Not all dangerous

From The Stokes News:

Dear Editor,

I am writing my letter in concern of the hundreds of people in Stokes County who have fallen victim to our National Sex Offender Registry.

Where there was no harm, where is the crime? Most of the people on the registry are not dangerous people at all! Why should society label these people to be something they’re not? When a teenager experiments with alcohol, do you label them an alcoholic for the rest of their life? No you don’t. There has to be a place to draw the line.

The answer is not by incarcerating our young men. Girls and boys are naturally curious about sex at a very young age. If they choose to experiment, they will, no matter where or with who. Most young girls under 16 are attracted to older guys, you know, the ones who have a car! Why are we trying to twist this into people’s minds as dangerous when it’s just the opposite, it’s harmless.

We need to teach our children about sex and birth control and marriage. We all love our children and want to keep them safe, but because of the wide range of people who have been labeled as sex offenders, we will not be able to focus on the real dangerous ones.

Tena Swain

King