Politicians using “sex offender” barbs as ammunition

One Florida city is using a person required to register as a sex offender as mud to sling in a City Commission race. Gladys Mezrahi and Rachel Saltzman Friedland, who are both running for Aventura City Commission, are using a 2018 effort to force a registrant out of the condo community where both candidates live, each arguing that they did more than the other to kick the man out.

This is hardly uncommon. Last month, in California, Legislation that intended to eliminate anti-LGBTQ inequality in sex offender registration requirements (SB-145) was spun by the sponsor’s opponent as “promoting pedophilia” and at the center of a New Jersey congressional race, one candidates tenure as an official at Human Rights Watch (which opposes the registry) is leading to him being accused of “helping sexual predators hide in the shadows” and “choose[ing] sex offenders over your family.”
When politicians start using “sex offender stigma” as ammunition in political battles, perhaps it’s time they informed themselves if they truly want to position themselves as caring about public safety. Sad!

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14 thoughts on “Politicians using “sex offender” barbs as ammunition

  • October 14, 2020

    I have been on sex offender probation for (8) yrs i have a (10) yr sentence .my crime happened in 1985 i got arrested for the crime in 211 i have everything driving log, gps monitor , 10:00 curfew and registration . I did a yr locked up .went to court (5) times to try to fight for things like getting gps monitoring off stop registering things like that why? Cause my conviction was for a crime that happened in (1985). Most of the sex offender laws started after that but guess what after spending (10,000) on lawyers and waisted times in courts i still never got justice. Now i aint saying i never did the crime when i was (18) yrs old but i am now (51) never ever did that again and understand that i need to be punished for what i did but damn punish me by the laws of florida and florida needs to abide with the laws they created not make them up as they go along! O and past every polygraph the have given me. This is a very very very sad state and if given the opportunity to live i would run and never look back but i am stuck here till my probation ends. Just sad!

    Reply
  • October 8, 2020

    Is it possible that one or both of the candidates violated the law in their actions to have the man removed? They used the registry in a way that seems to be against the law. Maybe one or both need a criminal charge brought against them.

    Not Punishment, Indeed!

    Reply
  • October 6, 2020

    Start using lol. This garbage has been going on for years. Anything a politician can use as political capital they will use. Makes no difference if it’s legal, moral and even true.
    They only care about money, elections and power.

    Reply

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