Ohio wants special car plates for sex offenders

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

CINCINNATI (Reuters) - Lawmakers in Ohio said on Wednesday they want to force convicted sex offenders to use a fluorescent-green license plate on their cars so they can be easily identified.

A Republican and a Democrat in the state legislature in Columbus have joined forces to propose the law, which echoes measures in several U.S. states that require convicted drunken drivers to use a yellow, pink or red plate on their cars.

"The fluorescent-green license plate will make the most egregious sex offenders easily identifiable," state Democratic Rep. Michael DeBose said in a statement.

Police said the green plates would allow them to track sex offenders, who are already required to register with the local sheriff's office and are prohibited from living within 1,000 feet of a school.

"It will give Ohio families a great peace of mind knowing that their children will be able to recognize where this danger exists," Summit County Sheriff Drew Alexander said.

Alexander joined the politicians at a news conference in Columbus, the state capital, to praise the proposed law.

Opponents of the proposed law argue the use of a special plate would stigmatize everyone who shared the offender's car -- including their spouse or children.

The proposed law will be debated in committee before a decision is made whether to put the proposal to a vote.

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[Donna A 4]

leave it to ohio...ive been seeing alot of yellow ones lately.

[PlatyPius 5]

Why not?

Indiana has a Jesus-Freak plate now.

[Buttons 0]

I think it's a great idea! Keep the kids safe!

[mmb 0]

Anyone who thinks this will make chilren safer is sadly misguided.

Stranger danger is not the real danger to most childen.

Most children who are abused know their abuser, a member of the family, friend of the family, a nieghbour.

Most child abusers have not been convicted so wouldn't have these plates anyway.

Why waste time and money on giving people a false sense of security.

[chuckandkim 0]

Anyone who thinks this will make children safer is sadly misguided.

Stranger danger is not the real danger to most children.

Most children who are abused know their abuser, a member of the family, friend of the family, a neighbor.

Most child abusers have not been convicted so wouldn't have these plates anyway.

Why waste time and money on giving people a false sense of security.

Amen to this! Moreover, anyone who uses the "for the safety of the children" tent to have an agenda, and to support his agenda he would use the children as his ironclad argument. Great, now everyone gets to key and break in that sex-offender's car, express their anger and disgust toward him. Next stop: all Jews must wear the star of David, for the safety of the children. Next stop: for the safety of all children, all interstates and local road will have MPH speed limit and painted yellow-cheese-bus. Next stop: National ID Card and ID checkpoint, for the safety of our children. By no mean I support the sex offenders, child abuser, but I hate the idea of the big brother, having laws to protect our children, where as: if you touch a child and sexually abuse him/her, you're shipped to Guantanamo Bay! Most child abuser can't stop himself from repeating his sinful activity, he'll strike again. Why waste time and money to give him more time and chance, with the hope he will rehabilitate.

Someone in Ohio State will have a huge raise from making all these special license plates for the Ohio State DOT. Follow the money guys, some lawmakers in OH probably will get a huge kick back from this new law from the company who makes the tags for the States. See how your tax dollars are paid to these boneheads who can't stop coming up with stupid useless laws. We have laws like that already, enforce it!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Branding of any human being is an inherently bad idea.

[Fandango 1,439]

I think it's a bad idea.

Plus, nowt stops a sex offender from taking a bus to the park.

Why not?

Indiana has a Jesus-Freak plate now.

those are voluntary silly!

[Caladan 19]

Either the guy has paid his debt to society by serving a jail sentence, or he hasn't. If he hasn't, then lock him up, rehabilitate him, whatever. If he has, then there's no need to brand his car.

Plus, "come on Susie, my car doesn't have any green plates like you learned in school. want a lolly?" Arg.

This goes for the drunk driving plates, too. If the guy is that much of a risk, take away his license. If he isn't, then he's paid his time, and he doesn't need a plate. (Plus, I'm going to bet that more accidents are caused by people looking at the plates and trying to drive more cautiously & not paying attention to the road than there are by repeat offenders.)

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

Either the guy has paid his debt to society by serving a jail sentence, or he hasn't.

not quite so simple. many still have to register as a sex offender after being released. so the debt does not necessarily end upon release from jail.

[Caladan 19]

I don't like that, either, to be honest. If the guy's that much of a danger, lock him up. If he's not, and he's done his time, he deserves a chance to get on with his life.

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

I don't like that, either, to be honest. If the guy's that much of a danger, lock him up. If he's not, and he's done his time, he deserves a chance to get on with his life.

i disagree. and btw not just guys are sex offenders.

[Caladan 19]

Vast majority are men. Vast majority are also family members or known to the child (mommy's new boyfriend, that sort of thing), if we're actually getting into it.

I still think it's a pointless law and doesn't do much except inflame hysteria. What does knowing that a child molester or sex offender lives in your neighborhood do, practically, to change your behavior? Were you going to let your kids hang out in the guy's basement but then you checked online to see that he was a sex offender? If you find there's a sex offender in the neighborhood, are you going to lock your kids indoors?

Practically, your advice to your kids and yourself is going to be the same anyway; you're going to keep an eye on them, walk them to the bus stop or school, and tell them not to talk to strangers. So what practical benefit does the notification law have?

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

Vast majority are men. Vast majority are also family members or known to the child (mommy's new boyfriend, that sort of thing), if we're actually getting into it.

I still think it's a pointless law and doesn't do much except inflame hysteria. What does knowing that a child molester or sex offender lives in your neighborhood do, practically, to change your behavior? Were you going to let your kids hang out in the guy's basement but then you checked online to see that he was a sex offender? If you find there's a sex offender in the neighborhood, are you going to lock your kids indoors?

Practically, your advice to your kids and yourself is going to be the same anyway; you're going to keep an eye on them, walk them to the bus stop or school, and tell them not to talk to strangers. So what practical benefit does the notification law have?

yes, a vast majority are men, but your previous statement didn't indicate that. i was just taking the liberty of pointing that out. and yes, i also know that a vast majority of such cases involve a relative or family friend. yet why play the odds? are you for gambling that much with the mental health and well being of some kid who could be a potential victim just because you want to be stubborn?

also, what is the big deal about parents knowing if such a predator lives in their neighborhood? to be forewarned is to be forearmed, you know? it's one thing telling your kids not to talk to strangers, but having a convicted child molester living next door to you would change the equation dramatically, would it not? and in the case of one living next door, he's not a stranger, he or she is a neighbor. significantly stronger protective steps would be involved in the latter case due to the proximity of the convicted molester. something no one would know if you had your way, eh? i know you are a big right to privacy advocate, but i also think that society has a right too.

[Mags 112]

I think it's a bad idea.

Plus, nowt stops a sex offender from taking a bus to the park.

Why not?

Indiana has a Jesus-Freak plate now.

those are voluntary silly!

You know what my Platy is like.....