Wednesday, June 01, 2005
'Something that's typical of high school': So how many past and present non-prosecuted sex offenders do we now have in Massachusetts? Can it be measured in the hundreds of thousands or perhaps even the millions? I'm going to throw out a wild guess: I'd say, oh, one out of five people lost their virginity and/or had oral sex by the age of 16 with someone approximately their age. Sound about right? Low? High? OK, let's just go with the 20-percent figure for the sake of argument. The population of Massachusetts is about five million people -- meaning there could be ONE MILLION NON-PROSECUTED PAST AND PRESENT SEX OFFENDERS ROAMING OUR STREETS!!! ... But Norfolk County prosecutors have singled out three teen high school students to enforce a sex law that says you can't have sex with someone under the age of 16 (stories here and here). The ex-Milton Academy students now face "at the minimum" being listed as "sex offenders" and "at the maximum" life in prison if convicted of statutory rape for having oral sex with a 15-year-old student. I'll withhold final judgment until details of the prosecutors' case spill out. But, somehow, I really don't think I'll feel safer knowing these boys are behind bars if convicted. After all there could be ONE MILLION NON-PROSECUTED PAST AND PRESENT SEX OFFENDERS ROAMING OUR STREETS!!! ...
P.S. -- Don't you also have a hunch, deep down, that the words "ice hockey players" played a role in the filing of charges -- with all the jock/frat boy/they're-on-scholarships connotations the description conjures up? ... Notice the constant use of the word 'players.' Not 'boys.' Not 'teens.' Not 'students.' But 'players.'
Update -- OK, this sounds a bit more sane: three years probabtion, an apology and a cleared record after three years, though I still question filing criminal charges against them. ... Don't for a minute think I condone the boys' ugly behavior. I wasn't taught to treat women like this -- nor I assume were/are most boys. But treating it as a criminal case ... Oops. Two years of probation and two years to clear their records. My mistake. The entire proceeding is still surreal.
Update II -- Hub Blog is losing the office-cooler/friends-calling poll on this issue. Luckily, most aren't accusing me of supporting the boys' actions. They just think sending a powerful signal to the boys was appropriate -- a view I respect but disagree with in terms of the severity of the signal.
'Deep Throat' praised -- but not of the Milton Academy variety: So now we know who 'Deep Throat' is -- and I happen to think W. Mark Felt is a hero. Just don't tell the teens what 'deep throat' really means. ... Gotta go to the source when reading about the figurative 'Deep Throat': the Washington Post. Good article on Felt's career. ... Though I think Felt is a hero, albeit an undoubtably flawed and complex one with motives not always pure, I can't help but think how his case shows the FBI playing power games behind the scenes. In Boston, we know all about that, alas.
P.S. -- Don't you also have a hunch, deep down, that the words "ice hockey players" played a role in the filing of charges -- with all the jock/frat boy/they're-on-scholarships connotations the description conjures up? ... Notice the constant use of the word 'players.' Not 'boys.' Not 'teens.' Not 'students.' But 'players.'
Update -- OK, this sounds a bit more sane: three years probabtion, an apology and a cleared record after three years, though I still question filing criminal charges against them. ... Don't for a minute think I condone the boys' ugly behavior. I wasn't taught to treat women like this -- nor I assume were/are most boys. But treating it as a criminal case ... Oops. Two years of probation and two years to clear their records. My mistake. The entire proceeding is still surreal.
Update II -- Hub Blog is losing the office-cooler/friends-calling poll on this issue. Luckily, most aren't accusing me of supporting the boys' actions. They just think sending a powerful signal to the boys was appropriate -- a view I respect but disagree with in terms of the severity of the signal.
'Deep Throat' praised -- but not of the Milton Academy variety: So now we know who 'Deep Throat' is -- and I happen to think W. Mark Felt is a hero. Just don't tell the teens what 'deep throat' really means. ... Gotta go to the source when reading about the figurative 'Deep Throat': the Washington Post. Good article on Felt's career. ... Though I think Felt is a hero, albeit an undoubtably flawed and complex one with motives not always pure, I can't help but think how his case shows the FBI playing power games behind the scenes. In Boston, we know all about that, alas.
