This Just In ...
Kevin Fischer is a veteran broadcaster, the recipient of over 150 major journalism awards from the Milwaukee Press Club, the Wisconsin Associated Press, the Northwest Broadcast News Association, the Wisconsin Bar Association, and others. He has been seen and heard on Milwaukee TV and radio stations for over three decades. A longtime aide to state Senate Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature, Kevin can be seen offering his views on the news on the public affairs program, "InterCHANGE," on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10, and heard filling in on Newstalk 1130 WISN. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their lovely baby daughter, Kyla Audrey, in Franklin.
Once a pedophile, always a pedophile
I preface this entry by saying that most young people are decent, honest, hard-working individuals society can be proud of.Even so, there are times my faith and confidence is shaken, for any number of reasons.
I got some reinforcement while in Orlando last weekend when I read a section in the local paper called NEW VOICES.
This segment was described this way:
New Voices -- people in their 20s and students in college and high school -- are invited to submit essays on topics ranging from foreign affairs to the Internet to school life.
A young woman named Tara Tedrow wrote an excellent column on sex offenders. I love the way she thinks.
No child left behind to predators
Once a pedophile, always a pedophile. Pray all you want, put all the shrink apologists on TV after another child is violated, but watch a few episodes of MSNBC's Dateline: To Catch a Predator, and you'll see what the apologists don't want to admit.
How many more children's innocence must be stolen for people to realize there is only one treatment for a pedophile -- one strike and you're out, locked up, never to be able to hunt or violate another child. How many more childhoods must be stolen until we realize that a slap on the wrist of a few years in prison does not send the message that society is serious about pedophilia?
I don't believe that pedophiles can be cured. Do you?
To battle predators online we must demand that online communities take the initiative of sites like MySpace.com by tracking registered sex offenders and removing their profiles. They must also agree to turn over for prosecution any adult solicitations made publicly for sex or nude photos from minors.
Follow the money and freeze the bank accounts of any online group or individual trolling for kids. Force the ISPs offline. Fine the banks whose credit-card processing facilities are used. If they are overseas predator groups, whether private or commercial, embarrass their host country into action. Notify U.S banks of any foreign bank participating in this. Publicize any U.S. corporation indirectly involved.
We have the technology to bring down their Internet sites. We have the technology to track and stop the perverts. It seems that all we lack is the will.
Heck, animals probably have more protection than our children. What we need is an SPCA for kids: the SPCC, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
The freedom that we should be concerned about is the freedom of children to not live a ruined life. We should have a new No Child Left Behind policy. This one would ensure that no child is left behind by the law, and our priority and concern is for the innocent victim and not the pervert.
I don't think every criminal should be in jail for life. I think there are extenuating circumstances that have to be taken into consideration for most crimes. But it's a cut-and-dried issue when it comes to violating a child. You either did it, or you didn't.
If you're innocent, that's well and good. If you're guilty, then you're off the playgrounds, off the streets and never given another chance to ruin another child's life.
Tara Tedrow is a junior at Wake Forest University, a Presidential Scholar for Debate and captain of the Mock Trial Team.
She’d write a great blog, don’t you think?
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