Vigilante’s Organize Sex Offender Sting
March 13, 2016, recent headlines in a local newspaper, “The Daily News”, Longview , Washington, a couple of counties away from where I live, read “Kelso citizens create sex sting at Tam O’Shanter”. This is a haunting article where local citizens take it upon themselves to disguise themselves as a minor child in some chat room to lure, indulge, entice and prey on human frailty to see if they could entrap a sex offender. It worked, and what came next is unspeakable. Without saying the actions of these vigilantes is horrific, but, while the local paper paper expressed their opinion against this type of vigilantism, in the same breath they are instilling fear, hate, false facts and statistics to the community at large regarding the necessity of the “Registry”. I posted a comment last night March 23, 2016) expressing my opinion opposing the registry and all it stands for. Hence my comment was not posted. So, this morning (March 24, 2016) I saw that they have posted a reiteration of their stance in response to outrage expressed by many other citizens (their comments were approved and posted) other than myself. So, I posted another comment, I am still waiting to see if they approve my comment. I am very familiar with the demographics of this town. It is historically a logging mill town, semi-isolated, located between Olympia, Washington and the Portland-Vancouver Metro area. I have family members that have lived and still live in this town. Due to the nature of the geographic location, the small mill town mentality, and the scope of the uneducated, untraveled, semi-bigoted community members, gives me little hope that my voice will be heard in their closed minded community or the so called “Journalist” that will not respond to my questions. It is my intent to continue my questions and comments until they respond, and give me the freedom of speech that I deserve.
“Laws Help Keep Children Safe”.
Excuse me folks but just because someone is a sex offender doesn’t mean he or she doesn’t have a right to speak out. I think one of the great presidents of our time said. There is nothing to fear but fear itself.
That being said why should one fear? Now I know taking the law in ones own hands is wrong and these vigilante groups are a bit barbaric. Do you think the police would use scams like this?
Now I say scam in a lite humor because all this is cracked up to be is a scam. There is just one thing that makes the difference is that police have authority and the vigilante’s don’t.
Think about it this way. If you had authority and you abused that authority, would someone not correct you or just let it slide if your getting would be child predators off the street or could be predators but who is being the predator and who is being the prey in all this hog wash.
Terry-
If the police aren’t doing anything about the vigilantism, maybe the FBI need to be brought in on this as a Hate Crime.
You may also want to consider contacting the news media in a larger town nearby, send them the original article with your rebuttle. They may be interested in doing a focus piece. It’s unfortunate that some small towns have small- minded people who only print one side of a story. The good news, they’re not the only media around.
Thank you for talking sense. I have seen some of your rational comments to garbage disguised as news. I do comment too but my probation officer would kill me if she ever knew. Again, I can’t thank you enough for your voice. It speaks for all of us who are hushed by long, long, long terms of probation.