WHEN WILL OREGON GET SMART?

Why do Oregonians tolerate a law which cripples their children?

In a politically-motivated move, Kevin Mannix wrote a bill in Oregon which we simply call Measure 11. Passed by voters who either didn't take the time to read what was included in the bill, or were too afraid to care, this bill was enacted and has been in use since 1995.

What many people don't realize is that, while on paper the crime rate seems to have leveled out in Oregon, what is happening to our young people because of this paranoia-driven law is a travesty.

Go back. Look at it again. You might be surprised. You will see that if a 15 year old is out with friends and one of those friends gets into a fight, and someone gets hurt---the 15 year old who was watching the fight gets five years. No questions asked.

And that is just the beginning. If a 15 year old has sex with someone considered "underage", he get six years. Underage? What other age is a 15 year old going to be having sex with? A senior citizen? And he has to register as a child molester for the rest of his life.

Our jails are stuffed with people who were, at one time, children needing counselling. They were thrown into jail under Oregon's "one strike you're out" law, and became full-blown criminals.

This law isn't helping Oregon. It isn't even a decent plug in a leaky hole.

Measure 11

-----cruel to our kids.

-----tearing families apart needlessly.

-----ruining futures.

Measure 11 was created so someone could advance politically.

It needs to be thrown out into the garbage heap, where trash belongs.