No one likes being under the spotlight. It is a bit unnerving to know that someone is watching your every movement, ready to pounce on your first mistake. Some folks just prefer to stay under the radar. Especially, if they are a sexual predator. These vermin prefer to move around in the shadows, waiting for the right opportunity where they can strike innocent victims. This low profile approach has worked for them for many years. Even when they slip up and make a mistake, we treat them like we are fishing at a catch and release pond. We simply take out the hook and throw them back in the waters.

Well, finally we are putting a stop to this carefree response to sexual predators. Not only are we putting them in the spotlight, we are turning up the ampage on the lights where we can always see where they are, what they are doing, and who they are doing it with. It is about time. Georgia passed a sexual predator law last week that puts us among the toughest in the nation as to how we will deal with this lovely group of people. It calls for serious monitoring of convicted offenders, including electronic surveillance, tougher penalties of those who chose to ignore registry rules, and an overall statute that sends a clear signal that we are mad as hell and we are not going to take it anymore. When new laws come out, it is not unusual for the law to have supporters as well as detractors. But for the life of me, I cannot understand why anyone would be against knowing who sexual predators are, where they are and what they are doing. I am so tired tired of political correctness and the just one more chance group. For too long we have stood by as one group after another moans and groans about the rights of these types of offenders while one victim after another continues to suffer at their hands. Over the years, our legislators have come out with some laws that made little sense and were impossible to enforce. We have been quick to point those out. We should also point out those that are effective as well.

Some have said that the new law will make it impossible for these offenders to just go on with their life. That is probably true and isn’t that the point? This attitude of allowing them to just go on with their lives had meant them just going on to another victim. Certainly, there are those who have committed single acts and then never repeat the act again after their punishment. But, those are the minority. The majority of these offenders are repeat offenders. And in this situation, we must always lean toward the side of caution. Victims do not get the chance to just go on with their lives, so why should the offender?

Others say that putting these offenders under the spotlight will only make them go underground. I suppose that you could look at this problem as you might look at termites. If you discovered that your house was infested with termites, you would have two options. You could ignore the problem and hope that the termites finally got tired of your house and moved on to the next unsuspecting house. Too bad for the next victim, but at least your house is termite free…now that’s a plan. Or you could go to option two. You could call in the professionals to treat the house, identify the termites to your neighbors as well as the neighborhoods around you. This gives the termites no where else to go, and hopefully the victimization and damage that has been caused will stop. Then, you can really start to repair the area. That seems like a better plan.

Sexual predators are a dangerous population we must deal with. All of the therapy in the world will not help some of these people. Many offenders, who are currently incarcerated, will tell you themselves that there is a high likelihood that they will strike again when released. We cannot afford to continue rehabilitative techniques at the cost of one more victim. These new laws are tough and that is how they should be.

For those who still believe that we should integrate these offenders into our neighborhoods and families, maybe we can actually do that. We can put all of the offenders, as well as all of the sympathizers into one happy neighborhood. A warning however: you might want to lock up the kids and women before the moving trucks unload. But, it should make for some very interesting neighborhood block parties.