they emphasize that it was done by a pedo when it was done by a pedo so that the general public is a little more aware and on the look out for said pedo.

think about it for a little longer... if you hear about a small child being abducted in your town and the news reports it as being done by a parent are you going to get involved in their domestic dispute? probably not that much.

now if you hear some pedo snatched a kid from your town are you going to react the same way? **** no. i think it's a fair bet the general public of that area are being a little more vigilant in observing odd behavior right now. if the pedo is gutsy enough to grab one he'll probably grab another given the chance.

is a disgruntled parent really going to be diddling the crap (literally) out of their child? probably not. i only hope they had the pedo's picture up during the report so he could be spotted quicker.

pedophilia is NOT sexual preference, don't even waste the time trying to argue that one. seriously, cut the idealistic bull****.

To call someone a paedophile is to say they find children sexually arousing. To commit a paedophillic act is to diddle and abuse a child in some way. Basic grasp of English Language here is necessary, there's no "idealistic bull****" in this just the bull**** you'd be learning if you paid attention in class.

The way the papers report this sort of news encourages a scare culture with vigilante behaviour. That's not good for society. The only way to 100% defend against the potential of a paedophile abducting the child is to put them on a lead and not let them out of your sight, ever. That's not a very efficient way to handle a problem.

Kidnapper? Rapist? Murderer? Somehow those terms seem to attack the character and problem more than simply calling them whatever their sexual preference is. You don't hear the news reporting "*** man robbed a bank" or "Dendrophiliac murders a wealthy business owner."

Pedophilia is the sexual attraction to young children.

You do if he robs the bank with a pink gun, dressed in a tutu to the tune of YMCA!

Yes, but then their focus is on the crimes against fashion and music rather than such simplicities as petty armed robbery.

Touche.

since when is preference and attraction the same? if i prefer redheads does it mean i won't find a blonde attractive?

you can't call someone a rapist or murderer until the crime is committed. while kidnapping may involve the above it could also just be an attempt at ransom. i really don't think a pedophile is kidnapping a young child to ransom them back to their parents.

the idea that pedos shouldn't be ostracized from society IS idealistic bull****. the idea that it's a preference (ie a choice) and should be 'respected' IS idealistic bull****. unless the pedo is actively seeking mental help then i firmly believe they SHOULD be ostracized. and if they were seeking professional help there are treatments to curb their sexual desire until they can handle the real adult world. and if they're never able to, then i'm sorry, the real world is not fair.

while the news media does tend to sensationalize their stories for ratings. i really don't think they're sensationalizing anything when they report that a child was abducted by a pedophile.

If a person is aroused by young children (BY DEFINITION therefore a paedophile), however is aware of the implications of acting upon such arousal (be it direct, through coercion of a child, or indirect through downloading child pornography) and thus declines from doing so then they should not be ostracised. It's as simple is that. The second they act on this arousal and begin to cause harm to others then it becomes a problem.

Now, when a person who is aroused by children abducts a child, and does nothing to them in relation to their arousal, using the label paedophile in the media portrayal of the story is scaremongering. It was a straight forward abduction and the labelling is excessive.

Not to mention "kidnapper" would be an apt term to use in the above scenario. However, bringin his or her sexual preference into it doesn't accomplish anything for the report or for the people recieving the report.

1st paragraph - when is the last time you heard of someone being labeled a pedophile without having first acted upon their arousal? like the earlier comment about murders and rapists people are only labeled as such after committing an act.

2nd - see above again. it is not excessive.