I never thought I'd be able to use a billboard image twice in one week.
In New York, men who are arrested for soliciting prostitutes are sent to "john school." Oakland, California has more of a tough love method--they're putting up "shaming" billboards with pictures of the men who have been arrested. Yikes!
"This idea came out of just thinking about new ideas, doing something to deal with this increasing problem, especially with the exploitation of underage women," said Oakland City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente, who champions the approach.
The photos on the billboards were partially blurred so the men are not easily identifiable. But in the future photos might be displayed unaltered, an aide to De La Fuente said.
Critics say the technique -- which De La Fuente said has been used in Texas -- recalls medieval public humiliations.
"It doesn't seem to us to be appropriate for Oakland to be using shaming as an additional and extrajudicial punishment to single out this group of offenders," said Alan Schlosser, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union for Northern California. "We don't think this is good public policy."
But it's a great way to get famous. Just think, you too can be in the company of celebs like Hugh Grant!
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They ought to wait for conviction. However, I think those who solicit survival sex from 15 year old runaways ought to be held accountable to the community for it.
Is it possible that I'm actually disagreeing with the ACLU on something?? If the current policy of posting pictures of sex offenders in local police stations and on the web isn't enough of a deterrant, then here's hoping that taking it up a notch (or five) will be.