It seems law enforcement officials tend to go with extremes. They will enforce the law for lightweight crimes but skirt around it for heavyweight crimes.
Take the case of Phillip Alpert in Orlando, Florida who is now a registered sex offender because he was 18 years old when he sent pictures of his 16 year old girlfriend to family, friends and others via text messaging. The pictures were naked pictures according to reports. Officials said he engaged in child pornography.
I do not deny this is wrong. But I side with Alpert when he considers his name is now registered with those who have committed horrific sexual acts to a 3 year old, 9 year old or 15 year old. The young man knows what he did was wrong. After he and his girlfriend had a fight, he allowed immature judgment to provoke him to make a huge mistake. The punishment does not fit the crime.
Well, it was not me or my daughter, we might argue. That is true. I do not have children but if I did, and she chose to have naked photos of herself taken with someone, she would have to suffer the consequences. I feel strongly having this man registered as a sex offender is too dire a consequence for their actions. "Their" is used because she is at fault, too.
Alpert was grossly wrong. He is serving five years probation and is now a registered sex offender. Criminals will serve time, get off for good behavior, are paroled and sent back to prison because they committed sexually violent acts on minors, again.
If we do not begin to uphold decent standards for our kids as technology advances, we will lose far too many of them to perversion and illicit behavior. There are great kids out there but great kids don't just happen, but blessed kids do!
Kids are blessed when we introduce them to Jesus Christ and spend time helping them form a relationship with Him. This is best accomplished, in my experience, when we take time developing a relationship with our children.
We must make sacrifices for them. Even if it means living just comfortable enough to make ends meet and not get the next job promotion or kudos from a company that will lay you off or give you a pink slip at the drop of a hat.
Our children must know that someone cares enough to go without so that they will be taught by example, what it appropriate behavior for a child. They are merely children!
I don't think Phillip Alpert got what he deserved. I think he, like Michael Phelps, will learn from his foolish mistake. If he profits from it, that would be divine. Getting into relationship with Christ after this would make a lovely testimony and could reach thousands of other teens. Let's just pray some adult or another kid even, will talk to him about how he can get his record expunged supernaturally.
God bless the children.
2009 by Avis Ward of
GeoVi's Home for New Life
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