Couch 54, Where Are You?

Wiki...is beautiful and MKAC kicks A s s!

TRIGGER WARNING (somewhat opposing view in light of the discussion going on here)

I think not everyone who is convicted is guilty and there are often times that what the label people are convicted of can be over the top for the actual act they committed. I think it best not to over-react or label people monsters just because of a conviction where you don't really know the facts of the case.

And why care who buys stuff you don't want? What possible difference does it make? = I don't get how the alleged (and this is not fact it is rumor from what I have read here) acts relate to buying stuff for sale at a garage sale. I mean, perhaps don't let the guy babysit, but otherwise, what is the big deal?
Just my perspective.

Yeah. It's not like mkacs grocery store guy was formally introduced to the young lady. that's how i get sometimes when people want to talk to me but I get a bad vibe from them, I go all 1880's.

Trigger warning: Still discussing offenders.



stopdog, the guy in my grocery store scenario has been accused and convicted twice. His behavior with the girl in the store was very flattering, flirting behavior. The mom was clueless and thinking it was harmless. Even if it was harmless, I am of the 'better safe than sorry' opinion when it comes to this issue. Behavior that is "harmless" because the mom is right there can still be grooming type behavior for later, in private, NOT harmless behavior.

the guy that lived by me was convicted of may accounts

ok i'm going on pinterest to get some idea of what i might want to do tomorrow .lets hope i am able to walk away to go out again with hubby tonight

I understand that I am not in agreement with the law as it is written and applied in my state or how others see the topic of discussion. I know we all have reasons for our positions and I will now stay out of the discussion.

You don't have to stay out of it, stop. I represented a guy accused of horrible things and I firmly believed he was innocent. Not just 'not guilty beyond a reasonable doubt' but truly innocent of the charges. I had nightmares the whole time I was working on the case, worrying that he would be convicted and spend the rest of his life with this pedophile or sex offender label. So, I get the risk of being falsely accused and/or convicted, I really do.

I think stopdog is just saying there is a line between having healthy boundaries and protecting your kids, and being a vigilante or discriminatory, i.e., infringing on a person's rights.

I find the whole subject to be so complicated. There are people who are a very real threat and the community should probably be aware of them. There are also people who have been convicted of a crime but are not really a threat to the community, as well as people wrongly accused. It is so hard to know the right way to address the issue.

I understand SD's side too. There was a man in my town , early 20's, slept with a girl who said she was 20 and she was really 16 or 17 and he was convicted of sagitory rape and had to register as a sex offender. Years later the local news decided to do an exposé and posted pic of local registered sex offenders. This man was married with kids good job etc and it ruined his life, he ended up committing suicide. The label is sometimes unfairly given.

My concern with sex offenders registries is that some people rely on them too much. The bigger threats (at least to children) are those that have never been convicted and you would never suspect - teachers, coaches, scout leaders, and, of course, family members. It gives people a false sense of security.

In MKAC's heroic case, I would have preferred the mother to stop any adult from flirting with her young teenaged daughter. The fact that he was known to be a sex offender shouldn't have been the deciding factor for her to protect her daughter.

The other thing I want to mention is that in my case, and many others, it's our families and close acquaintances that are the problem, not the random stranger that might be on the registry. And what I find amazing is that people, like my mom, worry about some random person who might be a threat, but do absolutely nothing when it is a known occurrence within the home. ...the hypocrisy really bothers me. sorry

Sorry I didn't mean to rant.

Yeah, murray. That was us as well.

Edited. TMI. sorry.

What pisses me off is when someone is caught "red-handed" and we hear all these stories about how "they were doing that for years"... like the big coach at that university...grrrrrr. People KNEW, they SAW him, yet did nothing...as more and more boys were harmed. Makes me so sick.

Anyways....
DUCKS. Young Mallards. I will release them after dinner, when there are less children swimming. I don't want them to crowd the ducklings.

I would post a pick of my hair, but I have been so heavily dosed with steroids over the past few months that my face is ginormous. I would be too filled with shame to post that big fat thing on here. Take my word for it, the hair rocks.

Hola, All
I've not posted on this couch forum before..so here goes
Today I went to Macy's returned a purse that was not holding up well...at all. Probably shouldn't have...but I exchanged it with a much nicer, much more expensive purse Oh well...you only live once,right?
I won't be seeing my T next week...she is on a vacation. She doesn't self-disclose but funny enough with what little she does share...I seem to figure it out! She told me that she probably won't be able to retrieve her email where she is going so I looked at her and said " ahhh, you're going to the mountains this time,aren't you... She couldn't contain herself and laughed as she said "yeah, something like that". I think we are in pretty good alignment! I just hope this week is an uneventful one for me! Ciao

Wikid, I am so excited about my ducks! One is supposed to be a young mallard hen.

TRIGGER...more sex offender stuff....




And sorry to keep going on about it...
But the whole "level" thing for RSO's is strange. Like here in MA, Level 1 means "low risk" Level 2 is "moderate risk to re-offend" and Level 3 is "high risk to re-offend". Now...I just don't understand why, if there is a moderate or high risk of re-offending, this person is being let free to wander. And...I also don't get why there isn't a Level that applies JUST TO PEDOPHILES? Like level OMG WATCH OUT YOUR CHILDREN ARE IN DANGER. I don't mind if they shorten that with an acronym or something though.

stop i will always respect what you have to say ,and appreciate you points of view .i would hope you never feel you need to stop stating them. that would be highly not pleasant for me

Hola 1step...welcome to the couch.
As far as the purse, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!

Exactly. That mother really wasn't paying attention. Adults may talk to adults, but I am careful about talking to children. I don't want to undo any teaching their parents and schools have done about strangers.

so sort of have an idea of what i can work on tomorrow

*** TRIGGER - Sex offender stuff ***

My parents had no idea when they were sending me outside to "play" that I was being physically and sexually abused by multiple pre-teen and teen males on a regular basis. I would be so appreciative if a parent was to point out a blind spot that I may have when it comes to protecting my daughter. I'm not always good at noticing the red flags for myself, even though I believe I am way more vigilant when it comes to my daughter's safety.