By far one of the best things I have read yet today - the idea that we finally begin to exterminate any Human animal that hurt our children. Being a Mother of a young daughter, I could easily say that I have devoted the last 20 years of my life to ensuring my daughter is safe. Her Father cheated on me, he was never involved with our Family and I have done it all on my own since nearly the day she was born. I have not dated much, I never went out and partied, I didn't have men over, I pretty much have dedicated my life to being Mom.

I primarily spend as much time as possible with my child because there truly is nothing better than enjoying the company of your children. Family should be the number one aspect in any persons life. It seems all too easy to drop the kids off at the daycare in hopes of earning more money to buy things you don't need at Wal-Mart (or Burlington Coat Factory for you big spenders).

All jokes aside, whether it's safe or not to utilize daycare is of opinion but I never left my daughter with anyone, except her Grandparents before the age of 9. I felt at 9 years old, we had enough of a communication that she could tell me if something wasn't OK. That's when I felt bold enough to leave her Dad. By far the best decision I could have ever made in my life!!

I'm not defending divorce because it took a lot of HELL to push me to that point but let me just say - never claim you are staying and living in misery for the kids because you are only convincing yourself. And you are putting your kids through hell. Staying in a relationship for the kids is a mistake and hurts the kids as bad as it does you.

To end this little rant I'm going to say that I think it's a very good idea to eliminate those who hurt any child out of society. It's the worst crime that could ever be committed and should be punishable by death. I can see no reason to allow a person who hurts a child to live and do it again.


~Samantha

Proposals to execute pedophiles make headway in US

by Fanny Carrier Mon May 28, 3:49 AM ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The idea of executing child rapists, even when there in no loss of life, is making headway in the United States.

The Louisiana Supreme Court last week upheld the death sentence for a pedophile, and the governor of Texas is soon to sign into law legislation to that effect.

In 1995, Louisiana was the first state to adopt legislation authorizing the death penalty for child rapists.

AFP/Getty Images/File Photo: Jessica Lunsford who convicted sex offender John Evander Couey admitted to kidnapping and killing.

Ten years later, the movement to make pedophilia punishable by death really picked up steam after nine-year-old Jessica Lunsford was raped and buried alive in Florida by a man with a prior conviction for sex crimes.

Various versions of the "Jessica Law" sprang up all over in the country, imposing in most cases a minimum 25 year jail sentence and the wearing of an ankle bracelet for life for raping a child aged 12 or younger.

But in some states, elected officials amended their versions of the "Jessica Law" by adding the possibility of condemning a pedophile to death.

They include Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Georgia and Montana.

An overwhelming majority of lawmakers in Texas chose to join the list. Texas is responsible for a third of all executions carried out in the United States in the past 30 years and for two-thirds of those conducted so far this year.

The draft law is now on the desk of Texas Governor Rick Perry, who has promised to sign it.

The idea seems to go against the grain in the rest of the country, where the death penalty is losing ground because of grave judicial errors and botched executions.

Organizations defending the rights of crime victims have differing views on the proposals.

"We are very concerned that this may reduce reporting of sexual assault, since most child abuse is made by someone close to the child," said Karen Rugaard, a spokeswoman for the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault.

"It is already difficult to report about a father, an uncle, a family friend ... It will be worse when the child knows they can spend a very long time in jail or be sentenced to death," she said.

"We are worried that legislators did nothing to help prevent the violence," Rugaard added, expressing regret that the draft law does not call for any preventive measures.

Moreover, it is uncertain that executing non-murderers will comply with the US constitutional mandate barring "cruel and unusual" punishment.

The only man among more than 3,300 prisoners on death row who stands to lose his life under the new law is 42-year-old Patrick Kennedy, who was sentenced to death in Louisiana in 2003 for raping his companion's eight-year-old daughter.

In 1977, the US Supreme Court invalidated the death sentence of a rapist, arguing the punishment was disproportionate to the crime.

Later, evoking "evolving standards of decency," the court also rejected the death penalty for criminals who were minors or mentally retarded at the time they committed their crimes.

But on Tuesday, the Louisiana Supreme Court upheld the death penalty for Kennedy.

It argued that "given the appalling nature of the crime, the severity of the harm inflicted upon the victim, and the harm imposed on society, the death penalty is not an excessive penalty for the crime of rape when the victim is a child under the age of 12 years old."

The US Supreme Court could rule on the case next year.