Member Submission: Activists Unite!
One of the most discouraging aspects of the fight against registries is the lack of allies. Civil rights movements do not succeed without the broad support of citizens and organizations. Few injustices have been made right through the sole efforts of victims.
The need to recruit powerful and committed allies against registries is a matter of urgency.
Nobody needs to be reminded of how difficult that is. It shouldn’t be. No group of Americans today suffers more legal discrimination, hardship, stigma, and marginalization than registrants. But who stands up regularly for convicted sex offenders? With the exception of a few federal defenders and other lawyers, and the small handful of groups like FAC, there is nobody.
No major civil or human rights organization has taken a firm stand against sex offender registries, residency restrictions, civil commitment, and the other injustices inflicted on registrants. No major faith-based organization; no society of scholars or jurists. No prominent group that condemns injustice on a daily basis has spoken up for the one million of their fellow citizens whose names, addresses, and photographs proliferate on electronic stockades across the internet; whose drivers licenses and passports are branded with scarlet letters; who are banned from neighborhoods, schools, businesses, churches, military bases, parks, beaches, social media, cruise ships, and airplanes. All of that and more, in many cases, for life.
Nobody has spoken up loudly against what has been called no crueler tyranny because nobody wants to be associated with the last great pariah class in America. That is obvious. What is not obvious is why the silent majority of decent, fair, and honest Americans don’t see what is staring them straight in the face. It is this: The longer you stay silent, the more likely it is that you too will be the victim of injustice.
Injustice grows like a cancer in society. Therefore registrants must do all they can to persuade civil rights activists that it is in their interest to stop this cancer from spreading.
If you think that is unrealistic, have a look at the amicus briefs in the major legal cases brought by registrants (for example, Gundy, Packingham, etc.). Look at the number of people who signed FAC’s petition to the UN. You’ll find people and organizations that took a stand on behalf of a principle even if they don’t directly speak up for registrants as human beings. It doesn’t appear that their reputations or donor bases have suffered much as a result. These rare relationships must grow.
Think about it. Are you sick and tired of hearing, “if it saves one child”? Then say instead, if I change one mind, the effort is worth it.
Are you also afraid of hearing, “how dare you compare my favorite oppressed minority with rapists and pedophiles! Those people are being punished for what they did, not for who they are”?
Then say: No. There is a criminal justice system for punishing people for what they did. Registrants are retroactively punished by a “civil” regulation for who they are. And with the same false rationale that minorities have been persecuted throughout history: to protect the vulnerable public against a mythical threat often with sexual overtones. African-Americans were lynched because they were said to “threaten the virtue” of white women. Jews were made to suffer pogroms, and were forced to live in ghettos and wear yellow stars because of the blood libel. LGBTQ people were fired from jobs because they were said to “corrupt the youth.” The list goes on. None of these historic examples are fundamentally different from what registrants experience today. It’s called collective punishment and it is as old as humanity.
Some potential allies will say, “we would like to help but if we did our organization would lose too many donors.” Tell them: “You will lose donors if you do not help because otherwise they will think you are hypocrites.”
Recruiting allies doesn’t mean asking people to go soft on crime or to condone illicit sex. That’s absurd. It’s not absurd to say this: “You may hate us and our crimes, but our cause is still your cause. Because our cause is justice and the Constitution. It’s as simple as that.”
So, please, registrants: Keep writing to members of Congress and to your state legislators. Keep writing to the media. But please also take the time to call and write to the ACLU, Human Rights Watch, American Bar Association, Amnesty International, NAACP, National Organization for Women, Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, Council on Criminal Justice, Equal Justice Initiative, Southern Poverty Law Center, Anti-Defamation League, Urban League, LAMBDA Legal, Children’s Defense Fund, Human Rights First, Southern Baptist Convention, or to the organization of your choice. Go to their websites and write to their staff and board members. Ask them this one question:
How can you stand by when one million Americans are being subjected to the same types of discrimination and mistreatment that you stand against, and that your own members and constituents once experienced?
They may ignore you. Or they may give you a discouraging reply to the effect that they have “limited bandwith” or a “full plate.” But keep writing and keep asking. Because someday, somebody powerful will take a stand, and the dam of silence will burst.
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In the defense of some of those people not standing with us, almost all causes in some degree suffer from lack of support unless someone has some sort of connection. For example, if the ladies’ knitting club is being kicked out of a building they have used for decades, a granddaughter of one of the ladies might take it upon herself to go to the news and bring this to light.
I will also admit, if I had never been arrested, gone to prison, and put on the registry, I might not care. I have always tried to care about all people, but it sometimes takes you having a connection to something to care. Like when my dad got cancer, I started doing research, going over more and helping with chores etc.
Most of the people who get involved with the registry have some connection. For example, the founder of F.A.C started it because of her family member being arrested and put on registry, otherwise none of us would be on this site today.
Yes, I started FAC because my son is on the registry and I was so angry and frustrated about all the false information being used by people with agendas that really had nothing to do with ” protecting the most vilnerable”. I was an advocate working 10 to 12 hours a day commenting on articles, speaking before the Florida Legislature, helping to run support web sites, speaking on the radio, and so much more till I totally burned out. Various people have taken over leadership of FAC over the years with so much more skill than I ever had and I am so grateful. One thing not mentioned here is money. Unfortunately money 💰 is what moves everything. Money is power. People and families on the registry are fighting just to exist in this society much less having money to fund an organization.
I am so greatful to all those who work so tirelessly to try to bring truth and sanity to this ever worsening social injustice. Calling it an injustice does not begin to describe the horror of the restrictions but that was all I could think of.
equaljustice, my first exposure to FAC was on the radio. It was during the “scorched earth” legislative session.
From your experience, what should the rest of us keep in mind in order to slow or prevent the process of burnout as you have described?
Thank you for your service!!!
Thank you so, so much for all you did and do and hopefully will continue to do. I am with you as far as burning out. This August will be 32 years since I was arrested. I was released from all sanctions almost 20 years ago, and yet everyday feels like I am still on probation.
I think the registry is worse than probation. When my probation office came by the house and I was not home, she would slide a business card in my door with “Call me”. When the deputy comes to my house and I am not home for a registry check, I get a nice 11″ long Yellow flyer that says “SEX OFFENDE TASK FORCE” on it.
equaljustice:
Thank you for your hard work and dedication and for founding FAC. I agree with what you say but wanted to add another observation.
I have personally seen families impoverished by having their children taken away or charged with a sex crime against them, or both. However, I have also seen some pretty well to do family members refuse to take their own grandchildren in. I never thought that anyone would ever refuse to take their own grandchildren in, but have run into some who have when we tried to keep the kids out of foster care. Some of these families had million dollar homes. Family members were horrified of children making allegations against them, so many families refused to take these kids in.
I have personally taken in many “sex offenders” in my own home in order to help them get their feet back on the ground. Most have reestablished themselves and some now own their own homes. In California, many of these houses are worth more than $1 million. While most people are impoverished in the short term, many will get back on their feet. There is some money there. We just need to get those that we helped out 20 or 30 years ago who are reestablished to open their wallets to this cause just like we opened our homes to them in their time of need.
“He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself.”
-Thomas Paine
I did not realize that I have been paraphrasing Thomas Paine for decades until a judge used this quote in his opinion. I believe it was the judge that found the making of our driver’s license to be forced speech. In Alabama? Anyway, I was ecstatic that what I have always maintained was foreseen by someone so long ago. Once they’ve established that the laws against registrants can be retroactive, they then have a precedent for the next one.
I imagine a conversation could go like this…
GUY1: Hey, you know alcoholics are going to drink and drive, we should take the licenses of anyone ever convicted of a dui.
GUY2: That’s a wonderful idea. If they’ve been arrested once, they’ve likely already done it 80 times without getting caught.
GUY1: To bad {MODERATED} managed to weasel his way out of a conviction, that guy is a menace.
Anyway, my thoughts are that we need to solicit groups that see the dangers this kind of legislation presents to future groups. As far as I know, no laws have EVER been retroactive before this. This is a precedent that WILL ABSOLUTELY be exploited in the future.
Good PR makes for good results. People have to understand the registry does nothing in the interest of the public. It’s not just about education but it’s going to have to move to the next level at some point: diligent lobbying in Washington, for example. PSA ads. YouTube ads, etc. The people need to know how the registry works against them.
On a related note: does anyone know whatever happened with the American Law Institute’s new Model Penal Code? I remember how that was supposed to be a big deal.
Agreed! I have often been critical of our national organization NARSOL. They originally organized in the DC area and after 16 years we don’t have ONE member of Congress, DC elite, or any other national victim organization on our side??
The irony is, we all want the same thing! To live in a safe, free society for all citizens armed with policies that help people and prevent abuse.
…. that no one supports the violent, predatory, immedicable child rapist, that there’s only one person who raped and killed Meghan Khanka and the people who’ve paid for their crimes yet remain on the sex offender registry are not those people. Nationally, we still have a PR problem. Our “brand” to this day is, the group that supports pediophiles who predate and rape children. We believe we have to be on this island, stubborn and alone preaching a sermon that no one wants to hear. We want the same thing! We should be working alongside the public and encourage them in their outrage. We should be right there screaming, “WHAT ARE VIOLENT CHILD RAPISTS DOING OUT OF PRISON?” Scream that loud enough and you get an answer which is of course, violent child rapists ARE in prison. “THEN WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY??”
That’s how you change the narrative. No one can hear us on our island.
Hard truths from rpsabq. Let’s keep educating the public.
rpsabq
Funny you mention that. I got an article from them just now and it wouldn’t load. I tried contacting them but their site was down. I checked it on IsitDown website and got this message: Narsol.org is DOWN for everyone. Wonder if they got hacked?
Anyway, by time this message gets approved, or not, hopefully they are back up.
When will FAC engage in deep canvassing to discover how citizens really feel about registrants, so they can craft messaging around how to build capacity?
Are there any actual organizers and mobilizers in FAC?
Probably when someone wins the lottery and provides resources necessary, or when more committed and capable volunteers step up to do all these “FAC should…” projects.
Remember, FAC has a limited number of volunteers, all of whom who are unpaid, carrying the weight of the entire fight for us, including you. Look at the thermometers for lawsuit funding, it should be much higher. Everyone should ask themselves, “what more can I do to take on more of that burden and push the movement further” and then do it.
I suspect a lot more people say “FAC should” instead of “I can, will, and am”. C’est la vie.
Chuck:
This is the problem. Everyone says why doesn’t FAC do this or ACSOL do that. People don’t realize that FAC and ACSOL don’t have multimillion dollar budgets. FAC will engage in “deep canvassing” when they have the funds to do so, which is most likely never. The same people that ask these questions fail to step up to the plate. I have been down this long road with VOCAL for the last 40 years.
FAC will survive as long as it’s core group stays in the fight. Everyone on the registry is waiting for someone else to do something. The few people who do step up to the plate have neither the time or resources to do the things that big organizations do. If only 1% of all of the people on the registry got into the fight, there would be 10,000 active people. There might be 100 active people who regularly volunteer for FAC, WAR, NARSOL and all of the other groups and half the active people aren’t even on the registry.
If 99.99% of registrants aren’t motivated to fight registries, then registries aren’t such a big deal in their lives.
FAC is an all-volunteer organization. Many of these volunteers regularly engage with citizens on registry issues.
Speaking of organizers and mobilizers, as we are in the middle of our 60-day annual legislative season, please take note of the active Calls to Action that have been issued by FAC volunteers on this site, via email, and via text, and take action accordingly.
Beyond that, the organizer, mobilizer, and canvasser is YOU.