June 07, 2007
Morality Tale
Here's something to ponder. Imagine that you learn one of your neighbors has not only been convicted of child molestation in the past, but is currently molesting several kids who live near you. One day, two of your neighbors (whom you have known for years) approach you and offer to include you in their plan to take this guy out. Your first response is to ask why no one has called the cops. They reply that the cops have been called, but the perp is the brother/son/nephew of the mayor/sheriff/town councilman and that no one in local law enforcement will lift a finger.
The neighbors' plan it to break into the perp's house and kill him in his sleep. They will then steal some items from the house to make it look like a burglarly gone bad. The house is placed such that no one will see you entering or leaving. In short, unless you turn yourself in, there's almost no chance of you being caught.
Just to boil this story down to facts:
1. You know for a fact that a man in your neighborhood is molesting children.
2. The police have not and will not do anything about it.
3. You know of a way to make him disappear without getting caught.
Do you help your neighbors?
Posted by Matthew at June 7, 2007 08:43 AMTrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.opaquelucidity.com/movabletype/mt-tb.cgi/1144
I would rather do it with my own crew of guys. Obviously something has to been done.
Posted by: SLY![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.opaquelucidity.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at June 7, 2007 10:46 AM
I agree, but I wanted to throw the neighbors in as sort of witnesses to help convince you beyond a shadow of a doubt that the man was guilty. I heard someone on the radio discussin a similar (but true life) situation like this and it made me wonder. I would have no problem taking the guy out.
Posted by: Matt_D at June 7, 2007 12:39 PM
"..no one in local law enforcement will lift a finger."
+
"...been convicted of child molestation in the past"
Does NOT compute. Convicted child molestors are on a public list that anyone can look up. They have residency restrictions - distance from school zones, access to places kids frequent etc.
"You know for a fact that a man in your neighborhood is molesting children." - That means you have evidence of child abuse and have deliberately chosen to NOT report it. By NOT reporting it you are GUILTY of letting the next child in line get molested. Moreover knowledge of such abuse means You are LEGALLY Obligated to report it (at least in KY). It's the LAW.
http://www.kasap.org/reporting.asp
Vigilantism rarely works. More often than not, it is used by people to justify their illegal actions. It's an emotional response as in the above case. And we LOVE to be the hero - it's a Man/Testosterone thing.
Call local Law enforcement FIRST, and document it. Then if as stated they refuse to do anything, call Child Protective Services, the State Police, FBI, etc. up the chain. After all, you have the "evidence". Heck, call the local newspaper anonymously. You will get action in a hurry!
Taking the law into your own hands is industrial strength STUPID. Moreover, by doing the above, i.e "taking the guy out", you are letting the people in power - who were complicit in the crime - off the hook.
Posted by: Hash at June 7, 2007 02:09 PM
Hash,
"That means you have evidence of child abuse and have deliberately chosen to NOT report it. By NOT reporting it you are GUILTY of letting the next child in line get molested."
........Not if you whack the guy!
Posted by: SLY at June 7, 2007 02:43 PM
Heh.. True Sly.
Then you are just guilty of Premeditated murder.
Then again, the premise of the above is that we are already OK with that. :-p
Posted by: Hash at June 7, 2007 03:11 PM
Hash- You sound like the guy that everyone calls for a computer problem, but can only read from the script he was given.. It's ok to do things outside the box. Let me open it for you..
Posted by: Jomerica at June 8, 2007 12:19 PM
Jomerica,
Thanks, but no thanks.
It's a free country and so even though we are talking about a hypothetical here, feel free to jump off a cliff if it suits you. As an example, every EMT/Paramedic worth his salt has encountered, or been asked a variant of the question "What do you do when you make a call on a 2yr old with fresh cigarette burns on his hands?" The "emotional" answer is to knock the head off the man in the house who greets you at the door with a lit cigarette still in his hand. That answer will fail you every time. In a test, AND in real life. Working off the standard "script" is what will save that child and get them the care they need.
As long as we are mixing metaphors, Pandora opened a box too ....
Posted by: Hash at June 8, 2007 03:53 PM
You can stay in your box let us handle the real work...
Posted by: Jomerica at June 9, 2007 09:37 PM
Jomerica,
Talk is cheap. Someday, you will have to put your money where your mouth is.
There's nearly 3 million reports of child abuse made annually. The estimated incident rate is 3 times that figure. As far back as 2003, there were 906,000 child abuse convictions. About 10% of these are molestation/rape cases. 1500 kids a year DIE as a result of abuse and 3/4 of the victims are under the age of 4.
Here's your place to start.
http://www.nsopr.gov/
You may begin your KILLING SPREE at any time!
at June 11, 2007 12:38 PM
Hash
We get things done. Some things have to be handled differently. The law doesn't always work. We are not expecting people like you to do anything about it. That's OK if you can live with yourself knowing other kids are being abused like Sly was talking about. The box is a safe place for you.
Posted by: Jomerica at June 11, 2007 02:19 PM
"We get things done."
Jomerica,
I'm tired of your BS. OK, PUT up or SHUT UP. Like I said before, talk is cheap. Name ONE thing you got "done" outside of the law to help abused kids.
Make an ambulance run sometime on a screaming 8yr old kid whose hair was "accidentally" set on fire and then TALK to me about "living with myself". You have NO farking idea who you are talking to.
Hash
Posted by: Hash at June 11, 2007 03:52 PM
Hash- It's outside the law. And I'm not just talking about helping abused kids. That would just be another thing I'd do without and remorse. You follow your rules and don't worry about what I would do. Maybe in your state it's all talk and that's what you're use to. Like I said I don't have to impress anyone. I do what I think is right at the time. I don't pussy foot around things. I understand you were brought up differently than I was. That's ok. Maybe I just got upset at you because I think too many people let people get away with things now adays. I guess that's good there are people like us (my friends and family and others, that think the way I do.) That was all I was saying.
Posted by: Jomerica at June 11, 2007 04:49 PM