Senator Cruz Said What Needed to Be Said: It’s Time to Stop Attacking People with the Pedophile Label
When Senator Ted Cruz stated in a recent Senate hearing, “How about we all come together and say, let’s stop attacking pedophiles,” the internet erupted with outrage and mockery. But those who dismissed it as a “gaffe” are missing the larger truth: Cruz gave voice to a deeply uncomfortable but vitally important reality.
In America today, the word pedophile has become a scarlet letter, weaponized to strip people not only of their rights but of their very humanity. Cruz broke through the political taboo by acknowledging that attacks—whether physical, legal, or rhetorical—against anyone carrying this label undermine the rule of law and public safety.
By placing “attacking pedophiles” alongside “murder” and “rape,” he made a crucial point: mob violence, vigilante harassment, and perpetual punishment outside the justice system are themselves forms of harm.
Cruz’s opponents rushed to call it a verbal slip. But even if unintended, the words are now in the record. They invite us to ask: What does it mean to “attack” people who have already served their sentences? What does it say about us as a society when we condone endless punishment beyond due process?
Registries don’t prevent crime. Empirical studies show sex-offense registries do little to improve safety, yet they fuel harassment and vigilante attacks.
Families suffer. Spouses, children, and parents of those listed often bear the brunt of public shame and exclusion.
Community safety suffers. Policies rooted in fear rather than evidence make it harder for returning citizens to find stability, housing, and treatment—all of which reduce recidivism.
By saying “stop attacking,” Cruz explicitly called for a shift away from symbolic politics and toward evidence-based policy.
It takes courage for any politician—especially one with Cruz’s stature—to say something so easily twisted out of context. Yet the simple truth is this: if we want safer communities, we must stop demonizing and start rehabilitating.
Florida Action Committee applauds Senator Cruz for breaking the silence. We urge lawmakers of both parties to follow his lead—not by excusing crimes, but by recognizing that perpetual punishment helps no one.
Justice means accountability and the possibility of redemption. It’s time to stop attacking and start rebuilding.
Discover more from Florida Action Committee (FAC)
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Yesterday, I went to a Spencer’s Gifts store in Lincoln, Nebraska (yes, malls and Sprencer’s brick-and-mortar stores still exist) and they are selling “Kill Your Local Pedophile” shirts now. I won’t be buying anything else from that place now.
Derek
Where I live in Florida, there is an entire group that have jacked up pickup trucks, and they all have stickers on their bumpers that states “Kill your local predator”. I pulled up to a traffic light once and was just feet away from one of them with the sticker and I almost peed myself laughing, them not knowing their target was right behind them. I am an offender label not predator, but they do not care either way, and call all of us predators.
Almost peed with laughter? Have you looked at your Flyer. It has the make, model, color, and TAG of your car. That is nothing to laugh at. I suggest you be vigilant and actively get away when you see those individuals.
Well I guess in this case bad propaganda is bad for us. Not the old saying any news bad or good is still putting you out there as a name but this makes us a target and a joke.
Another side to this problem is when people in positions like “Judge” Jeanine Pirro (former prosecutor, judge, and now US Attorney for DC) use the word so frequently. She has repeatedly said it and also regurgitated the false narrative of high recidivism rates of all registered people. She’s flat WRONG but will never admit it, neither will her ilk.
One of the issues also, (Not throwing anyone under the bus) but many people category ALL of us on the registry as pedophiles, even if we are only listed as an offender. But yes, everyone needs to leave us alone, if we are leaving them alone.
I have said all along, I would understand if a parent or relative of a victim of mine came and bashed my face in, but that never happened. The people that come after us are not even our victims. No one in my case even came to court, except me, my lawyer and my mom (for support).
One of these days someone on the registry may fight back and defend themselves from those who attack us and have no connection to us.
I don’t even like Ted Cruz, but he is on to something. Violent people are using the concept of “pedophiles” as an excuse to justify their aggression and violence. And more importantly, they are falsely accusing others of this, to dehumanize them for the purpose of justifying violence against them. Those who do that are the ones who need be watched because they are the ones who present a great danger to others.
The far right has spent about a decade trying to connect Jeffrey Epstein to Bill Clinton and by proxy, the Democtratic Party as a whole, as part of their decades long attack on progressive politics. They’re the ones that hyped up Jeffrey Epstein. They never gave any thought that maybe, just maybe, that members of their own political party would also be tied to their hyped up bogeyman, especially the one at the top of their own party.
At this point you can cue the meme of the man sweating over pressing one or two buttons, “shoot your local p-word” or “support the current president.”
the enemy of my enemy is my friend so I will take his comment as a positive. But to be clear he is no champion to our cause. The ONLY reason he said that is to try to deflect the pressure Trump is facing to not disclosing all the non redacted Epstein files. So he is just on essence brown nosing. But as I said, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Hopefully more people in power will get ensnared in the Registry. Bet you then we will see legislative changes.
It’ll just be called up to the very long list of other looney things he’s said. It’s a reputation he’s earned.