People are sometimes shocked that I’m wary of laws requiring sex offenders to register. How could I possibly object to alerting communities about rapists and child molesters?
Because the laws are written by grandstanding legislators, and grandstanding legislators are often stupid and callous, and stupid, callous legislators are a much greater threat than some sex offenders.
Registries also ignore the pesky fact that almost all sex offenses against children are committed by someone the child knows and trusts, not some random lurking stranger.
Yes, in addition to the random cruelty of what is or isn’t considered a sexual offense, the registration laws are also pointless and ineffective legislative theater.
But in the case of genuine sex offenders, while I think the laws are still foolish, I can’t really work up much outrage.
I was thinking that you were going to talk about Wisconsin, and sex with dead animals.
http://volokh.com/posts/1203542780.shtml
“But think of the fawns!”