Colorado Drops the Phrase 'Sex Offender' because it is offensive to those who commit sex crimes

[BelovedSon]

Colorado State Board Drops 'Sex Offender' Term Calling It A Negative Label

The way sex offenders are labeled is changing in Colorado. The board that sets state standards voted today to change the term "sex offenders" to reflect so-called "person-first" language.

denver.cbslocal.com

I actually think the new term is ok. What stuns me is the reason for changing the name. Someone on the Sex Offender board said that they will no longer use the term sex offender because "that has negative impacts on those who commit sex offenses". WTF!!!!

 

[Guss]

Great lack of personal integrity on that individual's part.

 

[GarryDex]

I wish that a victims statement report would follow the perpetrator around for the rest of their life. Even better would be the victims testimony. As it is all they have to go is sex offender list in most States but oh no let's not call him that in Colorado. I suppose if they still stay on the list and it's publicly accessible it's not so bad. It's like opening Pandora's box just a little bit. Quote from Pandora "I'll just have a little peek what's the worst that could happen?".

I know that at times I feel like people can see the trauma and everything that my abuser did to me. Like I've said before they are so degrading that I'm not comfortable discussing it here. But don't call them a sex offender because that's fucking offensive. I finally found a topic here that actually pisses me off.

 

[betrayed boy]

i wonder what leftest woke SJW came up with this nonsense, the country is going to hell in a hand basket pretty damn shameful if you ask me

 

[Celtaf]

It doesn't deal with the issue. It doesn't matter what you call it; what matters is this issue: how do sex offenders get redeemed? As far as I can tell, they don't. Our society does a terrible job of dealing with crime, though arguably it does a better job than countries where the sole aim is punishment. But you can either re-integrate someone into society or you don't. How can someone do penance for having raped someone or abused someone? The same question exists for other crimes. We should take a long hard look at this. Either we believe that someone can do something terribly wrong and be forgiven for it so that the crime passes into history, or we believe that it can never be wiped away. In the former case, then the slate has to be wiped clean if we truly believe that the person is repentant and will never do it again. In the latter, then they need to be in some way branded for all to see and permitted to live part of a normal life only out of mercy.

 

[GarryDex]

It doesn't deal with the issue. It doesn't matter what you call it; what matters is this issue: how do sex offenders get redeemed? As far as I can tell, they don't. Our society does a terrible job of dealing with crime, though arguably it does a better job than countries where the sole aim is punishment. But you can either re-integrate someone into society or you don't. How can someone do penance for having raped someone or abused someone? The same question exists for other crimes. We should take a long hard look at this. Either we believe that someone can do something terribly wrong and be forgiven for it so that the crime passes into history, or we believe that it can never be wiped away. In the former case, then the slate has to be wiped clean if we truly believe that the person is repentant and will never do it again. In the latter, then they need to be in some way branded for all to see and permitted to live part of a normal life only out of mercy.

As a person that has a felony conviction for DWI I can tell you that society doesn't forget. Despite that I've done my time paid fines and penalties I don't believe that I'll be able to get jobs that I'm qualified for. I never hurt anyone else when I was convicted for my crime. I spent years trying to get something that pays a living wage. Employers would rather hire a person w/o a GED then me.

So much for paying your debt to society and having a new beginning.

 

[brother2none]

Typical of government to "fix" an issue by changing the label and feel and act as if they achieved some success, pat themselves on the back, and then move onto the next non-fix. That's what I see here. As was already pointed out by @Celtaf it doesn't fix the problem or problems. How to offenders get redeemed? I'll add can and/or how do offenders get healed so they stop offending? I have some thoughts on the second question but don't have time now to relate it all. I'll be back!

 

[Celtaf]

As a person that has a felony conviction for DWI I can tell you that society doesn't forget. Despite that I've done my time paid fines and penalties I don't believe that I'll be able to get jobs that I'm qualified for. I never hurt anyone else when I was convicted for my crime. I spent years trying to get something that pays a living wage. Employers would rather hire a person w/o a GED then me.

So much for paying your debt to society and having a new beginning.

Sorry it took a while to get to this; notifications seemed to have been turned off for the thread.

Anyway, I agree that this is a just concern. As I say, if people believe that you really can pay a debt to society and be redeemed, then we should truly have that happen and, once a debt to society is paid, should be able to move on. If not, then provision should be made for how we treat people who, once they commit a crime, are forever criminals. But laws like this one in Colorado are hypocritical, made by people who want to seem kind and merciful without having to put their money where their mouth is.

 

[Celtaf]

Typical of government to "fix" an issue by changing the label and feel and act as if they achieved some success, pat themselves on the back, and then move onto the next non-fix. That's what I see here. As was already pointed out by @Celtaf it doesn't fix the problem or problems. How to offenders get redeemed? I'll add can and/or how do offenders get healed so they stop offending? I have some thoughts on the second question but don't have time now to relate it all. I'll be back!

Let's be honest: many people just pick sides in this sort of thing and are not committed, at all, to addressing problems. They want to appear to be doing so.

 

[TryingtoHeal]

I wish that a victims statement report would follow the perpetrator around for the rest of their life. Even better would be the victims testimony. As it is all they have to go is sex offender list in most States but oh no let's not call him that in Colorado. I suppose if they still stay on the list and it's publicly accessible it's not so bad. It's like opening Pandora's box just a little bit. Quote from Pandora "I'll just have a little peek what's the worst that could happen?".

I know that at times I feel like people can see the trauma and everything that my abuser did to me. Like I've said before they are so degrading that I'm not comfortable discussing it here. But don't call them a sex offender because that's fucking offensive. I finally found a topic here that actually pisses me off.

ditto