/index.html?hpt=us_c2

12-year-old kid charged as an adult

They're "children" when the government wants them to be children but "adults" when the government wants them to be adults.

http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.com/2011/10/id-12-year-old-kid-charged-as-adult.html

Charles Farrar: Last-gasp appeal of sex-abuse case claims prosecution misconduct

"The children must be believed. Unless, of course, they change their story to something nobody wants to hear."

His alleged victim insists the sexual abuse never happened but he's still serving a 145 year sentence.

http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2011/10/charles_farrar_sex_abuse_appeal.php

Police arrest man for child pornography after tipoff from burglars

Yes, you read that right. The burglars break into his property, find child porn and call the police. He's arrested. They're not.

Is this not an illegal search? Should not the Exclusionary Rule apply in this case?

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/06/us/california-robbery-porn-bust/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Russian Pedophile Bill (which includes castration) Approved

Lawmaker claims that "In the past 10 years, the number of pedophiles in our country has risen three- or fourfold."

They must be using American statisticians as consultants.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/pedophile-bill-approved/444925.html#ixzz1a3AaIOfF

Can Brain Scans Detect Pedophiles?

fMRI; will it replace the plethysmograph?

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/10/05/can-brain-scans-detect-pedophiles

http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-diagnosing-pedophilia-20111003,0,3887380.story

Pediatrician's House, Office and playground razed to erase "any visual reminders of his horrible crimes".

Jesus Christ! These people are scary!

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/flexicontent/item/27795-demolition-starts-at-convicted-pedophile-pediatricians-office-in-delaware

Defendant sentenced to 10 to 24 years for fondling teen aged girls through their clothes.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/crime/popeyes-manager-who-fondled-girls-gets-to-years/article_c4a039ae-63e5-52c3-99bb-14f85a0db1c8.html

“Australians Demanding American Style Sex Offender Residency Restrictions.”

Apparently, having paid no attention to their ineffectiveness.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/10392693/principals-seek-paedophile-ban

Pedophiles Should Be Protected in Prison

To get a sense of the popularity of this proposal, read some of the comments to the piece.

http://thestir.cafemom.com/in_the_news/126810/pedophiles_should_be_protected_in

Common sense screens out a bad idea for schools. Rah.

The pricey security system was designed to run the names of every school visitor through a national sex offender list. Unfortunately, it had only managed to nab an unfortunate pizza delivery guy doing his job.

http://hamptonroads.com.nyud.net/2011/09/common-sense-screens-out-bad-idea-schools-rah

Canadians debate merits of publicly accessible sex offender databases. Some warn of "vigilantism".

Of course, what they always fail to note is that most of the public considers the “vigilantism” to be a salutary benefit of these laws.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/420937
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Hudak+offender+plan+spark+vigilantism+society+says/5379459/story.html

Putting GPS trackers on sex offenders ineffective says provincial NDP candidate

Yeah, mine doesn't even tell me where I am or give me turn-by-turn directions!

http://www.cottagecountrynow.ca/opinion/letters/article/1077331--putting-gps-trackers-on-sex-offenders-ineffective-says-provincial-ndp-candidate

Mandatory life (with parole) sentence for "lewdness with child under 14" before Nevada Supreme Court

“Michelle Lyn Taylor, 34, was convicted under Nevada’s “life-for-lewdness” law in November 2009 for drunkenly forcing a 13-year-old boy to touch her breast and demanding (unsuccessfully) that the boy engage in sex. Neither the judge, nor one of the original legislative sponsors of the lewdness law, felt the punishment fit the crime. Still, the existence of the mandatory minimum law forced the court to sentence Taylor to life in prison with possibility for parole in 10 years.”

It's hard to imagine them drumming up comparable sympathy were the defendant a man.

http://sentencing.typepad.com/sentencing_law_and_policy/2011/09/mandatory-life-with-parole-sentence-for-lewdness-before-nevada-supreme-court-.html

School: It’s way more boring than when you were there

“New studies show that the disappearance of art, music and even recess is having a devastating effect on kids.”

And I thought my school was crap!

http://news.salon.com/2011/09/14/denvir_school

“Bond has been set at $50,000 for DragonCon impresario Edward Kramer, an accused child molester who was caught Tuesday staying in a Connecticut motel room with a 14-year-old boy, authorities said.”

I'm afraid it's now “Dungeons” for this “Dragon”.

http://www.ajc.com/news/gwinnett/5050k-bond-for-dragoncon-1181076.html

Former students claim abuse in teen boot camps

We did an article on these camps in the Bulletin years ago. Apparently, no one was listening.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9PKISCG2.htm

Woman gets six life sentences for rape of child

She must not have been very attractive. Or she looked like a man.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20110916/NEWS010702/109170323/Woman-gets-six-life-sentences-rape-child

Texas School District Looks To ‘Abstinence-Plus’ Curriculum After ‘Abstinence-Only’ Proves Ineffective

“Plus” what? Plus blowjobs?

http://planetnews.info/texas-school-disctict-looks-to-%E2%80%98abstinence-plus%E2%80%99-curriculum-after-%E2%80%98abstinence-only%E2%80%99-proves-ineffective

SORA — Finally A Win?

a unanimous Michigan Supreme Court said a trial court could not order a defendant to register as a sex offender more than 20 months after the court had originally sentenced him.

http://courts.michigan.gov/supremecourt/index.htm

Strict eavesdropping law ruled unconstitutional in Illinois case

An Illinois judge ruled the state’s eavesdropping law unconstitutional as applied to a man who faced up to to 75 years in prison for secretly recording his encounters with police officers and a judge.

http://www.rcfp.org/newsitems/index.php?i=12153

Pedophilia Book Author Gets Probation

Convicted of a thought crime. Inexplicably, he pled guilty.

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2011/09/09/pedophilia-book-author-gets-probation

The criminalization of speech since 9/11

Prosecution for "material support" has expanded under Obama. Where does it leave the First Amendment?

http://politics.salon.com/2011/09/10/material_support

Michael Jackson's family had Bahrain flight plan at child abuse trial

Just Beat it! If only more had the resources to do so.

http://www.metro.co.uk/showbiz/875055-michael-jacksons-family-had-bahrain-flight-plan-at-child-abuse-trial#ixzz1a469c9t5

Perpetual security state. Post-9/11 special powers, budgets, agencies seen needed far into future

Janet Napolitano says it's here to stay. Big Surprise!

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/sep/8/perpetual-security-state/print/

'Tough approach to paedophiles not working'

"Society should be less hard on paedophiles. The current tough social climate is forcing them into isolation, which only increases the chance of re-offending."

And this, after working everyone up into an hysterical froth. Good luck!

http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/tough-approach-paedophiles-not-working

Fatal Texas Prison beating of Sex Offender May Have Lasted for Five Hours

But somehow, the staff there didn't seem to notice.

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2011/09/walker_child_sex_death_prison.php

Sexual Predator Gets Priceless PR With U-Haul Message

This inspires me to go out and buy a truck!

http://www.wpbf.com/news/29173158/detail.html#ixzz1a4YIXdgl

The cost of housing James Lamb

His conditional release to the "Liberty" program has cost taxpayers $21,000 a month since he was released from California's Coalinga State Hospital.

http://www.montereyherald.com/local/ci_18891292?nclick_check=1

Proposed Attleboro Massachusetts ordinance would ban Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders from entering city-owned buildings and property.

Gee, would this also apply to registering as a sex offender at the police station?

http://attleboro.patch.com/articles/emotions-run-high-over-attleboro-sex-offender-ban-video#video-8012461

October 5, 2011

Sex offenders protest 'violent predator' designation