When John Graham joins hands with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)[1] it will not be in church but instead in court. Who would have predicted that Dr. Graham (Doctor of Divinity -DD?2) would join forces with the ACLU against our city of Greenville based on actions our elected representatives are considering in behalf of the safety of children and families? The risk that the City is addressing is exemplified by the article (September 18, 2010 DDN) Girl, 15 tells police stranger raped her. In this report a person who was a stranger (myth-buster) grabbed her off the street and raped her. The city’s change in residency restrictions for sex offenders is simply an attempt to put children and the weakest members further out of the reach of potential predators.
It’s both paradoxical and revealing that Graham, who has attacked the community on a moral basis[2] and belongs to a church that is adamantly pro-life, would join hands as a plaintiff with the ACLU. Over the years they have taken positions against the Ten Commandments, aggressively supported Roe vs. Wade, protected those who provide abortions, and litigated against Megan’s Law and the Adam Walsh legislation. The ACLU also, like Graham, has sided to protect the rights of ex-convicts over those of the victims and the concerns of communities attempting to protect themselves from the more serious nature of abuses at the hands of repeat offenders. They seem to ignore the fact that the most grizzly crimes are not those of notorious criminals such as Al Capone but instead of those of Dahmer, Gacy, Sowell of Cleveland, Davis, Couey, and even the accused Van der Sloot.
This group in many cases numbers their sexual homicides in excess of those of Al Capone’s St. Valentine’s Day massacre. All of these men were previous sex offenders who became increasingly violent during their recidivism. For example and more to the point, the local recidivist sex offender assaulted, murdered, burned and buried the body of his victim, a young Darke County woman. This case illustrates the not uncommon escalation of violence on the part of the repeat offender. All of these victims suffered a harrowing and grizzly end at the hands of their attacker and this is what separates them from other criminals who tend to use a clean execution style that allows the victim a death without torture.
To counter these grim realities Graham employs distracting platitudes such as “they have paid their debt to society”. He ignores the all too obvious fact that the debt is not to society but to the victims, their family and their community. The mental scars that they carry are debts that can never be repaid. Graham’s advocacy of the protection of young healthy male sex offenders over children, women and even the elderly[3] is similarly flawed.
During this entire debate Graham has contrived to place himself on moral high ground based on his claim of having a doctorate of divinity. Was employing a quote by Pope John Paul II referring to caring for the weakest members of society (a slogan used over the last 100 years by various leaders including animal rights activists) a ploy to gain support of Catholics? Most theologians would have preferred the original source (St. Matthew 25:41-46) rather than one of the many paraphrases.
At other times he has placed himself in a position of authority based on his education in sociology as evidenced by his implied doctorate. At this point in the debate Graham should be asked to provide the public with what institutions granted his doctorate degree(s), the time spent in post-graduate education and, in the case of sociology, the title of his published doctorate thesis, if any, and courses taken in sociology.
If the ACLU joins John Graham as a plaintiff against the City of Greenville, we can expect a “standing room only” event. Also we can anticipate hours of testimony by Graham explaining the volumes of social case studies etc. that serve as the basis for his many absolute assertions and the basis from which he accuses the community of not taking a moral position. Documented statements from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections and academic experts in the field state unequivocally that the research is far from clear. The Center for Sex Offender Management states that “rearrest and conviction data underestimates the actual reoffense numbers” and Berenson of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction stated that “what we really know about sex offenders is probably just the tip of the iceberg..”[4] These facts support the reasoned position that city officials are taking in this matter.
Certainly the event promised by Graham will pack the courtroom with reporters anxious to place Greenville in headlines nationally with their story: John Graham and ACLU verses City of Greenville in litigation aimed at preserving his version of an “Offering to God”.
Resources…
[1] Dayton Daily News 09 15 2010
[3]Bill shuts notification loophole on sex offenders in nursing homes, Wednesday, January 20, 2010 11:52 PM, By Alan JohnsonTHE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Meeting held on sex offenders Daily Advocate September 3, 2010
2 comments:
At some point, I wonder if anyone will notice that "these people" have been here for quite some time now. I don't believe that murders, rapes, B&E's or any other have increased. What sort of tree is this we are barking up?
Our council has one primary job - to take actions and secure services that protect our community. They are well within their rights to pass stricter ordinances regarding sex offenders.
All say that sex related crimes are under-reported, so who can say with any level of confidence that these criminals living in our community have not resulted in crimes of a sexual nature increasing?
Post a Comment