A big F-You to Ocala-news.com who reported on Marion County’s Emergency Management Plans for the Hurricane!
The news outlet organized their report into subheadings labeled “Special Needs Shelter”, “General Population Shelter” and “Pet friendly shelter”. Guess which section they included instructions for registrants? If you guessed under pets, you would be right! Soooo dehumanizing.
Oh, and there’s another big F-You owed to Marion County, because guess what? Registrants don’t even get a shelter! The pets get a shelter, but registrants don’t. If we have nowhere else to go (“Any sex offenders or sex predators who need shelter are encouraged to first seek shelter with family or friends in a non-residency restricted area.” – Seriously?!?!? During a hurricane when schools and parks are closed you are still going to enforce your stupid residency restriction?!?!?)? It’s the police station. “If that is not an option, then they must report to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Sex Offender / Predator Unit office for shelter. According to MCSO, they should bring hygiene items, snack food, medicine, bedding, or anything else that is needed.”
These are some sick, sadistic people!
Looks like they shut down the comments.
I just read on msn tht there were about 70 deaths in Florida because of Hurricane Ian. Any way of finding out how many of those were registrants? The article only wrote about a handful of them and didn’t mention the registry at all.
Florida Legislators play the victim better than can abide by there own Laws, in there guest to include Banishment!
Just pause for a moment and imagine the sh*tstorm that would’ve ensued if shelter plans for LGBTQ+ people been placed in the pet section – in ANY digital media (not just Ocala Star banner, etc)
The Twitter outrage would be off the charts There would be calls to boycott Silver Springs and all the other tourist attractions. The papers would been to public outrage and blow-back resulting in a retraction AND an apology for offending.
This is just one example of society’s hypocritical selective outrage. Hell catches on fire when blacks or gays are openly disparaged, but when a swipe is made at us, you get snickers, jeers from the hate mongers and crickets from the authorities.
I’ve become so disaffected with America.
You will never successfully fight hate with logic, reason and facts.
I see Derek Logue commented on the articles comment section as did I. I encourage more of you to do the same. Just follow the article’s link in the post and scroll all the way to the bottom. You don’t have to register.
Fac, thanks for your response. You’re right, I’m sure the legal team/experts knows what’s best to our cause. Hey on another note, is there a reason why these legal challenges never include monetary damages? I know the state would shxt their pants if these unconstitutional amendments cost them money. Just to be clear though “it ain’t about the money it’s about sending a message” lol if u get the reference sorry I had to
These are complaints for declaratory and injunctive relief. L, please defer to the legal team and experts and trust their strategy is what will bring the best possible outcome.
These cases cost the state legal fees when they lose. But the state doesn’t mind. They already spend a bundle on registration enforcement and aren’t overly concerned about the cost.
I live in Marion County, welcome to my world. I’ve said this before, ” everytime I have to report a change or register I feel lucky to leave without handcuffs on. They question me like they want to find me out of compliance…( a reason to arrest me) …and they treat me like I’m a active criminal suspect…
Looks like a call to action to reach out to this “news” organization to me.
Fac this is why i am asking if its possible to use these kinds of articles(along with the sheriffs response letters) to further prove our claims in the 2 pending expostfacto plus lawsuits? The state appears to be in violation of due process by forcing us into submission simply because “we might reoffend” in a time of CRISIS
Let’s leave the legal strategies and arguments to the attorneys. The complaints have been filed already. Nobody is looking for leave to amend at this time.
It seems to me that this is a human rights issue. To be told to report to jails or else take the risk of dying is just uncalled for.
By the way, there’s no real way to tell if it was the Ocala News or the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management that made the announcement this way since news outlets often just copy-paste gov’t alerts verbatim.
Pet Friendly Shelter simply means the shelter will accept your pets.
The part that’s disturbing is you can stay with family and friends in a non residency restricted area. Schools are closed. So why can’t they stay in their families house.
I still think this is passive-aggressive.
When I read it I think of a comedian telling a joke about pet friendly places and segueing into a joke about Registered Persons byu saying “speaking of animals.”
I agree with tired, I don’t think there is an association to draw here, but LE should know any jail setting could be triggering for some folks. I’ve seen homeless sleep in ER waiting rooms. An option?
Too many of “US”, like to hear themselves talk. It’s a sad state that sleeping in ER’s is even an option. The FAC is a nice club to belong to, but it’s preaching to the choir. We need someone with a platform who others will listen to.
Can’t give up, but after 17 years, like my name says, you get TIRED.
I hear you Tired but also keep in mind that FAC is filing lawsuits on our behalf. I don’t see too many other organizations in Florida doing that. We have to keep fighting, when we stop the fight…we lose
I believe every PFR, and their family/friends, have to absolutely angered and reaffirmed on the idiocy municipalities are placing on PFR’s. Blind hatred. Unconstitutional retroactivity blankets every state’s SOR. Florida is incredibly inhumane, especially in natural disasters.
I think we could make the case that always dumping registrants in the county jails is unfair and that groups should rotate having to use the jail as accommodations during emergencies. Of course, they would have a fit over suggesting that “normal” people take turns sleeping in a county jail during an evacuation, but that would certainly make their hypocrisy obvious.
Just wondering, Is Florida the only State that has separated registrants out from others for special isolated treatment in state supported homeless and other emergency situations?
I know Kansas City provides for the homeless with no exceptions or special designations . They provide special Minnie housing, food pantries, as well as shelters, and provide jobs for all that will except them to pick up trash along the highways at $15.00 an hour. Plus other humanitarian assistance. There are no special exceptions. Never any reported incidents. Are Floridians just worse people than anyone else, everywhere else?
If by worse, you mean the people who make the registry laws and those who support them, then yes, it does seem obvious that people in Florida show a degree of depravity and inhumanity beyond that of the average American.
I personally do not live in Florida, and if I were there, I would be making every effort to get out of there before judgement comes down on that state. Trust me, it’s coming.
The state wants registrants, the federal government wants registrants, therefore it should be the onus of either or both to have shelters available in all 67 counties for any registrants. To do otherwise may be unconstitutional under equal protection.
This is disgusting. FloriDUH still has time to engage in cruelty in the face of an impending disaster. I would rather shelter in a straw hut on the beach than shelter in the jail. And bring your own bed and supplies? I hate FloriDUH.
If this were no so tragic it would be laughable.
It is outrageous that animals are treated better than humans in Fl.
This seems like it would be a international human rights issue. Why not in the US?
Unbelievable!!
Because Human Rights protection from abuses apparently don’t apply to Registrants. Registrants’ safety is apparently beneath a dogs.
https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights
Many of the Articles of the declaration are offended by the registry
https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-human-rights-defenders/declaration-human-rights-defenders#:~:text=The%20Declaration%20is%20not%2C%20in,on%20Civil%20and%20Political%20Rights.
ACLU publishes this: https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/assets/121013-humanrightsfacts.pdf
The document fails to even make the slightest mention the US sex offender human rights violations
https://www.hrw.org/reports/2007/us0907/us0907webwcover.pdf
Its sad that all the shelters are at schools. I wonder if they did that on purpose? I would much rather risk my own safety and ride a Cat 5 out in my home rather than report to law enforcement so they can put me in a jail cell until its safe to come back home. I do not trust their motives.
Usually after the hurricane the food drives are located there as well. So another issue we face.
Or churches. My old roommate got grief from our PO for going to a food drive at a neighboring church because they offered child care there.