Where do we draw the line between public safety and over-criminalization?
In North Carolina, a man was arrested after authorities alleged he was “present” near a Sonic and a Burger King in Goldsboro — both locations reportedly considered prohibited under NCGS 14-208.18 because they have children’s play areas.
According to the arrest report, officers alleged McMillan was within 300 feet of these locations. There are no allegations that he approached children, spoke to minors, acted inappropriately, or committed any sexual misconduct.
The alleged violation? Simply being near the premises.
At some point, people have to ask whether laws like this are actually making communities safer or just creating endless technical traps that make ordinary life impossible.
In this economy, fast food is one of the few affordable options available to many people – especially registrants. If your local Sonic or Burger King are being treated as forbidden zones because they happen to contain a play area on the property, then what’s next? Grocery stores with arcade machines? Shopping centers with a kiddie ride? Gas stations with claw machines?
There is a major difference between predatory behavior and buying a hamburger.
If someone is stalking children, attempting contact, or engaging in sexual conduct, arrest them all day long. But criminalizing everyday activities with no allegation of misconduct turns the registry into a system of perpetual exclusion rather than targeted public safety.
These kinds of cases fuel growing concerns that presence restrictions are becoming so broad that registrants can unavoidably violate them simply by trying to live normal lives. I’m sorry, but Olive Garden is simply unaffordable for many of us!
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The following is pinned to my X account profile. In the last 100 years we’ve seen this type of treatment toward a people group more than once. Thank God for our advocacy groups that fight on our behalf.
“The US; 2026. U R banished by law from neighborhoods. Qualified, can’t get a job; face discrimination everywhere. You’re watched with suspicion, can’t vote, banned from social places; your child’s school; vilified, harassed. Some beaten & killed by celebrated vigilantes. Who RU?”
I live in North Carolina and drive through Goldsboro on my way to the coast. I am not familiar with that 300ft rule. I don’t think I was ever told about it when I moved to North Carolina six years ago. That being said, Goldsboro has an air force base in town and highway 117 basically runs through Goldsboro, but is all business and shopping
Real his arrest he was on monitor supervised from NC and told also several times it says. Very specific to him
Perhaps he is trying to be a martyr for the cause by drawing attention to the 300 ft rule. Hope Robin at NCRSOL is looking to help this gent and take on the law.
What disturbs me more than the overcriminalization is the suspicion that these businesses (and communities) may be intentionally installing playgrounds to keep people on the registry out. We’ve heard people declare that intent before. These playgrounds probably sit empty 99% of the time, yet their true purpose couldn’t be more clear.
In some ways, I agree with others who say that war is being declared on us – a war in which we are not allowed to defend ourselves, but must retreat in defeat at every turn. If history is any indicator, that cannot go on forever, and the lesson may be a costly one for everyone.
Restaurants install playgrounds to attract more young families to their business. Our problem is not with them. It’s with the state.
Where is our empathy? Some individuals may have a harder time accepting that they are no longer legal American citizens with full human rights, including the right to pursue happiness. Not one of the individuals on the list gets sympathy from the authorities. So, he was warned against behaving like anyone else who has full access to what should be the free streets of America. Maybe more should be said about how this individual stood up to injustice, which has drawn the attention of people who can speak out against such mistreatment. The fault is not with this man, but with the men and women who agreed to make this law in America; that is where the fault should be placed. There is no harm in feeling bad for this person, one who did not say, ” Mother, may I, or failed to obey what Simon says. Those are some big shoes to fill.
This s*** is wild. Unbelievable. Actually you know what, i believe it. Nothing surprises me anymore.
The registry is set up so that it is becoming nearly impossible not to violate.
Sidewalks have children that walk on them and neighborhoods have swing sets in their back yard.
Children are EVERYWHERE!!