ACTION NEEDED: There are some discrepancies in the Colorado Springs Gazette editorial board’s comments
Derek Logue recently pointed out that Colorado’s SOMB’s changing of the term “sex offender” to “adults who commit sexual offenses” only makes it sound as though that is what people with a past sex offense do: continue to commit sex offenses. Research shows this is false. That is why it is so surprising to me that the Colorado Springs Gazette editorial board made the following statements:
- “If only it weren’t for generations of data about the likelihood of sex offenders offending again and again unless they get help for their disturbed behavior.”
- “Adults who commit sexual offenses fail to convey or represent any sort of victim-centeredness.”
- “It’s yet another assault on reason, truth and basic decency by the new criminal justice ‘reform’ movement.”
This article allows for comments to be make as a guest where you do not have to give your name. Also, there is a red box you can click on to “Submit Your Feedback” that does not require your name.
Media Committee members are sending in their comments, but we could use many other people commenting, too. This editorial board particularly needs to be corrected on their comment about the likelihood of offending again and again.
Yes, I hope that we live in a society where the needs of victims are always respected, and this needs to be shared with the editorial board; but there comes a point when law-abiding registrants and their family members become victims, too.
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I have always had respect for editorial boards, always thought they were well informed. The Gazette Editorial Board refuses to post my comments that include research. Their comments included no research — just their personal opinions. That is scary.
Fac
Might I remind you that FAC does the same thing. Routinely denying comments by us, yet allowing comments by outsiders with threats of violence towards us.
If you want to blast the idea, then read this Nov 28 Op Ed from the Gazette and send in your thoughts. The CO Politics page is not worth your time. Letters to the board one way or the other, e.g. electronically or in the mail, are worth the time.
EDITORIAL: Colorado sex crimes board wants more respect for rapists
https://gazette.com/premium/editorial-colorado-sex-crimes-board-wants-more-respect-for-rapists/article_320fccee-4fd9-11ec-be82-b32073f698b9.html
And BTW, CO Springs is a very red and conservative city in CO so views like this from the Gazette are not unexpected.
If you are interested in the original Gazette Op Ed which CO Politics used for their article, here it is:
EDITORIAL: When ‘person-first’ means victim last
https://gazette.com/premium/editorial-when-person-first-means-victim-last/article_d58f0766-4cd9-11ec-9d42-436f13d5eb15.html
You can send in comments to the Gazette Op Ed instead of CO Politics
This is precisely why what the Colorado Board is doing is ineffective. Their desire to change the term is laudable but their solution isn’t,
The problem isn’t the label. The problem is the system which insists on LABELLING for life. Changing the sound of the label isn’t just going to piss a lot of people off as we are seeing with these articles but it still doesn’t change the fact that a person is still being labelled with a title that causes shame, etc…
rpsabq
You are 100% correct. Although labels do make it worse, for example Sexual violent predator. Having said that, they could call us “People who just made a mistake” and that still wouldn’t justify us being on a registry and having to go in for our 4 times a year “Probation” check in.
I see no difference at all between probation and the registry other than two things. I do not have to pay a monthly fee (Yet) and I do not have to check in once a week (Yet).
Oh, even if you got lifetime probation, you can go before a judge and get early termination. Very few have actually gotten off the registry (compared to those who haven’t) and most are for life with no “ifs and or buts”.
It is like God casting someone into Hell for all eternity, there just “ain’t no coming back from it”.
Your Reality Is Not Reality
please share the generations of generations of” don’t exist” information your referring to. Cause reality says different. Empirical evidence says the opposite of your irresponsible. misinformed ,article. Speake truth not fear.
That was the comment I left…
Did anyone else have a hard time responding to the article? A message popped up saying due to profanity it could not accept my comment. There was no profanity in it!! Thinking maybe it didn’t like the word porn, sex or rapist, I tried to edit but it would not let me.
Victims were never supposed to piggyback off the registry to give them aid and comfort – it was never meant to be their safety net. It was never meant to be part of their healing, recovery and coping process. They have actually hijacked and co-opted the registry to promote their unfounded fears and emotional hysteria which they perpetuate in concert with the media and lawmakers.
They KNOW the media coddles them and subsequently use that to their advantage to easily sell their misguided blanket vengeance. Yes, you CAN discredit and de-legitimize a victim’s claims, requests and statements when their arguments are founded only in emotional hysteria and not fact-based reality.
Amen! The same can be said for District Attorneys who advocate for counterfactual registry laws.