Friday, August 20, 2010

Racine, once again the laughingstock of the U.S.

Boners are now illegal. We can't keep the criminals in prison, but we can ruin a man's name, fine him even though he has broken no laws, and then some hand wringers want him listed as a sex offender too. Am I just too liberal? I think not. I once was accused of being a perv. As part of another class on photography, I was making a digital log of a group process I was part of for a course on interpersonal communication. Whenever I was asked to see my pictures, I gladly handed over the camera. Nothing to hide I thought. Well it seems my wheelchair level perspective somehow made a girl feel I was concentrating on tits and ass shots. Sorry, the entire person was in the picture, no focus was made on womanly body parts. The same perspective was shot for guys and gals

Do you know what it's like to be falsely accused of being a Perv? I was mortified. I had campus police come to my dorm room. I had Professors suddenly distant. The fact we had a militant feminist organization on campus just added fuel to the fire. The police found nothing wrong, the professors never saw the pictures, but that didn't stop some professors from judging me. In the end, the girl said, "Maybe I over reacted." Good God, my life ruined on campus, and maybe she over reacted?????

When I see something like the plight of Mr Mrazak, I feel for him. He didn't expose himself, touch himself, make lewd comments or try to talk at all with the mother hens that took offense. This is going to go national as a news event and be assured, they will be pointing fingers and laughing at Racine while also pointing fingers and screaming perv at Mrazak. What was his biggest offense? He thought common sense would be enough in a court of law. Laws interpreted by the Courts of Racine, Wisconsin

Sheriff's edit: here is the link to the story in the local paper:

10 comments:

RWWackoStu said...

I appologize for my bluntness in this post.

Huck, I disagree with you. As the father of a daughter, I would have a BIG issue of some guy with a raging hard-on walking around the beach looking at kids. Then the guy goes in the water to take care of his business and try and leave.

We bitch and moan when people dont look out for their kids. These people did. Im sorry for what happened to you, which was truly unfair as you did nothing wrong but that is a far cry from this guy.

Huck Finn said...

48* water, lifeguards observing, I don't think he took care of business. If he had, he would have been charged with that. He wasn't. There was no crime.

kkdither said...

Very strange story. First, a moment of mourning concerning your opening statement that boners are illegal in Racine.

If everyone felt it warranted the police to be called, there just might be something more to it. It does seem to be harsh to make a complaint, and have a ticket issued on something that might be uncontrollable.

As Elaine said on Seinfeld, "I don't know how you men walk around with those things..."

I'm just glad that womens' bodies don't give our arduous thoughts away-- other than a slight blush.

Why Not? said...

Of course not being there it's hard to really know what to think. I think it's great that parents are vigilant and look after their children very well, but at the same time you hate for any of this to turn into a witch hunt.

I have no idea what the situation was, so I cannot say. I would hate for anyone to be accused some something like that without it being justified and the same time I notice very much if someone seems a little off and looking at my children in a way that makes me uncomfortable.

It's a tricky situation, as for his boner.. I understand it happens, I do feel for you men to have to deal with such things out in public, but most men will try to hide it immediately. I do highly doubt he went to take care of things.. as I understand the cold water should have taken care of it without his intervention.

kkdither said...

I think the parading around would be the thing that would cause me to pause. If it were me, I think I would have covered up with the beach towel.

SER said...

Is that close to indecent exposure? If it is, why are kids aloud to walk around with their pant half way off their ass and the underwear hanging out! These kids need to be arrested also!

But I do agree, this guy walking around by himself by the Kids Cove...seems a little strange.

If you go down there, the city planted trees or something in front of Kids Cove and you cannot watch your kids through the trees. They need to come down!

OrbsCorbs said...

I don't know what to think because a story in the Journal Times usually is like hearing something fifth-hand.

The fact that the life guards were concerned with his behavior lends credence to the parents' side. Also, I don't know about you other guys, but at 49 I wasn't getting too many involuntary erections anymore, other than when asleep. I can remember a host of embarrassing situations from my adolescence, however.

But, again, I don't know what really happened. Having been on the receiving end of a very undeserved ticket for disorderly conduct, I know how in some situations the officer has made up his/her mind before all the facts are revealed. My ticket was for the same amount, and at the meet with a rep from the city atty, she offered to halve it and give me time to pay. I agreed because I knew I stood little chance in court. The entire process is geared to generate revenue. It has little to do with guilt or innocence, or justice.

Finally, I also am sorry for what happened to you, Huck. I can't imagine what that would be like.

MinnesotaChick said...

I read this when it first came out.

My first reaction was shock and disgust.
Then I wondered why his name was published?

I'm not defending the guy AT ALL, but I've read other stories where they do not publish the name.

hale-bopp said...

Usually the do not publish names of minors. Adults suspects and convicts are usually published...victims may not be.

It seems like an odd story. He admits his behavior "was perhaps immodest" so he has an idea he may not have been in the right.

Huck, I have learned to take an extra step back when talking to women. I am kind of tall and looking down if you stand too close can be interpreted as checking out the cleavage. When I was teaching, my rule was never to be alone with a female student behind closed doors with no windows. Appearances matter and this guy needs to realize that.

One final comment: disorderly conduct is that widely abused catch all charge that police can use when they want to charge you with someone but can't figure out what. Even though he was a creep, you can't arrest someone for that. They didn't have enough to charge him with anything else so they whip out disorderly conduct.

kkdither said...

I worry about conduct around students all the time. Kids are very savvy and they know that saying a staff member was inappropriate is the trump card.

I never close the door with any students, male or female. Many teachers have found themselves in sticky situations they didn't deserve. Once accused, you are forever guilty... there is no reversal.