Pedophilia: a predisposition that can't be changed?

[Stella_Omega]

Well, you're talking about two different things. The desire to molest a child is a form of mental illness, but actually doing it is a crime. And rightly so. There's nothing lower than a rapist who preys on children. And having a desire to commit a crime is certainly not an excuse for the crime. Mental illness only excuses crime when the offender cannot understand the consequences of his actions. Child molesters know the harm they cause, and they either don't care or they enjoy causing that harm.

"[T]here's a difference between feeling the feelings and acting on the feelings. If you feel the desire to molest a child, I'll grant you that that's sick. If you act on it, it's evil. It's a different ball of wax. Can you see a couple of cops sitting around the interrogation room, and [a suspect is] being asked about an armed robbery, and he won't talk. Can you hear the cops saying, 'Well, gee, John's in denial.' Is there an offense called 'armed robberia'? These are child molesters. The fact that we have a pretty theatric term is simply a 'Get out of jail free' card. What you do, and not what it's called, is what counts. And to steal a child's soul, which is exactly what happens ... there is no greater crime." - Andrew Vachss

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quoted for truth

 

[electric1]

In the case of a compulsion, like anorexia, the subjects can't help themselves, even though they know better.

Can't help themselves? When was the last time one of these "can't help himself" rapists attacked a child while there was a cop standing there? How is it that the presence of a cop, or anyone willing to stand up for the victim, suddenly gives this predator the ability to control his actions?

Rapists, wife-beaters, plenty of criminals say they "can't help themselves," but when they know they will pay a price for their crime, they magically develop self-control.

Those who care about consequences for their victim as much as they care about consequences for themselves are able to control themselves just fine even when there isn't a cop watching them.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Can't help themselves? When was the last time one of these "can't help himself" rapists attacked a child while there was a cop standing there? How is it that the presence of a cop, or anyone willing to stand up for the victim, suddenly gives this predator the ability to control his actions?

It's been known to happen, actually. Plenty of pedophiles indulge their compulsions in stealthy ways.

 

[NekoParks]

I agree

Well, you're talking about two different things. The desire to molest a child is a form of mental illness, but actually doing it is a crime. And rightly so. There's nothing lower than a rapist who preys on children. And having a desire to commit a crime is certainly not an excuse for the crime. Mental illness only excuses crime when the offender cannot understand the consequences of his actions. Child molesters know the harm they cause, and they either don't care or they enjoy causing that harm.

"[T]here's a difference between feeling the feelings and acting on the feelings. If you feel the desire to molest a child, I'll grant you that that's sick. If you act on it, it's evil. It's a different ball of wax. Can you see a couple of cops sitting around the interrogation room, and [a suspect is] being asked about an armed robbery, and he won't talk. Can you hear the cops saying, 'Well, gee, John's in denial.' Is there an offense called 'armed robberia'? These are child molesters. The fact that we have a pretty theatric term is simply a 'Get out of jail free' card. What you do, and not what it's called, is what counts. And to steal a child's soul, which is exactly what happens ... there is no greater crime." - Andrew Vachss

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Eloquently said as usual, E.

 

[Handley_Page]

It's been known to happen, actually. Plenty of pedophiles indulge their compulsions in stealthy ways.

It's the only way!

 

[DeeZire]

I may be too idealistic, buy like my earlier example - yesterday's "possessed by the devil" is today's schizophrenic - science is constantly telling us things that defy common wisdom. You know how we might witness an act of cruelty, and the comment among us is "there's something wrong with that boy." What if there actually is something wrong with that boy? Something that could be fixed?

On the one hand, we can accept war and atrocities and killers as "the human condition" and just shrug our shoulders and say there's nothing we can do about it. On the other hand, we can try to keep our minds open, in case there might be other explanations and solutions. Who knows, someday in the future, they might look back at us as living in the dark ages, back when the cure for pedos and rapists and killers hadn't yet been discovered, just like we look back at slavery and the lynching of blacks and the witch burnings and shake our heads.

I guess it all comes down to my belief that someone who acts with no conscience is a defective human being - mentally crippled. That doesn't excuse their actions, but it beats blaming their actions on the devil.