Free Speech Contest Support Thread
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bearlee
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oggbashan said:
You were probably right-maybe in cutting and pasting the italics and bold type just disappear. I don't mind those that are critical at all though, just the comments that are racist on an interracial story where it's clear the story wasn't read and, I don't care for the ones that just say "You don't deserve to be an American and should be shot" without more. Doesn't matter, the thing sucked and maybe it did anyway. I've asked Laurel to pull it because there's no way anyone can read that thing and make any sense out of it-one part in particular. Oh well, best to everyone and glad you got at least the other one up!
bearlee
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oggbashan said:
Oh now you tell me
It's already pulled and I deleted it from my panel-it's gone forever. Actually, I was doing the quotation thing but there was long one that I inserted stuff into. Doesn't matter. though-maybe someone else can do it though. It's pretty damn easy really and it's kinda like cheating if you really have to have 750 words 
logophile
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Here's a question for you guys.
My contest entry is almost finished, but I'm troubled. My entry is the true story of how I was fired for having a same sex relationship last summer. I have an intro paragraph about how everyone needs to be able to speak their own truth and a closing paragraph about the discrimination I faced. Other than that, the piece really reads more like a story, even though it's true.
I'm not sure it still qualifies as an essay and it's certainly not a review. Should I still submit it? Or should I just can the whole thing?
Opinions, please!
My contest entry is almost finished, but I'm troubled. My entry is the true story of how I was fired for having a same sex relationship last summer. I have an intro paragraph about how everyone needs to be able to speak their own truth and a closing paragraph about the discrimination I faced. Other than that, the piece really reads more like a story, even though it's true.
I'm not sure it still qualifies as an essay and it's certainly not a review. Should I still submit it? Or should I just can the whole thing?
Opinions, please!
impressive
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logophile said:
Ours didn't "qualify" as an essay, really, either -- but we still submitted it.
dreampilot79
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What can I say... two weeks and still not approved... sigh
sybilrose
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Bummer I wanted to read that !
Hell I could have filled in the words if anything was missing and made it say what I wanted it to say
U Bear
hurry up and get back from your
"vacation"
bearlee said:Oh now you tell me
Hell I could have filled in the words if anything was missing and made it say what I wanted it to say
U Bearhurry up and get back from your
"vacation"
sophia jane
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sack said:for submitting a contest entry with humor (gulp!) and sex (double gulp!) It's called Gerry Government and His Telescope. This one is not for the squeamish...if I scared you that's the idea!
Sack
I enjoyed both the humor and the sex.
Voted this morning. Good luck!
SJ
oggbashan
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I give up. Let's try something different.
My second entry still hasn't been approved or rejected despite a PM to Laurel. So I'll try this way.
Here it is. It isn't very long but it has an emotive word in the title. Do you think it is pushing the boundaries of Free Speech too far?
***
Paedophilia: The New Witch-Hunt?
*************************************************
Copyright Oggbashan May 2005
The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
*************************************************
Disclaimers:
1. This essay is about conditions in the United Kingdom. While it may have lessons for other countries it is specific to this one.
2. Paedophilia, the use of children for an adult’s sexual gratification, is an abhorrent crime. I am not advocating paedophilia or apologising for its perpetrators.
Accusation is enough.
It is almost impossible for an adult male to defend himself against a child’s accusation that the man is a paedophile or that he has behaved in an inappropriate manner towards the child unless there are independent witnesses willing to state on oath that the accusation is false.
Any child who is disturbed, either by actual experience of abuse, or by inappropriate parenting, is likely to know that attacking an adult male by a false accusation of paedophilia is the most effective way of removing that male from working with children. Any male who works with children is very vulnerable to the accusation.
The authorities in the UK, be they Education, Social Services, Police, Health Services, Youth Services, all tend to suspend the accused man from duty while the complaint is investigated. That suspension may be for days, weeks, months or years until the accusation is either proven in a court or dismissed by a court.
The impact on the accused is shattering. Their name is likely to be broadcast in the media with the substance of the accusation. The reaction of friends, colleagues and even family can be very hostile. The wider community tends to judge anyone openly accused of paedophilia of being guilty even if the child’s testimony is very weak and likely to be malicious.
Guilty until proven innocent.
Even if the child is known to be a habitual lair and prone to make false accusations the authorities will not allow the accused to continue to work with children until the matter is resolved. Neither the accused, nor his legal representatives, will have access to the child to test the validity of the testimony. Even in court the accuser will be protected from hostile cross-examination and supported by social workers.
If the child accuser is very young they might not appreciate the consequences of the accusation nor even know the meaning of the powerful word paedophilia that they have flung out at random.
If the child is older, they may well be aware of the power of the accusation and use it to escape the consequences of their own action. If the man had been trying to influence the child away from offending behaviour and was getting too close to the hard facts – the accusation will stop the process dead in its tracks and let the older child be able to continue whatever it was that was offensive.
Consequences on employment.
A man is less likely to apply for or to be accepted for employment with younger children, not because he is a paedophile, but because he is vulnerable to the accusation of being a paedophile unless he is accompanied at all times by a woman. That condition limits the man’s usefulness in the employment.
The result is that men tend not to work in primary schools. They tend not to do Children and Family work for social services. They tend work as nurses or health workers in Children’s hospitals. Policemen have to deal with children only when there are two officers present and the local juvenile offenders know that fact and play on it.
Consequences on Voluntary Work.
Scoutmasters have had a bad image for years and are the butt of off-colour jokes. Now it is very difficult to get men willing to work as Scoutmasters. They have to jump through so many expensive hoops to be cleared to work with young boys. The men who used to be on the fringes of Scout troops as badge testers, as assistants at annual camps, as helpers at major Scout events – all those are now disqualified unless they too have gone through the sifting process to weed out potential paedophiles.
Sports clubs, Boxing clubs, Junior football teams – all these rely on volunteers yet those volunteers are deterred by the process of being screened as fit to work with young children. The process seems to start from the basis that all men are paedophiles until they have an expensively obtained certificate to prove that they are not.
Consequences on the community.
If a group of youths are causing a nuisance in the neighbourhood they know that they are largely immune from sanctions from the adult men. Any man who confronts them is likely to be accused by more than one youth of paedophilia or inappropriate behaviour. If a man physically manhandles any youth even in a minor way then the man is likely to be prosecuted for assault and convicted on the perjured evidence of the youth and his colleagues. He could be convicted of paedophilia on the same youths’ evidence.
Witch-Hunt for the innocent.
Children and youths who are committing offences in their community, or for whatever reason exhibit challenging behaviour, are well aware that their most powerful defence is a false accusation of paedophilia against any man who stands up to them and tries to modify their behaviour. They are not reluctant to use that defence as a means of attack.
The real predators go free.
While false accusations against innocent men are made so freely, the few real paedophiles, the men who continually prey on children for their own sexual pleasure, still escape justice behind the smoke screen of false accusations of innocent men. The real paedophiles terrify and shame their victims into a deathly silence that is very hard to break through to find the truth.
Are you a paedophile?
The internet has many images of sexually explicit children or apparent children. Have you been sent email offering teen cum shots? How do you know that the person pictured is eighteen but looks younger? She might be sixteen and looking older. If you clicked on such an image – you could be classified as a paedophile and the witch-hunters are out to get you. Scrub your hard disk clean, format it, reformat it – if the authorities want to get you they will still find the evidence.
The accusation is enough. Conviction only requires evidence to be found or manufactured.
***
Og
My second entry still hasn't been approved or rejected despite a PM to Laurel. So I'll try this way.
Here it is. It isn't very long but it has an emotive word in the title. Do you think it is pushing the boundaries of Free Speech too far?
***
Paedophilia: The New Witch-Hunt?
*************************************************
Copyright Oggbashan May 2005
The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
*************************************************
Disclaimers:
1. This essay is about conditions in the United Kingdom. While it may have lessons for other countries it is specific to this one.
2. Paedophilia, the use of children for an adult’s sexual gratification, is an abhorrent crime. I am not advocating paedophilia or apologising for its perpetrators.
Accusation is enough.
It is almost impossible for an adult male to defend himself against a child’s accusation that the man is a paedophile or that he has behaved in an inappropriate manner towards the child unless there are independent witnesses willing to state on oath that the accusation is false.
Any child who is disturbed, either by actual experience of abuse, or by inappropriate parenting, is likely to know that attacking an adult male by a false accusation of paedophilia is the most effective way of removing that male from working with children. Any male who works with children is very vulnerable to the accusation.
The authorities in the UK, be they Education, Social Services, Police, Health Services, Youth Services, all tend to suspend the accused man from duty while the complaint is investigated. That suspension may be for days, weeks, months or years until the accusation is either proven in a court or dismissed by a court.
The impact on the accused is shattering. Their name is likely to be broadcast in the media with the substance of the accusation. The reaction of friends, colleagues and even family can be very hostile. The wider community tends to judge anyone openly accused of paedophilia of being guilty even if the child’s testimony is very weak and likely to be malicious.
Guilty until proven innocent.
Even if the child is known to be a habitual lair and prone to make false accusations the authorities will not allow the accused to continue to work with children until the matter is resolved. Neither the accused, nor his legal representatives, will have access to the child to test the validity of the testimony. Even in court the accuser will be protected from hostile cross-examination and supported by social workers.
If the child accuser is very young they might not appreciate the consequences of the accusation nor even know the meaning of the powerful word paedophilia that they have flung out at random.
If the child is older, they may well be aware of the power of the accusation and use it to escape the consequences of their own action. If the man had been trying to influence the child away from offending behaviour and was getting too close to the hard facts – the accusation will stop the process dead in its tracks and let the older child be able to continue whatever it was that was offensive.
Consequences on employment.
A man is less likely to apply for or to be accepted for employment with younger children, not because he is a paedophile, but because he is vulnerable to the accusation of being a paedophile unless he is accompanied at all times by a woman. That condition limits the man’s usefulness in the employment.
The result is that men tend not to work in primary schools. They tend not to do Children and Family work for social services. They tend work as nurses or health workers in Children’s hospitals. Policemen have to deal with children only when there are two officers present and the local juvenile offenders know that fact and play on it.
Consequences on Voluntary Work.
Scoutmasters have had a bad image for years and are the butt of off-colour jokes. Now it is very difficult to get men willing to work as Scoutmasters. They have to jump through so many expensive hoops to be cleared to work with young boys. The men who used to be on the fringes of Scout troops as badge testers, as assistants at annual camps, as helpers at major Scout events – all those are now disqualified unless they too have gone through the sifting process to weed out potential paedophiles.
Sports clubs, Boxing clubs, Junior football teams – all these rely on volunteers yet those volunteers are deterred by the process of being screened as fit to work with young children. The process seems to start from the basis that all men are paedophiles until they have an expensively obtained certificate to prove that they are not.
Consequences on the community.
If a group of youths are causing a nuisance in the neighbourhood they know that they are largely immune from sanctions from the adult men. Any man who confronts them is likely to be accused by more than one youth of paedophilia or inappropriate behaviour. If a man physically manhandles any youth even in a minor way then the man is likely to be prosecuted for assault and convicted on the perjured evidence of the youth and his colleagues. He could be convicted of paedophilia on the same youths’ evidence.
Witch-Hunt for the innocent.
Children and youths who are committing offences in their community, or for whatever reason exhibit challenging behaviour, are well aware that their most powerful defence is a false accusation of paedophilia against any man who stands up to them and tries to modify their behaviour. They are not reluctant to use that defence as a means of attack.
The real predators go free.
While false accusations against innocent men are made so freely, the few real paedophiles, the men who continually prey on children for their own sexual pleasure, still escape justice behind the smoke screen of false accusations of innocent men. The real paedophiles terrify and shame their victims into a deathly silence that is very hard to break through to find the truth.
Are you a paedophile?
The internet has many images of sexually explicit children or apparent children. Have you been sent email offering teen cum shots? How do you know that the person pictured is eighteen but looks younger? She might be sixteen and looking older. If you clicked on such an image – you could be classified as a paedophile and the witch-hunters are out to get you. Scrub your hard disk clean, format it, reformat it – if the authorities want to get you they will still find the evidence.
The accusation is enough. Conviction only requires evidence to be found or manufactured.
***
Og
bearlee
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oggbashan said:
Does it make me a paedophile because I read this?
I don't know, you make valid points. I see these accusations in my line of work from time to time. Some are kids that are coached and some are real. There are abuses but there are real cases too. Then you have organizations like NAMBLA. I don't know the answers. There is a need to protect kids from real abuse and a need to protect adults from false accusations and how do you do that? I don't have a clue. We live in a time where we're always protecting or doing everything for the kids and my guess is there are kids that know that and I have no doubt some fabricate stories. I'll agree accusation in this type of case is enough to destroy a life but, maybe because of my profession, which is far from perfect, I'd like to believe it takes real that is found, not manufactured.
We could ignore any kid that makes the allegation, but that doesn't make any sense to me. I believe the research shows those adults that engage in this type of activity are typically in denial. If you an answer, you're doing better than me on this one.
angelicminx
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Great essay, Og! It should have been posted and it upsets me that it wasn't. I have a very dear friend that was accused and convicted of pedophilia some years ago. The evidence in that case was manufactured. The courts took an innocent event and turned it into something lewd.
The girls mother was angry at my friend and coerced her daughter into making the accusation. I have heard from the mothers own mouth that the story of sexual abuse was fabricated, but she will not risk either herself or her daughter going to prison on perjury charges to clear his name. He was strong armed into pleading guilty to a lesser charge of lewd or lascivious acts with a child 14 or 15 years old. Basically what it came down to is her word against his. His attorney told him that if he didn't plead he was likely looking at 25 years to life. As it were he served 40 days on the misdemeanor charge and has essentially had his life ruined. He must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and can no longer work in the career path he had chosen. Prior to these accusations his annual income was well into six figures.
Even with all that, I don't have an answer either.
I'd like to see it pounded into the youngsters heads exactly what the consequences of false accusations are, but then we run the risk of those being abused keeping quiet. I myself was abused as a child and I was aware of the punishment. I never told a sole that it happened. So what do we do? There has to be a way to protect both.
I have a Family Circus cartoon dated 12-6-1998 that shows the little girl crying and hugging her mother. In the speech bubble the child is saying, "I needed a hug at school today, Mommy... But Mrs. Clarke said she's not allowed to do that." It's all too true. I work as a substitute teacher/ teacher's aide (most often at the preschool and kindergarten level) and I am scared of what will be said every time I hug a child who is not either blood related to me or belongs to a friend of mine. We have to have witnesses any time we help a child button their pants or when we help them change their clothes after an "accident" and the staff is all female. I can only imagine what it would be like for the men.
The girls mother was angry at my friend and coerced her daughter into making the accusation. I have heard from the mothers own mouth that the story of sexual abuse was fabricated, but she will not risk either herself or her daughter going to prison on perjury charges to clear his name. He was strong armed into pleading guilty to a lesser charge of lewd or lascivious acts with a child 14 or 15 years old. Basically what it came down to is her word against his. His attorney told him that if he didn't plead he was likely looking at 25 years to life. As it were he served 40 days on the misdemeanor charge and has essentially had his life ruined. He must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and can no longer work in the career path he had chosen. Prior to these accusations his annual income was well into six figures.
Even with all that, I don't have an answer either.
I'd like to see it pounded into the youngsters heads exactly what the consequences of false accusations are, but then we run the risk of those being abused keeping quiet. I myself was abused as a child and I was aware of the punishment. I never told a sole that it happened. So what do we do? There has to be a way to protect both.
I have a Family Circus cartoon dated 12-6-1998 that shows the little girl crying and hugging her mother. In the speech bubble the child is saying, "I needed a hug at school today, Mommy... But Mrs. Clarke said she's not allowed to do that." It's all too true. I work as a substitute teacher/ teacher's aide (most often at the preschool and kindergarten level) and I am scared of what will be said every time I hug a child who is not either blood related to me or belongs to a friend of mine. We have to have witnesses any time we help a child button their pants or when we help them change their clothes after an "accident" and the staff is all female. I can only imagine what it would be like for the men.
sack
Literotica Guru
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Wow!
What a shame this wasn't posted Ogg, it's among your best work. Being a single man working with children, I am extremely careful with hugs, etc, and isn't that a shame? It really gives the children a mixed message. By the way, youngsters sometimes falsely accuse women, too. I have seen careers ruined and it ain't pretty. Once more, thanks for an informative and provacative essay.
Sack
PS- Have you taken my Free Speech Quiz yet?
What a shame this wasn't posted Ogg, it's among your best work. Being a single man working with children, I am extremely careful with hugs, etc, and isn't that a shame? It really gives the children a mixed message. By the way, youngsters sometimes falsely accuse women, too. I have seen careers ruined and it ain't pretty. Once more, thanks for an informative and provacative essay.
Sack
PS- Have you taken my Free Speech Quiz yet?
oggbashan
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Rejected
My essay above has now been rejected as not being relevant enough to the Free Speech Contest.
I think that is right. It isn't really a Free Speech issue. It is about the consequences of false accusation and the knowledge that an accusation is a very powerful tool for a minor to use.
I have no answers. Child abuse is a fact, a real experience for many children. Abused children find it very difficult to articulate what they are enduring and unfortunately sometimes their pleas for help go unheard.
The children who make false accusations or use the threat of an accusation against adults make those who are really abused less likely to be believed. Frequent cries of 'Wolf' eventually get no response.
The Police Checks and the obstacles that people, who want to work with children, have to survive before they can start work is crippling many voluntary organisations that could benefit children. However paedophiles try very hard to insinuate themselves into such organisations, using lies and forgery to pervert the systems.
One last thing that worries me. There are large differences between 1. Those people who abuse children and users of the internet who might inadvertently click on an apparently innocuous link that leads to a 'sexy teen' site. 2. Someone who might download a single image and those who publish and disseminate thousands of images of exploited children; 3. A parent who takes videos of their children's school event and someone who videos any young children playing on a beach for his own sexual gratification; 4. Someone who brutalises a child over a period of years and someone who accidently touches a child inappropriately on a single occasion - yet all can be classified as paedophiles and if convicted are registered as sex offenders.
Og
My essay above has now been rejected as not being relevant enough to the Free Speech Contest.
I think that is right. It isn't really a Free Speech issue. It is about the consequences of false accusation and the knowledge that an accusation is a very powerful tool for a minor to use.
I have no answers. Child abuse is a fact, a real experience for many children. Abused children find it very difficult to articulate what they are enduring and unfortunately sometimes their pleas for help go unheard.
The children who make false accusations or use the threat of an accusation against adults make those who are really abused less likely to be believed. Frequent cries of 'Wolf' eventually get no response.
The Police Checks and the obstacles that people, who want to work with children, have to survive before they can start work is crippling many voluntary organisations that could benefit children. However paedophiles try very hard to insinuate themselves into such organisations, using lies and forgery to pervert the systems.
One last thing that worries me. There are large differences between 1. Those people who abuse children and users of the internet who might inadvertently click on an apparently innocuous link that leads to a 'sexy teen' site. 2. Someone who might download a single image and those who publish and disseminate thousands of images of exploited children; 3. A parent who takes videos of their children's school event and someone who videos any young children playing on a beach for his own sexual gratification; 4. Someone who brutalises a child over a period of years and someone who accidently touches a child inappropriately on a single occasion - yet all can be classified as paedophiles and if convicted are registered as sex offenders.
Og
R. Richard
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Og:
I can't say how conditions are in the UK, but there is an incident of some years ago in the USA that your entry triggered.
The was a woman who called herself Traci Lords. She was a porn movie queen and was very hot for a time. Suddenly they found out that she was only 16, not 18, when she started her porn movie career with a false ID. Suddenly, her early movies were "kiddie porn." I have seen some of her early movies and, trust me, they were not kiddie porn. Porn yes, but not kiddie. However anyone found in posession of the early Traci Lords movies possesses kiddie porn.
I can't say how conditions are in the UK, but there is an incident of some years ago in the USA that your entry triggered.
The was a woman who called herself Traci Lords. She was a porn movie queen and was very hot for a time. Suddenly they found out that she was only 16, not 18, when she started her porn movie career with a false ID. Suddenly, her early movies were "kiddie porn." I have seen some of her early movies and, trust me, they were not kiddie porn. Porn yes, but not kiddie. However anyone found in posession of the early Traci Lords movies possesses kiddie porn.
sophia jane
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cloudy said:
Yep. I lost three votes that I didn't know needed to be lost.
SJ
rgraham666
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cloudy said:
Yep. I lost four votes. Almost a perfect score now.
But not enough votes to qualify. Sigh.
bearlee
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rgraham666 said:
Well add another vote and a 5! I'm pretty damn certain I didn't vote before on this so you shouldn't lose it. I've left comments on most of the ones I voted on but not all but somehow I think I missed this one. Excellent essay and I love the vaccine comment!
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