Posting #129 – Multiple Supporters Responses to MSNBC’s Hard Ball with Chris Matthews

By:  Multiple Contributors
Date:  09/03/2009

MSNBC’s Governments Failure with Sex Offenders:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/#32663869

Transcript-  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32674756/ns/msnbc_tv-hardball_with_chris_matthews/

Dear Chris Matthews,

Thank you dragging us back into the dark ages of ignorance. Please go to the Department of Justice website and read the statistics. Sex Offenders have the lowest rate of recidivism, next to murderers. I attended the SOAR (sex Offender Acknowledgement of Responsibility) program at Harnett
Correctional at Lillington NC. that has a 3% recidivism rate over 10 years. Wendy was spouting pure crap and intellectual poison. The case mentioned is certainly tragic and the offender was probably
pathological. But, the first time sex offender, even without treatment, is least likely to re-offend, of all the crimes tracked by the DOJ. Please do the research before you feed the fear, uncertainty and doubt.

 Now, do you suppose that society is safer when an offender of any sort cannot process back into society? Is society safer when men have to live under a bridge? The real outrage is that programs like SOAR are not being utilized and people like Wendy want offenders locked up for life, instead of being merely treated?

 Just so you know, the lie about the recidivism rate for sex offenders came out of then President Bill Clinton. The problem with the registry is that there is no difference between the offenders caught pee'ing on his own tree in his own backyard by a next door child, and a murderous multiple conviction rapist. I still attend After-Care, after being out for 4 years and without my family I would be back in prison for not being employed with nowhere to live.

You REALLY set all of us back. You have no clue how much harm will come to us as a result of your putting Wendy Murphy spouting her lies that have no basis in fact. How she got to be an attorney is beyond me.  

Randy

Dear Chris Matthews,

Your segment “Government Failure with Sex Offenders” was appalling in virtually every respect.

I realize that you are a political commentator, not a news reporter, but you still have a responsibility as a national media figure to get your facts right. You also might want to vet your interview subjects a little more carefully.

You begin by stating your supposition that sex offenders re-offend at a rate of about 100%. The best statistics given by the Department of Justice indicate that the recidivism rate is closer to 5-10%.

As for the statement by your subject that “the average sex offender has over 100 victims,” that is pure fantasy. I am not familiar with the book “Predators” by Anna Salter, but I suggest you look at Dr Richard Wright's excellent, and well-researched, “Sex Offender Laws: Failed Policies and New Directions.” Or, you could simply read the September 1, 2009 New York Times article “Abduction Case Shows the Limits of Sex Offender Alert Programs.” The article notes that there are 1700 registered sex offenders in Contra Costa County, where Mr Garrido resided. Strict laws force law enforcement to treat virtually all of them as posing a high risk to the community, even when facts clearly demonstrate otherwise. This puts a great strain on law enforcement. They spend most of their time tracking down offenders who have violated some technical statute of registration, not monitoring people like Mr Garrido, who are apparently in compliance. The Garrido case is pure and simple a failure of the system. That is the only thing you got right. Everything the law proscribes to monitor Mr Garrido was being done. In that sense, it is a perfect example of the system working as it is supposed to. Clearly the results are not what society desires.

You might also consider interviewing Dr Fred Berlin, of Johns Hopkins, a nationally recognized expert in the field of sexual trauma and sex offenses. Dr Berlin would give you a very different picture than did your Ms Murphy.

Finally, I'm sure Patty Wetterling, the mother of Jacob Wetterling who was kidnapped in Minnesota 20 years ago, would be happy to give you a statement.

A segment with so many grievous errors of fact does neither you nor your network honor. You can do better.
Jonathan

Dear Chris Matthews,

Your discussion about the sex offender situation in this country was outrageous!

I am deeply saddened as well by the Jaycee Dugard story but not every sex offender is Phillip Garrido.
 
You and Miss Wendy should check your facts about sex offenders before spouting off statistics that are patently untrue!  NOT EVERY RSO is a child kidnapper, rapist, or murderer. And where did she get this about every SO having 100 victims during their lifetime? 

Are you aware that there are now 700,000 RSO's in this country and you have  made their lives so much harder!   Their crime may have been no more violent than a "Romeo and Juliet" (consenting teenagers having sex), urinating in public, or ending up on the wrong web site on the internet.  Do you have any idea of how difficult their lives are after coming out of jail or prison?  How do they find a job, a place to live, after the stigmatism of this lifetime label? They are human beings who are trying to resume their lives, but no dignity is allotted to them.  Murderers, drug dealers, and other violent crime felons are released and can go back to normal lives.  Not so with anyone labeled as an SO. In many, many cases, they cannot live with their wives because they are not allowed to even be around their OWN CHILDREN - having never touched THEIR CHILD OR ANY OTHER CHILD!  

Get informed, Chris!!  And when shows like yours with a wide viewership come on and just inflame the American public, it's outrageous. There used to be saying - "Truth in Journalism", unfortunately, like many other things in this country, that too has disappeared. 

Paula

1st Response to Posting #129
From:  Paula
Date: 09/04/09

 

RSOL of Virginia,

My heart was racing by the time I finished watching the Hard Ball interview! 

How can these people spout these figures with nothing to back them up?  I'm outraged  that this kind of stuff goes out to the American public!  Yes, we are all terribly saddened by what happened to Jaycee - it is awful that they didn't catch on to him years ago, as they should have - but it doesn't mean that every RSO is a kidnapper/rapist.  And what's this about every sex    offender having 100 victims during their lifetimes???  My heart almost stopped beating! 

This is what I feared when I first heard about Jaycee being found - that the backlash would be swift and terrible.  God be with us in this push for TRUTH!

           Paula

2nd Response to Posting #129
From:  Daniel
Date: 09/04/09

 

RSOL of Virginia,

I hope you don't mind if I comment on the response below. I've thought about this a lot and wonder how many people feel the same way I do.

I feel for the person who responded to Wendy Murphy's comments. He's right - everyone needs to get the facts. I sensed the frustration & defensiveness in his response, and understandably so. Wendy's words are a sad commentary but that's where we are and we have to deal with it. The tone of the rebuttal is what concerns me. There's a strong temptation to use anger and sarcasm when untruths are propagated, but I believe that SO's don't have the luxury of their use. There must be some measure of restraint if we can ever hope for SO's to gain favor with the community.

Those of us who are trying so hard to change the laws need to go on the offensive. It's just the nature of the game - defense never carries the ball to the goal! SO's have every reason to feel confident about who they are and where they stand. However, the challenge lies in helping others to feel equally as confident.

SO's circumstances demand a little patience and humility on their part. After all, trust is not easily regained. I do understand though, that trust is really not the main issue here; it's the lack of common sense laws. Nonetheless, I'm of the opinion that humble individuals are the most effective teachers when it comes to public discourse and they tend to inspire mutual respect. When treated otherwise, people will dig in their heels and oppose you even if you're right. My mother used to say, "you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar."

Opponents need to see SO's as disserving of their attention and respect. That will happen only as we school our feelings & bridal our tongues. I'm not saying that we should just sit back and be whipped. I am saying that "right" words - calm, reasonable, inoffensive, well thought out words, have the power to redirect, soften, transform and penetrate hearts & minds.

SO's have already been charged with unseemly behavior. Let's not let our speech reconvict!

Let me know what you think.
Daniel