Originally posted by schuyler
Perhaps OP's analogy is not perfect, but look at the sentiment behind it. We all believe pedophiles are bad people. We all feel justified in calling for their execution, but the real issue is: Do we throw this term about a bit too freely, and might our definitions often be too broad? For example, an 18 year old boy is caught having sex with his 17 year old girlfriend who will be 18 in six weeks. This fellow is accused of a sex crime and must register for the rest of his life. Hey, he's a pedophile!

There are Romeo/Juliet laws in most states (perhaps all) that would not allow the example you give to happen. There must be a certain number of years between the parties before it becomes a crime. I have never heard of a case like this happening.

This kind of rhetoric, along with the Mary/Jesus story, is often used by those who oppose sex offender registries and age of consent laws.

The facts just do not support the rhetoric.

How wrong you all are.

The accusation "She is a witch" was, more often than not, an act to silence a threat. Imagine if you will, a Priest rapes a virgin girl. Girl tells parents, parents react, Priest screams "she is possessed."

Now, bind victim securely, attach heavy weights, throw her in the river. If she drowns, she was purified by the water and the prayers. If she surfaces then, obviously she has power - so she is a witch - men quickly now shoot her. Either way dead people can't tell the truth.

So several weeks later another sobbing child falls into their mothers arms and mum says........SHHHHHH, don't tell.

Witches and Peds are linked, always have been.

P

Massive difference you seemed to skim over, peadophiles are real, witches are not.

Originally posted by boredsilly
Massive difference you seemed to skim over, peadophiles are real, witches are not.

I hope that was not a reply to my comments, otherwise you may want to try reading them again.

P

wow - just wow

the premise of my OP was an attack on irrationality

kudos to the handfull that understood that and reacted accordingly

as for the majority - thanks for demonstrating my point

and for the icing on the cake - now i am accussed of being a troll [ because i have not replied to my thread for 10 hours - thats called " having a life " ] and worse - accused of defending pedaophiles -now what was i saying about irrationality ?

as it is now 02:30 - i need to go to bed - if thats ok with the ATS mob ? i will attempt to reply to specific points in the morning - but as i have kit to sort and a full day out planned - i may not reply for at least 15 hours - oh ther humanity

Originally posted by Grifter81

Originally posted by PutAQuarterIn
Witches aren't a real life threat, pedos are.

ETA: This strikes me as a troll thread. No body defends pedophiles without actively trying to ruffle feathers.

edit on 11-11-2012 by PutAQuarterIn because: (no reason given)

No one is defending pedophiles are they? I think the consensus is that they need to be behind bars, or (preferably) strung up.

Call me nuts here, but comparing pedophiles (aka scum of the earth) to an innocent, non-threatning group of people, who were tortured in the most unjust of ways seems a little like defending them.

This is sure an interesting topic as it's strung together. Witches and Child Molesters. Hmmm.....

OP, I would appreciate one thing as a side note, if we could. Please define Witch. As an active follower of the Wicca faith myself, some could even call me such a thing and imagine a very very different mental picture than my fluffy old self actually doing things most would consider tedious and boring. I've never met someone within the Wicca Faith I suspected of being a child molester. I'll bet they exist, as they exist in all religions. I've just never met one personally....so that'd be my first question.

Next I'd just make an observation. Witches as a title, as I'm sure you mean it (Salem Witch trials concept) has always been a subjective thing to suggest they even exist or ever have. Some of the women put to death in Salem were accused of flying and all but materializing in the rooms of little children like a bogeyman of the female variety. Absurd stuff.

Baby Rapers or those who find that acceptable are not subjective to talk about and not only exist in truly terrifying numbers but apparently enjoy some form of high level cover while doing it. Why? Well, there is kiddy porn on the open internet, free for the taking and I'm guessing at least a fair part is real. It's what it looks like. Some may say it's just too hard to find those people...running websites for goodness sake. I'd answer by saying, ask yourself how hard YOU would be to find....anywhere on Earth...if you made a threat against certain leaders they considered credible? I'll bet nowhere on Earth is far enough to run....and the attempt to locate you would never really end either.

Are our kids at least as important? Thats technology available today...not new laws and not new toys to violate everyone. They could find the baby rapers today.

Then...if you want to talk about Deeper areas of the World wide computer networks....Well, any and all doubt as to it being an epidemic against our Children and a VERY LARGE one at that, should vanish. The problem is..I can't even say were you'd look. The reason? The people who could stop it have made it a crime to even report you've found it, because you had to look at it and use judgement to determine it worthy of reporting. THAT is a crime. (sigh)

Perhaps what is needed is an indepth discussion about paedophilia in and of itself.

Would a Male in his mid 20s marrying a 12 yo Female who became pregnant at 14 and gave birth to the first of their 6 children when barely 15 be a paedophile?
If so my Maternal Grand-Father was a Paedophile. As would be a large majority of all Baby-Boomers Grand-Fathers.
From the late 19th well into the 20th century it was common for a Man to come to the USA and after establishing himself send back to the 'Old Country' for a Bride.
This Bride was a young Girl.
They came over in groups (Think Steerage in 'The Titanic') to meet the Men they had been chosen for.

Please note I am not judging the fairness morality or merits (or lack thereof) of this practice. I am just pointing out the accepted moors of the period.


Go back to the Shakespearian days.
Romeo and Juliet were 12-13 years old.
Kids by todays standards.
The feud between their families had nothing to do with their ages.
Life expectancy then was early 20s. Not many lived to see Grand-Children.


Let's look at the 'Cave-Man'.
As far as reproduction went one was old enough to 'Do It' when one was old enough to do it.
Given the brief life-span of the time (The Tribal Elders were lucky to see 40) early reproduction was imperitive to the survival of the Species.


Let's examine Childhood itself.
The concept of Childhood has not been around that long.
Society invented Childhood some 150 years or so ago.
Before then Children were just small not very old People.
Chores were being done starting about 3-4 years of age.
Survival was paramount and everyone contributing was paramount to a Tribe's/Clan's/Family's survival.


I submit that perhaps sexual attraction to Youth is a genetic trait which though no longer a vital factor in Human propagation is nonetheless a primal drive still inherent to many.
Note that Paedophilia is recognized as a Sexual Orientation.
Note the premium placed on youth.
Note the vast and blatent sexualization of youth in media.
Note the common sexual fantasy/fetish involving the 'Naughty School-Girl' or the "Slutty Cheer-Leader.


I am not condoning or defending Paedophilia.
I am saying that there is more to dealing with this very complex and controversial issue than 'Burn Witch Burn'.

IMO

What i find strange is most pimps running underage girls are never arrested or charged as pedophiles..

One city in calif that i know of the cops watch pimps and there underage girls just to bust there johns as pedophiles.
these working girls have been on drugs like meth so long they no longer look underage

But the cops seldom take the girls off the street or go after the pimps. because of the better publicity they get by busting the johns as pedophiles.

No one is disregarding the victims anywhere in this thread. We just want to see a little more innocent until proven guilty of people accused, and for people to stop throwing the accusation around every time someone gets pissed off about something someone does. Which has settled down a lot since the 1990s, but still, if the suggestion is even hinted at, there is a lynch mob, whether the person did anything or not. That's what this is about.

Your title and intent reminds me of a book I read some times ago..

‘When the mobs are looking for witches to burn, nobody's safe’

Talking about the reactionary crowd

Given the number of scandals rocking this country over the last few years covering the military, the police, the media, celebrities and politicians I can't help but think something is certainly rotten, however I also can't help but think some group is stoking these fires.

I also can't help but feel deeply cynical that those stoking these fires don't have their own agenda in play and I struggle to believe it is putting right these wrongs.

Perhaps my cynicism comes from inhabiting a broken and corrupt system on the one hand I'd like to think there are good guys out there, but somehow can't bring myself to believe that, I guess the proof will be in the pudding.