$100,000 Reward

For those of you who didn't catch Oprah the other day, she did a show about child abduction, molestation and murder. At the end of the program she offered a $100,000 reward to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest of fugitive child molesters.

I understand her passion about this, I think we all do. Especially after what recently happened here in Des Moines.

In my mind no punishment is too harsh for those who hurt a child. Recently Florida passed the Jessica Lunsford Act which gives a mandatory sentence of 25 years to life to convicted child molesters and, if the piece of scum (my words, not Florida's) doesn't die in jail, upon release he (or she, heaven forbid I be sexist) is required to wear a tracking device for the remainder of his life. I just read that Iowa will be doing this, too.

I remember people being up in arms about this law, saying that it violated the civil rights of the felon. Hmmm, what about the rights of the child who was raped, tortured and killed? It seems like victims have no rights in the eyes of the law, or many fewer than the felons. These children are scarred for life... if they are allowed to live. In my mind, after you take the life of someone you give up yours. Literally or figuratively, I don't care. But you should not be allowed to breathe free air again. Ever.

Washington State has McNeil Island,a psychiatric facility where violent predators who are likely to reoffend are sent after their prison terms are completed. This facility is, of course, constantly under fire for violating the civil rights of released prisoners. Now, again, these are people who are likely to reoffend. Do you want them out in your neighborhoods? Let's put them in the neighborhoods of the lawyers who are so worried about their rights.

Child rapists and murderers don't deserve three strikes. One is too many. Restrictions on where these people should be allowed to live is not the answer; they can easily walk, drive, or take a bus to anyplace they choose. I'm not even sure a monitor (via the state of Florida) is the answer: What happens when that felon moves out of Florida? Yes, they have to register on their new state's list, fat lot of good that does. Many states don't have the resources to keep track of all these people. And more money won't fix the problem; it never does.

Let's just do this right the first time: Hurt a child- go to jail. Period. For no less than 25 years; life if the child was killed. (Florida got that part right) In general population. It's funny, but prison has a hierarchy and child molesters are at the bottom. Even the most heinous criminals find child molesters repugnant. Anyone remember what happened to Jeffrey Dahmer when he was put into general population? No less than he deserved, in my mind. No less than any of them deserve...