Private property - respect for privacy

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1790464 - Naked guy in his own home, viewed by parent and child who were walking on his property - he faces charges.

In order for sex crime legislation to have any credibility, it needs to be interpreted with some credibility.

Clearly, those laws were not written with the purpose of stopping people from being naked in private - and when you're inside a home on your own property, you're in private.

Further, we need to differentiate between nudity (which is not a bad thing) and obscenity or predatory exposure, because they're very different and they need to be treated very differently.

Justice and the Bar

One of the projects CommunityWatch has had for a few years is working with the Washington State Bar Association to correct their process for dealing with criminal charges against members of the Bar. They're a large organization with complicated bylaws, and change takes time.

It's worth it, though, to ensure that we can have some measure of faith in the value and integrity of the Bar, and in the justice that is delivered to us through members of the Bar.

Members of the Bar are human, and cannot be expected to be other than human, with human weaknesses. There is one thing that separates members of the Bar from the rest of us: our justice is delivered through them. Will we go to prison or will the charges be dropped? Are the charges even legitimate? How can you tell? What are your rights - do you know? What does justice look like? Will you recognize it when it's presented to you as an option requiring an immediate decision?

Justice is the voice of the Constitution articulated from a distance of hundreds of years, and colored by thousands of trials and recorded decisions. Just is not the same as fair, it's not always pleasant, and the path to justice is not necessarily straight and simple.

Citizens of the US and of WA cannot hope to naviage the complexities of the justice system without assistance, and for that assistance we must rely on and trust in the intellect, courage, and integrity of members of the Bar, and of the Bar itself.

Think your child is being abused?

It's not enough to know that your child is being abused - you need to take steps to make sure the 'evidence' is credible and gets to the right group of people.

1. Keep a notebook of dates, times, and instances that warranted concern. Start at the first occurance of something that seemed wrong or inappropriate, and note down everything from that point forward. If there seems to be a correlation between phone calls, unaccompanied visits, or play dates, make a note of those too.
2. Be as factual and non-accusatory as possible. Your job is to advocate for your child, and it is important to convey facts, not emotion and angst.
3. If you believe that a crime has been committed against your child, it is your right and your obligation to seek assistance from the police. Do them a favor and provide as much information as possible, which is why your notebook and your factual communication are so important. If you have reports from your child's counselor or pediatrician, take that along as well.
4. Make sure your child knows -
• That you love them no matter what, always & forever
• That they won't get in trouble for something an adult or older kid does
• That they have the right to feel safe, to have their private areas left alone, and to ask for help
5. Share stories with your child about events that happened to you that made you feel ashamed, scared, vulnerable, and alone, and talk about how you received help.
6. If there is a related divorce taking place, acquire the services of a Guardian ad litem, or similar, to be the voice of your child in court.

You can learn more at CommunityWatch.us. Good luck to you and your child/ren.