Article Analysis #1

The news article I read for this week is called “California Legislature Softens Sex Offender Registry Requirements For Sodomy With Minors”. In the article, Mary Margaret Olohan, a social issues reporter, reports, “The California legislature passed a law late Monday relaxing sex offender registry requirements for sodomy and other acts with minors in efforts to end ‘discrimination against LGBTQ young people on the sex offender registry’…” Scott Weiner, a democratic California state senator, introduced SB 145, which is a bill that could absolve a person for sexual offenses against minors if the adult is less than 10 years older than the minor, and that is the only offense requiring the person to register as a sex offender. The alleged intent of this bill is to end discrimination against LBGTQ young people on the sex offender registry. However, this bill can cause harm towards minors, rather than protection. Weiner states, “Currently, these youth are forced onto the registry for consensual sex — even if a judge doesn’t think it’s appropriate — in situations where straight youth are not. This discrimination destroys lives.” Although the bill can protect minors that have consensual sex, it can also protect pedophiles.

In the article “Failed State”, by John B Judis, the author informs the reader on different scenarios of failure in the state of California. An example of failure that is given in this article is about Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vouched for nutritious and healthy foods in schools. However, “[C]alifornia governor was under contract to body- building magazines that make money from advertising notoriously unhealthy dietary supplements.” The article talks about efforts that Schwarzenegger had made to gain support from multiple political and ethnical groups. The bipartisan centrist’s state popularity plummeted from 65 percent to 37 percent. The article states, “[D]ivisions separate business and labor, and the limit options for the legislature and for the governor.” The author believes it is difficult for any governor to succeed due to California’s developed economic and political fault lines.

Both of these articles have people in political power that attempt to please a certain group of people. I think it is impossible to have a political leader that pleases everyone. A person in political power trying to please a certain, or multiple, groups of people will do things that contradict what they are trying to support. For example, Scott Weiner introducing SB 145 is trying to please LGBTQ minority groups and sex offenders, but is harming all minority groups. Pedophiles can get away with sexual acts with minors if this bill passes. This bill will not please many parents. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to please democrats through nutritious food, but is also trying to please individualists through unhealthy dietary supplements. Schwarzenegger trying to please both democrats and individualists contradict each other. It is very difficult to please all groups of people within a state. It is best to focus on the group that has the majority in order to have a successful campaign or election. It is best to direct your campaigning towards this majority group to gain the most support possible. I do not think it is difficult for a governor to succeed if their definition of success is to please and have support among the majority of the state, because a governor or person in political power cannot please everyone.

Source citation: https://www.citizensjournal.us/california-legislature-softens-sex-offender-registry-requirements-for-sodomy-with-minors/