Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
That article was published in 2014, so unless NYT has a crystal ball, I am going to go with no.
The Times is not defending people who actually molest children and nobody, save some extreme fringe groups, is suggesting that child molestation should not be a crime. People that have these thoughts though and have not acted on them should be able to get help dealing with them without being persecuted. Do we really want to go down the road of having thought police?
They can do that now. They are protected under doctor patient privilege, as long as they do not threaten anyone.
The article is in the Opinion section of the NYT and the writer, Margo Kaplan (Rutgers Law), is listed as Op-Ed Contributor.
For those that don't know what an op-ed is, it is an essay in a newspaper or magazine that gives the opinion of the writer and that is written by someone who is not employed by the newspaper or magazine.
I don't believe for one second that NYT is supporting or backing the molestation of children..... The article doesn't even discuss the crime but the attraction.
From the linked article:
Quote:
Part of this failure stems from the misconception that pedophilia is the same as child molestation. One can live with pedophilia and not act on it. Sites like Virtuous Pedophiles provide support for pedophiles who do not molest children and believe that sex with children is wrong. It is not that these individuals are “inactive” or “nonpracticing” pedophiles, but rather that pedophilia is a status and not an act. In fact, research shows, about half of all child molesters are not sexually attracted to their victims.
If you read the article, that is not what its arguing at all.
It isn't but it didn't do a very good job of it. People are not arrested and put in prison or forcibly put into a mental institution just for admitting they are attracted to people of a certain age. You actually have to act upon it.
If you want to argue that we are not doing enough to research why some are able to move beyond a certain point of development and others are not, I'm fully on board.
If a pedophile hasn't acted on these "thoughts", I wouldn't call him/her a criminal. But I believe these people who suffer from this condition should be living in isolation, away from kids.
Well, if that was the case, then nobody would ever willingly admit to these thoughts and you would not know that they posed a threat until after they committed a crime.
I understand what they're implying. Pedophilia itself isn't a crime, the sexual act upon a child is a crime and I agree. However, the wording of the story seems to be a call for sympathy towards those who give in to temptations because of their condition. Not from myself. If a person is feeling sexual attraction to children then that person should seek psychiatric treatment. No shame in seeking help plus patient confidentiality means friends, family, and police cannot access your records.
Well, if that was the case, then nobody would ever willingly admit to these thoughts and you would not know that they posed a threat until after they committed a crime.
well, I doubt most of them would admit they are pedophile even if the society creates a non-judgmental Environment for them.
The MOST this article will accomplish is this.
Okay, you are a pedophile, you are not a monster YET. But please stay away from my children. No?
This article seems to suggest that less stigma and more support for pedophiles would reduce these crimes. This is unproven.
You have to at least try something before you can find out that it works.
Peadophile support groups sound horrible, but if there is even the potential that it might help prevent them from committing crimes, than its worth the effort.
Let them get together and talk about it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The article doesn't even discuss the crime but the attraction.
