Colorado To Drop The Term ‘Sex Offender’, Says It’s a ‘Negative’ Label – Opinion

Recent years have seen some improvements to the slippery slope conservatives worried about.

“Women” can have penises. “Men” can give birth. Pregnant mothers are “pregnant people”. Vagina’s are “front-holes” and surgery to remove your sex organs is “gender-affirming surgery.” Parents are “domestic terrorists”

California has seen a rise in language manipulation. The homeless are the “unhoused” and criminals are “justice-involved individuals.” 

The sky is blue and up is down

The reasoning – and I use that term very loosely – behind these changes to millennia of accepted language is that it’s not humans who are flawed and sometimes perverted or dangerous. The labels that we place on these people are what drives them to be wrong, or makes them feel sad, depressed or bad. We could eliminate all forms of suicide and other illegal behavior if we were to be more open, understanding, and accepting.

People calling terrorists mean or being critical of their religions, ethnicities or traditions are the only reasons they want to murder people. So…Islam is the religion of peace. Wash, rinse, repeat.

In the latest clueless attempt to reform human nature, The Colorado Sex Offender Management Board has voted to replace the term “sex offender” when referencing the criminals they deal with who have been convicted of sex offenses.

DENVER, (CBS4)– The way sex offenders are labeled is changing in Colorado. The board that sets state standards voted today to change the term “sex offenders” to reflect so-called “person-first” language.

Sex Offender Management Board (which includes everyone, from public defenders, to prosecutors), sets standards and guidelines that treatment providers follow so that new terminology is only used where it belongs. It doesn’t change the term sex offender in law or the criminal justice system but some worry it’s a step in that direction.

One man on the “sex offender” register said he didn’t think it was fair for him to carry that harsh label for his entire life.

Derek Logue says he shouldn’t have to carry the label for life, “Referring to me by a label for something I did half my life ago is inappropriate and downright offensive.”

He argued “client” would be a better term.

Public Defender Kathy Heffron agreed, “It takes into consideration the uniqueness of individuals who are receiving treatment.”

People who supported changing the terminology argued it would reduce recidivism. This is the most absurd argument in criminal rehabilitation. Does a serial killer stop killing if we simply change the meaning of the term to something nicer like “person who terminates life on a serial basis”?

Of course, victims of sexual offenders may have different opinions.

A rape survivor, Kimberly Corbin is among those who spoke out against changing the term sex offender to something less stigmatizing, saying labels based on traits people can’t control is one thing, “It’s very, very damaging for those who people who are labeled when it has to do with gender, race, sexuality, ability, but those are not their choices, the biggest thing for me is these are choices that sex offenders make.”

The board ended up voting to replace the current language with “adults who commit sexual offenses” by a margin of 10-6.

Here, insert an eye-rolling gif.

“I think this strikes a balance that honors the impact to victims and recognizes the current and ongoing impacts of sexual assault but also avoids the labeling term that has negative impacts on those who commit sex offenses.”

Jessica Dotter with the Colorado District Attorneys’ Council worries the change won’t end with the Sex Offender Management Board, “I’m concerned that the use of person-first language generally is an intent to remove accountability from offenders and to diminish the experience of the victims”

Apparently Colorado lawmakers have previously attempted to strike the term “violent sex offender” from statutes, but the effort was eventually abandoned.

In a sad and ironic twist of liberal lunacy, the Sex Offender Management Board has voted to change the language to describe a sex offender, but cannot remove “Sex Offender” from their own name, as that is a job that can only be performed by the legislature.

They are so NAACP!