Oregonians have much to learn and understand when it comes to the seemingly endless array of problems connected to sex offenders and public perception.
(SALEM) - The subject of color comes up in many ways. Racially it is in the color of skin, in nature the color of a sunset, or in our personal choices the color of dress or shirt we are going to put on before starting the day.
It is the combination of two colors, black and white, which gives us “gray” and becomes a metaphor to our legal system and laws it produces, which has become the concern of this citizen. It is this area that you or someone you know could possibly get caught up in during your lifetime.
I am not specifically pointing fingers at any elected officials or at any law enforcement agency or social service agency, as they only abide by the rules, regulations, and laws that have been passed by our legislature right under our noses - usually with our blessing. Why? Because we have failed to truly understand what we voted into law!
The issue I am going to refer to this week is “sex offenders.” Now, didn’t that raise the hair on the back of your neck? Didn’t that make you want to just say “hang them all!” Well unfortunately when I recently started talking to people about this subject that is exactly the words and attitude I got.
All they could think about when the term “sex offender” is used was predatory rapists, pedophiles, child internet stalkers, child killers and anyone else that hurts the weaker more vulnerable in our communities.
To make it clear as to what I am writing about, take into consideration the following scenarios:
Scenario One:
A young man 19 years of age is dating a 17-year old girl. They are in love. Their feelings become paramount and they soon start having sex. They talk about marriage, having children, starting a live together, but they are young and soon realities of life catch up - they break up. There are angry feelings and the girl feels rejected and hurt and the parents, trying to vindicate their little girl, report to the authorities that this 19-year-old man has been having sex with their underage 17-year-old daughter. Now they are angry and not really thinking about what they have just unleashed, but the authorities, by law, have to respond to this. The young man is arrested. He admits to having sex with this under-aged girl but that it was agreeable by both parties. He has locked his fate from that point on. He will go to jail. He will become a registered sex offender and this will follow him the rest of his life.
Scenario Two:
You are a single dad and you are sleeping. It is very early on a Saturday morning. You are dressed down to your under shorts because it is hot weather. Your six-year old daughter wakes up from having a bad dream and she crawls in bed with you and snuggles up. She goes to sleep, feeling safe. You don’t even wake up, until you roll over and your hand touches something, waking you up with a start. You realize your little girl has crawled in bed with you and upon checking you find out she had wet her bed, taken her night clothes off, and crawled in bed with you. You smile. She looks so cute. No biggie. You just cover her up, go into the kitchen make coffee, and get on with the morning activities. A week later a detective from the local law enforcement agency is knocking at your door, a child services protection agent is with him. Your first grader’s school had reported to the authorities they had been told by one of your daughter’s classmates that your daughter had told her she woke up in bed with her daddy with no clothes on. Try to explain that in this day and age. You are arrested, because by law they have to take you in. Guess what? You are now on the road to becoming a registered sex offender.
Now, I know you are saying those are exceptions, but are they reality. There are such “gray” areas in our laws regarding sex violations that any one of us is subject to getting caught up in if the right kind of situation happens.
No way am I trying to invalidate the victims of sex crimes or trying to make excuses for predators that stalk and hurt our children or others on the streets or on the internet. No way am I saying the ruthless rapists who attack because of wanting to enforce their “power” over vulnerable victims should be patted on the head and told, “Oh, poor guy.” The victims need their rights absolutely protected, but we really need to take a look at our laws and make sure our system is being fair, that people who maybe made poor judgment decisions, like the 19 year old having sex with a 17 year old, or accidents the dad who had to face a terrible misunderstanding, are not falling through the cracks.
As the producer and director of Public Pulse, a series on our local access station, CCTV, here in Salem, I just completed taping a show that will air October 2nd through October 14th, on the Comcast cable area, channel 23.
The panelists on the show represent professionals who work with sex offenders while in the system and when they get out. They are Marilyn Callahan, LCSW, BCD, a therapist who works with sex offenders when they are released; Fay Ann Gentle, training and transitions coordinator with Oregon Corrections who works with offenders while in the system; and Charity Hobold, supervisor of the Deschutes County Adult Parole and Probation, who monitors offenders for release.
They are three professionals who work in this “gray” area and know that more education, treatment, and rehabilitation programs need to be in place for the offenders, especially when they are released from prison.
We feel this subject is important enough to do a mini series about it. We feel the public needs to become educated on the different levels of sex offenders and to understand the differences of the myths and misconceptions of pedophiles, predators, and rapists. Who are the most dangerous and need a strong legal system to keep track of them, or who, after completing therapy and rehabilitation, no longer pose a threat to society. We need to understand the importance of having realistic goals for them before they are put out on the streets, with little money, no place to live, and no resources for medicine or means to get them.
We really need to understand the laws that are in place right now. Can they be changed or fixed?
If we want to keep our community safe, we need to be aware of what happens when someone our system has deemed a danger is released from a prison environment and expected to somehow survive in a hostile community who denies them the tools to try and correct a very bad wrong they inflicted on a very venerable victim.
This education program, titled “S.O.S. on Sex Offenders – An Awareness Journey” hopefully will bring an awareness and understanding concerning a very complex sensitive issue.
Lela Taylor
Salem-News.com
From the Files of Public Pulse: Think About It! The “Gray” AreaSalem-News.com