digg

Join DiggAbout

Digg Townhall Tonight!
Tune into the live Digg townhall tonight at 5:00pm PST/8:00pm EST.

If You See a Father Holding His Child’s Hand, Call the Cops!

bloggernews.net — If dad goes for a walk with his daughter and holds her hand, apparently Virginia Department of Health officials wants you to pick up the phone and destroy his life by reporting him as a possible sexual abuser. I would ’ve thought this article about this campaign was from the Onion or some satirical publication, but it’s for real.

show profanity settings
expand all
  • arrogantprick, on 11/01/2007, -4/+359We're no longer innocent until proven guilty.
    • rnwen2750, on 10/11/2007, -3/+34Okay, so I agree with your statement in a way. I would say that we have lost our hope in innocence as a society. I mean, WTH? Holding their daughter's hand? I hold my mom's hand. Does that make her a pervert?
      • geometry, on 10/11/2007, -4/+39No, but that makes you a pussy. LOL j/k
      • BeyondGoodNEvil, on 10/11/2007, -4/+14If she were holding your hand while touching your penis with her other hand, yes.
      • daimposter, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2if she's saying, "just lay back and I'll do all the work".....yes, that makes her a pervert. (and you a sicko for going along with it)
    • nipterink, on 10/11/2007, -3/+28well i'm sure he's still presumed innocent. it's just overly cautious.
      what happens if she's ridding on his shoulders?
      • Battlecry, on 10/11/2007, -5/+60Depends on if she's riding frontwards or backwards :)
    • AwakeningAZ, on 10/11/2007, -20/+6In all fairness, the billboard doesn't show where the father's other hand is...
      • Wacer, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2Probably getting a handcuff put on.
      • paris922, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0That is just sick. People like you are part of the problem not the solution.
    • kuzotz, on 10/11/2007, -18/+10Seeing that I'm black. I was never innocent until proven guilty in the first place.
      • norman619, on 10/11/2007, -2/+13You think YOU have problems? I'm short, skinny, pale, have a big head, and huge eyes. I get accused of anally probing random people! WTF?!?!
      • sabach, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1How about a cheese plate to go with that WHINE!
    • thirdeyeopen, on 10/11/2007, -6/+12One more reason not to have kids.
      • unreg, on 10/11/2007, -8/+1With an attitude such as that, please don't.

        And talk to your parents about retroactive actions.
      • unreg, on 10/11/2007, -9/+0With an attitude such as that, please don't.

        And talk to your parents about retroactive actions.
      • M2Ys4U, on 10/11/2007, -0/+11Can we still practice making them though?
        • ChildeRoland420, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5You'd have to get off Digg for that.
    • westdesertguy, on 10/11/2007, -5/+4where have you been?
      we are all told that we are innocent till proven guilty,
      but in all reality, we are always guilty till proven innocent.
    • mathie, on 10/11/2007, -5/+4Maybe because too many people abused the system and now we need to look a bit more suspicious at everything. There is a fine line and this might have crossed it in term of general public education.
    • BeyondGoodNEvil, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5Hey, that sounds suspiciously anti-government. I'll be making a call shortly about you.
    • thatsmyaibo, on 10/11/2007, -6/+5Are people not even clicking the link. The billboard says nothing about fathers holding daughter's hands. It is saying report it if it looks uncomfortable for the child. That is common sense.
      • Cornloaf, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5This story is buried. Someone just saw the picture and assumed it was a father. This could be an older brother, babysitter, grandfather, uncle, or even the mother (she's got man hands!!)

        People should be on the lookout for children that don't seem right with their family members. I had a customer that came in every day with his wife and daughter. Things never looked right because the daughter was about 12 and dressed up pretty sexy and wore makeup. She sat on the father's lap in the coffee shop. A couple years later the parents got divorced and the father and daughter continued their daily visits to the shop. They continued the same behavior. I no longer work at the shop but the employees told me that the father no longer comes in and the daughter is now with the mother. Who knows if something was going on, but it definitely warranted some followup by authorities.

        There are some important facts about child abuse that people here seem to be missing :

        Most children are abused by someone they know and trust, although boys are more likely than girls to be abused outside of the family.2,5 A study in three states found 96 percent of reported rape survivors under age 12 knew the attacker. Four percent of the offenders were strangers, 20 percent were fathers 16 percent were relatives and 50 percent were acquaintances or friends. Among women 18 or older, 12 percent were raped by a family member, 33 percent by a stranger and 55 percent by an acquaintance.
      • sabach, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Actually it's saying report if it looks uncomfortable to YOU. Big difference.
    • drmangrum, on 10/11/2007, -0/+10The innocent until proven guilty thing, meh it's always been a joke.

      If your black or hispanic, the cards are already stacked against you.
      If your accused of ANY type of sexual crime, you might as well start forwarding your mail to the nearest prison.
      If your accused of a crime against children, your screwed.
      Why? Because people don't THINK "innocent until proven guilty" despite the way our legal system works.

      I wouldn't be upset over the assumed guilt of a crime. I'm more upset that men are automatically labeled a sex offender by virtue of having a pair of balls.
  • CaponeX, on 11/01/2007, -3/+136This won't end well.
    • bloodborne, on 10/11/2007, -28/+5Digg me down
    • arenz003, on 10/11/2007, -2/+12Agreed, this is ridiculous. Child abductions/abuse/etc are horrible, but they are grossly over-represented by the media. Law enforcement actually does a great job already and they should be using extra resources on more pressing social problems.
    • darkbytes, on 10/11/2007, -2/+7This won't end.
    • stopthepc, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2It has good intentions, but like all other PC-like things it will end badly for parents who show any kind of affection for heir child. Outrageous.
      • TheSmiddy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1it'll be even worse for the kids, growing up thinking their parents don''t love them really messes with their heads.
        • KlayBorg, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Oh bull. This ad is about being careful, people aren't going to stop being affectionate to their kids.
    • simplynix, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1WTF? Did anyone actually read the article? It's just sensationalist commentary on the stock photo they chose for the ad! Would people rather a photo of some dad licking his daughter's ear? People are drama queens.
  • caponumen, on 11/01/2007, -4/+203It is amazing how successful the years of media propaganda on child abductions and molestations have been.

    • asdfasdfasdfasd, on 10/11/2007, -4/+1What?!
      • dggeek, on 10/11/2007, -0/+8I think caponumen is saying that child abductions happen far less often than their sensationalist media coverage would lead you to believe.

        The fact that there is a campaign to start analyzing every father and child holding hands is insane.
    • AegisGFX, on 10/11/2007, -3/+1It ok do to this, as long as you do it to men.
  • stopnaziisrael, on 10/11/2007, -46/+66This is just an example of radical feminism, from decades of "every man is a rapist" BS on the liberal university campus to official mainstream policy and the national psyche.. It may be well intentioned but it's misdirected too. Gay men are far, far disproportionately represented as pedophiles.
    • Terr01, on 10/11/2007, -4/+20"It may be well intentioned but it's misdirected too. Gay men are far, far disproportionately represented as pedophiles."

      AFAIK pedophiles are generally heterosexual when you look at the rest of their lives. Odds are that they (of whatever gender or other sexual inclination) tend to "take what they can get" in terms of victims. That premise would explain the situation, in that society is more likely to have a man looking after boys than after girls.
      • stopnaziisrael, on 10/11/2007, -22/+8BS, more gay apologist crap. Gay men are only 3% of the population yet they abuse nearly an equal amount of children to what heterosexual pedophiles molest.
        1 in 4 girls in this country is a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of 97% of the adult male population that is heterosexual. 1 in 6 boys is sexually abused at the hands of gay pedophiles yet gay men are only 3% of the population. Hence gay men are far more likely to be pedophiles.
        • rnwen2750, on 10/11/2007, -1/+9Your statistics are off. Come back when you've done your homework.
          • krellor, on 10/11/2007, -2/+8His statistics for the rate of abuse is correct. What is off is who perpetrates the crimes. Just because 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused at some point in their life doesn't mean it is done by gay men, just like it doesn't mean straight men are responsible for the 1 in 4 abuse of girls, etc... Women, mothers, men gay and not, have all abused children, boys and girls. To say that boys are only abused by gay men is an incredibly ignorant thing to say. The one thing you can say is that 100% of sexual abuse on a child is done by perverts. As to what gender/orientation the perverts are, that isn't so black and white.
          • davidrools, on 10/11/2007, -6/+5so you're saying if a man molests a boy, that doesn't make him gay? sounds pretty gay to me. but i think i get your point. and yes they're all perverts with no self control and are scum.
          • stopnaziisrael, on 10/11/2007, -6/+3My statistics are accurate and If a man molests a boy, he's gay. The gay community needs to take responsibility for the fact that there is an abnormally high correlation between homosexuality and pedophilia. End of story.

            And yes women can sexually abuse children but it's statistically insignificant. Gay men are responsible for 1 in 6 boys being victims of sexual abuse. That's shocking because there aren't that many gay men in proportion to the number of straight men and female victims of sexual abuse.

            If straight men were just as likely to be pedophiles as gay men, far more girls would be victims of sexual abuse. Thankfully heterosexual men are better adjusted and healthier in general.
    • BAKER, on 10/11/2007, -0/+11A pedophile not being being attracted to children but rather "taking what they can get" is a contradiction in terms.
      Remember, "pedophile" is not interchangeable with "child molester".
      • ChuyMatt, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1To people who actually look into such things, yes. you are right. Most people lump them together. they are two different psychosis.
    • SOS84, on 10/11/2007, -1/+11What the bleep is wrong with you. You do realize that the vast majority of pedophiles are straight men don't you? You should probably stop listening to Rush Limbaugh. The man's lies are obviously effecting your logic or lack thereof.
      • stopnaziisrael, on 10/11/2007, -7/+2Gay men, 3% of the population, make 1 in 6 boys a victim of sexual abuse. Heterosexual men, 97% of the population, make 1 in 4 girls a victim of sexual abuse. That gay 3% manages to commit nearly as many crimes" as the heterosexual 97%, proving once again, a gay man is far more likely to be a pedophile than a straight man.
        • ChuyMatt, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6Um... as someone who works in the social services field, i don't know where you get your numbers. Gay men are about double that number if you actually have good studies. And boys and girls are sexually abused by heterosexual men... well The Pedo population has very few gay men.

          Took me a while, but I found one of the studies I read; less than 1% of sexual abusers are gay/lesbian in this particular study. I have seen roughly similar results of other studies.

          http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_molestation.html
    • nullity, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1.. because Virginia is well known for it's rampant liberalism? right...
  • DruSam, on 11/01/2007, -2/+286This country is living in complete fear. Fear is outweighing logic. This needs to stop right now.
    • macweirdo42, on 10/11/2007, -5/+9Fear will always outweigh logic. That's life for you. I don't know why people keep expecting life to be logical - we're not wired to be logical, we're wired to take shortcuts in our thought processes which can sometimes lead to incorrect conclusions, but on the other hand allow us to process information more quickly.
    • BESTenemy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+13Fear response is able to override all other senses, while switching to self-preservation mode in reaction to danger, or in our case, in anticipation of danger. We're animals. Sophisticatedly primitive animals.
      • ChuyMatt, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1animals that now stay in danger mode. Thus: heart attacks, strokes, chronic pain, etc.

        Worry-filled type-As are ruining the world.
    • abdrahman, on 10/11/2007, -7/+6The logic and rationality that men have been taught and have gained throughout the past few hundred years since the enlightenment are being torn away by pedantic, emotional women with their "gender studies" degrees.
    • wishninja, on 10/11/2007, -1/+20We used to have a constitution that protected us against this.
    • kuzotz, on 10/11/2007, -8/+3its funny that you assumed logic actually exist in the US.
    • kuzotz, on 10/11/2007, -13/+1its funny that you assumed logic actually exist in the US.
    • thirdeyeopen, on 10/11/2007, -1/+17This whole area of sexual abuse scares me, just for that reason that all it takes is a phone call from someone I've pissed off to ruin my life. And there are no repercussions for false accusations.
      • blaze4metal, on 10/11/2007, -0/+13Exactly. What kind of evidence can you bring into court when she says "he was emotionally abusing me! That's like...sexual abuse of the mind!"
      • rnwen2750, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6Not true - a young lady on my campus has been suspended and may spend up to a year in prison for purposefully filing a false report.
        • ChuyMatt, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6But in a very liberal area (say, Seattle) you will have over eager protectors of our youth (and I am saying this as a part of that system) in which even investigations that turn up no evidence will still go to trial to ruin some Horrible Man's life. I have seen 3 cases in the past 3 years that have shown that women who have been abused should not take cases alone where there is child abuse possible. I respect these women, but when we are angry about things we get blind. One lady was fired for ignoring information and taking a kid out of a house without any good cause. Why? The father was giving the kid a bath.

          grr. sorry about the rant. I want to castrate the abusers myself. With a spork. But I would never want any of the pain that I have seen from a false charge on anyone. They have to move out of their house, keep away from the kid, not call...
      • andy6915, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1You know this is 100% true. Back in 9th grade, these two girls hated me, because I "was annoying". Anyway, they went to the principle claiming I groped them and touched in inappropriate ways. I had never even touched them them (not even so much as a tap on the shoulder). I told nothing but the truth to the principle. And I got suspended for a week.

        Anyway, not long after that, they became super bitches. I told them I would tell the teacher if they kept it up. You know what they said? They said that they could get away with anything, because if I did that, they would make a much worse lie up, and get me expelled. The worst part? They were telling the truth, about what they would do, and what would happen if they did.
    • Mthrsuperior, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2word
    • bugmenot47, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering
  • caponumen, on 10/11/2007, -28/+8It is amazing how successful the years of media propaganda on child abductions and molestations have been.
    • EXreaction, on 10/11/2007, -0/+17That is one hell of a double post...

      3 hours in between the exact same post you made before.
  • macweirdo42, on 11/01/2007, -2/+117While I understand trying to protect children, at the same time, way to encourage fathers, or any potential male role models, from being involved in children's upbringing. Contrary to radical feminism, this is in fact putting women solely in charge of child-rearing. Only a woman is allowed to be seen with a small child and not thought of as a pedophile.
    • KanosWRX, on 10/11/2007, -0/+37I agree, the odd thing is, why do we hear so many stories about women teachers having sex with their students??? Seriously the people that come up with these things need to be put on a shuttle and sent to the sun!
    • Amnesia10, on 10/11/2007, -1/+16There have been various studies showing the importance of male role models in the lives of kids. Boys do much better at school if there is a positive male role model in their lives. Girls also develop sexually later as well, something about the presence of a man meaning that they do not need to develop sexually as early.

      This scheme will just damage the kids just as much as if their father was a pedophile, though the effects will not be felt by society for years. The boys will suffer educationally, and the girls attitudes to men will deteriorate.
      • blaze4metal, on 10/11/2007, -0/+13Boys are less likely to go to crime or even be troublemakers when they have a responsible dad in their lives. Boys from mother-only upbringings have to turn elsewhere for their male role models like the idiot drug dealer in the street for example.
        • dezmo, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1guys.. keep your voices down. we don't want to make the children in nontraditional families feel bad!
          • ChuyMatt, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4Actually, And I would have to dig in my bookcase to find this study (and try to translate it again), it was shown in a longitudinal study of lesbian parents that boys and girls both do JUST AS WELL in these families as in traditional opposite sex parent families. The key, I remember them saying, was that there were two parents that covered the spectrum of responsibilities that parents usually have. SO, the issue is not with single mothers! It is with single parenting!

            Any idiot can tell you that this is going to be an issue. Just not enough attention and supervision is going to get bad for kids really quick.

            Ok this is not the same one, but touches on some of it. It focuses on the parenting styles and the satisfaction of the parents. But still a good read.

            http://www.narth.com/docs/phelanrev.html
      • mewho, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Girls absolutely need male role models. My father is one of the most important people in my life. As a child he held my hand, as a teen he taught me the importance of self defense (and made me take classes), and always he taught me to value myself as a person.
  • shadowkiller137, on 10/11/2007, -3/+49frankly this is *****
  • esac, on 10/11/2007, -3/+22Mirror: http://glennsacks.com/blog/?p=857
  • iceman0113, on 11/01/2007, -1/+117This is ridiculous. What about divorced parents? Father's won't be able to be fathers because they shouldn't be left alone with their own children? How about crossing the street? "Why aren't you holding my hand while we cross the street?" "I'll be called a pedophile if I do so."

    Good ***** game Virginia.
    • Superfreak77, on 10/11/2007, -1/+14It's called Gynarchia, friends, and it is worse than nazism. No exaggeration. Social services agencies have huge powers, be warned.
    • mgalovic, on 10/11/2007, -1/+26The family law courts are so extremely biased to begin with, this is just another nail in the coffin of the father's rights movement. Here is the way this is going to work: someone will incorrectly suspect a father / grandfather with their daughter / granddaughter as a child abuser, the courts will grant a temp injunction which will at the very least smear the adults name until the backed up court gets around to a hearing 1 to 2 weeks later. Here's the why: in the eyes of the American public, a dead or abused woman or child is way worse than a dead man so it's ok to trample a man's rights as long as the former doesn't occur.
      • rnwen2750, on 10/11/2007, -4/+2Yeah, I'm not following you on your "logic" in the last sentence.
        • Oracle95, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1He's saying that in the eyes of the American public, it's better to err at the expense of a man's life and liberty than to take a chance that a woman or child may be harmed.

          Unfortunately it's not his logic that's the fault. It's the fact that certain angles play better for ratings with the news media. Remember the news media's job is NOT to tell you the news; it's to sell advertising.
  • Easty, on 10/11/2007, -1/+49A win for moral panic!
  • mcm297, on 10/11/2007, -21/+12Rush Limbaugh has an interesting take on this story, from his radio show: -> http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_062707/content/01125108.guest.html
    • JDoorjam, on 10/11/2007, -5/+14No, Rush has the same tired take he always does -- that if something stupid is done, it must somehow have been caused by liberals. This has nothing to do with liberal vs. conservative; the poster is just dumb, irrespective of political leaning.
      • 10001, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1your position on Rush is tiresome. are you going to hypocritically maintain it?
    • pminton, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2Who would have ever thought that I'd ever even remotely agree with Rush? Not me, but as far as his calling BS on this, I agree. His reasoning, as JDoorjam states above, is the same old conservative rhetoric, but he does call this what it is. Crap.
  • islingt0ner, on 10/11/2007, -2/+26I laugh at the world we live in. what else can I do?
    • JAXXXON, on 10/11/2007, -0/+15Pfft, I live in the internet.
    • IanF, on 10/11/2007, -0/+15Cry.
    • t1n0m3n, on 10/11/2007, -9/+3"I laugh at the country we live in. what else can I do?"

      There, all fixed.
      Your welcome
    • TennisElbow, on 10/11/2007, -7/+1Change it. Laughing at it does nothing. (Are you listening, Daily Show fanatics?)
    • lougoose, on 10/11/2007, -6/+1Yeah, moron, you can try to change it.
    • Mthrsuperior, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5get cocked and loaded?
    • RTourn, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3Vote! Write, join groups. The only thing worst than a vocal minority making policy is a silent majority.
    • myeyesarered, on 10/11/2007, -2/+0"The world we are living in" isn't that *****-up, it's just the U.S. and the middle-east. -generally...
    • 10001, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1leave?
  • indyGuy, on 11/01/2007, -0/+111Sorry, but as a parent, I say UN-*****-BELIEVABLE.
    • ChuyMatt, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2And this is because of the over viability of many (not most) men's incapability to stay married, or get married and stay with the mother of their children. We are seen as throw away, or liable to leave at any second by our own society. It may be time to make a show of our commitment as men to be all that we can be, will be and Are.
  • snipes, on 10/11/2007, -6/+9What. The *****. Is that?
  • mortigon, on 10/11/2007, -1/+39This is yet another way to start a witch hunt
  • abdrahman, on 10/11/2007, -17/+87"We are a generation of men who have been raised by women", as I believe the quote goes. Women have now corrupted men to think as irrationally as they do; everything is about emotion and fear, not about rationality and logic... then people wonder why this country is ***** up.
    • rnwen2750, on 10/11/2007, -12/+10I dunno about the rest of the world, but it looks like your mom did a number on you.
      • abdrahman, on 10/11/2007, -2/+14I am speaking in generalities here. My mother got a college degree in something actually worth while, linguistics with a minor in computer science(they kept changing the degree requirements at her school in the 70's for CS until she finally just switched over to linguistics); she always encouraged my siblings and me to learn math and science, and to read philosophical works. The problem is that too many women in society have delusions about what the world is and should be, and have been raised to hate men and anything associated with men. I cannot tell you how many ladies I know that think that genetics and math is just a manifestation of patriarchal dominance, while they go on about hippy ***** like personal auras and "The Secret".
        • kuzotz, on 10/11/2007, -2/+16I've talked to a feminist before, and yea they're pretty twisted. She had a son also, and I asked her if she is teaching her son self hatred. She said the kids dad left so men are worthless..

          This mindset really has to end because its extremely irrational. There are worthless women, and worthless men as well as real women, and real men.

          Real-meaning they work hard for what they have and are rational and will not treat you badly.

          I think its the fact that they see all the bad, and ignore all of the good.

          This is why good guys finish last. Because all the women are going after the bad guys, and getting screwed every time.
        • kuzotz, on 10/11/2007, -11/+2I've talked to a feminist before, and yea they're pretty twisted. She had a son also, and I asked her if she is teaching her son self hatred. She said the kids dad left so men are worthless..

          This mindset really has to end because its extremely irrational. There are worthless women, and worthless men as well as real women, and real men.

          Real-meaning they work hard for what they have and are rational and will not treat you badly.

          I think its the fact that they see all the bad, and ignore all of the good.

          This is why good guys finish last. Because all the women are going after the bad guys, and getting screwed every time.
        • kuzotz, on 10/11/2007, -10/+4I've talked to a feminist before, and yea they're pretty twisted. She had a son also, and I asked her if she is teaching her son self hatred. She said the kids dad left so men are worthless..

          This mindset really has to end because its extremely irrational. There are worthless women, and worthless men as well as real women, and real men.

          Real-meaning they work hard for what they have and are rational and will not treat you badly.

          I think its the fact that they see all the bad, and ignore all of the good.

          This is why good guys finish last. Because all the women are going after the bad guys, and getting screwed every time.
        • rnwen2750, on 10/11/2007, -7/+2"I cannot tell you how many ladies I know that think that genetics and math is just a manifestation of patriarchal dominance, while they go on about hippy ***** like personal auras and "The Secret"."

          BS. People like you who go spouting off nonsense on the internet give men AND women bad reps. If women don't like math and genetics, why are the US' universities inundated by an ever rising number of females in the subject? Why are the boys outnumbered 10 to 1 in every single science course I have ever taken?

          Feminism is NOT a thinly veiled attempt to bash men. It is a state of mind that elevates the status of the female above her usual position as a sex toy and/or an object to be possessed.
          • dezmo, on 10/11/2007, -1/+610 to 1? dude what school do you go to?
          • Wartz, on 10/11/2007, -1/+410:1? What are you smoking? Because at my college the numbers are usually about 1.5:1 in favor of males in sciences like biology/chemistry while stuff like computer science and physics is more like 4:1.
          • abdrahman, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4I agree with the others; at my school, women only make up a slight majority in Biology, but any of the hard sciences they are lacking(there are barely any chicks in even chemistry, the lightest of the "hard sciences"). Out of a class of 20 people for my upper division physics and math classes this year, there was a grand total of one chick in them(the same one was in all of my classes). Engineering is absolutely laughable, 90 guys and 3-4 chicks in a class.

            Women as a whole do not enjoy math or science, but there are quite a few that still do. What you are seeing rnwen2750 are the admissions councils selectively choosing women over men, even if the men are better in academics; i.e. what better way to "even the gender imbalance" in science than to SELECT more women than men on purpose.

            You may think I hate women, I don't. Quite a few of the smartest people I know are female, but even they agree that most women don't have:

            a) the "knack".
            b) the will.
            or
            c) the patience

            to perform perform well in sciences.
          • resplence, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1"[Feminism] is a state of mind that elevates the status of the female above her usual position as a sex toy and/or an object to be possessed."

            *YAWN*

            Feminism is a state of mind that leads people to perceive the usual role of women as nothing more than a sex toy and/or an object to be possessed.
    • Xyc0, on 10/11/2007, -8/+2Right, because men are never irrational. I am a man.
      • abdrahman, on 10/11/2007, -2/+13Men occasionally fall into irrationality, women revel in it though. Look at psychology, behavior that would get a man labeled mentally unstable is perfectly okay for women.
        • rnwen2750, on 10/11/2007, -6/+1Uh. Huh. You are a weird, strange person.
    • Ziggy1979, on 10/11/2007, -14/+3Gee and the men of Digg wonder why they never get any.... Everyone's digging up this misogynistic comment.
    • demiurgency, on 10/21/2007, -0/+13@abdrahman
      Dug up for quoting the best movie at all time.

      @Ziggy1979.
      Dug down for misappropriate use of the word 'misogynistic', a product of nazi-feminist hyperbole. 'Misogyny' should be reserved for men who rape and beat women, men who use their physical size and tactics of fear to intimidate and control their wives.
      It does NOT apply to some Digg poster who is simply philosophizing on how the gender balance in this country may have tipped too far the other way.
      Feminists would like to label anyone who simply disagrees with their politics as a 'misogynist'. It's that culture of fear that's spawned this Virginia campaign.
      • Xyc0, on 10/11/2007, -1/+0So what? I get nothing? Pfft, so much for my sardonic comments...
      • lavchan, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Speaking as a 'radical feminist' who disagrees with this campaign as much as (if not more than) you and all your anti-feminist buds who are commenting here, that's bull *****. The notion that only the most unbelievably outrageous infractions (like rape and spousal abuse) warrant disapproval is the reason we have campaigns like this in the first place. In order to truly be free of sexism towards the one side, you must necessarily be free of it towards the other.
    • mewho, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3I think this is more about one woman's fear of men. Most single moms would be more than glad to have a loving father that would hold their daughter's hand. What is scary is that this woman's fear is being given validation.
    • myeyesarered, on 10/11/2007, -1/+0That's not because "our generation of men have been raised by women": In Europe you have the same family circumstances as in the US and men also have been raised by women and Europe isn't ***** up.
      I think the reason why the US is so ***** up is because of the media (everything is about fear and threats) and because of the extremely strong believe in religion
  • twisterrust, on 10/11/2007, -2/+7so what is this newspaper/newswebsite? I never heard about it
    • jtablerd, on 10/11/2007, -3/+2dont know, i haven't RTFA because i refuse to support blogspam. anyone have a link to a credible news source or official page with something on this?
  • Disease, on 10/11/2007, -0/+11We're doomed
  • FlashX83, on 10/11/2007, -31/+19Buried as inaccurate.

    It's a billboard picture. Nowhere on the billboard does it say to call the cops if you see a man holding a child's hand.
    • DenTPuzz, on 10/11/2007, -14/+7That's exactly what I was going to say - it does not say if you see a father holding his childs hand then call the cops - that would be stupid. What it is trying to say is if something does not seem right then call. Big difference.
    • johnhummel, on 10/11/2007, -4/+20No, it only shows a man and a child holding hands with the tag line "It doesn't feel right when I see them together". Now, if they had shown, say, a child with a sad face and something saying "I know that something's wrong, but don't want to get involved", or something like that - fine. The basic message of "Hey, if you think a child is being abused, don't turn away and act like a douche - report the pedophile!" is fine. But "Look - hand holding is teh evil!" is overkill, and frankly silly.
    • BAKER, on 10/11/2007, -2/+20So would it racist if the billboard had a black man in a Ferrari with the tag "It doesn't seem right with him driving that." ?

      It's pretty obvious what the billboard is portraying.
    • blaaguuu, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3Yes, that's correct... but it is targeted at the American Public. I'm sure there wont be widespread, constant reports of fathers holding hands, leading to hundreds of wrongful arrests - But there will probably be a few stupid people who see the poster, then see some guy giving a little girl a peck on the cheek and freak out - which could lead to some hard times. And do you honestly think that without that billboard, if the average person saw something obviously sexual happening between an adult and a child that they wouldn't speak up? besides, I would assume that most child molesters would prefer to keep that stuff in the privacy of their own home, and act normal when in public.

      The campaign in unnecessary, and could cause unnecessary problems for families.
  • bakajoe, on 10/11/2007, -3/+90Thats right only Men can abuse kids. Women would never do a bad thing.
    • johnhummel, on 10/11/2007, -0/+26No kidding! I mean, it's not like you see attractive 20 to 30 something teachers sleeping with their male students -

      Oh, wait.
      • DruSam, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5Well it's okay, as long as the teacher is hot... j/k
      • cayle, on 10/11/2007, -4/+2"Thats right only Men can abuse kids. Women would never do a bad thing."

        /sarcasm

        you forgot that part...
  • tantheman67, on 11/01/2007, -1/+120I am a 24 year old guy and i think twice about taking my little brother out to the mall or my niece out to the playground. even smiling at a child that is staring at me in the mall or walking around i feel like i will be labeled a sexual predator
    • abdrahman, on 11/01/2007, -0/+56I don't even help kids get up after they trip, or even ask if they are okay anymore; I know their parents probably think I am an *****, but I am not going to risk getting labeled a sexual predator because I helped a five year old girl who was hurt.
      • blaze4metal, on 10/11/2007, -0/+11I do the same thing. It's sad that this is what men have to do to avoid any hassles these days.
      • ShadySpace, on 10/11/2007, -6/+14***** that. You're both complete bitches if you let laws and regulations stop you from being a decent human being, then we've lost. Overcome, be good in spite of this *****.
        • ChuyMatt, on 10/11/2007, -0/+11You try to get into nursing school, keep your job as a teacher, take care of elderly people after being sued for this!

          It is frightening. It is not only an investigation, it takes you out of contact with anyone who could be considered vulnerable person. Even if they live in your home.
        • abdrahman, on 10/11/2007, -0/+7I am good to everybody outside of this. I plan on working in either the financial sector as an analyst or work for the government(in top secret research); for either of these, me having the label "sexual offender" is a death knell to either field(you think that the executive of a fortune 500 company wants... *gasp* a sexual offender on his employ?
    • Superfreak77, on 10/11/2007, -6/+1...read somewhere about the social isolation of the tween set. then it's no surprise they turn to the first person that gives them some conversation!!. the wrong result from the wrong approach!
    • dictum, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3I waved at this little girl who was riding in the kart at the supermarket yesterday. She smiled. I saw her again on the check out line and waved again, this time she loled.

      I really hope nobody calls the cops on me.
  • KanosWRX, on 10/11/2007, -2/+23Wow Virginia really is working hard to become the worst Freaking state in the Country. First the Civil fines for traffic offenses that can bankrupt the poor, now this. It just disgusts me to say I live in Virginia now. When will it end.
    • TheSabre, on 10/11/2007, -10/+0That whole traffic thing is perfectly fair and is the right way to go. First of all, if you're that poor, you'd probably live in SE Washington or Montgomery County, MD. If you can afford to live in Fairfax or Arlington, you can afford to pay 2,000 for a DUI. *****, my rent in Fairfax Co. went up $2,000/year for next year. Or, there's always that novel idea of NOT BREAKING THE LAW in the first place.
      • timpkmn89, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3There's more to Virginia than NoVA y'know...
    • jtablerd, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6@ thesabre.

      you're a jackass.
    • Lassan, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1It'll end when you leave Virginia, maybe?
    • TheGreatGonzo, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0I guess I'll give colonial Williamsburg a miss, since I think I'll avoid Virginia from now on due out of my principles.
  • HexeL, on 11/01/2007, -3/+43So no man can any longer display affection towards any children? Even those he's related to?

    We men have to start pushing back against these fear mongers or we're all going to be labeled rapists ever more blatantly.
  • jlebrech, on 10/11/2007, -1/+12Just follow the mp's around and take photographs when they hold their on childs hands. and they'll soon amend laws.
    • FredFredrickson, on 10/11/2007, -1/+10If you followed a kid around taking pictures of him / her, you'd be put in jail so fast your head would spin.
  • BobbyMC, on 07/21/2008, -0/+37Ah, the Peppy defense. As long as someone "trusts their instincts" the end result is irrelevant.

    Shrewd. I think any attorney would be hard pressed to barrel roll their way out of this air tight logic trap.
    • riah, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6"the Peppy defense"
      Gold star for you this week.
    • ijustam, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4+1 digg just isn't enough for you.
    • LMaxey, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Now if only we could cleverly use the phrase "do a barrel roll" or "be careful its a trap"
  • Hetman, on 11/01/2007, -5/+83You cant win if your a man. Hang out with your children you are branded a pedophile. Dont hang out with your children you are branded a deadbeat dad. There really is no reason to stick around after you have planted your seed.
    • FredFredrickson, on 10/11/2007, -6/+1Except of course, to make sure the "seed" doesn't turn out bad... right?
  • superyounan1, on 10/11/2007, -1/+31so now when I have kids, I need to look around and make sure no one is watching before I give them a hug or kiss? or else same imaginative wacko looking out their window is going to pick up the phone have ruin my life and reputation?
    • nazadus, on 10/11/2007, -1/+10One of my aunts swears that most of the people in her neighborhood are pedo's becayse they drive by and smile at their child. It's pretty sad. I feel embarrassed for her to be related to me.
    • superyounan1, on 10/11/2007, -0/+7yeah, there's definitely a stigma against any guy giving a random child a smile or any attention in public. A girl can say "ooooooo awwww how cuuuuute" and pick the child up, give it a hug, but if I so much as smile at an adorable baby (which btw, is often involuntary), I entice gorilla-like protective behavior from the mom. I guess its somewhat understandable, most child kidnappings are committed by men, but I sure as hell don't like being regarded as one of those potential perverts or criminals for smiling at a baby. GOD FORBID I ask for a high-five form the tyke
  • trer, on 10/11/2007, -2/+32So I should let a car hit my daughter as we're crossing the street because if I hold her hand to keep her safe, I'm a child molester.
  • dicerandom, on 10/11/2007, -1/+17Actual link to the article, without blogspam: http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=127074&ran=222513
    • glucoseboy, on 10/11/2007, -1/+11Looks like the comments posted there reflect the ones on digg as well.

      As a father of two girls, I'm deeply offended by the implication that holding my daughter's hand makes me a child abuser. "If it doesn't feel right?" So, we're asking joe/jane Q public at large to detect child abuser's and report them?

      You can see how this war on terror mentality of fear has now permeated every aspect of our society.

      UN fricking BELIEVABLE!

  • funkypenquin, on 10/11/2007, -0/+16Please take note that there is contact info , at the bottom of site for both the newspaper that reported this and to the government official in charge of this campaign . Please use you collected voices of outrage for something positive.
    • Hetman, on 10/11/2007, -4/+6I dont think you want to do that. If your not with them your against them. By that I mean your a dirty pedophile that deserves to die.
  • gowans007, on 10/11/2007, -0/+9Time for the US to watch this:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7jVnrfoZD8
    • GravitySpec, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1"Can I have the money now please?" -- everyone should watch this video.
  • Bogie22, on 10/11/2007, -15/+2death penalty for sex offenders would help.
    • joklem, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4Yeah, because that campaign in the article above isn't going to victimize innocent fathers.
    • sariel, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Death penalty for sex offenders would not help. Death penalty doesn't help against crime either.
      Reasoning:
      "I'm going to get the death penalty for this anyway, so I might as well add some more and have fun."

      @joklem: How many innocent people do you think are sent to death row? Too many. The judicial system still isn't perfect, and I doubt it'll ever be. So you can never be 100% sure that you're ONLY locking (or killing) people who are guilty (ARE guilty, not FOUND guilty, there's a BIG difference: to be guilty means you did it, to be found guilty means other people think you did it).
  • NikoKun, on 11/01/2007, -1/+43When I was a kid, if I did something wrong... I got spanked... It was scary as a kid, but i got over it, and i learned not to be a spoiled brat, or not to break things... XD
    These days if a parent spanks their child, they'd get arrested for child abuse and the stupid child services takes the children away and puts them in foster homes... -_- Stupid *****... I'm not saying violently punishing children is right... but there is a limit, and these groops claiming "child protection", probably harm more lives than they save... -_-
    • joklem, on 11/01/2007, -1/+19In my time my father would have spanked my ass and I would have behaved. Nowadays, you see mothers with kids that do what they want and they do nothing about it. This is why the society is getting more and more on the side of pussypower.
    • avasol, on 10/11/2007, -12/+3Well. I for one am not an American and I find it.. Well. Barbaric, that you still strike your children.

      You're supposed to love them.
      • LMaxey, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2The Nanny 911 tactic sure as hell wouldn't work on half the spoiled brats I've seen
      • detalubo, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Punishing your children IS loving them. There is nothing wrong with spanking your child as long as you do it out of love instead of anger.
      • Lassan, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1yes, you love them. that's why you try to teach them something.. so they behave better which helps them in life later on.. if you didn't, they'd think they can do whatever they want.. and that involves a lot of stuff.
    • jeffeb3, on 10/11/2007, -8/+4There are more effective ways of disciplining children than using physical discipline. In most cases, spanking can't be used properly.

      A _separate_ point is that undisciplined or spoiled children are not a product of lack of physical discipline. I bet if you actually knew the truth, you would realize that spoiled children have been spanked as much or more than non-spanked children. Using spanking is a sign of poor parenting. Disciplined children know what is wrong and right, because of good role models and good communication with their parents.

      You will also not get your children sent to foster care for a spanking. At worst, in most places, you _might_ get a ticket if someone reports you. Which probably means you've done it more than once. Usually the tickets get significantly reduces by agreeing to take parenting classes. That would only be if you did something stupid like hit your child in public because you were angry with them.
      • detalubo, on 10/11/2007, -1/+0I'm not sure where you got your facts, but all of the best behaved kids I know get spanked, and most of the spoiled brats I know get other forms of punishment (time outs, no tv, ect)
    • crashingechelon, on 10/11/2007, -0/+9I don't really see anything wrong with spanking a child. As long as it's done in love, since there is a fine line between spanking and abuse.
    • Forky, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Spanking is to go a bit over the edge, belive me you can be kept from being a spoiled rat by parents who clearly says "no", and then sticks to that no.
  • EzarKun, on 10/11/2007, -8/+3USA is just like that spongebob and south park episodes.
    the one where spongebob skies down a mountain and breaks his ass, and decides to never go out an play.
    and that south park episode where all parents are "child abusers" and make each child leave town from fear of themselves abusing their child one day.
  • Cloned, on 11/01/2007, -0/+91I used to work for an afterschool program for kids. I loved it. And both the kids and my coworkers loved me. Summer came, and I went to apply at a kids camp to be a counselor. I thought they were going to hire me right away because of my experience. You know what they told me? "We are being very cautious with accepting male caretakers right now. If we do hire you, you will only be able to work with the older kids and you must be in the presence of a female caretaker when you are with any of the children."

    ***** that.
    • Buelldozer, on 11/01/2007, -18/+7You really can't blame 'em for being cautious, but at the same time it's terribly aggravating isn't it?
      • xtmno3, on 11/01/2007, -0/+13Yes, you can. If the same ***** happened in reverse at ANY other job, the place would be sued like it is nobody's business for sexual discrimination.
    • renegadeafk, on 11/01/2007, -0/+17That's ***** ridiculous
    • BAKER, on 11/01/2007, -1/+18Being told that I can't spend time with little girls in my distant family because of my gender is one of the most hurtful experiences in my life.
      I love kids and wanted to pursue a career in early childhood education. My high school counselor tried talking me out of it because "people might think you are up to something".

      It's ridiculous people don't see the blatant sexism in child care. And this billboard just enforces that.
  • Yage2006, on 10/11/2007, -0/+24The U.S is getting waaaaaaaaaaaaay to uptight.
    • Buelldozer, on 10/11/2007, -4/+3Not all of us are. Just the scared namby-pamby crackpots.
  • chrup, on 10/11/2007, -1/+10What we should do: Call the help line and ask them to send us some woman to help our sons/daughters across the street when we are going to the mall/grocery store/library/swimming pool/etc. Call every time! Since we can't do that any more without risking going to jail, they need to provide a way to do it.
    See how fast that nonsense is going to stop.
  • auxplage, on 11/01/2007, -0/+63My girlfriend and I baby sat a few kids before for a few hours (They were all over 4). When the parents of the various children arrived back home one of the little girls said that I refused to let her use the bathroom.

    I seriously thought that they were going to press charges or something. My girlfriend assured them that I did no such thing.

    Guys cannot be around children alone. EVER. There has to be at least one female there to make "we are not doing anything inappropriate."

    I am never watching kids again for anybody.
    • sabach, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Good choice. Occasionally one of my daughter's friends would need a ride home from our house, I wouldn't do it unless my daughter came along.
  • davidrools, on 10/11/2007, -1/+34FTA: "Rebecca Odor, who directs the sexual and domestic violence prevention division..."

    she stinks
    • Cappez, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3becky.odor@vdh.virginia.gov

      I first read that as "body odor"
  • sactoeric, on 11/01/2007, -0/+59I'm about to be a father for the first time and reading this is seriously breaking my heart. What kind of world do we live in where a father can't love, care and protect his child without fear of being thought a pervert. The real perverts here are those who thought up this campaign!
  • dgh1973, on 10/11/2007, -14/+5I'm sorry, but I see this as a kind of "camera turned on the monitor" effect, where someone is freaking out about how they think other people are freaking out. This doesn't actually seem to talk about fathers getting harassed, this is an opinion piece on a new missing child ad campaign if I read correctly.

    This is an admittedly poor ad, but it looks like it was designed to help people do the investigative work in cases where a person has kidnapped a child long term, and the intuitions of a neighbor may be one of the few things it would take to crack a case like that.

    All I'm saying is keep perspective here... I don't think it's the ad doing the "fear mongering", I think it's the blogger (no offense). Unless these ads have caused people to turn in their neighbors for spending too much time with their kids, I think this guy is over reacting in a rather ironic way if you stop and think about it.
    • jeffeb3, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3I agree. The poster doesn't seem that bad. And it's not telling you to call the cops. It's telling you to call the hotline where they might ask you "why don't they look like this is right?" "what are they doing? going for ice cream?"

      anyways, even calling the cops does not make you register as a sex offender. Worst case, if a daughter and father were holding hands, the police officer would talk to them, discover that fact, and not take any action. Way to get your blog on the front page by exaggerating the facts...
  • linkcma, on 10/11/2007, -2/+8Every time something this idiotic happens, I go a little insane.
    • obeythefist, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6sorry man, I accidentally buried your comment when I meant to digg it.
  • gunnar3, on 10/11/2007, -0/+37Very Orwellian, "Only you can stop thought crime!"
  • PamalaLauren, on 11/01/2007, -0/+74I think what's more disturbing is that a man's life can be potentially ruined by someone who thinks he doesn't look right to be holding a childs hand. My mom doesn't understand why my husband has a hard time even cleaning my daughters private areas. I know exactly why because should someone see him (if he's changing her diaper in a bathroom or in the trunk, yes we have a area in the trunk for that) they might assume he's molesting her. It's sad that fathers can't be fathers without fear of being accused of abuse.
    I don't think it's feminism so much as it's people who've been molested or abused as children now overreacting because no one protected them.
  • jasonliman, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2it reminds me of the movie "amelie"
  • slapded, on 10/11/2007, -1/+8this story stinks just like that lady
  • ROFLance, on 11/01/2007, -1/+31'We want to teach them to trust their instinct and, if it doesn't smell right, take action,' Odor said.
    • Soulhuntre, on 10/11/2007, -0/+10Except most peoples "instincts" are actually jealosy, racism or hatred.
  • phreaknurse, on 10/11/2007, -11/+3Okay, this is awful.

    I mean, the guy at the coffee shop last night with his daughter all up on his lap and his hand rubbing her butt? Totally different story. But holding her hand??? Oh c'mon.
    • Soulhuntre, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3Pics or it didn't happen...

      Ok. I'm going to hell.
  • juggadore, on 10/11/2007, -2/+6bottom line, all men are dispicable. i love how in this country, people are so pro-marriage (heterosexual marriage, anyway) and all this father figure stuff, but the fathers are not allowed to touch their kids and custody of their kids can be taken away from them at any time.
  • Fetching more discussions...
    Show 51 - 100 of 151 discussions
  •  

    Login or register to add a comment

    Create a new account or login to join in the conversation on Digg. You'll also be able to Digg stories to help promote things you like.


© Digg Inc. 2008 — Content posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain.
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.