South Carolina may soon execute repeat child molesters

[mickeyboat]

sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm a 32 year old female in a serious relationship who is against the death penalty for all cases. and I know of other women on this board who are in my boat.

I'm a 35 year old married woman with two small daughters, who is against the death penalty because of the way it is administered in America.

However, I definitely become enraged and emotional when I think about what molesters have done and are doing to children - even more so now that I have my own children.

I was also french kissed and fondled by a male babysitter at age 6. Thank goodness he stopped when I told him to.

Denae

 

[vivilasvegas]

My family has NOT had contact with someone like "Uncle Joe". None of them wished he had been executed? Maybe if had been executed he wouldn't have had the chance to rape all his daughters. When does the cycle stop? If "I was a victim as a child too" it would be okay for me to do this to my kids or relatives?

This whole thing makes me sick and honestly I think it's worse than killing a person. Taking advantage of an innocent child is beyond comprehension to me.

why is it so hard to believe that the family may not have wished for his execution?
why is it whenever someone says they are against the death penalty, the statements about "oh if it happened to you, you'd feel differently" or "you have no idea how it feels" are made everytime?

oh, and just because someone is against the death penalty, it doesn't mean they find molestation, torture, murder, or whatever any less disgusting and disturbing than the rest of you.

 

[In a hurry]

My family has NOT had contact with someone like "Uncle Joe". None of them wished he had been executed? Maybe if had been executed he wouldn't have had the chance to rape all his daughters. When does the cycle stop? If "I was a victim as a child too" it would be okay for me to do this to my kids or relatives?

This whole thing makes me sick and honestly I think it's worse than killing a person. Taking advantage of an innocent child is beyond comprehension to me.

You are truly blessed, but I bet you already appreciate that.

My only point thru this is that most of the time, life is not cut and dried.

As for the cousins, I don't know how they dealt or forgave, or whatever. I wasn't there. I guess they loved their dad regardless.

 

[alliecats]

The issue is somewhat sensational on this board and for one simple reason:

The demographics of the DIS show the average user to be female, married/serious relationship and 25 to 45 years old.

There is a psychological argument that says that one's position in life influences their decisions and views, either through nature or nurture. In this case, it would be likely that certain maternal instincts would be quite strong amongst the majority of DISers - including the instinct to protect children above all others.

This leads to the inevitable bloodlust for anyone who harms a child, an emotion that overpowers logic.

Logically, execution costs more, is inherently dangerous (irreversible nature means no reprieve for innocents) and offers little to no deterrent over incarceration.

Emotionally, many people here hunt for blood. We need to dismiss this emotion in order to assess the situation properly.

Rich::

You know I love ya, Rich, and usually agree with you 99% of the time. BUT this is patronizing as all get-out.

 

[In a hurry]

You know I love ya, Rich, and usually agree with you 99% of the time. BUT this is patronizing as all get-out.

I think you stated that very nicely!

 

[YourMajesty]

I totally and completely disagree with the "matter of time before they attack and kill" statement. Please go back and read comments by "In a hurry" and a few others about what a typical molester is. They are not murderers.....they are perverts sure, but that's a far cry from being twisted enough to KILL someone.



.

Who does the killing? The non-perverts?

editted to add....I really didn't mean to imply ever molester kills...just that it is only time before some will. That's why I told about the girl that was killed last night.

 

[dcentity2000]

I think that may be the main reason people are supporting the death penalty for pedophiles, not knowing an effective way to deal with them, so let's eliminate them.

I despise pedophiles, they are scum. The one thing that most mental health experts agree on is that the chances for rehabilitation are zero, yet a pedophile's ability to re-offend is great. Scary reality.

Paedophillia is classically viewed as a disease that can be treated, albeit with significant difficulty and with varying results. Sometimes treatment can help, sometimes it doesn't, but that's a whole doctorate piece right there.

However.

The natural rate of paedophilic tendencies (people who react to paedophilic stimuli) is higher than you might think - it's 20 to 25%. Let me repeat that:

The natural rate of paedophilic tendencies is 20 to 25%.

Clearly it is illogical to label a quarter of all known humanity as mentally ill! (This may be an understatement - the classical rate is 27.7%.) This is the argument used to counter the notion that paedophillia is not a psychiatric condition.

Nowadays the condition is viewed as a "distortion", closely bound to aspects of self-control. The vast majority of those who exhibit "strong" tendencies towards paedophillia do NOT offend, ever. I'll repeat that too:

The vast majority of paedophiles do NOT offend, ever.

Since it is apparent that paedophillia is a condition as opposed to an illness, one should therefore view those with the condition with a strong sense of pity - they never chose to have the condition and must bury it and stamp upon it utterly every day of their long lives.

Not that I argue for pity in place of punishment for those who do offend. It is not believed that it is possible to harbour such an inclination so strong as to be undeniable. In other words, offenders have the capacity to deny their base desires and do not do so.

Those with such a strong inclination towards paedophillia that they end up offending should therefore be segregated from society for reasons of safety. At this time treatment is, as stated above, difficult and varying in effectiveness, so until we can improve this incarceration would have to be for life.

Half the problem is the stigma. If people knew that the vast majority of paedophiles were afflicted against their own choice and had to suffer with it day and and day out and did not offend, our problems would be half solved! Those with the condition would, if not for the stigma, submit themselves for treatment, that which we know and possibly benefit. Those who did not respond could be isolated on friendly terms - offences would be heavily reduced, but for that stigma.

Mass culls are not the answer in a civilised world to a problem so little understood or even realised.



Rich::

 

[In a hurry]

Where are you getting your stats, Rich? Those seem to be extremely exagerated.

 

[In a hurry]

I also disagree that it is a condition rather than a disorder. I don't believe people are born pedaphiles, and that anyone who practices such behavior either in person or in print should be prosecuted and dealt with in a criminal court.

 

[dcentity2000]

Where are you getting your stats, Rich? Those seem to be extremely exagerated.

Lecture notes Studies done by a few guys quite recently actually, same people who got homosexuality removed from the list os psychiatric illnesses.

Google search brought up these:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/pedophilia.html

http://home.wanadoo.nl/ipce/library_two/files/asb.htm



Rich::

 

[dcentity2000]

I also disagree that it is a condition rather than a disorder. I don't believe people are born pedaphiles, and that anyone who practices such behavior either in person or in print should be prosecuted and dealt with in a criminal court.

You're taking the term out of order here, seemingly suggesting that we should have 1984, Orwell style thought police.

People are almost certainly born with the condition - it tends to manifest around the time of puberty (duh). There is no data I'm aware of that labels the condition as something that one can wish away or 'acquire' at a particular point in life.



Rich::

 

[In a hurry]

They were both the same article and neither stated your point.

To equate homosexuality with pedophilia is absurd to me. It would seem to me your speaker has his own agenda, as well as his own stats. Too legitimize pedophiles is an extreme that I cannot even fathom. Who pays the cost for the "condition" of the adult?

 

[dcentity2000]

You know I love ya, Rich, and usually agree with you 99% of the time. BUT this is patronizing as all get-out.

Sorry, didn't mean it to sound like that

You have my most sincere apologies



Rich::

 

[In a hurry]

You're taking the term out of order here, seemingly suggesting that we should have 1984, Orwell style thought police.

People are almost certainly born with the condition - it tends to manifest around the time of puberty (duh). There is no data I'm aware of that labels the condition as something that one can wish away or 'acquire' at a particular point in life.
Rich::

I've never seen any legitimate info that stated people are born peds. Exactly how would they do that?

 

[dcentity2000]

They were both the same article and neither stated your point.

I quote:

"Another argument for the normality of pedophilic feelings are the percentages of 'normal people' who are said to feel attracted to children (about 20 to 25%), and who react with penile erection to 'pedophilic' stimuli: more the 25%. One cannot reasonably argue that about one quarter of the population is mentally ill."

To equate homosexuality with pedophilia is absurd to me. It would seem to me your speaker has his own agenda, as well as his own stats. Too legitimize pedophiles is an extreme that I cannot even fathom. Who pays the cost for the "condition" of the adult?

Looked at in a cold light, many things share comparisons in psychology. Again, I must reiterate, the vast majority never offend and practically ALL are too afraid to come forward for treatment.

As long as the stigma remains, no advances will be made. At least by trying to help we would probably lower incidence rates.



Rich::

 

[dcentity2000]

I've never seen any legitimate info that stated people are born peds. Exactly how would they do that?

Almost every time these tendancies manifest at puberty. Unless everyone is catching this at the same point in life, it looks pretty much moot. The most you could argue would be over the nature and nurture of the condition.

Interestingly, a sizeable proportion of offenders were attacked themselves as a child - a strong argument for the nurture side of things.

[EDIT]: Just to clarify, I do not offer my defences to those who offend, have offended or will offend. To do such a thing as abuse a child is unquestionably evil. However, suffering from a condition is not.

[EDIT 2]: Just to point out as well, I do not have a degree in the subject, nor will I in a year's time! I am merely a uni student reiterating the information passed on to me. Doubtless, in the coming years, some of it will be superseded, some refined, some utterly discounted. But for now, this information is the best I have.



Rich::

 

[In a hurry]

Behavior is evil, disorder is not. With you on that one. I'll let it go there.

 

[dcentity2000]

Behavior is evil, disorder is not. With you on that one. I'll let it go there.

I think I'll let it go too - I'm not liking the tone of my own voice



Rich::

 

[DarkSideMoon]

Logically, execution costs more

one .22 clip is more expensive than feeding and clothing a child molester for the rest of his life?

 

[djcruz4fun]

All I can say to this debate is any if man or woman touches my children, they had better hope the police get to them before I do.