I’m so fired up…
I’m so angry…
And to be honest, I don’t get all that angry very often.
But I am. I am angry. I am livid. I am disappointed in the people who we elect to make our laws and keep us safe.
Why you ask? BECAUSE THESE TWO BEAUTIFUL GIRLS ARE DEAD!
They didn’t have to be. They should be alive today. Chelsea King should be deciding where she was going to attend college after receiving 11 acceptances just weeks after her death. Amber Dubois should be planning an upcoming weekend with her friends. But instead, they’ll never get to do that. They’ll never get to fall in love, their families will never be able to rejoice with them as they graduate, or get their first job, get married or start a family. Because this jerk individual 
took it upon himself to prey on young women, MULTIPLE young women I might add, and end their life to satisfy some sickness embedded deep within him. And what is this sickness? Where did it come from? Well many psychologists would say it comes from some trauma in his own life. Possibly some sexual trauma that he experienced himself, perhaps he was molested as well? Does anyone see the problem here? Does anyone see the cycle? The problem is that sex offenders, people who commit crimes against our children are allowed out of jail to commit these crimes over and over again. In fact, this idiot was let out after his own psychiatrist, Dr. Matthew Carroll, told a parole board that Gardner was a “continued danger to underage girls in the community” and an “extremely poor candidate” for treatment. Gardner was released after serving 5 years of a 6 year sentence, though he was eligible for an 11 year sentence, for attacking a 13 year old neighbor in 2000.
What could have saved these young girls? What could save our own children? What I believe we need is a One Strike Law. A federal One Strike Law. One that says that any sexual crime committed against a child and you go to jail for life, no chance for parole. The fact that John Gardner was not put away for life long ago is beyond me. Now many will argue that this type of crime is not common, statistically. There are only a handful of cases, Polly Klaas, Elizabeth Smart, Jacee Dugard, and that up to 90 percent of sex offenders are related to or know their victims. I agree, and that is why I’m saying that ANYONE who hurts a child should go away.
Let’s think about it. How can you hurt a child? What would have to be wrong with you to hurt a defenseless child? Now I’m not talking about a 17 or 18 year old that hooks up with his 15 or 16 year old girlfriend. I’m talking about an adult, and adult who the child trusts, an adult who is supposed to know better, hurting, touching and scarring a child for life. Because that is what continues this cycle. That is what creates the next generation of sex offenders and chemical dependence. I’m talking about the middle school teacher, the JV basketball coach, the priest, the baby sitter, the uncle, the day care teacher. I don’t care who you are or what you think you can get away with. If you harm a child you should go to jail, there is no excuse and there should be no exception.
So what can we do? What can I do? Well first, write to your representatives in Congress. How do you find your representatives? Click here Find your Rep. What can I do next? Find out more about the One Strike Law and help the Live Secure team rally our government at One Strike Law. What else should we do? Leave me a comment with your name and email address here and I’m going to try and contact Oprah. Oh yeah, I said it, OPRAH, because she can help us keep our children and young women safe. Finally, protect yourself, protect your family. This is the best site I have found so far on how to find sexual predators and offenders in your area Family Watch Dog.
Now as a disclaimer, I have not been the victim of one of these horrible crimes. I can’t imagine the pain that it sets off for the rest of your life. This is just something that keeps me up at night. All I can do is imagine someone harming my children, one of my sons, my neices, my nephews, my friends’ children. I would do anything to keep them safe, shelter them from pain, stop the cycle, before it can continue.
I am doing my first link up to Shell at Things I can’t Say’s Pour Your Heart Out. This is the most I’ve ever spewed on you dear readers so thanks for letting me vent. And you thought you were getting some BBQ recipes didn’t you???
Related posts:
You said it, this is terrible and I think that the punishment for these people is not hard enough. They don’t deserve to live.
I will definitely check out the One Strike law. This is horrible. I can’t even imagine.
Thanks for linking up!
you go girl!! Great post, we have had 3 sex offenders relocated within 30 miles of us in the last month–it is a DISGRACE!! anne
You make a really good point & this is a wonderful post. It truly is a sad situation when things like this happen or when any child gets abused in any way. I agree that we need harsher punishments for crimes against children & woman (ie rape). It seems like our government is more interested in spending our tax dollars on locking away people with minor drug offenses for years then keeping these monsters off the street & away from our children. There’s something definitely broken in the system.
Ps. It’s funny that you wrote about this because I just posted about a CA woman who pleaded guilty to the kidnapping & murder of an 8yr old girl. The story is sad & scary.
I couldn’t agree more with the One Strike Law! There is a group on FB called,”Why Use Animal Testing When There Are Molestors In Jail?” tongue and cheek but still true. I am scared to death to let our 17 yo daughter out into the world.
Bravo for speaking out on this horrific, unexceptable, despicable
crime. I agree…we should put these monsters away and keep them away.
We owe it to our children to keep them safe.
Embrace your precious ones and give them big kisses for me!!
The thought of it makes me sick as well. Those poor girls and their families. The law sounds like a good one. There should be no second chance.
LisaDay
Thank you for posting this.
Alex, I’m right there with you girl. My prayers are with their families. I can’t even imagine.
Thank you for this post. Not enough is done and it makes me sick!
Hey Alex, I would have to agree that a crime against a child should carry an extreme penalty. I don’t know what that should be, but these people with past offenses being free on the street is something I don’t understand.
I saw this guy on T.V. the other day. He is so abnormal psychologically. And he HATES women. I’m sure he’ll get his come uppins. So horrible for those girls and their families though. I surely can’t even imagine…
Amen! With two little girls it’s something I couldn’t even imagine. Any time I hear about something like this I lose sleep. Something definitely needs to change! Good for you for trying to make it happen.
I am dealing with a person in my life who is trying to get a sex offender out of jail. this just made me so mad! I cant even deal with it.
I am going to participate in the blog link.
There was a title similar to this awhile ago in my feed but nothing it linked to on your blog. I’m glad you finally wrote about this. I love how you did it with information, not just helpless indignation. Tell Oprah I’m in.
if that law does pass, it would help keep the minds of parents at peace.
would you believe that in my country, a lot of these cases never get to court? assuming the sex offender gets caught, the victim sometimes gets scared and refuse to push through with the case, or gets paid off by the offender’s family.
I’m with you. I hate that our system tries to protect the rights of monsters over the rights of victims and other, potential victims. I’ll be looking into this one strike law, too.
AMEN! Thank you so much for this post.
Count me in to get Oprah to pick up this cause!!! I am not a victim of this, nor anyone that is close to me that I know — except I knew the cousin’s of Jacob Wetterling.
You say it sister!!! It is amazing isn’t it? SO WRONG that these people get out and are not punished more. Love your pour it out today and thank you so much for the links on what we can do!
Alex,
Wonderful informative post. Very very passionate. Thank you for caring and sharing with us.
Cheers!
This issue gets me all fired up too… You gave it the business! It simply pisses me off and is so wrong.There is actually a blogger who is related to one of the girls and when she went missing (not knowing who what, when or how) she blogged about it. My Dad was a police officer and I was almost kidnapped when I was 9 (4 houses down from my house)…so I am always on high alert.
EMAIL me with your email..I have a question for you!!!!
Holly
My thoughts on these people are unprintable. I think they should be killed.
And homemade pimento cheese is the only way to go–the vat stuff is dreadful!
I can’t believe that guy was released after his own psychiatrist advised against it! Horrible!
Very informative post that people should know about–I tweeted this one! Such a shame those girls died.
Wonderful post… I totally agree with you.
T just typed and lost an entire comment….arrrgh….I totally totally agree. I am not satisfied that “most” sexual offenders know their victims. “Most” is not “all”. Having just been looking up convicted offenders who must register by state (megan’s law) I am disgusted, appalled, and grossed out. These beasts are living everywhere…having been released after multiple victims, multiple crimes. In some cases info is given and, clearly, there is no known association with the victim or family. Abuse in their background neither explains nor excuses it to me. Many were abused and grow to be kind, gentle souls. I read once about a gene that linked some kind of criminal tendancy, but I’m not sure what it was…and haven’t heard more about it.
So glad I read your post today. I soooooooo agree with you. If you stop by my blog, you might not see anything on this (or similar) for a while, but I’ve posted about this too. Today, in fact, is just silliness…but something we need, too.
more has to be done! THank you for raising your voice!