Unsettling Effects of Megan’s Law

Newport Beach residents are reacting barbarously to the Megan’s Law disclosure that convicted child molester James Lee Crummel has been living peacefully among them for the past 20 years.

By hatefully staging a protest in front of Crummel’s apartment in an effort to kick him out, Newport Beach residents are selfishly attempting to pass on their nuisance to another community.

Though the residents are justifiably uneasy about living with a convicted felon, they should realize that Crummel has been living quietly with a psychiatrist and is under heavy police watch.

The well-intentioned Megan’s Law incites communities to violate the privacy rights of free individuals who were convicted of child molestation and who may no longer pose a threat to society.

Newport Beach residents, as well as all U.S. communities, should seek to protect their children by supporting legislation to ensure that convicted child molesters are given proper psychological counseling and medical attention while incarcerated and that they are not released back into society until they are properly treated.

TIM LEE

Irvine

* The NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) syndrome is alive and well in Newport Beach.

Where is Mr. Crummel going to be sent, to someone else’s backyard? A quick fix, yes, a long-term solution, no.

Mr. Crummel did his crime and he has paid the time. He is not on parole or probation. What more do we want?

If some residents of Newport Beach want to make a difference, they can start by approaching the issue of convicted sex offenders in a rational, objective sort of way.

DAVID DIAZ

Orange