Roman Polanski did something terrible to a child in the 70s and then he ran away from his agreed-upon consequence. I'm not French, I'm not Swiss, so I can't speak to what they were thinking to not extradite him until now.
I don't know what people are thinking when they shake Roman Polanski's hand or say that his achievements and contributions to 'art' should weigh against his crime. When they applauded his Oscar win at the Academy Awards. Of course, he couldn't accept it in person because he can't come to the US without going to prison for sexually assaulting a child.
He makes good movies. Whoopi Goldberg is not pleased that he may go to jail, apparently. I'm not an actor, and I'm sure as hell not Whoopi Goldberg, so I have no idea what she's thinking.
I don't know what sexual assault survivors are thinking when they see that happen, either. They likely also don't understand what is essentially inexplicable - applaud a guy who plied a 13 year old with drugs and alcohol and then had sex with her. This guy (Polanski) did it, and all those important/famous people know it, and are applauding him anyway. How does that work?
I don't care how old he is, I don't care how good his movies are. What do I know? He sexually assaulted a kid - I wouldn't shake his hand, I won't watch his movies, I don't think his contributions to art or anything could outweigh his crime. Justice doesn't work that way. I want him in jail.
/bethan rant
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sex Offender Registry laws
I believe we need a national sex offender management system. Some of the people walking free in the US are sexually violent and are not interested in or capable of reform, and the odds that they will re-commit are extremely high.
I believe the registry needs to look very different than what we have now. I'm not going to go into the flaws of the current registries, because every state has a different program, and those programs are of different sizes and very varied.
They have some commonalities: they're mandated by federal law, they have tremendous popular support, and they don't appear effective.
Good to know -
I believe the registry needs to look very different than what we have now. I'm not going to go into the flaws of the current registries, because every state has a different program, and those programs are of different sizes and very varied.
They have some commonalities: they're mandated by federal law, they have tremendous popular support, and they don't appear effective.
Good to know -
- Most sex crimes don't result in a conviction, so no sex offender to register
- Most sex crimes are not committed by a registered sex offender (RSO)
- A distressing number of the people on the RSO lists committed a statutory crime. Some of them were convicted of things like public urination.
- Most RSOs are not monitored at all. They just have to report on their movements and check in on some schedule, and they are restricted from living in certain areas.
- The RSO lists treat all the same - an 18 year old with a 16 year old girl friend is very likely to get the same requirement and duration on the list as a pedophile.
What needs to happen? We need to standardize and correct.
- Registration duration and level needs to be based on such factors as severity of crime, the predatory aspect of the crime, the criminal history, and the treatment history.
- Statutory crimes where the law is grey need to be disqualified from inclusion on the lists (ex: 19 year old with a 17 year old, both with normal intelligence, etc.,)
- Crimes of escalation should receive different registration requirements and durations, as there may be potential to rehabilitate before the person becomes a full-fledged pedophile/outcast
- Level 3 offenders -repeating, highly predatory, resistant to therapy- should get a gps cuff
- Those currently on the RSO list in every state need to be provided with a method of getting off the list based on panel review, with a secondary review of their decisions
- The registry needs to be updated at the local level and maintained at the national level, and access needs to be restricted on a need to know basis.
Things to remember:
- Sex offenders have cars and bus passes, and -if they're intending to commit another predatory crime- they are fully willing to drive out of their neighborhood to do so. Placing physical restrictions on where they can live does not seem to work, and it does seem to provide a false sense of security to many.
- Sex offenders have civil rights, and when you start to see that they don't, that they've been entirely marginalized in their community and by society, then something is going wrong. Every restrictive law is an articulation between the rights of one entity and the rights of another, in light of the given scenario.
- Not all sex offenders are the same, and some can be rehabilitated.
I have no sympathy for predators, no matter the source of their illness. Not all RSOs are predators.
The registry was clearly intended to track those who are and may continue to be a danger to society, and too many RSOs are not a danger to society and never were. In order to function effectively and justly, we need a fix.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Another post on kids & social networks
Girl commits suicide after extended periods of bullying online, and apparently at her school as well.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/sep/20/facebook-bullying-holly-grogan-suicide
I am very sorry for the family and friends of this girl. I can only imagine the tremendous devastation they must feel.
This is the second suicide, that I'm aware of, that stems in some part from on-line bullying.
Children can be vicious and tenacious, and online they don't have the sense of potential consequences that they do IRL. Mostly because they don't see a lot of parental authority online.
Young kids and tweens need to be monitored online. Most parents I talk to don't have parental controls installed, and if they do- they're switched off.
If you don't have parental controls installed, or you don't think you're going to use what you have now, try this one - I've been using it for a few years, and it works really well.
Download it here: http://download.live.com/familysafety
Directions for using the software, such as managing the contacts, the web filtering, and the reports http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/en-US/Help/5ddc1ec9-5d4f-4288-a62d-4128c3dd0c561033.mspx#EEC
Good kid resources for bullying - list of links here that talk about different kinds of online safety, from bullies and social pressure to predators: http://www.communitywatch.us/ncmec.htm
Before you let your kids go online again, please talk to them about appropriate behavior online, let them know that you have their back (however you phrase it).
They need to understand that you having their back may mean a) you showing up at their school to get a sense of what the dynamic is b) you reading their email and trolling their favorite websites, c) you binging/googling their usernames so you can see what may not be showing up in the report, d) you not backing down from an emotional confrontation about such painful topics as popularity, bullying, etc.
We have those discussions and confrontations in this house, because it's part of parenting a child who was raised with online social networking. Do you call your kid on their behavior at a holiday function? A party? This is the same - you have to be a part of their online social network because you're a parent/guardian, and your kid is a ... kid, whether they're 7 or 17.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/sep/20/facebook-bullying-holly-grogan-suicide
I am very sorry for the family and friends of this girl. I can only imagine the tremendous devastation they must feel.
This is the second suicide, that I'm aware of, that stems in some part from on-line bullying.
Children can be vicious and tenacious, and online they don't have the sense of potential consequences that they do IRL. Mostly because they don't see a lot of parental authority online.
Young kids and tweens need to be monitored online. Most parents I talk to don't have parental controls installed, and if they do- they're switched off.
If you don't have parental controls installed, or you don't think you're going to use what you have now, try this one - I've been using it for a few years, and it works really well.
Download it here: http://download.live.com/familysafety
Directions for using the software, such as managing the contacts, the web filtering, and the reports http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/en-US/Help/5ddc1ec9-5d4f-4288-a62d-4128c3dd0c561033.mspx#EEC
Good kid resources for bullying - list of links here that talk about different kinds of online safety, from bullies and social pressure to predators: http://www.communitywatch.us/ncmec.htm
Before you let your kids go online again, please talk to them about appropriate behavior online, let them know that you have their back (however you phrase it).
They need to understand that you having their back may mean a) you showing up at their school to get a sense of what the dynamic is b) you reading their email and trolling their favorite websites, c) you binging/googling their usernames so you can see what may not be showing up in the report, d) you not backing down from an emotional confrontation about such painful topics as popularity, bullying, etc.
We have those discussions and confrontations in this house, because it's part of parenting a child who was raised with online social networking. Do you call your kid on their behavior at a holiday function? A party? This is the same - you have to be a part of their online social network because you're a parent/guardian, and your kid is a ... kid, whether they're 7 or 17.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Courtesy of Linda at ilookbothways
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28257.wss
excerpt:
http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28257.wss
excerpt:
- According to the report, there has been a 508 percent increase in the number of new malicious Web links discovered in the first half of 2009. This problem is no longer limited to malicious domains or untrusted Web sites. The X-Force report notes an increase in the presence of malicious content on trusted sites, including popular search engines, blogs, bulletin boards, personal Web sites, online magazines and mainstream news sites. The ability to gain access and manipulate data remains the primary consequence of vulnerability exploitations.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Official results
These are the poll results -
We had low voter turnout for general members. As a result of this, we are going to find a general member to represent the other general members, and that person will hold a board position. This will be discussed more at a later date, and will be decided on before the next platform vote.
Legislation:
None of the legislative proposals were voted off.
Legislative priorities in order of effort they will receive:
Education/Outreach:
Education/Outreach effort in order of prioritization:
Communication
Communication preferences as prioritized:
We had low voter turnout for general members. As a result of this, we are going to find a general member to represent the other general members, and that person will hold a board position. This will be discussed more at a later date, and will be decided on before the next platform vote.
Legislation:
None of the legislative proposals were voted off.
Legislative priorities in order of effort they will receive:
- Offenders Coaching Kids
- Increased Penalty Zones
- Felony exposure
- Ownership of Children's images
Offenders Coaching Kids and Increased Penalty Zones will get the majority of our time; the other two efforts are likely to be multi-year projects.
Requests were also made for legislative support around foster care issues (always a priority for Bethan).
Education/Outreach:
Education/Outreach effort in order of prioritization:
- Votes were split evenly, 4-4, between Online Education and In-Class materials
- A small number of general members and Board members bypassed this vote in favor of requesting that we spend more time on legislation.
Communication
Communication preferences as prioritized:
- Majority went to monthy emails
- RSS off blog and weekly-email summary tied for second, 2-2
- Members requested message board, so we built one, linked to website.
- Majority of Board was interested in quarterly general meetings
- Local membership was interested in regular meetings; many members are distant
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Poll results for 2009/2010 work
Results are in for the 2009/2010 Work member-vote, for priorities in the coming year:
Legislation
By far the most support went to the "Offenders Coaching Kids" proposal. this proposal would have the result of registered offenders no longer being allowed to act as coaches to minors or vulnerable classes of people.
Non-Legislation Work - Education and Outreach
Many left a comment instead of voting, along the lines of "Spend more time on legislation" or "Provide more education at large events." We'll take those suggestions into consideration.
Communication
We have many members and supporters, and we need good ways to get the message out to you! We asked, and some of you answered:
- Legislative proposals
- Education/Outreach
- Communication with members
Legislation
By far the most support went to the "Offenders Coaching Kids" proposal. this proposal would have the result of registered offenders no longer being allowed to act as coaches to minors or vulnerable classes of people.
Non-Legislation Work - Education and Outreach
Many left a comment instead of voting, along the lines of "Spend more time on legislation" or "Provide more education at large events." We'll take those suggestions into consideration.
Communication
We have many members and supporters, and we need good ways to get the message out to you! We asked, and some of you answered:
You can discuss these results at the message board over at CommunityWatch - the link is on the home page. Members received an email a few days ago with the phrase needed for access and registration.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Prepare for Winter
The windows are open, the birds are flying around, I'm wearing shorts.
This is all very good, but the trees are starting to change color, and I'm remembering last November when the weather turned nasty and some woman attempted to buy every battery available at the local grocery. Thankfully, I was there for bread, and there were a few loaves left. Score.
At any given time, you should have food and hygiene supplies for three days and water and medicine/first aid for a week. If you live in a region or climate that has severe storm weather, you should try to have common-use supplies (your regular foods) for a week, and long lasting rations (rice, canned food, powdered milk, etc.) for up to 2 weeks.
This is pretty easy to do - the main blocks for most people are cost, space, and motivation.
Ready.gov - this one has stuff for kids, too!
FEMA
US Dept of Health and Human Services
US Center for Disease Control
American Red Cross - Prepare your Home and Family
In a natural disaster, like an earthquake, flood, or volanic eruption, emergency services may be unavailable, and the community may not behave as nicely as usual. If your home is safe, stay home and lock your doors. Talk to your kids about what's going on, and let them know that you have a plan and supplies.
This is all very good, but the trees are starting to change color, and I'm remembering last November when the weather turned nasty and some woman attempted to buy every battery available at the local grocery. Thankfully, I was there for bread, and there were a few loaves left. Score.
At any given time, you should have food and hygiene supplies for three days and water and medicine/first aid for a week. If you live in a region or climate that has severe storm weather, you should try to have common-use supplies (your regular foods) for a week, and long lasting rations (rice, canned food, powdered milk, etc.) for up to 2 weeks.
This is pretty easy to do - the main blocks for most people are cost, space, and motivation.
- Cost - do a little at a time over a few weeks. Buying dried pasta? Buy a bag or two more than usual. Buy an extra half-gallon of milk and put it in the freezer. Buy your regular bread, and then buy a box of low-cost whole wheat crackers to substitute for bread as needed.
- Space - you need to find it. Food lasts longer in dry, mid-temperature spaces. You can store it in stacking plastic bins, a lockable closet in the garage, or in the converted bedroom/office closet.
- Motivation - One good storm, and the interstates are closed, the groceries are empty, and the lights are off. Just think about leaving your kids in the dark living room under a pile of blankets while you go and ask your cranky neighbor if he has a loaf of bread you can buy.
Ready.gov - this one has stuff for kids, too!
FEMA
US Dept of Health and Human Services
US Center for Disease Control
American Red Cross - Prepare your Home and Family
In a natural disaster, like an earthquake, flood, or volanic eruption, emergency services may be unavailable, and the community may not behave as nicely as usual. If your home is safe, stay home and lock your doors. Talk to your kids about what's going on, and let them know that you have a plan and supplies.
- Check with your kids' school and find out what their policy is on releasing kids to parents/guardians during emergencies - some states have laws allowing schools to retain children if they feel it is safer to do so.
- Visit your city/town's website and see what information they have about community preparation for disasters. If you city/town doesn't provide that information on the website, call city hall, or visit the county or state website.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Poll / Vote on work for 2009/2010
Vote Now
Page 1 - introduces the ballot
Page 2 - what should be on the platform?
Page 3 - prioritize the platform
Page 4 - how should CommunityWatch communicate?
Page 5 - thank you!
Vote here <- that's the link!
This is the general poll for feedback. If you want to vote in the legal, official poll, please log into the big tent 'vote now' forum.
Page 1 - introduces the ballot
Page 2 - what should be on the platform?
Page 3 - prioritize the platform
Page 4 - how should CommunityWatch communicate?
Page 5 - thank you!
Vote here <- that's the link!
This is the general poll for feedback. If you want to vote in the legal, official poll, please log into the big tent 'vote now' forum.