Thursday, May 12, 2005

Touching Story: Here's a discussion question for all you kids. While we all hate child molesters, what do we do with them after they have "served their time"?

A Florida mayor is proposing to ban them from living within a half mile of schools, bus stops, parks, or any other place children congregate. Of course, that effectively means convicted child molesters would not be allowed to live anywhere within the city limits.

I know I'd like to put all such scum on an island somewhere, preferably in the path of an oncoming tsunami. And I can see why Mr. Mayor would like to get rid of all such people from his city, while scoring some political points in the process. But what if all cities passed this ban? While there is a problem with recidivism among child molesters, it just isn't practical to ban them from living near other people.

So far the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers are openly opposing the mayor's plan. But it could be politically tough for other city officials to advocate for the rights of pedophiles. This may be one of those times when the politicians take the popular route, fully expecting some federal judge to declare the ban unconstitutional.

It will be an interesting case to watch. If the mayor succeeds, look for other cities to emulate this plan.