Animal abuse offender registration?

[LuciusBeebe]

From the New York Times...

SAN FRANCISCO — California may soon place animal abusers on the same level as sex offenders by listing them in an online registry, complete with their home addresses and places of employment.

more...


This is the inevitable outcome of the sex offender registry. Why confine it to sex offenders? Why not animal abusers? Murderers? Car thieves?

This is why I was opposed to the sex offender registry. Its easy to pass laws that effect sex offenders. They are easy targets. The problem is it opens the door for things like this. The logic is flawed. If you buy the logic that you deserve to know where sex offenders are, why not thieves? Why not anyone who was convicted of a crime?

Why not just go back to branding?

I'm pretty disgusted by this.

[evilkumquat]

It's absolutely ridiculous and disgusting for the reason you listed, Lucius, but I also have to add what I've already said before about offender registries:

At what point has the offender paid his debt to society? If a person is deemed so dangerous that the general public has to keep tabs on him, then he's too ****** dangerous to be on the street anyway.

Further, what incentive does the convict have to keep his nose clean after incarceration, if his background will keep being brought up to prevent him from getting a job or an apartment? How can he be expected to become a productive member of society?

[cynicalfoe]

Do you believe that law enforcement should only have that information? Sex offenders and violent criminal offenders are required to register in Indiana now. I agree there are flaws with some of the sex offenders that are made to register. If these offenders were required to register but only known to law enforcement would seem to be a better way to track these people.

[LuciusBeebe]

Do you believe that law enforcement should only have that information?

I believe that there needs to be a serious debate in this country about what information we have a right to know.

[james_t]

I believe that there needs to be a serious debate in this country about what information we have a right to know.

Information about convictions is public record, so the public does have the right to know it. The only difference is that it is packaged in an easily searchable Web site as opposed to being in a file you'd have to go down to the county clerk and have them look up.

[HomeyG]

Solution. If you don't want your name published on the offenders list, don't be an offender.

[hairypumper]

"Round up the usual suspects."

[LuciusBeebe]

Solution. If you don't want your name published on the offenders list, don't be an offender.

How insightful.

[hideaway70]

So, what is the intended benefit of this registry? Are there animal predators living in your neighborhood who are going to kidnap your dog and malnourish it over a period of weeks?

This, and the sex offender registry, serve no real purpose, other than as a means of further humiliating and stigmatizing people who have committed crimes- albeit heinous ones.

The thing most people fail to consider (probably because of the emotional response these offenses elicit) when thinking of sex offenders (and animal abusers) is that the profile of a guy in a trenchcoat wandering the streets of his neighborhood looking for children to abduct isn't very accurate. Most sex offenses occur between people who are already acquainted and there is usually a "grooming" period involved. How does the registry prevent that from happening?


The same is true of the animal abuse registry. Most, if not all, of these people are convicted for abusing their own animals, not for abducting their neighbors' animals.

This isn't about protecting anyone or any animal. It's simply more political acquiescing to an emotional public reaction.

Someone earlier in this thread asked why those convicted of murder, robbery and meth manufacturing shouldn't be on a registry as well. I haven't heard asingle answer except snide comments that don't really answer the question at all. In real life, I would argue that a convicted robber presents more of a real threat to an average family in their neighborhood.

[hideaway70]

How can he be expected to become a productive member of society?

Evil, that is not the intent. Whatever sentence an offender receives is, in a sense, secondary. They are truly sentenced to life- insome cases with good reason. But I would argue that a 19 year old kid who is arrested and convicted of having sex with his 16 year old girlfriend is a far cry from a guy who rapes a child. In either case, they are both in the same boat when it comes time to reenter the workforce.

The lawmakers are in a tough spot unfortunately though. If they don't hammer any and all offenders who might be considered sex offenders, they run the risk of an emotional and often uninformed constituency accusing them of hating kids or giving a thumbs-up to sex offenders. We, as citizens, seldom allow for degrees of severity when it comes to these offenses.

[john40]

It's absolutely ridiculous and disgusting for the reason you listed, Lucius, but I also have to add what I've already said before about offender registries:

At what point has the offender paid his debt to society? If a person is deemed so dangerous that the general public has to keep tabs on him, then he's too ****** dangerous to be on the street anyway.

Further, what incentive does the convict have to keep his nose clean after incarceration, if his background will keep being brought up to prevent him from getting a job or an apartment? How can he be expected to become a productive member of society?

Background checks are normal for any job, also landlords do routine checks. So what is you problem?

[LuciusBeebe]

Background checks are normal for any job, also landlords do routine checks. So what is you problem?

For jobs and landlords, yes. For neighbors?

Welcome to the neighborhood, let me know your criminal history.

What gives you the right to know anything about someone else?

[evilkumquat]

Background checks are normal for any job, also landlords do routine checks. So what is you problem?

My problem is what's the incentive for an offender to stay clean if society is going to keep treating him as if he is still a danger?

Why shouldn't someone on the offender registry, after losing his job or getting hassled out of a neighborhood, just give up and say "the hell with it" and go on a rampage?

Everyone has a cracking point. Sexual offenders, already being a bit twisted anyway, are probably less likely to persevere in the face of regular adversity.

[hairypumper]

These registries do more harm than good. If someone is considering buying a house in a neighborhood and the registry says a sex offender lives nearby they will likely look elsewhere. When the seller finds out the house didn't sell because of the offender they may start a vigilante group to force the offender out of "their" neighborhood. They will defend their actions by citing lowered property values and danger to children, they may even wave the Bible around to show the world how righteous they are. All because the poor guy passed out at a party and his college buddies stripped him naked and put him on a park bench.

[Copycatted]

Who doesn't want for their own personal use a Grade A Tom-Tom but when it comes to the same tech who wants their own Court ordered Grade A ankle braclet to wear 24/7?

There is an alternative to both questions I guess but who in here (I know I sure don't) has degree enough from Star Fleet...or I mean Veterinarian School to explain it?

[hairypumper]

Who doesn't want for their own personal use a Grade A Tom-Tom but when it comes to the same tech who wants their own Court ordered Grade A ankle braclet to wear 24/7?

There is an alternative to both questions I guess but who in here (I know I sure don't) has degree enough from Star Fleet...or I mean Veterinarian School to explain it?

They are pretty much the same when used as a tracking device.

[Mrs.Slotz]

For jobs and landlords, yes. For neighbors?

Welcome to the neighborhood, let me know your criminal history.

What gives you the right to know anything about someone else?

If you had children, would you move next door to a sex offender if you knew that he/she would be your neighbor?

[hideaway70]

If you had children, would you move next door to a sex offender if you knew that he/she would be your neighbor?

What about a murderer who is out on parole? Or a meth manufacturer?

I would assume those two cases would be a danger to children as well.

It's also valid to point out that a person can be on the registry for a number of different offenses- rape, statutory rape, sexual battery. All horrible crimes yes, but not all pose any more danger to a child than would a murderer or a person prone to violent assault.

[Mrs.Slotz]

What about a murderer who is out on parole? Or a meth manufacturer?

I would assume those two cases would be a danger to children as well.

It's also valid to point out that a person can be on the registry for a number of different offenses- rape, statutory rape, sexual battery. All horrible crimes yes, but not all pose any more danger to a child than would a murderer or a person prone to violent assault.

Well, I guess it would be a good idea to screen the neighborhood prior to moving in. Ask questions. Knock on doors if you have too.

[wickedacoustic]

"The Animal Abusers Registry" not the "The Sex or Violent Offenders list". I will start out saying that I am an Animal Lover, have several pets of my own and all are very well cared for. I do have an issue against people who abuse animals in any way what-so-ever. But I also beleive that there are Special Intrest Lawyers that have nothing better to do than feed on the emotions of Animal lovers, keeping them fired up until we have things of this sort. Really what good will this list do the Animals? The only things that this would benifit from this type of thing would be the Lawyers, or possibly one of the big "TO SAVE ANIMALS" oraganizations. So let us put a lawyer with each pet just in case they need to sue, or bring criminal charges against their owner!