Today I watched a movie based on a book I read, Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult. It really had me thinking about my view on the issue of sex offenders. After serving time in jail, sex offenders have to register themselves in whatever county or place they are planning on living. What that means is that, every person in that community will know that he/she is a sex offender.
Upon initial registration, offenders must provide the police with the following information:
- Full name
- Home address
- Date of birth
- National Insurance number
- Vehicle details (if the offender has a vehicle): make, model, colour and registration number of vehicle(s)
Offenders must inform the police within 3 days if there are any changes in their name, address or vehicle details.
What do you think of all this?
I am quite torn, if I had a child, I would want to protect him or her from anything, especially something like that. I would want to know that there is someone around him/her everyday that was once convicted for harming a child. I would want to know everything.
But is it fair to constantly hold the sins a person committed over their heads? Yes there are persons who will always have that urge to harm a child, they won’t be able to fight it because they don’t want to. They will constantly look at a child and see a target. But what about persons who are not that way? Do they deserve to go through each day, being judged, watched sometimes even tortured for what they did. They served time, they paid their dues, who are we to now attack them constantly? Do we not commit a sin everyday?
Its easy to say they deserve to be punished, or they deserve to lead a normal life, but is it that easy when its very close to home? What about the hurt that that child will face everyday? The effects that the disturbance may have caused? What about the countless nights that they were up screaming, fearing it may happen again? Is that cancelled out by years in prison? Is that cancelled out by acts of community service? Or is this man or woman expected to be tortured each day?
Are we God? Do we get to judge and punish?
You can never torture a person worse than they torture themselves. Also there is a small thing called Self- fulfilling prophecy, people will eventually become who they are constantly told they will be. Do you believe this? I do to some extent. But like many things in this world, its not as black and white as it seems. Somethings are so complex and controversial, it is hard to know what is right. Was life always like this? Were things ever easier?
Do I pose the question again, do you believe a sex offender who has spent more than a year in jail for his or her offenses, should register him/herself to the nearest police station? Should it be known to each member of the community that John Doe or Jane Doe is a sex offender?
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