It's been good to read these posts, now that I've seen the documentary, because it all makes sense now.
Should a newspaper provide important information to its community, that may keep even one person safe? Is it right to look beyond a criminal record and find the man who is so much more than that part of him? Two emphatic yeses!
I have some qualms with this, especially as it relates to the individual it relates to in the film. My yes on the first half is certainly not emphatic.
I understand that response and maybe it would help to explain my statement. I thought a long time before writing the word "emphatic." If it's true that the man had become a sex offender as an 18 year old, by sleeping with his 16 year old girlfriend, then that is a whole other layer of discussion. I believe the pastor was onto something very, very important when he spoke of transparency.
Keeping stories and lives in the shadows, will never move us forward as a society. All the people knew about the man, was that he wasn't honest on his application and that the pastor had quietly kept him at his home, protecting him from what? And for how long? That's no way to live.
The man who was a helper at the church, who also wasn't honest about his record, could only keep the secret so long, and when it was found out, it spiraled him down into some very self destructive behaviors. That's no way to live either.
The pastor was speaking of things he himself wasn't being honest about. He may be out a job now, but he has no more secrets, no more hiding. Now he can move forward with only his true self to offer. For all the pain, there is liberation in that.
As for the newspaper, I believe first and foremost that we are to protect the most vulnerable of our society and that is children. Having clear knowledge of who may be a threat, should be the responsibility of a community. That's the first step. But what good is knowledge, unless, there are many more steps?
I have a sex offender in my neighborhood, who I'm on good terms with. He has a family and is openly serving in his community. Am I cautious? Yes. Should I be? Yes. Should he be living in the shadows? no. I have a cousin in Idaho, who chose to marry a sex offender. Everything is out in the open, he is carefully monitored through his parole requirements and has a large support network that helps him also be a contributing member of society.
I'm emphatic, that keeping things hidden, can only make matters worse.
Thanks for your statement, Bondo, so I could further explore my thoughts about this very complicated subject.