Quote from g222:
Your compassion and interest in objectivity is indeed commendable, albeit misdirected.
I agree with the first two, but I disagree with the third. I don't think that objectivity is ever misdirected.
Once in custody, these wretches are constantly paraded in front of news cameras and their history of life's misfortunes are appear over and over again in the media.
The process of getting em/sym pathy from others, while it may help the healing process, is not what I seek. Don't think me callous, please let me explain. You see, while I agree with the way you feel 100%, it is not my main area of concentration. What I seek is to help the matter once it happens without being vengeful, or even better, the holy grail of help, understanding how to avoid the crime in the first place.
Also, I seek explanations where people claim there are none - that these people are evil and we should simply extinquish them out of extistence without any further reflection on the sequence of events that lead to the crime. Only vengance is satisfied by that.
From what I understand, most of these child molestors are victims of molestation themselves. That already should send a warning sign to your intellect, and a chill up your spine.
As time dims the horrific nature of their deeds, the constant media exposure of the 'poor' wretches difficult life elicits a public empathy in the same manner that a captor begins to identify with his/her captors.
The ugliness of people that find the criminal more interesting than the victim is human nature, but it is not evil.
The raw horror of the deeds committed begins to fade. If the press gave equal time to pictures of the bruised, battered and disfigured little victems, this empathy might change.
Again, while I don't disagree, AFAIK there are lots of support services for the victims as well. I guess what you are suggesting is that you wish that people and in particular the media and the people that watch the media, would want to see the victims side as much as they want to see the predators side.
But I think I understand why and it is very complicated. I think it is
much harder for people to see the victims side because that is where the horror lies. The predators side is strictly entertainment because
we are not monsters and don't have anything in common with them, so other than disgust, we can watch. But we are deeply hurt by the victims side, and it is too gruesom for most of us to deal with because that is where it really hits home.
Most people cannot deal with the victims side is because they could too easily see themselves in that situation. It no longer becomes entertainment. In my limited experience, I think it is no accident that the people that do support the victims are either family members, close friends or professionals, and those professionals are people that have a gift for helping in these traumatic situations. In other words, it is a tough job.
So ... go to a quiet place in your home ... sit in a comfortable chair ... close your eyes and empty your mind of all those packages you carry. Picture the face of a young child who has only known love, trust and protection from all adults. Recall those times that you've heard a child - as the result of a fall or a scare - scream with such terror-filled intensity that the sounds made the hair on your arms stand up. Now hold those thoughts.
I can do all those things and have done them. It is a really tough thing to do for reasons given above.
And now imagine how their terror wells from within as they realize that their 'new' friend is beginning to scare them ... how an uncontrollable trembling overtakes their body as scream from their depths for their parents ... how their screams of terror come from the very depths of their souls as they experience a pain they never new existed.
It is a real shame...
And now tell me again about compassion and objectivity, about studies and understanding.
I could tell you. But I doubt that you could ever be objective about it ever again. That is no knock on you believe me. I understand
exactly what you are saying. But tell me this. How is it that the coroner can do autopsies on these children? Or social workers can help the distressed? Or Judges that have to sit through these horrors and still try to be ojective? What I am saying is that unless we figure out a way to leave justice to machines, we need objective people in the process
somewhere.
I experienced these thoughts after my cousin was found bound to the tree that witnessed the final traumatic, terror-filled moments of her life at the hands of a man who HAD been studied, treated and released.
That is the one thing I don't understand. Why they are released. It is not the studying part that should be knocked. It is both our naive understanding of the human brain and perhaps the incompetency of the people that are the decision makers, or perhaps to the fact that maybe there is no good law to keep these people locked up.
Neither confinement, prison beatings nor the threat of death act as a deterrent, ergo no justice. Prevention prevails only when these predators are NEVER given the opportunity to repeat and that guarantee only comes from their death.
How can they harm again if they are locked up forever? What does death give you that life in prison or mental institution doesn't give you? I don't understand.
Of course, I lean towards a slow, horrific, terror-filled and painful death ... but I lack your compassion and objectivity.
I know. And I in your situation would be 100% the same.
nitro
