On Overcriminalized.Com, Heritage Foundation Defends Violent Sex Offenders' "Trivial Conduct"

Media Matters Action Network:

As we have mentioned before, the conservative Heritage Foundation produces the website Overcriminalized.com, which advocates the theory that "as a result of rampant overcriminalization, trivial conduct is now often punished as a crime."

Read the whole story: Media Matters Action Network

Comments

[za2008]

I wonder if Bill O'Reilly will be as critical about the Heritage Foundation as he was about NAMBLA (I recall he had an episode about them at least once a month a few years back).

[poster1122]

Since the rhetoric in the comments here are so over-the-top, I suppose this bears repeating:

The bills in question are listed in the site's Legislative Updates section, which appears to be just a clearing house for all bills not relating to "street crime" that make ANY changes to offenses and/or penalties. It's not just a list of bills they disapprove of, which is what the huffpost articles, Media Matters Action Network, and the commentators here claim. It's a news crawl of bills the Heritage Foundation would approve of as well as ones they'd disapprove of.

As proof, a quick find on the words "abortion" and "alien" turns up bills that restrict abortion (HR 634, 1822, and 2061) and stiffens penalties against illegal immigrants (HR 994, 1029, 3308, 1440, 128).

Obviously, the conservative Heritage Foundation is neither pro-choice nor pro-illegal immigration. So, it's disingenuous at best, outright dishonest at worst, to claim that the Legislative Update section represents bills that they oppose.

BTW, who is Media Matters Action Network? Media Matters (the creation of the Annenberg Foundation)'s URL is mediamatters.org, not mediamattersaction.org. It smacks of some group trying to hijack Media Matter's reputation to add a veneer of credibility to a rather spurious attack.

[keepemhonest]

poster

You are being dishonest in your post. The Heritage Foundation's Bills listed in THEIR "Over-Crim­inalizatio­n" section speaks for itself.... No twisting or spinning from you will deny the fact that Heritage Foundation - by THEIR OWN website & words - SUPPORT trafficking & slavery of CHILDREN.

Heritage gets tax exempt status to support their positions.

[poster1122]

overcriminalized is the name of the site, not the section. The section it's found in if you actually followed the link is Legislative Updates. A cursory review shows bills that would be a conservative's wet dream (parental notification requiremen­ts/approva­l before abortion on a minor could be performed, required waiting periods for abortions) alongside the ones cited in this article.

If showing up there means they oppose the bill, then you'd have to believe the Heritage Foundation has become extremely pro-choice all of a sudden. Obviously, that's a ridiculous proposition.

[keepemhonest]

Conservative Droolers support trafficking & slavery of children - yet wrote legislation defunding ACRON based off of 2 women - who were fired - in a video.

Conservative Droolers DEFEND Halliburton, KBR, Blackwater & Xe .... hmmm.....

C Street is knocking.

[jde]

Is anyone really surprised by this?

The GOP believes they can convince their followers of anything, and they can. Now you are going to get the most bizarre and wicked stuff run up the flag pole.

Watch.

[Beachchick]

The Heritage Foundation advocates policies that allow wealth owners to exploit the weakest and most vulnerable members of society.

The notion that the GOP cares about women and children is absurd. Brows the premier right-wing lobby tank, Heritage Foundation, and look at the donors to understand who the GOP represents. Heritage Foundation is the GOP and right-wing hate media.

[research]

EVERYTHING SHOULD BE FOR SALE.

That's Plutocracy.

[CoronaDischarge]

Why are they against requiring sex offenders to register? Doesn't that help them to keep in touch with their base?

[ebanks84]

Because they don't want THEIR names to appear on that register. Why else?

[USA2Sense]

Another name for the Republican National Committee???

[calibabe]

Geez, aren't they getting dangerously far into ACLU territory?

[mediamarv]

No.

[keepemhonest]

Calibabe

No, they are exactly where their ideology puts them ... front & center supporting trafficking & slavery of children .... Foley is drooling right now.

[poster1122]

People here seem to prefer their own narrative. No one actually bothers to check out such an outrageous claim.

For the record, the bills cited show up on the site's Legislative Updates section, which serves as a news crawl for ALL bills that alter offenses or penalties not relating to "street crime". It includes bills that conservatives love (e.g., restrictions on abortion) as well as ones they hate (e.g., gun control).

A quick find in the legislative updates area on keywords like "abortion" and "illegal alien" shows a raft of bills that conservations would overwhelmingly support. Unless of course, there are people here who'd claim that Heritage is now a pro-choice organization. If you believe that, I've got a big, red bridge in SF that I'd like to sell you...

[ThinkCreeps]

Well, I guess since in their view women and children are just property, the government should butt out.

After all, it's not like there are any over-18 male victims of these crimes, are there?

[OceanSize]

I don't have the stomach to actually go to that website, but somehow I doubt that they disagree with any of our current legislation regarding the war on drugs. In the mind of a conservative, some old dude watching child porn with one hand isn't as bad as smoking a J.

[Stretchumall]

Any Act or Action that pertains to Control or Power over another the GOPers are all for it.

[DanSteSr]

Another doozie headline by HP, not at all what the site is about

[Gidster]

Seems to be.

They suggest that the criminalization of sexual predation against children is somehow over done.

[keepemhonest]

Dan

Yes it IS what that site is about .... I just read that site & saw it with my own eyes.....

[davism97]

Overcriminalization is definitely a valid topic for discussion. Just look at all the people in jail for smoking pot.

[KindOne]

That's what I was thinking.

Pot IS harmless, unlike like molesting children which causes lots of damage to them.

[XRaraavis]

Whenever a liberal group like Amnesty International or the ACLU comes up with a report about overcriminalization in the United States and talks about the insane number of people we have in prison the people on this site endorse the report and bemoan the poor jailed victims. The conservatives respond by calling liberals degenerates and weak on crime.

Now a conservative group comes out against the destructive overcriminalization in our society and all you people can do is attack them. It seems to me that this is one issue the majority of all Americans can get behind as they see the friends and relatives sent away for ridiculously long jail sentences for minor crimes. Don't let petty partisanship cloud every single issue.

[OceanSize]

So you're saying we should view child pornography and sexual assault the same way we view pot smoking?

[calibabe]

Bingo!

[Gidster]

If Heritage had come out against draconian public intoxication laws, you would have seen a lot of support, but these acts are intended to close loop holes to limit acces to children by sexual predators and child murderers.­.....But I guess that is just normal behavior that should be punished civilly, what is the life of a child worth in civil court?

Then of course the Republicans would be screaming for Tort reform of the civil courts....­...

[keepemhonest]

SPOT ON!

[madcat007]

Perhaps you should have read the article.

[Hopeington]

I guess you are making the point so many people try to make, that Repubs care about unborn children, but once they're here, who cares, do what you will with them. We're not going to protect them. We want more protection for the offender.
If children are hurt and abused, it seems it's the one issue the majority of all Americans can get behind, and send anyone's friends or relatives, who committed the offense, away for a very long time including forever.
If you do not agree with the majority on this issue, then get in line with the offenders.
Although I guess what you're trying to tell us is you already are in that line up.