Hey Freak!

Dude. Remind me not to touch anyone. Ever.

I don't wanna be like this guy:

Fitzroy Barnaby said he had to swerve to avoid hitting the 14-year-old Des Plaines girl who walked in front of his car.

She said he yelled, "Come here, little girl," before getting out of his car and grabbing her by the arm.

He said he simply lectured her.

She said she broke free and ran, fearful of what he'd do next.

In a Thursday ruling, the Appellate Court of Illinois said the 28-year-old Evanston man must register as a sex offender.

...

Though Barnaby was acquitted of attempted kidnapping and child abduction charges stemming from the November 2002 incident, he was convicted of unlawful restraint of a minor -- which is a sex offense. [full story]

I'm all for protecting kids, but please. This is going way too far. I mean, the guy almost woulda been better off if he had hit the kid. I'd rather live with the "ignorant driver" stigma than the "sexual offender" stigma, definitely. Bad drivers don't have to register with the state. There's no database for bad drivers.

"Recognizing the stigma that comes with being labeled as a sex offender, the appellate court said 'it is [Barnaby's] actions which have caused him to be stigmatized, not the courts.'" Bullshit, you asshole. The courts (incorrectly) interpreted his actions as "sexual." I don't think that, say, a "jury of his peers" would have convicted him as such. Would you?

Like Michele said, it's stuff like this that makes the sex offender database useless.

I read that story on Fark last night. It made me sick to my stomach.

I'd also like to point out, in a bit of irony about sex offenders, in the first comment I had to type in "bald" for my word below and this time it's going to be "lube". That's awesome.

Sad isn't it? I live not far from there and know the community. I can believe the retardness of the whole thing.

Its to the point where my father who is so fun loving cant even say hello to kids anymore. We were at a hotel for New Years (a family tradition) and a little girl (maybe 18 months old) kept trying to squeeze through the gate that surrounds the pool. Her mother was always there to pull her back, but I guess at one point they were all in their room and didn't notice the tot wander away. Dad and I were in front of our room when we saw her toddle past. I ran after her almost all the way around the pool (that little shit was fast) and my dad ran to their room to get her mom. (Please don't rant on the mom. Yes, she should have been paying attention-especially if she knew the kid was facinated by the pool. But kids can slip away in an instant. Was she wrong? Yes. Can it happen to anyone? Yes). Anyhoo, Dad later explained to me that he was glad I chose to go after the tyke because he didn't want people seeing HIM chase after a little girl because who knows what may have been running through their minds..

How sad! You have to watch everything you do these days. It's so not right.

i heard about this too. absolutel ridiculous.

Makes me glad i dont live in america :/

People are crazy.

"there's no database for bad drivers."

Yes there is, it's called the DMV.

I totally agree that it's things like this that make the offender database useless. Seems you can't even pat someone on the back anymore without it becoming "he/she tried to touch me inappropriately". I'm a touchy-feely kind of person and I pretty much get along with anyone, so I especially have to watch myself at work since I'm a supervisor.

What bullshit.

The whole system is biased against the ugly. Believe me, if my wife didn't think I was good looking, she'd have had me fired for sexual harrassment when I asked her out.

If Jude Law puts his arm around a lady and tells her she's beautiful, he's charming. If Steve Buscemi does it, he's going on the state registry.

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