Posted on 08/27/2005 6:46:24 AM PDT by Right Wing Assault
Following a discussion of the Natalee Holloway disappearance in Aruba, Fox News host Gerald Rivera told his colleague Bill O'Reilly he is certain child molesters are born that way and cannot be effectively treated or cured.
"I think that I believe that child molesters and I want to be very clear that I'm not saying it's like homosexuality," said Rivera Thursday night. "It's absolutely different. It's a totally different situation. But I believe that, like homosexuals, child molesters are born not made. They are not cured. You don't cure someone from being gay. It's insulting to gay people to say that you can cure them. It is a criminal justice, law and order reality, harsh reality, that you cannot cure a child sex predator. They are born that way. They will always be sexually attracted to children."
Rivera provided no evidence for his claim, which flies in the face of most behavioral science, which suggests most molesters were victims of molestation themselves.
Rivera said stiffer sentencing is the only solution for child sex abusers.
"And I believe that sometimes on both sides of the aisle but particularly people from the middle to the left don't understand that there are charming sexual predators," he said.
O'Reilly suggested: "Let's rehab them."
"But they are not rehab-able," insisted Rivera.
O'Reilly did not disagree with Rivera's unusual idea that child molesters are born, not made. In fact, later in the interview, he seemed to express a general consensus.
"I'll bet you I'll bet you 80 percent of the American people feel the same way you and I do," he said.
I would've loved to have been there to ask Jerry if he thought that serial adulterers were born that way as well.
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Rom 3:23
Do you realize that recent studies have shown that nearly every American who dies has eaten potatos within the last 5 years!
Absolutely
You're right, but add in a generally $hitty childhood and you get a molester. They are not treatable in any way, shape, or form. Anyone who believes otherwise hasn't looked into it, or is denying the truth for their own reasons.
This has to be, hands down, the most irresponsible thing Rivera has ever said. Any respect, however slight, that I had for the man is now gone.
And as for a cure, there most certainly is one. It was discovered by Dr. Ellie Nessler about ten years ago or so.
Exactly. It is natural for me to want to do every hot women who strolls by, but imposing my desires forcibly crosses over the line.
Who cares what these people desire, it is pointless, except for academic purposes, to try to get in their minds. They either have willingly shunned every shred of propriety and decency by forcing themselves on a victim, or they are incapable of recognizing those boundaries. In the former case they need to be punished severely, and in the latter they need to be removed from society. Imprisonment serves either need. If it is some muddled combination of the two, they need to be off the street in either case, period.
If cognizance of the violation or the horrified reaction of the victim doesn't override someone's base sexual desires, then to hell with em, and as fast as possible.
I saw this last night and all I could think of was Geraldo supported Michael Jackson during his trial and I laughed.
He is one of Beelzeflubba's minions..
I'm sure a person's moral convictions have a great deal to do with it. However I also believe Geraldo was exactly right that these people aren't "made", they are born that way. If they were made, then it's logical to presume they can be un-made with therapy and behavior modification, but they can't. The recitivism for child molesters is the highest of any offense. Just like wild animals who are predators to satisfy a need, so are these people. I'm not a Geraldo fan but I have to side with him on this one.
What an excellent point. Of course when you try to answer this kind of question you are limited to what can be measured. It won't be easy to come up with a way to assess spirituality and convince the scientific community that it is valid.
Years ago, I came across a large-scale study that looked at who overcame poverty. If my memory is with me, the best predictor was doing well on a test of reading, vocabulary, and math ability.
Aaaaaaaaaagggggggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!
There, I feel better.
Gerald Rivers is an idiot.
This is the cure:
They should have zero chances to rehabilitate. They are always repeated offenders. Execution after the first offense is the only way to protect our children.
I've known more than one doctor that agrees with your statement.
Why don't we all blame our genes for what we do? The thief inherits a disposition to steal,murderers have an inherited desire to committ mayhem, and liberal commentators like Rivera, have an inherited tendency to spout puke-provoking sewage like this! The bottom line is we are responsible for our behavior and no sociological mumbo-jumbo change that fact of life!
Oh, I dunno.
A couple of years ago, FOXNEWS put him in Israel/Gaza/WestBank for 3 days to "report" on what he saw and heard.....perhaps a precursor to "Geraldo Rivera At Large."
After three days he reported that he, half Jewish, had become a "Palestinianist," because, he said, of how the Israeli military and government were treating the Palestinians. He said it was horrible.
He pointed out that young Palestinian men, when arrested, had their forearms marked with numbers, just like the Nazis did to the Jews in WWII. He said he saw it with his own eyes.
He cited other atrocities (his words, not mine) and was shocked, mortified and embarrassed by and for Israel and all Jews.
FOXNEWS brought Geraldo home a day or so after that "expose" and he's never been allowed near the areas again.
Lol. Poor Geraldo. He does like to be in front of the camera. Too bad he has so little to say. That's MY opinion of him.
Does this mean they get a parade?
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