More band-aid legislation has been proposed to deal with the "sexual predator" problem, this time in Minnesota and 13 other states. Minnesota was also one of the states that had proposed "sex offender" license plates that RSOs would be required to have on their cars (It didn't pass.), and chemical castration. Under this current proposal, RSOs would be required to provide authorities with their e-mail addresses, as well as other online "identities:"
A few things:With children playing on the Internet as much as in the neighborhood park, lawmakers here and in at least 13 other states want to protect them from predators. They're considering bills that would make sex offenders register e-mail, instant-messaging and other addresses used to communicate on Web sites. A similar bill has been introduced in Congress.
A Minnesota House panel approved the proposal Tuesday after narrowly rejecting an attempt to require "Sexual Predator" license plates. Those who work with exploited children say that the policies won't put an end to sex crimes against children, but that they could help law enforcement agencies make cases against offenders by connecting them with their virtual identities.
1. As I've talked about before, this bill makes no attempt to differentiate between different types of sexual offenses, once again lumping in "minor" offenses with the most dangerous sexual criminals.
2. This does nothing, once again, to address the issue that the majority of people that are sexually assaulting children are doing it to someone they know. Shows like "To Catch A Predator" are helping to perpetuate the myth that your children will be approached by a pedophile the second they go online, but never address that they're far more likely to be molested by a known, trusted adult.
3. After all is said and done, this is completely pointless. It's all too easy to create multiple online identities. Sure, you can register your email address, your IM identities, and message board IDs, then turn around and create a hundred others, while giving the illusion that you're complying with the law. And as Shakes pointed out when we were discussing this, legislation like this could backfire, making internet predators more internet savvy, and far more effective at hiding their identities.
Yes, there are pedophiles seeking victims on the internet. Yes, I believe parents and communities should take steps to ensure the safety of their children. But cranking out more "Label Laws" is not the answer. Sure, they look great for politicians, but who are they really protecting?
If you're interested, I rant more on this subject here:
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six
Part Seven
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