Our System

WOW! I have the most awsome readers, how lucky am I? Thank you all so much for your comments. This was exactly what I needed as a sounding board. I didn't agree with all of the opinions, but, I do believe that everyone has a right to their own and please do not think, if I disagree with you, that I do not respect you or your opinon, it is simply differant from mine. Many of the ideas and thoughts are the same however, so, here is part two.


First of all, this is part of the problem. Our system fails us so badly. They do convict the wrong people for the wrong reasons. The woman who took a picture of her son, I think that is just stupid. You see, I would never take those kinds of pictures anymore because it is considered sexual abuse, however, when my daughter was little it was not and I do have some pictures of her happily playing in bubble baths, grinning up at me through all the bubbles. You can not see a damn thing you shouldn't, but I love photos. They are art to me, maybe more so than paintings. They represent life as it is. My brother is married to one of the most wonderful women ever and she is obssessed with recording her children's lives through photo's and scrapebooking. I can easily see this kind of thing happening to her. Does she mean harm to her children? Hell no, she'd step in front of a bus or take a bullet for any one of her children. She is an attentive and loving mother, she just wants them to be able to see themselves in all facets of life when they get older.

Secondly, for those men/women who are guilty, how do we protect their families? Why should they be punished when they are victims as well? I wish I could have faith in people to know the differance between the men/women who commit the crimes and their families, but lets get real here folks, it seems people open up to a cause and many of them become fanatical about it. Hell, this country still suffers from hate crimes every single day of the week just because someone is a differant color, or religion, or has a differant sexual preferance then them. What makes us think they have judgment enough to let these people live in peace. A good case in point is posted over at my friend Xariklea's Angry Bitch blog. Just read her story and you'll see what I mean by total lack of judgment.

Then there is the wrongly convicted. No, this doesn't happen often, but, it does happen. Our system does fail us. It puts people away and lets them go on judgment. We decide, as a society, who is guilty and who is not. There is no other way for our system to work. I understand tht, I even appreciate that we have the chance to stand and defend ourselves in front of a group of our peers. Sadly however, because we are judged by people, convicted and defended by people, we are left open for interpretation. Interpretation of the law, of our motives, of our emotions. I know that I have flat out told judges that I am not fit to sit on a jury because all three times I've been called up for jury duty, it has been domestic violence cases. I know I could not be partial and fair, but some people, especially in high profile cases, >want< to be on those jurys, they want to see everything front and center, and they allow this to convince themselves that they can be fair, when sometimes, they just can't. Interpretation of the law is probably the hardest for me to swallow. Our laws mean different things to different people. It depends on if you're background. Rich people may not be as forgiving of a person who stole money or food and say that they needed it to take care of their families. Poorer people may not be as forgiving of someone who has cheated on their taxes.

Then yes, their are those odd cases where two consenting people have sex and one is convicted of sexual assault, sexual abuse, or sometimes even rape, because one of them is younger then 18. I have a friend who's husband is a loving, attentive, hard working, loyal husband and great father. He was found guilty of sexual abuse for making a smart ass comment about the chest size of someone he knew. They were words. Maybe not appropriate, which he owned up to, but, bad enough to be convicted and placed on the a Sex Offender list? They live in a fairly small town and she has suffered through hell because of this. There are also stupid laws, as was pointed out in my comments. My state is one of those were it is illegal to have oral sex. I mean, come on folks, if I want to suck my husband's dick, isn't that my own damn business as long as I am not exposing others to it? Why is someone labled as a Sex Offender if they go streaking?

These things make no sense to me. This is the problem damnit. We have so many ways to look at things, interpretation. They are too many loopholes in our system. Bad people get off, good people go to jail, it's crazy.

I do not feel that any criminal has any rights to privacy. I believe that they give up all rights to privacy when they commit their crimes. I do not feel sadness, or pity for them. Buffalo made a good point and it brings up the question of "When does it stop?" when do we say enough is enough? Is it one death? Two deaths? Do you have to compare yourself to Ted Bundy or John Wayne Gacey? How many more people have to die? How many children are destroyed emotionally for the sick satisfaction of others?


Whew, not done yet, hope your still with me here. I have to get ready for work, so, tomorrow I will work on yet another post on this subject, it is something that is eating at me, gnawing on my heart. I really want to get my thoughts and emotions out there about this. I will address it from my "parent view" tomorrow. Keep the great comments coming.