The age of ‘pre-crime’ has arrived
The headline reads, “LA City Council Considers Sending ‘Dear John’ Letters To Homes Of Men Who Solicit Prostitutes,” but what they’re considering is quite a bit worse than that.
Los Angeles is considering sending “Dear John” letters to the homes of men who solicit prostitutes hoping the mail will be opened by mothers, girlfriends or wives.I’m personally of the “what consenting adults do on their own time is none of the government’s business” camp. The line about children and exploited women is odd, too. We’re now to the point where we’re passing laws aimed at potential johns suspected of soliciting prostitutes, simply because they were seen in an area where prostitutes are known to work, all because it’s possible that the theoretical prostitutes those suspected johns might have been soliciting are potentially underage or might have been forced in to sex work involuntarily.
Privacy advocates are slamming the idea. The plan would use automated license plate readers to generate the letters, which would be aimed at shaming “Johns,” the Los Angeles Daily News reported.
The city council voted Wednesday to ask the City Attorney’s office to examine sending so-called “John Letters,” the Daily News reported.
Council member Nury Martinez, who represents a San Fernando Valley district that has a thriving street prostitution problem, introduced the plan.
Martinez has said many of the prostitutes are children, or women being exploited.
In a statement issued by her office Wednesday, Martinez said, “If you aren’t soliciting, you have no reason to worry about finding one of these letters in your mailbox. But if you are, these letters will discourage you from returning. Soliciting for sex in our neighborhoods is not OK.”
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