[stagbeetle]

This is strawmanning and hyperbole.

Hastert "cannot be prosecuted for sexual abuse because the statute of limitations has expired for his conduct decades earlier."[0]

This also goes against the ethos of the article. Hastert apologized (although this cannot make up for heinous deeds) for his conduct and showed regret. If we believe for the sake of argument that he is truly sorrowful and wants to turn over a new leaf, who are you to deny him this?

The "rich" and "powerful" and "politicians, CEOs, cops, bankers, all those people who routinely rape kids and get away with it" are not the bogeyman you make them out to be. They are people with problems just like the rest of us. Some of them just have better lawyers.

[0]http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/zorn/ct-why-the-s...

[pc86]

> If we believe for the sake of argument that he is truly sorrowful and wants to turn over a new leaf, who are you to deny him this?

While personally I am in favor of these types of registries (ideally with quite a few changes), the argument is that if you are placed on a lifetime offender list, you can be as sorrowful as you want, you can never turn over a new leaf. You effectively have a life sentence even if you never had to step foot inside a jail cell.

[stagbeetle]

> You effectively have a life sentence even if you never had to step foot inside a jail cell.

Thus, the first thing to change would be public perception about this issue.