Well, damn, Predator Panic didn't even make the top 10 fears in America...

So what did Americans fear the most in 2015?

They don't have a category for "registered sex offenders" but here are the stats for sex crime fears.

Rape by a stranger Crime 14.5
Rape by someone you know Crime 11.3
Talking to Stranger Daily Life 9.7

Read more here: https://blogs.chapman.edu/wilkinson/2015/10/13/americas-top-fears-2015/

The bottom line -- people fear our legislators more than the fear sex crimes. And with good reason...

Muslim and Sex Offender Panics: NIMBYism as the Common Bond

(Note: For those unfamiliar with the term, NIMBY is an acronym for "Not In My Back Yard.")

It has not yet two full weeks since the mass shooting in San Bernardino, and already there had been a spate of NIMBYism regarding people from Muslim-controlled countries. Even before the shooting, America was already in full NIMBY mode after the attacks on Paris. Because one of the Paris shooters was suspected of entering France posing as a Syrian refugee, a number of US states have vowed not to accept any Syrian refugees. Toupeed Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump has made waves with his vow to ban Muslims from the US, a move that has a lot of support among Republican voters. Even Trump's critics have openly expressed their fears of Muslims. 

Just look at this New York Times article on American fears about Muslims in the wake of the recent shooting. Beverly Swanburg, 73, from Milford, NH said, “We should not let any more in, any more immigrants from Mexico or Muslim... [They] went to the shooting range the day before. Somebody there should have looked at them as Muslims at a shooting range and paid a little more attention.” Darlene Linares, 19, a supporter of the Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders in San Bernardino,  added that her mother, who immigrated from El Salvador in 1995, was on board with Mr. Trump. “My mom actually agrees,” she said. “She thinks that Muslims are all the same.” Arleigh Clemens, 78, a retired construction worker from North Liberty, Iowa, used a mathematical analogy. “Let’s say you have a jar with 10,000 M&Ms, and only 10 of them are poisoned,” he said. “Would you eat them?” Our fears border on the absurd, as MSN reports that a growing number of Americans now fear "Jihad Brides," foreign-born brides who support the Islamic State group could marry Americans to come to the U.S. to carry out extremist missions.

These fearful Americans are also doing whatever they can to make Muslims in America as uncomfortable as possible. The NY Times reported one Muslim woman who shared her story of being harassed and insulted in a grocery store on Facebook had nearly 300 replies, some from other American Muslims on their experiences with bias — being called a “raghead” or a “Christian killer,” being almost run over, being told to go home, as if home were not here. Many offered solidarity and solace.

Perhaps the scariest response to Muslim Panic has been the presence of armed citizen groups like the  so-called "Three Percenters," armed "Patriots" that have been blamed for threats and vandalism against lawmakers, police and Muslims alike. An MSN article stated the following about these groups: "Followers appear to consist mainly of white, male, conservative gun owners who believe the nation has been pushed to a tipping point by socialists in government aiming to disarm them, strip their constitutional rights and take their property, according to groups that track anti-government movements." Their founder, a former militia member named Michael B. "Mike" Vanderboegh, stresses what he calls "armed civil disobedience." Ironically, people fearing their own loss of rights, particularly gun ownership rights, are quite content with trampling on the rights of others. (As an aside, I have yet to see any real push to take away the right to own firearms. Those folks complaining about gun rights are complaining about background checks and gun restrictions in government buildings and private businesses.)

In Mesa, AZ, similar acts of NIMBYism were conducted against that other group of which Americans tend to share an equally unhealthy fear-- sex offenders. In response to a halfway house for registered citizens opening up in the neighborhood, a group of about 50 white, middle class neighbors organized to attempt to chase them out of the neighborhood. In a news story for ABC 15, Mesa resident Chris Vogt stated, "We are going to make them as uncomfortable as possible." In the subsequent protest against the halfway house, one of the protesters trespassed on the property and started shouting at the reporter and the woman running the halfway house, shouting, Time to go!" When asked to leave the property, the old, white man with the Duck Dynasty beard angrily retorted, "Kiss my royal [unintelligible by I assume he said rectum]." The news report also added “We have verified a zoning violation for operation of a group care facility in a single family residence, without proper zoning entitlement,” said Darren Gerard with the county. Thus, the program is likely to be shut down before it even begins. 

I can't help but to notice the glaring similarities between these two forms of NIMBYism. In both instances, a series of isolated incidents have raised public fears to a level of absurdity matched only by the reactionary responses to this rare threat. People equate Muslim with "terrorist" just as people equate registered citizen with "pedophile." The typical response is various forms of NIMBYism. About 30 states, primarily in the Midwestern and Southern states, have declared they will do all they can to exclude Syrian Refugees from relocating to their states. About 30 states have some form of residency restriction laws, again concentrated in Midwestern and Southern states. We have illegally detained suspected terrorists indefinitely in offshore centers, while states like Minnesota have detained a number of convicted sex offenders who have served out their sentences but have been declared a threat to the public based on an arbitrary system. Protesters harass Muslims; protesters harass registered citizens. People have attacked Muslims and burn down Mosques; people have murdered registered citizens and have even burned down their homes. People want reduced civil rights for Muslim immigrants and visitors; people also push for reduced rights for registered citizens. Muslims and registered citizens alike are unwanted in many communities. Of course, we don't talk about Muslims being raped in prison with glee the way we do a sex offender.

In this country, "stereotypical kidnappings," the event we fear most and the event we use to justify these tough-on-sex-crime laws, are very rare events. In this country, "stereotypical terrorism" is an extremely rare event, and yet, the entirety of the latest Republican presidential debate focused on the "threat of terrorism." While we focus so much of our fears and public policies on these two extremely rare events, issues of greater importance, such as police brutality (far more Americans have been killed by cops than by terrorists and sex offenders combined), are not adequately being addressed. Problems do not get resolved by allowing fear to cloud judgment.

I know many of you are reluctant to make comparisons like this, but, to use a famous quote from the Star Wars movie, "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." But law-abiding and peaceful Muslims, folks labeled as "sex offenders," and a host of other unpopular groups in America have felt the effects of this philosophy. While the quote may have been uttered by a fictional character, the words are a harsh reality.

Muslims are taking to the streets to challenge the stereotypes and prejudices espoused by the American people. I hope registered citizens and their loved ones learn to do the same. On April 5 & 6, 2016, the Anti-Registry Movement will be at the steps of the US Supreme Court, the NCMEC, and the SMART Office to educate the public and politicians in an innovative way, and we invite you to join us. If you cannot, support the cause by donating to the upcoming #OpGetSMART. You can donate directly to Once Fallen through PayPal at iamthefallen1@yahoo.com or mail donations to Derek Logue, 8258 Monon Ave. #3, Cincinnati, OH 45216. (You don't have to specify it is for #OpGetSMART, as all donations I receive between now and April will be for the event.)

If we don't fight for ourselves, who will fight for us? 

How the murder of Adam Walsh changed parenting... for the worse

This morning I read an article on The Examiner (gag) entitled, "How the murder of Adam Walsh changed parenting." I guess we need to be reminded every year around this time that John Walsh still needs our money. 

The article is a laundry list of the many things the Adam Walsh murder has caused. The most notable effect is the paranoid over "predators." I usually make a short response to articles I read, but today I felt the need to write a longer diatribe. 

Below is my response:

I have to dispel a few myths here. The Etan Patz case preceded Walsh (although Walsh was more successful at making a career of it) but there was already a paradigm shift occurring at this time.

1. The "war on crime" was shifting the correctional system philosophy from rehabilitation to the incapacitation/ containment model. As such, the belief was criminals were "monsters" and can't be cured. This belief obviously extended to "sex offenders." 

2. The feminist movement, in a strange marriage with Evangelical Christians, formed a sexual counterrevolution, and the focus on "child abuse" (at the time both physical and sexual) as a natural extension of rape awareness served a common goal for both groups. 

3. After the groundbreaking (and later proven fraudulent) book "Michelle Remembers" was published, there was a belief in Satanic Ritual Abuse and "repressed memory syndrome." Couple it with the belief of vast underground "pedophile" networks that were reinforced with the FBI raids on "NAMBLA," people were already beginning to fear invisible sexual abusers by 1981. In fact, in John Walsh's own book "Tears of Rage," the police he was working with were discussing alleged "pedophile networks" with him (which was irrelevant, and the NAMBLA searches of the time were fruitless, and one member was falsely accused of being responsible for the Etan Patz disappearance). Walsh became so paranoid that he believed every death threat ever made against him was attributed to "pedophiles." In addition, the mantra at the time was "believe the children at any cost," even when the cost included coercive interrogation tactics by overzealous social workers and law enforcement agencies, or stories about abuse include rocketships, underground catacombs, and Chuck Norris. 

4. Awareness campaigns were already creating a new breed of activist-- the "victims' rights advocate." There were plenty of victim groups in existence, pushing for legislation changes and raising awareness. Walsh was taught how to be a victim advocate by others, but Walsh learned how to make a career of it. 

John Walsh wasn't the originator of Predator Panic, but he was still very influential in feeding us lies. He lied before Congress claiming 50,000 "mutilated, decapitated, raped, and strangled" children were dying every year. He got very, very rich propagating panic to our society. Lets not forget that Walsh had pushed to name Toole the killer for years, despite no evidence of involvement other than Toole's recanted statements (it does not make Toole any less of a bad man, since he made the claims to troll Walsh).  

Ironically, the NCMEC teaches AGAINST the "stranger danger" myth. They are aware that most sexual abuse takes place in the home, with someone the victim knows, and most of them aren't on some list. And despite Walsh's claims before Congress, studies found that only 115 out of 71+million kids experience a "stereotypical kidnapping,' the type you see on the nightly news.

Lets be honest. The only thing Walsh ever accomplished is getting rich at the expense of other people. We are a more fearful society as the result of his lies. Paranoid people keep their kids inside (despite our streets being relatively safe, at least more so than the 1970s and 1980s), where they sit in front of TVs watching ads, eating fatty/ sugary foods, and watching more fearmongering propaganda. 

The Adam Walsh Act has led to placing over 730,000 people on the sex offender registries, some as young as age 10. We are ruining the lives of thousands of our young people in Adam's name. Today we have more fear from being labeled a sexual predator than encountering one. 

(I would like to point out the alleged popularity of the registry is a myth. Less than a fourth of the population ever look at the registry, and of those, most do so out of curiosity rather than fear. Many who utilize the registry are members of online vigilante groups.)

Has Adam Walsh changed parenting? Yes-- It changed parenting for the worse.

Pedobears, bus surfers, and Lone Guys on Park Benches! Oh, My!

Do we need any more proof that America is getting too paranoid about sex offenders? It seems that our fear of sex offenders has not yet reached its peak.

Below are some of the most recent stories:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39088022

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department is warning parents about a disturbing new phenomenon made popular by pedophiles and sexual deviants. The Pedo Bear began as an online Japanese cartoon character, and is known for his "lecherous nature" towards prepubescent children. Recently, pedophiles have adopted the bear as a mascot. Although there have been no reported sightings of the image on the Central Coast, individuals dressed in the bear costume and car decals have been seen in Southern California. Local law enforcement cautions parents to be aware of the image, particularly at public events. For concerns about the image, contact the Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement division of the sheriff's department at 805-781-4550.

For those of you who have never heard of "Pedobear," Pedobear is a character created on a popular website called 4chan that was used to call out someone who makes a comment that sounds sexually inappropriate, or calls to attention something that oversexualizes children or minors. Pedobear eventually became used outside the 4chan site, of course. But many do not understand what it means because it is a 4chan inside joke. Apparently, neither did the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office. They saw a person dressed as Pedobear at the comic book convention and they sound the alarm. It may be a joke in bad taste, but it is not necessarily a criminal, either.

The San Lius Obispo Sheriff's Office is not the only one creating panic. John Walsh of AMW, the leader in fear promoting for almost 30 years, has created a new panic: Watch out for "bus surfing pedophiles:"

http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.com/2010/07/nv-americas-most-wanted-host-john-walsh.html

"The front lines against a disturbing reality. John Walsh calls it "bus surfing" -- pedophiles who follow buses and prey on children at bus stops."

Of course, the problem is not just that he creates a new fear, he finds a few people willing to back him up on his latest campaign of fear:

The bus drivers here say they're aware this goes on. And they say John's presence here serves as inspiration to constantly be on the watch and report any suspicions. They know their neighborhood routes well, so they say they look out for cars who linger behind buses or people who seem out of place. And they say they're not afraid to report suspicious activity to the police.

Oh yeah, if you are lost or new to the neighborhood, be prepared to be a suspect.

The last featured article is relevant in light of recent trends that ban sex offenders or even people without children from parks.

http://blog.seattlepi.com/wallingford/archives/220922.asp

The Monster of Meridian Park

This post originally appeared on Wallyhood, the Wallingford, Seattle neighborhood blog. Visit us for more Wallingford news.

(By Margaret)

Imagine, if you will, an idyllic park setting where sounds of children's laughter and shrieks of delight fill the air. You shade your eyes from the sun and catch a glimpse of someone sitting on a nearby bench. Looking around, you discover that this person is at the park alone, which you find strange. "Something's not quite right," you think, as you watch him wander through the playground. Your instincts tell you that this person shouldn't be anywhere near children.

Back home, you log onto your computer and check the database of registered sex offenders, during which you find that there are 12 offenders within a mile radius of your address. Your pulse quickens as you look through the database. You suddenly see a picture of someone that stops your heart cold, and you ask yourself, "Is it him? Is this the man who was at the park"? You're horrified. That man is a Level 2 sex offender, and what's more, he's NON-COMPLIANT. Your hunch was right. He has no business being anywhere near children.

So you share the news in the public forum of your community's neighborhood blog because people need to know, and parents with children who visit the park need to be aware that this dangerous man could return to the park at any time and possibly re-offend. Before long, people are asking, "Why is this guy allowed to be in the park?" People then report that they've seen this man everywhere: at the supermarket, the library, and a bus stop. What's worse is that someone else calls the Seattle Police Department to report "the incident," and dispatcher tells the caller that since the man is not on probation, there is nothing stopping him from being around children.

Meanwhile, fliers emblazoned with "HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN?" and the man's photo are distributed to parents in the park. One parent Google's the man's name, only to find out that he was thrown in jail last year for keeping pornographic files of children on his computer. "Why the HELL," she asks, "isn't this man still in jail?"

But then, someone else does a bit more digging. Finds that the man in question is actually not the same man in the database. That man has been behind bars for the past year, and he will remain so for 11 more. That man should have been taken off of the Sex Offender database last year.

It's an honest mistake, to be sure, but one that has raised a lot of fears. The intention was admirable, but the cascade of events that followed was not.

We are incredibly lucky to be living in the digital age--where infinite information is delivered to us effortlessly. We are more informed, more aware, and as such, more proactive about delivering information that can be helpful to our neighbors. But sometimes, a little information can be very dangerous. Without checking facts or digging deeper, we stand a chance to instill unnecessary fear and widespread panic.

And there you have it. How do you think this innocent man must have felt because some idiot thought he was a pedophile? His only "crime" was sitting in a park. Men are increasingly cast as potential sexual predators in this country.

Sexual predators are EVERYWHERE! HIDE THE KIDS! Watch the video below, and you'll see how far this has gone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBw1I0AOhQ4

ADDENDUM: There is one more panic out there. Now CNN is reporting an alleged "Pedophile Manifesto," and promotes the fear by getting Ed Smart, Robin Sax, and Mark Klaas, complete with faulty stats. Joy Behar should've stayed on The View. The irony is that most of the child advocacy place put info out there on how molesters work. That is about the same thing, in my opinion.

http://joybehar.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/08/manual-for-child-molesters/

ADDENDUM 2: The Pedobear scare spreads!

Tulsa's Fox 23 News claims the guy under the mask was a Registered Sex Offender, yet there is no actual report of that, the man would have been arrested on the spot and would have been in the earlier report.

http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/Pedobear-The-New-Pedophile/jcdOrr1dzU2Pbv12JE4qZw.cspx