I just found the following news story on Yahoo:
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch pedophiles are launching a political party to push for a cut in the legal age for sexual relations to 12 from 16 and the legalization of child pornography and sex with animals. The party said it wanted to cut the legal age for sexual relations to 12 and eventually scrap the limit altogether.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060530/od_nm/dutch_pedophiles_dc_1
I'm finishing up a story that explores the trauma and pain being suffered by a TG who was molested as a young child, based in part on my own experiences when young. These people can not imagine the harm they do to the children they molest! Do they, or does anybody for that matter, really believe a child under sixteen can give informed consent to participate in that activity? These people are so sick, it turns my stomach and makes my skin crawl.
The heroine in my story has a socially unacceptable solution to the problems of pedophiles, one that I could apply myself if I had the chance. Even many years afterwards, revisiting these childhood memories while writing my story has caused me some restless & sleepless nights. I finished the rewrite last night (actually early this morning), sent it off to my editor, and got the first good night's sleep I've had in awhile. Then I got up and found that article in my news box. I'm angry, and upset!
I'm venting here, and I may not be making a whole lot of sense, but I'm disturbed and upset. I'm pretty much a Libertarian by outlook, but government exists to keep some types of harmful behavior from occurring, and child molestation certainly qualifies as harmful behavior. Anybody who thinks that an adult having sex with a child is a good thing is a sick, perverted person.
I'm sorry, I'm sitting here crying as I write this, and I'm not sure I'm making much sense. But I know I can't keep this bottled up inside of me, and I have to unload somewhere. This is not what my first bog posting would be like. excuse my ramblings.
Karen J.
Comments
Sad enough
The relevance of this story to many BC readers and writers is obvious. I hope reading about this does not add to anyone else's pain.
I don't think this "political party" is any real threat to get laws changed in the Netherlands. Political parties in European-style democracies are frequently founded on such one-issue grounds solely for publicity. They're unlikely to get enough votes to make any real impact.
- Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Erin You say, and I hope,
Erin
You say, and I hope, that "They're unlikely to get enough votes to make any real impact".
Unfortunately, The Netherlands (and Israel) take Proportional Representation to the extreme, with the whole country being treated as a single constituency. This allows the entrance of small parties with one or two members into their parliaments. If 0.67% of the Netherlands voters are nutters, they can elect a nutter of their choice!
Then the question arises - "Does the nutter hold the balance of power?" This is unpredictable, but I can remember a party with two representatives being necessary for a dutch coalition, and Rabbi Kahn, a US emigre to Israel who advocated forcing every Palestinian from the biblical area of Israel being in an Israeli coalition.
So I would regretfully state - implausible but possible
Wyrm
Representation
In the unlikely event that even 2/3 of one percent of the Nederlander voters were foolish enough to elect a pedophile, I think any coalition foolish enough to court said pedophile to make up a government would most likely cause a breakdown in the coalition.
It's possible but it remains unlikely in the extreme. :)
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Correct me if I'm wrong but b
Correct me if I'm wrong but being a pedophile in Netherlands is still a criminal offence, so anyone admitting to being one would be arrested. :S
Seems like an awful lot of trouble to go to just get your self arrested. :D
The Legendary Lost Ninja
No admission
You don't have to admit to a crime to take a political position. This doesn't mean that people wouldn't make the assumption.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
I share your outrage Karen...
The trauma caused by such abuse is far reaching. My sister-in-law was molested as a child by an adult family member; someone who should have been protecting her instead inflicted terrible suffering on her and her family. I was not even part of the family when the abuse occured, and yet it eventually affected my life as well.
I don't blame you for being angry one bit.
Sincerely,
Scott
Bree
The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense.
-- Tom Clancy
http://genomorph.tglibrary.com/ (Currently broken)
http://bree-ramsey314.livejournal.com/
Twitter: @genomorph
Yeah, I heard it on the news
Yeah, I heard it on the news (and I live in the Netherlands). But everybody is laughing very hard, just let them try it, it will die a silent death even before it is born. Who wants to be on national tv proclaiming he is a pedo, your life is over then.
Live and let live
It is clear that people have no right to impose their ideals unfairly on others.
How can anyone think it is fair to take advantage of physical size and strength to force sex on a child? In case somebody sick enough to think that there is such a thing as consentual sex between adults and minors happens to read this -- there is NO way for consent to occur when there is such a huge difference in social position.
Karen - you need to look for positive ways to channel all that emotion. Last night, I watched "Transamerica" for the first time. I was impressed by the positive way they showed the spirit of the main character. Equally impressive was the carnage left over from the child abuse of her son by his stepfather.
I'm hosting a 40th class reunion this summer. In preparation I started scanning pictures last night for a slide show. I had to make a decision whether or not to include the priest that abused so many of the children in our school.
There are a thousand reasons that I laughed as the world honored the "holy" pope who died recently in Rome. Just for the way he handled the abuse situations, by shoving them under the rug as often and as quickly as he could, he should be villified. The world needed to be told that child abuse is despicable and should be eradicated as quickly as possible when realized. By his actions he said loud and clear that the eradication and prevention of child abuse had a low priority. Shame on him.
By the way: In Transamerica the doctor stated that GID is classified by the APA as a serious mental disorder. Is that true? I thought that was changed in the early ninties?
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
No it is part of the DSM IV (
No it is part of the DSM IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), see http://www.psychnet-uk.com/dsm_iv/gender_identity_disorder.htm
I believe that because the DSM IV and the Harry Benjamin Standard of Care suggest grs/srs as a (possible) solution that it is paid for by the dutch national health services. Because of the DSM IV classification the dutch labor law states that the time for srs surgery and the time needed for recovery from the srs surgery must be seen as official (paid) sickleave.
So please keep it in there, it has more benifits then downsides (at least for the dutch people).
DSM-IV
In the DSM-IV is the classification for Gender Identity Disorder (GID) and the five criteria required, No where does it state that it is a serious mental disorder.
The DSM-IV is from the American Psychiatric Association its known as Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, The current edition was published in 1994, DSM V should be out in a little over a year or so.
Jill Micayla
May you have a wonderful today and a better tomorrow
Jill Micayla
Be kinder than necessary,Because everyone you meet
Is fighting some kind of battle.
Sometimes Things Happen For A Reason
Well, things are back in perspective. I was lying in bed indulging myself in a bout of self-pity, wishing I'd gone to work today instead of taking a comp day, when my pager went off. As Angela/Jill knows, I just completed my recertification as a medical First Responder, the page was for First Responders for an injury accident, one of those little Jeep Liberty's vs. a fully loaded concrete mixer truck.
Knowing that few responders are available during the weekdays, I called in and hurried to the scene. The young woman driving the Jeep only had minor injuries (Editorial comment: Seat Belts Save Lives!), but was trapped in her upside-down vehicle, and scared to death! I bandaged her cuts and basically held her hand until the regular Fire/EMS people arrived and extracted her.
Afterward, I had a nice lunch with the young woman who'd responded with me. She's only been certified a few months, and admitted to me that she was scared to death until I came up on the radio. Knowing she wouldn't be alone gave her a big boost in confidence.
So today, I was able to help two other women, and as a bonus the restaurant had just put some fresh sweet watermelon and cantaloupe on the salad bar so I enjoyed an excellent lunch!
Some days, it does pay to get out of bed, even if I didn't think so at first. I apologize to all for my earlier overreaction.
Love to all!
Karen J.
"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin
Good Job, Karen :)
Way to go!
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Molestation at any age is wrong.
Inner city schools, yes even in the grade schools are having increased numbers of children molesting other children.
In high school, what girl has not been fondled or touched on breast and bottom while they walked the corridors? All that is required is that they not pay attention to those around them.
This all goes on in full view of others and nothing or rarely is anything done about it. Now that is as wrong as anything else mentioned in this thread.
Most of those posting here have mentioned some child they knew or they themselves having been molested by an adult. I tell you, that I had to deal with being molested and humiliated by my peers! Other kids more than worry about an adult doing things to me.
Everyone is fairly quick to react in forceful ways when an adult is suspected of molesting a child. Just the suspicion has destroyed many adult lives. (If they are guilty, so be it. If not, shame on us.)
What happens to the teen or preteen child molester? What happens to those that help them carry out their sick plans on another child? NOTHING! I mean absolutely nothing unless penetration has taken place. If that child suffering such abuse has not been penetrated in vagina or rectum, then a slap on the wrist, if that takes place.
There is more discipline enforced on those kids that beat up other kids than for those who fondle them. One incident I remember, the adult who intervened asked me if my clothes had been torn, or if I had been beaten! Seeing that my clothing was fine and I was not bruised or injured physically, the incident was quickly forgotten about by the adult(s).
I wonder how many parents ask their children of any age if they are being fondled or touched at school by other children. One recent independent poll done in Canada and one done in Alaska reported that child to child abuse is off the charts! Yet, since there has been no outcry from the parents, these CRIMES are not being dealt with by anyone!
Tell the teacher everyone says, BULL! That is when things go from bad to worse! Tell the teacher and the next thing that happens is you wake up severely beaten and naked somewhere. I KNOW! If you tell anyone it had better be someone willing to do something about the problem and offer the child their protection! That just doesn't happen and sadly to say, nothing has been even thought about by the powers that be to even deal with this out of control problem in our schools.
You really want to do something about the problem of children and the crime of wrongful sex or molestation done to them by anyone? Start writing editorials to your local newspapers. Write to the local PTA and teachers groups. Get involved locally in a big way. Even stay behind the scenes if you feel you must, but do something!
If you have children or young nephews or nieces, do something! I know some of you will not believe me, but that's OK, that is the reaction of over 90% of the adults today. I mean, what little kid would molest another little kid? They don't even know what sex is yet. BULL! Sex ed is required in most of our schools today and they start the program to kids as young as 6 years old.
All it takes is one sick older kid talking to other younger kids. The ideas are planted in young minds and they carry them out. They find that there is no penalty for doing these things, so COOL!
No wonder we have a problems of such a huge magnitude these days. We are allowing children to practice molestation on each other until they perfect there talents as they get older.
I wonder how many of the sex offenders started out their practice in grade school? No, as with stealing and other crimes, a penalty must be administered for all these offenses no matter the age of the child. Counselling is only the first step and is no penalty to be feared by any child or adult. You have to add something to make the practice to costly for even a child to think about doing such things.
A penalty to make other children look at and see that this is not acceptable and they will suffer the consequences if they choose to even help another child do these things to another child.
Sadly I have to report that I have run into a brick wall down here in the south. No one wants to tackle this problem in a leading role. They fear the publicity! They fear for the safety of their children. They think that if they take a stand on this problem, their children will be targeted. Publicity? The liberal press? I wonder how they will handle this? They have! By not reporting it, by not stirring things up this way. No, if it is an adult or better yet, a minister or even better yet, a priest doing these molestations and rapes, they will be all yours. But a child with a child? Nope, no way, the families should deal with this problem, they are just children after all.
Something to think about.
Huggles Angel
Be yourself, so easy to say, so hard to live.
"Be Your-Self, So Easy to Say, So Hard to Live!"