FAC Weekly Update 2025-04-21-People are Not Labels

Recording #305.  Dear Members and Advocates,

I am reminded of a quote from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet that goes

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

Shakespeare’s famous words remind us that a name, no matter how powerful or emotionally charged, does not define the true nature or worth of someone. And yet, in today’s society, labels carry enormous weight.  They shape perceptions, influence policies, and can determine the opportunities afforded to a person or, as in the case of our population, the opportunities denied them.

One of the most harmful labels used in our legal and social systems is the term “sex offender” as it implies something active, ongoing, and dangerous. It suggests to the public that a person is currently offending, when in reality, the overwhelming majority of individuals on the sex offense registry committed an offense years or even decades ago, and have not reoffended since.

Research continues to show that re-offense rates are among the lowest for this population, yet the label sticks for life, and is unchangeable.

We see several labels in modern society that can evoke a strong response; “Democrat”, “Republican”, “Pro-Choice”, “Illegal Alien”, but these are often choices. Someone who is staunchly pro-life can choose to keep it to themselves. We cannot. Many of us would gladly leave the country to shake our label if we had that choice!  But this label is broadcast to our neighborhood, where we work, and worldwide. It’s printed on our driver’s licenses and passports.

Some might argue that the label reflects a choice we made, but that’s so not true! We may have made a horrible choice to commit a crime decades ago, but every day since, we actively choose not to be a “sex offender”.

Why can’t we come up with a term that communicates we might have committed a sexual offense a long time ago, but have not done so in decades since?

Or, why don’t we just NOT permanently and publicly label people by the single worst mistake they have ever made, and give them a shot at leading a productive life?

Over the years, we at Florida Action Committee have worked to change the narrative by using terms like “Registered Citizen” or “Person Forced to Register.”  However, many outside of our community do not know what those terms mean. I have had several conversations that have gone something like this:

“Hi Senator, I am one of your constituents and I am a Registered Citizen.”   “Oh, well thank you for your service!” they would say, followed by “Uhhhh, wait, what was that you said??”

I do not mind being candid about a decades old offense and sharing all the positive work I have done since, to redeem myself.  I am proud of my advocacy and helping others. However, the weight of the “sex offender” label often drowns out the truth that I am trying to share.

This week we posted an article saying that we welcome trolls and vigilantes to our blog. Maybe we shouldn’t have used those labels?   Every person, regardless of the label forced upon them, still has value, dignity, and, most importantly, the capacity for growth and redemption.

We must continue to challenge the labels that aim to reduce us to a past mistake or a singular point of view and remind society, and ourselves, that no one should be permanently defined by the worst moment in their life, and that everyone has the capacity to heal, be healed, offer grace, receive grace, and to do better.

Our message to you this week is to not allow yourself to be defined by a name that was never yours to begin with.

We are not our labels. We are human beings, citizens, family members, workers, neighbors, and contributors to our communities.

Let’s just be people. People who are trying to be the best we can be and make a positive change in the world.

Sincerely,

The Florida Action Committee