Family Child Rapists Getting A Break?

This state has a sad history of weak-kneed legislators who've been reluctant to step all the way forward on behalf of children.

It's been that way with education, and it's been that way with protecting kids from sexual predators.

Right now, lawmakers are in the beginning of a pitched battle over how long a child rapist should be sent to prison.

Republicans say 30 years.

Democrats say 25, but ONLY if the rapist is a stranger.

If it's a family member, or a friend of the family, Democrats think the current sentence of 7 to 10 years is just fine.

I think that's a crock, along with the fractured logic the Democrats are trying to stuff down our throats.

They contend that kids and other family members will be less willing to testify against someone they know if it means that someone will be sent to prison for a long time.

Excuse me?

Do we make that concession for murderers?

25 years ago, it was the Democrats who were reluctant to make rape of a child as serious a crime as rape of an adult.

Now we've got a new generation of muddle-headed thinkers who believe a prison discount is in order if daddy or Uncle Fred rapes a young relative.

Cut the crap and do what's right.

Want to share your thoughts with Ken Schram? You can e-mail him at kenschram@komo4news.com