beware: paedophile round every corner

So the quote on the 10 o'clock News last night was that 8 out of 10 people would like to be able to know if a paedophile was living near them. Leading the march to get the laws changed is, surprise surprise, the News Of The World. And all I want to ask is, why?

I never properly watched Brass Eye, but it seems Chris Morris had a damn good point when he satirised the media's hysteria over the topic. The most unnerving quote I heard on the news yesterday was from a single mother, who was arguing that she wanted access to check whether new boyfriends were convicted paedophiles in order to protect her children.

Now sorry, but what kind of utter paranoia have you got to possess to, upon meeting a new potential boyfriend, actively then have the nagging desire to go off and check if he has a history of paedophilia?

That really is an example of the ridiculous panic over such issues the media whips up amongst us isn't it? It's not safe to let your kids walk to the shops/talk to neighbours/play in the back garden, because the local paedophile is lurking just round the corner waiting to pounce as soon as a parent should they so much as turn their back for a moment.

It's an awful, awful topic, but newspaper's too often use how awful and emotional it is to sell more newspapers just like the day they realised that putting Jordan's breasts on the front page does the same. Stop it media people, it makes me hate you.