Megans Law - Protection More Important than Privacy Essay -- Argument

Megans rightfulness - Protection More Important than lonelinessIn 1994, twice-convicted sex offender Jesse Timmendequas raped and murdered Megan Kanka, a seven-year old young woman who lived across the street. In reaction to this emotionally-charged crime, Megans home state of New island of Jersey ratified a community notification bill - dubbed Megans Law - besides three months later. This fall, a national version of the law went into effect, mandating that all cubic decimetre states notify citizens in writing of the presence of convicted sex offenders within their communities. Certainly, social club has a responsibility to protect children from sex offenders, and many feel that Megans Law is the best course of action. However, others feel that it is an unwarranted intrusion into the rights to privacy of individuals who piss already paid their debts to society. Megan Kanka should still be alive today, and, as a society, we have an undeniable responsibility to keep such tragedi es from taking situation in the future. We must not merely respond when sex crimes breathe but must, instead, take an active role in preventing them in the runner place. Megans Law is an effective attempt by legislators to help us get through this goal. Indeed, it helps to prevent these crimes by protecting children, our well-nigh defenseless citizens, from those who are most likely to endanger them.Megans Law operates under the logic that responsible parents, at once notified that a designated mellowed risk sex offender lives nearby, will be able to prevent their children from becoming the victims of another attack. One of its primary motivations is the lofty recidivism rate associated with crimes of sexual molestation. Without even considering the large number of sex offenses that go unreported each ye... ...nity. For this reason, under the Freedom of Information Act of 1974, unlawful records are a matter of public record. Megans Law advise be thought of as a logical ex tension of this Act, channeling information to those who bring it most. Criminal records have to be brought to light where the well-being of others is at stake. Privacy is a valuable privilege, but it is not a right which overrides the general good of our society.In the end, the debate over Megans law reduces to one come forward how can we best ensure the safety of our children and the security of our communities? Because of the extremely high recidivism rate associated with sex crimes, because society has a duty to protect those who can not protect themselves, and because concerns for the good of our society as a unanimous outweigh any individual right to privacy, it is imperative that Megans Law be maintained.