No one in this country takes the stance that the justice system should go easy on sex offenders.

However, in a sad attempt to show how tough they can be on crime, a House committee of Louisiana legislators approved a proposal Tuesday to prohibit sex offenders from wearing masks to hide their identity at Halloween and other times.

Although this may sound promising in theory, there is no actual point to this would-be law.

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The bill by state Sen. Nick Gautreaux, a Democrat from Meaux, also would apply to Mardi Gras, Christmas “or any other recognized holiday for which hoods, masks or disguises are generally used.” Convicted sex offenders found guilty of hiding their identities with masks at those times would face up to three years in prison.

The House criminal justice committee approved the bill without objection and now it moves to the full House.

The wording sounds tough, and it’s always beneficial to protect our children, but will this actually prevent anything?

Gautreaux said the measure is necessary to prevent registered sex offenders — whose photographs and addresses are publicly available — from using such disguises to hide their identities from children who might otherwise recognize them as a threat.

Who is this bill designed to help?

Any parent who is concerned enough to memorize the photos of registered sex offenders would not let their children hang out with an unidentified adult in a Halloween mask. The same would be true for any child that has taken the time to memorize the database of convicted sex offenders. Yet, I’ve never met a child who has taken the time to memorize the database of convicted sex offenders.

Furthermore, any convicted sex offender concerned enough to change their appearance from previously published photos by wearing masks could more easily disguise themselves by simply changing their hair color or growing or shaving facial hair.

Why does Gautreaux’s bill not prohibit sex offenders from shaving their head or growing their hair long? Does Gautreaux’s bill allow sex offenders to switch from contacts to eye glasses? What about vice versa? Does Gautreaux’s bill allow sex offenders to wear facial jewelry like tongue, nose or ear rings — all of which would serve to alter one’s appearance?

The fact is Gautreaux’s bill is window dressing, something full of sound and fury but signifying nothing.

If the public is truly threatened by released sex offenders, local and national legislators are better served creating laws that impose stiffer penalties — thus keeping sex offenders off the streets in the first place.

Anything short of that is not worth the effort.

STEPHENHEMELT

CITYEDITOR