The Ox-Bow Incident, Redux

Here’s another powerful, compelling story that in all likelihood you’ll never hear discussed on your local talk radio station: the national hysteria behind “sex-offender” laws.

Look: nobody is in favor of the sexual abuse of children (although we tolerate, and even condone, other types of “child abuse”).

Sex-offender mania in this country has gotten way out of hand.

People playing fast and loose with the “facts” (recidivism figures are constantly distorted toward political ends), disproportionate punishments, vigilante justice, the utter disregard of civil liberties, the shameless manipulation of the willing media, the mau-mauing of voices of reason…

…and the persecution of the innocent.

And on top of it all, there are some serious questions of how well these laws really work.

While we're at it, have you noticed how any kind of draconian law can get passed if it is named after a child (that's where the Bush administration blew it with the Patriot Act; they should have called it "Timmy's Law")...

Enough, already.