No. 1194 -- WE ARE REAPING WHAT WE HAVE SOWN!

No. 1194

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

WE ARE REAPING WHAT WE HAVE SOWN!

As you can suspect, as a nationally syndicated columnist I get all kinds of offers of books, products and ideas from publicists, authors, news organizations and others asking me to consider writing a column to inform or promote their favorite cause. In most cases I have very little interest, as my main concern and objective is, first and foremost, to present topics I feel will be of interest and benefit to you. Every once in a while a topic comes across my desk or screen that I do have an interest in, and during our visit today I want to tell you about an issue that makes my blood boil and I just bet you feel the same way.
I am talking about the proliferation of sex offenders in our nation, from one end of our great country to the other. This is something that was not on the front burner even a dozen years ago, but we are seeing more and more evidence that this has become a national problem. The real question is, “What can we do about it?” In most cases, sex offenders, mostly men, are not only violators of the opposite sex, but increasingly they are killers as well. When you think about it, this is a real tragedy that there are people out there who lie in wait or invade the privacy of others for the purpose of gratifying themselves.
Some time back I got an e-mail from a young lady who sent me data and other details that backs up what I have been saying. Apparently the problem is worse in some parts of the nation than in others. Here is a list of the 10 states that have more than their share. This ranking is determined by how many convicted sex offenders there are per 100,000 in population. The worst states, according to a variety of different websites and databases, include Oregon, Delaware, Michigan, Tennessee, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Wyoming, Kansas, Texas, and my state, Arkansas.
When you admit you have a problem, there is a logical process that must take place to find a solution. When it comes to the problem, I personally believe we are reaping what we have sown. When you have sex used to sell products, almost fully naked women on countless television programs day after day, porn sights on the Internet where men can lust after women without being seen or known about, and a continual effort to remove God and accountability from our schools and public life, you have hit the jackpot. Is this what we want in our country? If it’s not, we have to make some serious changes.
Our criminal justice system, courts and nation’s lawyers do not get a free pass either. What I am talking about is not partisan, as a man with rape on his mind does not ask what political party his victim belongs to before committing his dastardly act. Now, I am talking from my heart and my emotions, as I believe this is where most people live after they have been the victim of a sex offender.
Of course, on the short term, we do want to know if a convicted sex offender moves in next door. There is an organization called Family Watchdog with a website where you can become better informed and it covers the entire country. Their website is www.familywatchdog.com. Many police departments and sheriff’s offices also have databases with this information. Now, again, this is personal, but my solution would be something that is very painful and widely publicized for those convicted. I can promise you, a few times of this and the rate would go down.
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(Editor’s Note: JIM DAVIDSON is an author, public speaker, syndicated columnist and founder of the Bookcase for Every Child project. Since its inception in 1995, Jim’s column has been self-syndicated to over 375 newspapers in 35 states, making it one of the most successful in the history of American journalism.)