Zeitgeist July 2011

July 24, 2011

Dutch "Tolerance" Appears To Go the Way of Wooden Shoes

"...now private citizens are increasingly taking matters into their own hands. In addition to the constant barrage of insults and threats directed at Mr Uitenbogaard in Hengelo, another member of Martijn was driven from his home in the northern province of Friesland. And a writer who merely supported Martijn’s right to free speech has also had the windows of his house smashed and ‘Paedophile’ painted on his front door in red letters."

http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/dutch-vigilantes-follow-american-way

2 N.J. teens labeled sex offenders for life after 'horseplay' incident

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/07/teens_sex_offenders_horseplay.html

the court decision:

http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/opinions/a4322-08a5855-08.pdf

One Last Visit for Mother and Her Incarcerated Son?

Uh, no. Apparently not.

This, despite the fact that the son's original accuser has long since recanted her testimony saying the sexual assault she had originally testified to never occurred.

She was nine when she was coerced into her accusation by her mother, then embroiled in a bitter divorce proceeding and in need of an alibi to keep her from being prosecuted for unlawfully fleeing the state with her daughter.

She was eleven when she recanted.

She's now 21 and one of the two cousins she had originally accused of molestation is still in prison. His mother is dying. They would like to see each other one last time. And the State of Texas remains indifferent to both.

Let's be clear: convicted felons are routinely denied freedom even when evidence comes to light that they were wrongfully convicted.

This happens frequently in the U.S. today and should shock and outrage us to the core.

http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2011-07-15/one-last-visit-for-mother-and-son

Social Networks: Thinking Of The Children

After chasing children back into their homes to live in protected isolation from all possible contact with unauthorized adults, society/government now insists that they be completely shielded from social media (which may include possible contact with unauthorized adults) even though they probably do so while safely ensconced within their own living rooms or bedrooms.

This is a perfect example of "mission creep" in which we continue to move the goalposts of acceptable risk closer together to define an ever-smaller field of existence which kids must then content themselves to occupy.

This tendency is also described as "The Precautionary Principle" which posits that all risk, no matter now minuscule, is unacceptable.

Except that, of course, its not "all" risks. Only those risks corresponding to the most lurid possibilities with which society has become obsessed, namely, stranger abduction and the ostensibly explosive combination of kids and sex, are addressed by the social fortresses in which children are now held in protective isolation.

These stated concerns for children leave unaddressed the actual dangers they face as a result of these policies: social isolation, frustration, obesity, inexperience and ill-preparation for adulthood, loneliness, depression, a distorted view of the world, etc.

But none of those concerns are all that interesting or sensational, are they?

Where's the excitement and, well, the catharsis in those?

The problem is, real problems are just so damned boring!

It's like the difference between watching, say, Nightmare on Elm Street on the one hand, and Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, on the other. Which would you rather watch?

http://www.kqed.org/news/story/2011/07/11/60667/social_networks_thinking_of_the_children?category=technology

Hudak vows to make sex offenders wear GPS devices

"We Canadians can pass laws just as pointless, expensive and stupid as Americans!"

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1026544--ontario-s-sex-offenders-to-wear-gps-if-tories-elected

Gary Glitter complaint about Channel 4's "The Execution of Gary Glitter" dismissed

Apparently, he has lost the right not to be "virtually" executed in the media.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-14185807

The Dangers of "Caylee's Law"

A number of states are falling all over themselves coming up with laws that would further diminish parent's rights.

http://reason.com/archives/2011/07/18/the-dangers-of-caylees-law

Destroying Hard Drive Leads to Conviction for Obstructing Federal Investigation

Smash your hard drive, go to jail!

http://volokh.com/2011/07/18/destroying-hard-drive-leads-to-conviction-for-obstructing-federal-investigation

Sperm-sniffing police dog snags rapist

How does one go about training a dog to specialize in sniffing sperm?

http://www.thelocal.se/34986/20110716

San Jose man to be sentenced for attacking man suspected of molesting his stepdaughter

The reporter, in this case, spins the story to evoke outrage from her/his readers that an enraged father could be held responsible for his premeditated and vicious attack on a man he suspected of molesting his daughter.

This has been a recurring trope in America for some time now, possibly starting with the thuggish Ellie Nessler's execution style murder of her sons "molester" within the very courtroom where he was being tried, nearly twenty years ago.

After serving just three years in prison for shooting her victim five times in the head, she returned to her life as a low-level methamphetamine dealer and mother of a nearly grown-up career criminal and soon-to-be murderer in his own right (he stomped a man to death whom he had hired to clean up his family's property).

But according to her supporters, who were, and still are, legion (alas, she is now dead), she should have been rewarded instead for summarily executing a "child molester".

Largely unacknowledged is the transformation of the American public into an angry, vengeance-seeking mob who have become convinced by their leaders and their journalists that mob-violence and summary execution are perfectly reasonable propositions for securing justice. The media, through outrageously biased "realistic" crime shows, and journalistically bankrupt news magazines and cable news shows, have continuously communicated to the public that real justice is denied them through the courts.

Even the concept of rights have been redefined to include special "victim's rights" and since all virtuous people are now imbued with these emergent rights, they now see the traditional rights of the accused in direct conflict with their own "victim's rights" and demand those of the accused be degraded relative to their own.

And it isn't just the U.S. anymore. It's the U.K., Australia and even The Netherlands.

Marthijn Uittenbogaard, a controversial Dutchman who argued against that country's raising of the age-of-consent laws and who has argued for its abolition, has been continually hounded, harassed, assaulted and had his house vandalized by those who apparently believe that he should not have the right to speak or even to exist, despite his having committed no crime.

This is a very dangerous path which the U.S. has trod and which the rest of world is now following.

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_18492755?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com

Daughter 'poured lighter fluid over her sex offender dad, set him on fire and left him to die'

Vigilantes become the new heroes. You can be sure that she is being hailed by millions who applaud her savagery.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2015557/Nina-Holbrook-poured-lighter-fluid-sex-offender-dad-Carl-set-fire.html

Ex-paedophile group leader Freeman jailed over child "rape" drawings

"Steven Freeman, 56, admitted charges relating to 3,000 "vile" drawings

The former leader of a paedophile group has been jailed for possessing indecent pictures, films and drawings of children. "

There are two things worth noting here:

Drawings, not photos or videos of actual kids, but drawings of nonexistent kids, can get you convicted in the U.K., just as it now can get you convicted in the U.S.

Also, failure to give the authorities a password to an encrypted file can get you at least 1 year in prison in the U.K. (what if you've genuinely forgotten it??)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-14169406

Mother, son sex offenders charged with moving too close to daycare

This one's a bit of a head-scratcher. Why are they registered sex offenders? See if it makes sense to you:

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110715/news/707159738

Marin court abandons plan to put juvenile defendants in glass box

I'm not sure why juvenile defendants would need to be put in a glass box but adults would not. But I'm sure it has a perfectly rational explanation.

http://www.mercurynews.com/weird-news/ci_18506399?nclick_check=1

Mystery prisoner has Utah jail authorities stumped

His refusal to identify himself has allowed authorities to keep him locked up until he does. Which, fortunately, he doesn't seem to mind all that much.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/23/us-utah-mystery-prisoner-idUSTRE76M34320110723

Company Makes X-Small Condoms for "12-Year-Old Boys"

Why the author would think that we would "lose our lunch" over such a prospect is odd. I can think of far less appealing images...

http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2010/03/health-controversy-company-mak.html

California Court Says Child Porn Requires Real Children

However, Federal prosecutors still can charge people for possessing pornography (including cartoons) that does not include real children as "obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children."

Yes, I'm confused, too. I think that's the idea. We no longer know what we can and cannot legally do.

http://reason.com/blog/2011/07/20/california-court-rules-that-ch?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reason%2FHitandRun+%28Reason+Online+-+Hit+%26+Run+Blog%29

Overzealous Sex Offender Laws Harm Public Safety

The backlash is growing. It needs to grow much, much more.

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/07/overzealous-sex-offender-laws-harm-public-safety/241917

Summary of Research Briefing by Elizabeth J. Letourneau, Ph.D., Associate Professor Family Services Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina

"The empirical evidence fails to support any community safety effect of juvenile registration or notification and further indicates that these policies are associated with harmful unintended effects on youth and on juvenile case processing".

http://www.njjn.org/uploads/digital_library/Letourneau%20Presentation_Summary.pdf

CONTROLLING SEXUALLY VIOLENT PREDATORS: CONTINUED INCARCERATION AT WHAT COST?

This report also reminds us that actual "violence" is not required to be considered a sexually violent predator anywhere in the U.S.

http://www.law.miami.edu/facadmin/pdf/tlave/Controlling_Sexually_Violent_Predators_Continued_Incarceration_at_what_Cost.pdf

Rick Perry Asked Why More Kids Are Getting Pregnant in Texas after lawmakers cut sex ed from two six-month courses to a single unit of "abstinence only" education.

Well, apparently, the kids were trying to work out the details, which were left out of the class, on their own.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shawn-lawrence-otto/rick-perry-abstinence_b_904115.html

Ghana cracks down on gays

Let's see. They're doing to regular gays in Ghana what the U.S. is doing to Boy Lovers.

Think: "Situational Barbarism"

http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/2011/07/21/ghana-cracks-down-on-gays/57436

Perry County mother charged with unlawfully entering school bus to help a son she thought was ill

What? No SWAT team needed to remove her?

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/07/perry_county_mother_charged_wi.html

Taliban hang eight-year-old son of Afghanistan police chief

A horrendous crime which leaves us angry and depressed and wanting to punish these scum.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2018248/Taliban-hang-year-old-son-police-commander.html

July 17, 2011

Sex "Crimes" In America Today

Judith Levine discusses where we are today and how we got here. She is one of the bravest journalists reporting on this issue today.

http://www.unwelcomeguests.net/archive/ug519-hour1mix.mp3

Foster children routinely housed in office waiting room, social worker alleges

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-foster-homes-20110712,0,5127877.story

Court Upholds Death Sentence For Prison Killing

Despite a successful prosecution of an inmate for murdering another prisoner, a sex offender, it is safe to say that nothing will be done to protect sex offenders in jails and prisons today. In fact, it has become socially acceptable to express the fervent hope that sex offenders WILL be tortured and murdered in prison.

In recent weeks, Former U.S. Atty. Don Heller recently said, "some of these guys should be left out in the general prison population. Then someone can take capital punishment into their own hands, particularly with a baby rapist."

And this is a guy who used to draft criminal code for both California and later, the U.S. Government. The only difference I can see is that he is now retired, freeing him from the constraints of self-expression that most sitting government officials feel obliged to.

Savagery has become socially acceptable when it is expressed against sex offenders, even if many are too dishonest to admit it.

http://www.ktvu.com/news/28516163/detail.html

Harvard Researchers Want Fat Kids Taken from Their Homes

A pair of Harvard scholars writing in the Journal of the American Medical Associationadvocate stripping away the custody rights of parents of super obese children. 

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2011/07/harvard-researchers-want-fat-kids-taken-their-homes/39894

Kirkland 6-year-old patted down by TSA agents

When paranoias collide: reconciling the paranoia of "bad touches" with the paranoia of "security theater".

http://www.king5.com/video/featured-videos/Kirkland-family-says--125274814.html

Another case in which angry mom is arrested for refusing to have her daughter groped or irradiated:

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110713/NEWS01/307130115/Police-charge-mother-Nashville-airport-altercation

The News of the World shouldn't claim Sarah's law has been a success

It's interesting that Rebekah Brooks, Rupert Murdoch's just-resigned New's Of The World senior executive, was once arrested for domestic battery after beating her husband. She, perhaps more than any other "journalist", has contributed to the climate of "paedo-hysteria" that has taken hold in the U.K.

In her newspaper's employ as a dirt-diggiing private investigator is an accused axe-murderer (yes, really!) linked to a corrupt Scotland Yark squad who later worked for David Cameron's current press secretary at "News of the World".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jul/11/news-of-the-world-sarahs-law?commentpage=3#start-of-comments

Petition forces parliamentary debate on "Martijn" in The Netherlands

The previously "tolerant" Dutch nation is quickly erasing any trace of their legendary open-mindedness. U.S.-style sting operations and unprovoked searches are the new face of Dutch justice.

http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2011/07/petition_forces_parliamentary.php

"Martijn" members harassed, threatened

The group "Vereniging Martijn", is being subjected to escalating levels of harassment and vigilante violence.

Yesterday, one of the group's spokespersons, Marthijn Uittenbogaard, had the front window of his house smashed by rocks and ammonia was poured through his mail slot.

Previously, he has been physically assaulted and receives almost daily threats. A motorcycle gang recently held a large protest in front of his house.

So far, the police show little interest in affording him the same protections that it provides to Geert Wilders or, previously, to Ayan Hirsi Ali, despite continuous threats to his life.

http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2011/07/paedophile_party_member_asks_f.php

A rare victory in Ohio: Adam Walsh Act ruled "punishment".

We can only hope that other courts find the courage to state what is so manifestly obvious about these odious laws.

http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/rod/docs/pdf/0/2011/2011-ohio-3374.pdf

Michigan Supreme Court: Homeless sex offender can be punished for not registering address

Despite not having a residence, and having been barred entrance to homeless shelters because of his sex offender status, the court ruled that he could be held criminally liable for not telling police where he was living.

These laws are working exactly as they are intended to work, to make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for registered sex offenders to exist without violating laws to which no one else is subjected. Thus, they exist as both a means of harassment and as a pretext for further incarceration.

The term for such laws is "Status Offenses" i.e. an action that is prohibited only to a certain class of people, such as Jews in Nazi occupied countries in the last century.

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/5f1073ab9aac46d4936c5ee4a31d283e/MI--Homeless-Sex-Offender

A Father's Pride In Encouraging His Child's Independence

Too often our society dismisses kids as incapable. Here is a wonderful example of the magic that can happen when we don't.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1EI1ZQ/gamesbyemail.com/WoodTape

Police: Mom Left Kids In Hot Car, Beat Good Samaritan

An example of a mother who sees her kids as her property.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/28525333/detail.html

Washington state man sentenced for shooting a man he thought was a sex offender

Another example of open-season on sex offenders

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/washington-state-man-sentenced-for-shooting-a-man-he-thought-was-a-sex-offender/2011/07/13/gIQAlw7RCI_story.html

Perverted Justice and Xavier Van Erck Reported by Sex Offender Issues to have Fallen On Hard Times

Golly! What can we do to help?

http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.com/2011/07/how-weirdos-behind-to-catch-predator.html

McMartin Preschool abuse-case fiasco led to new child interview techniques

At least, that's the claim. And, given how badly those early '80's witchhunts exploded in the prosecution's faces, they would have had to change their modus operandi in investigations. But are they less likely to result in false convictions? Are the rights of the children being safeguarded this time? Do the tape recorded interviews run continuously while the child is in the room or do they stop and start at odd times or even disappear altogether? Will the investigators be allowed to lile to the children? Have those anatomically correct dolls been put into retirement doll houses? Time will tell... Well, not necessarily.

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/07/21/3783838/mcmartin-preschool-fiasco-led.html#ixzz1T6nEbYvR

July 12, 2011