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I'm waiting for the day that some angry mother comes over and asks me "Is one of these girls your daughter??!!" as I videotape my little girl shaking her pom poms. I wonder what I will say. I'm sometimes kind of kooky. What if I said "no."
Think about it......Who would say no?...... An honest pervert?
I saw a billboard on the side of the highway, once. It showed a picture of a man and a little girl holding hands and walking in the park.
It said something to the effect of "Do the right thing. Just call." then there was a number for the SWAT team. Or whomever.
What would you do if someone came up to you to ask you if the little girl you were walking with was your daughter? Well, let me tell you...if your a man...and you walk up to me in the park, and I don't know you...I'm probably gonna look a bit defensive. I think that's normal. It's normal because if you make some kind of weird move, I'm going to kill you.
What happens next? They ask the little girl if the man is her daddy. I have sort of a fail safe for this one...I'm a white dude...and my girl is 1/2 Japanese. We both speak Japanese...so that's kind of a dead give away that I'm her Dad.
But, for the average Joe...I think one day, you're gonna have to be able to prove that your kid is your kid. I think it's coming.
Think about this law. It seems to be a good law. It protects children. It's FOR THE CHILDREN.
It also assumes that every man watching a child is a potential sexual predator. Yes, I'm not stupid ..... I understand they exist.
Think about it another way. What if I stereotyped a race as "all are potentially thieves" or "all are potentially dangerous." What if, every time you - as a member of that race - went shopping, and people assumed you were a thief - and had the brass to walk up and say "I saw you looking at those hats...why don't you just move along, sir."
How would that make you feel? Should an entire SEX be considered to be evil, by virtue of having testicles?
I understand why people think we need these laws...and I understand the creepy factor. I also understand that I watch bathrooms, too - when my little girl is using it.
I just read that article and I must say--that is a bit bizaare. What is appropriate in terms of "people watching" and what isn't is very subjective. If an older gentleman goes to the park b/c he wants to see young children running and laughing and enjoying life, does that mean he's a sicko? That's very weird.
How can that even be enforced? Someone doens't like the look of someone at the park and says he's staring and calls the police and he's automatically charged with a FELONY?
We had a case here a few years back where a little girl was taken from a crowded soccer field on a Saturday and she was assaulted and killed. The police asked parents who were videotaping their kids playing soccer that morning to send them their tapes so they can see if any known sexual offenders were at the fields. Turns out there were LOTS of known sexual offenders at the fields just hanging out watching all the kids play. They weren't parents, just lookyloos. This was in a very nice suburb. So, I think there are predators just out there watching. Seems like they could get them on loitering laws or if they have some kind of restriction as to how close to kid gatherings they can be.
I do empathize with men being treated suspiciously just because they are men. People make assumptions about me because I am a single mother. Some folks think all single mothers are messed up, on drugs, uneducated, on welfare. I am none of those things, but you would be surprised (or not) how I get treated just because I am a single mother.
ok he was looking at children enetering the bathroom. did he have one of his own children in that bathroom and was waiting for child to come out?
where does it end? if neighbor kids come over and DH is watching them and DS --and by watching i mean keeping an eye on them while they are playing--does that mean he could be seen as an offender?
who is going to judge HOW someone is watching? will we take a pic of the person watching for signs of letchery?
i know its for the kids, but with today's laws there are young men on sexually based crime lists for having sex with their girlfriends and just because they are both teens, were placed on the list. they must now announce where they live and people are terrified to live near them.
i dont know what the right answer is--i am just terrified for the men in my family.
That article had my blood boiling. Charging people with viewing children in public areas? Are they kidding? My poor husband. He doesn't understand the way the world works. Unfortunately, I hear/read it all the time, women assuming any male that goes near their child must be a molester. In his naivety, I can see my husband getting into one of these situations, helping a lost child in a store find their parents only to be greeted with "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER, YOU SICK PERV!!!!!" He is now under strict instructions to me not to so much as look at a child. I won't let him save a child who is drowning. It's a cold position to take for sure. But my husband is not some pawn. Look at him sideways because he walks into the bathroom ten seconds after your kid, then don't expect him to help your kid out.
This is blatant discrimination towards men. Apparently they are good enough to help create children, but goodness forbid they look at one. It's sad. And considering most sexual abuse comes from someone close to the child, rather ineffective as well.
That article had my blood boiling. Charging people with viewing children in public areas? Are they kidding? My poor husband. He doesn't understand the way the world works. Unfortunately, I hear/read it all the time, women assuming any male that goes near their child must be a molester. In his naivety, I can see my husband getting into one of these situations, helping a lost child in a store find their parents only to be greeted with "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER, YOU SICK PERV!!!!!" He is now under strict instructions to me not to so much as look at a child. I won't let him save a child who is drowning. It's a cold position to take for sure. But my husband is not some pawn. Look at him sideways because he walks into the bathroom ten seconds after your kid, then don't expect him to help your kid out.
This is blatant discrimination towards men. Apparently they are good enough to help create children, but goodness forbid they look at one. It's sad. And considering most sexual abuse comes from someone close to the child, rather ineffective as well.
i know how you feel. my husband is the same way! he would see kids in the store and start talking to them or would touch their hair. i had to tell him to be very careful (he is from another country) and that people here will think he is doing something wrong. he was like "i didnt do anything" but i am like--dont even look at them! their parents could ruin our lives!
This actually happened to me. I was in Walmart and there was a kid in the automotive aisle. The kid was crying and wanted her Momma. No one was at the desk back there. In the old days, I would've taken her to the front desk and had them call for her mom. In this case, (having worked at Walmart before) I picked up the phone, dialed the intercom and said "There is a lost child in automotive. Please send an associate to help."
3 Walmart employees showed up in about 60 seconds. They all looked at me like I was a perv. I expected that. Then they asked the girl "Did he (pointing at me) touch you?"
**********************
Now, for the other side of the coin.....
Have you ever lost a kid in a store? I did. I was shopping with my wife and my son. I had wandered off and came back...and asked my wife "Where's my boy?" My wife was like "He was right here just a minute ago." Then the search began. I couldn't find him. I didn't see him in any of the aisles. I started calling for him...Yelling, in fact. He was not to be found. Finally, I saw him in one of the clothing racks. My son had decided to "hide" in there and to trick Daddy.
Why, yes; it was a few minutes of pure and utter terror. My wife was in tears by the time I found him. We had a talk about when "hide and seek" was an appropriate past time, and when it would scare the living crap out of Dad and Mom.
Gee. I remember that like it was yesterday. And it was only a couple of minutes.
"free" country my ass! Even if someone is being "creepy" there is no harm in vision and if this passes it will be another embarrassing defeat for civil liberties.
So will this law only apply to men? How is this any different than pulling over a black man driving a nice car thinking it must be stolen? If a man is sitting on a park bench enjoying the day and some kids start playing in front of his line of vision will he be obligated to leave?
This whole idea of all men being "creepy" is getting old.
These Maine politicians are modern-day Nazis and I hope they are thrown out of office.
This law, if passed, is probably destined to be tossed out by the courts as "void for vagueness." It ought to be thrown out on substantive due process liberty grounds as well. There is no reason why a misdemeanor loitering statute couldn't serve the same purpose, but, as always, "sex offenders" are a convenient bugaboo for politicians and the media.
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