Thursday, January 22, 2009

Recreating Segregation

"We hold these truths to be self-evident..."

Self Evident: evident in itself without proof or demonstration; axiomatic

"...that all men are created equal..."

All men: regardless of origin, faith, political alignment, age, race, sex, sexual preference, and even regardless of past crimes.

"...that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights..."

God (I'm sorry if you don't believe in Him, but I do) gave us these rights, not man, nor a government created by man.

Unalienable: not to be separated, given away, or taken away; inalienable

"...that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Life and Happiness are somewhat obvious, so I won't take the time to spell them out. But Liberty on the other hand, now that is a subject that few people truly understand. If you care to read about some of the ideas behind Liberty, read this, and this.

"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..."

"Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

Despotism:

1. the rule of a despot; the exercise of absolute authority.
2. absolute power or control; tyranny.
3. an absolute or autocratic government.
4. a country ruled by a despot.

When a government, under the guise of protecting it's citizens, actively removes and abolishes the rights of others, it creates a scenario similar to that of when the pilgrims left England. That little shift in peoples perception of government led to the creation of the United States of America. The quotes from above are taken directly from the text of the Declaration of Independence.

In today's society, we are still recovering from the Civil Rights movements, Woman's Rights movement, and more recently, Gay and Lesbian Rights movements. What people forget, or sometimes were not aware of, is that when the government loses control over a previously subdued and segregated entity, they go and find another one to pick on.

Having a common enemy gives the government purpose. It helps the general public feel justified in giving the government it's money. Without a common enemy, the people would cease to bend to the wishes of the government.

The latest common enemy is criminals. And much more specifically, sex offenders. (I would like to clarify that I am not supporting the behavior of any sex offender, or the abolition of the sex offender laws by any means) Sex offenders have become the latest and greatest common enemy the government has seen.

Sex Offender legislation is reaching a fervor the likes of which I doubt this country has ever seen. Every single legislative season is crammed with S.O. bills. Bills that restrict how far an offender can live from another offender, or bills that put large bold type on a S.O.'s drivers license, or legislative bills that uniformly categorize and offender regardless of when it happened or the details, and lets not forget about legislative bills that speak of offenders getting their rights back and allowing them to become contributing members of society, except for S.O.'s.

Everyone loves to hate sex offenders. But, they are still human. In spite of what the government tries to preach about them being sub-human and worthless. Sex offenders have Civil Rights too. They were created equal, and they also have the same unalienable rights as those that never committed a crime.

Unfortunately, sex offenders are considered to be so sub-human, that even after they have served their time in jail, completed their treatment, and payed their debt to society, they continuously get shoved farther and farther down the ladder of society.

So far as to almost rival that of the slaves back in the 1800's. How could I possible say that you ask? Let me explain.

"Slavery", as defined by the Slavery Convention of 1926, is (1)the status or condition of a person over whom any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership are exercised, and "slave" means a person in such condition or status, (2) the slave trade includes all acts involved in the capture, acquisition or disposal of a person with intent to reduce him to slavery; all acts involved in the acquisition of a slave with a view to selling or exchanging him; all acts of disposal by sale or exchange of a slave acquired with a view to being sold or exchanged, and, in general, every act of trade or transport in slaves.

The government uses the "right of ownership" (via the DOC) to tell an offender where he can live, with whom he can live, how close he can live to another offender, how close that offender can live to a daycare, nursing home, park, school, bus stop, etc.

And good ol' Uncle Sam uses that "ownership" to come up with new ways to further suppress sex offenders every year.

Sex Offenders are being segregated out of society, for life! And all under the guise of "Regulatory". But, Liberty being an unalienable right, creates a Constitutionality issue with Uncle Sam's ideas of late.

I believe it was the thirteenth amendment that abolished slavery. And, I believe that there is a law about segregation as well.

In the thirteenth amendment, it talks about "except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted". When a criminal is "convicted", there is a sentence attached. If you continuously add to that sentence, you are going outside of the courts to attach punishment for a crime that is already ruled on. That creates another issue that we'll have to discuss at another time.

Here is a quote from a man I've quoted many times before:

"The right of voting for representatives is the primary right by which other rights are protected. To take away this right is to reduce a man to slavery, for slavery consists in being subject to the will of another, and he that has not a vote in the election of representatives is in this case.
- Thomas Paine.
"

Criminals lose their right to vote, and according to law, they get it back when their time is served. Except for Sex Offenders.

When will this country learn that segregation will only lead to hardship? Not only for the person being segregated, but also by the very government itself when it has to fight it out in court at a later time.

Segregation will ultimately lead to the destruction of this country as we know it. The very methods that help to create these laws will be used to separate and compartmentalize the very citizens that it's supposed to protect.

Few people realise that 93% of all sex offenders were known (either relatives, or close friend of the family) to the victim.

What if that was your son, your daughter, your wife, or your husband? Would you be able to watch them get treated like that? Would you feel that the system was just then?

Or would you come back and reread this post looking for ideas to fight it?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just as in the days of the Civil Rights movement happened those who were not African American and stood by those wanting the same treatment/rights were called "negro or nigger" lovers-- (even in the days of the Halocaust)rings true today for those who stand with the oppressed and outcast of society...just put a different name on it.

Erik Mart said...

Thanks for this great post, Avendora.

The dangerous injustices embodied in the sex offender label is beyond self-evident to all who carry it now: 700,000 Americans. The hardest to reach seem to be those who refuse to believe it could ever happen to them. And the longer they ignore our lost liberties, the closer the net comes to ensnaring them.

Anonymous said...

you have got to be kidding me! Slaves were captured through no fault of their own. You however, harmed another person and were captured to protect the common good and others from your monstrous acts!"

You are right! It is unfair for you to be shunned by the outside world and avoided and scorned....by your neighbors...a better solution, especially for those of you who engaged in acts of rape, kidnapping, sadism and terror...to stay confined in your cages like the animals you are! like the pit bull who attacks a child, you too are dangerous and must be dealt with! You voided any human rights when you behaved like a vicious animal!

Avendora said...

If only you knew the details of my crime...

All you ever associate with "Sex Offender" is brutality...

I will not attempt to minimize my actions from when I was 15. Nor will I attempt to minimize the massive impact my decisions have created in my life.

Being a naive child growing up in the sticks, I didn't have the social interactions most do. So when CPS came and told me I had to leave my own home (my little sister was 2 1/2 years younger than me) and live somewhere else, it was devastating.

Spending my sophomore year in and out of court, trying to hide it from the other kids so I wouldn't get teased, living in someones house that wasn't my family, going to therapy before I was sentenced, and trying to keep my grades up was the hardest year of my life.

But the treatment I got all those years ago saved my life. Since then I have never offended again. I have been a contributing member of society the whole time. I have always had a home, a job, and a support network. Never once have I reoffended in the last 15 years.

Are there monsters out there? Yes. Am I one of them, No!

In the religion I grew up in, Forgiveness is taught.

And in the country that I grew up in teaches that "All Men were Created Equal".

Being a father myself (2 boys), I understand your concerns about your children, as well as other peoples children. I myself would have to be restrained if I ever caught someone touching my kids inappropriately.

But, as you read my blog, you will find that this issue is much greater than just the laws pertaining to Sex Offenders.

Our very Constitution is in jeopardy of collapsing. Mark my words, we are on the verge of a meltdown. And if we as American's don't stand up, we will all fall.

I thank you for your comment. Although I don't like it tone, it tells me that you at least read the article (and hopefully others as well). So I won't begrudge you your opinion.

I hope you continue reading.

Anonymous said...

Avendora great response and indeed rehabilitation does work and not all sex offenders are monsterous nor committed "monsterous acts"! Igorance in America runs blatant IMO www.rickyslife.com Rickysmom

Anonymous said...

I agree with the sentiment of the article, but it is based on a fallacious assumption.

The Declaration of Independence is not a legal document.

Avendora said...

A legal document it may not be. But it still was a step that was needed to create the Constitution of the United States.

Just like the Federalist Papers are used to show intent by the Founders, I'm sure that so too can the Declaration of Independence.

Anonymous said...

AMERICA
The gold of her promise
has never been mined

Her borders of justice
not clearly defined

Her crops of abundance
the fruit and the grain

Have not fed the hungry
nor eased that deep pain

Her proud declarations
are leaves on the wind

Her southern exposure
black death did befriend

Discover this country
dead centuries cry

Erect noble tablets
where none can decry

"She kills her bright future
and rapes for a sou

Then entraps her children
with legends untrue""

I beg you

Discover this country

-Maya Angelou