Never ending cycle??

[nina2]

Charity scraps idea for sex offender home in Ky.

By JEFFREY McMURRAY, Associated Press Writer Jeffrey Mcmurray, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 27 mins ago

"LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Catholic charity in Kentucky faced an uproar over its efforts to buy a home for four registered sex offenders, continuing what supporters say is a never-ending cycle for low-income offenders trying to get their lives back on track.

Members of the Catholic Action Center said they expected to hear fears and objections from the community when they held a forum at a Baptist church in January on their carefully planned purchase. They didn't expect to hear death threats.

The residents' extreme reaction has scuttled the center's plan and left its leader wondering if there's anywhere to house the paroled pariahs."
.../...

Link to full article:

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090319/ap_on_re_us/sheltering_sex_offenders;_ylt=AsR2YkwtxEIDJKtxgFa60wpvzwcF


What do you think?

What would we do if it was happening right in our neighborhood?

Should we even try to help them?

If not "the church", then who?

[anointedteacher]

There are no place for them... may be a fram... There no way of knowing if these guys will strike again.

I worked with a sex offender, he had serious problems. Before I even knew he was a sex offender, I knew something wrong... I couldn't at first find him in the computer, still his ex gave me his correct name. He had sex with his own son... He make you feel so uncomfortable . I had to be so mean to him to the point he hated to come into my office. He was the only white working for us.... The owner had to fire him, too many complains. I managed a section 8 apartment with lot of children and it was across the street from an elementary school. He would alway hung out to watch the children with the other maintenance worker. The other worker was waiting for his grandson. I told him over and over to get back to work and if there no work.... do inventory... stay away from the kids... he wouldn't listen. I caught him playing cards with a five years old girl! when he saw me coming... he jump... I sent that baby home and told her not play with adults, only kid her ages. I told him again to stay away frm the kids and I reported to the owner. The other worker have been working on the for 30 years, so he know all the kids from the time they were born, he rebuke them and tell them to stay out of grown ppl face.

You can not trust these guys... and every case and individual are different.... some will never rape again and oter will rape in a minute... some just had one incident wih a girl friend, but not really a raper and other it is a life style, but you don't know and can't believe anything they say.

[kitty]

Nina,
Yes i do believe that the church should be involved... But yes the house whould be far away from other people. If they were expecting to be received with open arms in an community then they were sadly mistaken.

Yet there are several places where there can be a home built or brought... Heck right now property is at bottom prices for the right place. They need a place where the men they are working with won't be tempted or endanger as well. If the house is just smack in the middle of a block where all the houses are very close to each other then they know it just wasn't going to work...

I agree they need a farm or a compound some where. A place where the next house isn't close by at all... A place where a school isn't just 1000 feet away... But miles and miles away.

So again do I think the church should be involved. Yes... They just have to show wisdom about it...


Kitty

[nina2]

Personally, I am not "naturally" inclined to mercy when it comes to crimes against children and sex crimes in general.

However, this type of incidents comes up in the news regularly and, trying to stay objective, it seems that there is a contradiction: as they say, those have "paid their debt to society" and have been released and are supposed to be reinserted in society. Apparently, that is near to impossible for them.

It seems also that the only alternative they have, as it is, to "survive", is possibly to go back to a life of crime. And, even though it is different, it reminded me of the bible's cities of refuge.

It's not the same because, in the first place, the cities of refuge were for the ones who killed somebody unintentionally, not intentionally. But, even at that, they had to make sure that the one running to the city of refuge to escape the avenger of the blood was able to find his way to the city easily and fast!

I read this not too long ago:

Cities of Refuge (Orei Miklat):

"Signpost:

The court is obligated to straighten the roads to the cities of refuge, to repair them and broaden them. They must remove all impediments and obstacles... bridges should be built (over all natural barriers) so as not to delay one who is fleeing to [the city of refuge].
The width of a road to a city of refuge should not be less than thirty-two cubits.
"Refuge, Refuge" was written at all crossroads so that the murderers should recognize the way and turn there.
(Mishneh Torah, Laws Regarding Murder and the Preservation of Life, 8:5)

The "cities of refuge" were six cities in the Land of Israel designated as havens for murderers.

A person who killed would flee to the nearest city of refuge, where he would be safe from the vengeance of his victim's closest relative (the "avenger of the blood") until he was brought to trial before the sanhedrin, a tribunal of twenty-three judges that tried capital cases.

It was the court's responsibility to ensure the accessibility of the cities of refuge by improving the roads leading to them and posting signs with the words miklat, miklat ("refuge, refuge") to show the way."

Maybe those criminals, such as the ones described in the article, can't be reinserted anywhere, and there should be specific places for them to go to.
But, if there are no signs to get there, then they will always be in the wrong place.

Then again, in modern days, how could that be done?

[auneeqsol]

Wow...this is soooo interesting. Its a sad case, but just say that one has committed a sex crime against a minor, and went to prison did the time got out, changed their life , by coming to Christ, but according to our law they have to wear the tag sex offender for the rest of their lives, thus marking them everywhere they go. Old things have passed away and all things have become new....yes in Christ , but the world is a different story. Some things you just cant live down.

Then there are those who will strike again, so precautions are taken just in case. People do the best they can to protect the vulnerable from being violated. But I think killing in cold blood is just as evil but yet they dont have to be labeled "murderer"on their driver's license and ppl dont have to be notified when they move to a community.....so even though we try , some things still arent fair as they should be. We come close but we dont always hit the mark.

As far as this house for sex offenders, I think it would be best if it was far away from a community especially with a lot of children.