Interesting...

[denny]

Would you volunteer for this?

(ObWarning: article is about paedophiles, avoid if that's a problem for you)

(likewise yoinked from zotz)

Comments

[booklectica]

It seems to work, therefore I think it's an excellent idea. And ethically sound, on the whole.

Could I do it? Probably not.

[adjectivegail]

Ditto.

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

Yeah.

I'd be interested to know what percentage of the volunteers in Canada have abuse victims within their family. I can't decide whether that should make you more likely to want to do 'whatever works', or less likely to do it because you couldn't summon the required sympathy/whatever. I tend to think the latter, but maybe that's my own failing.

[booklectica]

Yes, that would be interesting to know.

I couldn't do it - not because I can't summon the sympathy, because I think I could, but because it would mean I'd have to think about what they'd done to the various children. And I have enough problems with trying not to think about stuff like that already, especially being married to someone who works with child abusers. (I forwarded him this article.) That's a close as I could manage to get, and even then I'd rather Simon had a different job.

Basically, having a young baby has made me extremely oversensitive...

[wildeabandon.livejournal.com]

I would, yes. Unsurprising really.

[skx.livejournal.com]

Interesting timing, I spent yesterday reading a book on the life of a pedophilia (http://home.wanadoo.nl/hote/wilson/).

I think if it was shown to work, and if the people who were befriended were doing it volunterily, rather than being compelled to do so it's a good thing.

I think I would volunteer, personally.

[mhw.livejournal.com]

I think that from the limited details it sounds like a very good thing indeed, and yes, I probably would volunteer, if I read the small print and it matched my thoughts.

[djlongfella.livejournal.com]

mhw, You could really treat another human with compasion, who had abused a child possibly and more than likely tainting their entire life, causing mental and physical damage ?

Did they remove your spine at birth or what ?

[mhw.livejournal.com]

Denny asked me a question, and I answered it honestly. You're not required either to agree with me or to like my answer.

Did they remove your spine at birth or what ?

If you knew anything about me, you'd know why that's a really amusingly moronic question.

[djlongfella.livejournal.com]

Funny really, as the more Ithink about it, the more your original comment shows strength of character...You were one of the few people who said that you thought it was a good Idea, but then also backed up that proposition with the conviction of saying, " yes " you would do it. So fair dicumm to you.

I must admit, I was enraged having typed a lengthy reply for LJ to crash on me on upload...

You are right, I do not have to like your reply, neither you like mine, but agree that throwing " insults " at people in anothers LJ blog is wrong. or in your words " amusingly mororonic "

Likwise if you knew anything about me, you would know that I always speak my mind as I see it, but am not affraid to change my view either.

We both have valid reasons for our point of view, which neither of us know about each other due the " virtual " debate.

[mhw.livejournal.com]

*nodnod* The point about the spine comment is that I've been disabled due to spinal damage for several years. You weren't to know.

[djlongfella.livejournal.com]

I tried several times to write a reply...including an example of using the term " couldn't see the wood for the tree's " to a blind person...
The only thing I can do is relate that I once struck up a very long and good relationship with a girl who had lost her leg at a young age on a motorcyle, I met her in a pub, and a good time was had by all.

I had spent best part of the previous summer in Barnet general hospital after a motorcylce accident...

Long and short, durring the convo with said girl on first meeting, she got round to mentionaing her leg amputatation, which, I'm sure for a young attractive female is slightly more horrific ( if at all possible ) than if it were to happen to say, someone in their 70's after a full and fruitfull life...
Anyhow after she told me a breif history of having leg removed, she mentioned that it all happened at Barnet General, to which I offered my sincere sympathy...to this " said " new friend hit the roof.." Don't want your fing sympathy etc "..she of course, thought I was offereing sympathy for the fact she had, had a leg removed, I was in fact offereing sypmathy for the fact it was done at Barnet general...One thing that marvelous woman taught me, was that the best reaction one could give, is to carry on as normall around her...it helped her deal with things, I do however appreciate that people deal with diversities and obsticals and challenges in many different ways, and therefore my statement could have been perceived as in bad taste, but I think " Amusingly Moronic " is more fitting.

I need to add a foot note that my Father has recently had several heart operations in Barnett General, and thankfully I can confirm it is a far brighter / better place than it used to be. Not sure if this post has put my foot further into my mouth than it already was, but was posted as some form of explanation.
I'm sure many readers would say an apology would be more in order, but I prefer to be amusingly moronic.

[mhw.livejournal.com]

*chuckle* Explanation gladly accepted. Apology not needed.

My cousin lost a leg after a bike accident years ago; yes, there's no point in sympathising about the leg, but sympathy about the stuff he has to deal with as a consequence isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Shall we just stop twitching at each other and just get on with being friends?

[blaadyblah.livejournal.com]

I couldn't, no.
I don't have that kind of forgiveness in me. This is not to say that it is a bad idea. If it works then good luck to them (I'm not in favour of punishment for the sake of vengeance alone either) but no, I don't think I could do it.

[ghoti.livejournal.com]

No. I can tell this, because I can't find the time or whatever to do the Link scheme (http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/sub/ssd/adop_fost/fostering/link.htm), either.

I'd feel guilty about not doing it, though.

[djlongfella.livejournal.com]

Hang them....How far can you offer forgiveness... If any of you felt an ounce of sorrorw when you heard what happend to Holly and Jessica, you would not be saying sounds like a good Idea...If it's that great, then join the program, but I notice most who say they think it's grerat also say they could not do it...

If you could not volunteer then be honest..you know they are scum and deserve no second choice...

I am against corperal punishment, but would vote for hanging in a heart beat in a case where dna proves kiddie fiddling...

[mhw.livejournal.com]

I notice most who say they think it's grerat also say they could not do it...

And then call those of us who say that we could 'spineless'. We really can't make you happy, can we?

[djlongfella.livejournal.com]

As my above post, says, and unfortunatly you posted this response before I could re - word my initial post I agree.

On issues as contraversial and damageing to our society, I beleive strong moral convictions are required, to half agree, does not show conviction, sometimes I wonder if political correctness has percalated so far into our decision making process that we are often unable to make concise decisions on where we stand.

[mhw.livejournal.com]

I don't have a problem with people saying "I think it's a good idea, but I don't think that I could do it myself."

People have different capabilities and lots of factors in their lives that may make them more or less able - not necessarily more or less willing - to do things. I'd like to have kids, for example, but there's no way that I'm well enough to be able to take on that kind of full-time commitment, and it'd be stupid of me not to acknowledge that.

I've worked as a volunteer counsellor with a couple of organisations on and off over the past twenty years, and I know how much it demands from someone to do that: not everyone has that capacity. People can also have stuff in their history that would make it traumatic for them to try to help others deal with it when they haven't necessarily dealt with it completely themselves.

[fellcat.livejournal.com]

It is my belief that the desire to molest children is not a deliberate choice, in the same way that lusting after members of the same sex is not a deliberate choice. The difference between being gay and being a paedophile is that a gay can act upon his or her desires with mutual consent; a paedophile cannot because children cannot consent, which is why sex with children is not acceptable behaviour and sex with adults of the same sex is. It has been my long-held belief that the lack of support for paedophiles who do not wish to offend but have trouble restraining their desires makes the likelihood of offending higher, not lower. Anything that increases the support available to paedophiles to make that daily choice to not offend easier is IMNSHO is good thing.

And yes, I would volunteer. I already discuss PHP and Java with one whenever I see him.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

I'd have to think about that. At that theoretical point when I am fixed, I would, but at that same theoretical point I will start thinking of adopting children and I'm not sure it would work to have two sides of the same coin on the table at once.