The killing of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement has sparked outrage and mass protests across the nation. Calls for police reform have created yet another divide among the American public. As we move toward what will likely be significant changes to the criminal justice system, will individuals on the sex offense registry be included in those reforms?
Why So Many Laws?
Throughout history the level of outrage associated with various types of criminals has changed, yet the moral disgust directed at sex offenses and sex offenders has remained constant. We use terms like “sexual predator” and “monster” indiscriminately to refer to individuals who have committed crimes ranging from minor sexual offenses to violent sexual assaults that end in murder. We pass laws to control sexual offenders based on the most high-profile and serious cases, yet most offenders do not fit these categories.
While legal control over sexual behavior can be traced to the earliest of civilizations, the 1980s and 1990s is when sex offense legislation began its dramatic rise in the U.S. There was an increase in the number of child sexual abuse cases prosecuted by the courts and recounted in the media. The high-profile disappearance of Jacob Wetterling, the sexual assault and murder of Megan Kanka, the abduction and murder of Amber Hagerman, and the kidnapping and murder of Polly Klaas were all presumed to involve children brutally harmed or murdered by previously convicted sexual offenders. These events launched a new wave of stranger-danger panic and get-tough legislation which remains today, despite minimal, if any, impact on sex offense recidivism or community safety.
“Sex offender registries are fueling mass incarceration”:
https://jacobinmag.com/2020/06/sex-offender-registries-mass-incarceration
Great article. Lots of good information and food for thought for newspaper letters input.
I know it’s easy to see such a movement going on and think, “hey what about us?” When’s it our turn? Well, let’s just hope that 50 years from now we’re not sitting here having the same conversations about sex law reform. This is their moment; a reckoning with the system at large, one we must all support. It’s been a long time coming and it would be a mistake to send a message to the public that says, “hey, this is about us too!” It’s not. Black men are being shot for being black and that must stop whatever it takes. Apparently good laws written forbidding such abhorrent behavior are being ignored by law enforcement and punishment is being evaded. We, however, ie our movement is simply about unconstitutional laws being used to forever punish and shame. We did wrong, we paid our debt, we get to have a chance at a better go of it. Period. Regardless of how anyone feels or whether or not anyone likes us. We are not asking to be understood, we are simply asking for the laws under which we suffer be in line with the Constitution. They are not shooting us, yet and I truly believe our turn is soon in coming.
I find your post thoughtful. But I don’t think it is right.
There doesn’t have to be a “what about us?” question because there is no “us”. Us is them. The $EX Offender Registries (Hit List) are just yet another part of the out-of-control, nanny big government (NBG) that is running an idiotic, illegal, and immoral incarceration business, all throughout America. The Hit Lists do not stand apart from the rest of NBG’s criminality. It is just one more harassment scheme that they created and are expanding as much as they can, in order to grow their business and brand. Their law enforcement criminals (LECs) are right there cheering it all on and trying it grow it as large as possible.
The Hit Lists are part of this movement. They are part of BLM. Nanny big government (NBG) is too big. NBG is out-of-control. NBG’s enforcers, a.k.a. the LECs, are out-of-control. All of it needs to be defunded, reduced, made less capable of harm, and neutralized.
I don’t know the facts, but it certainly appears to me that most of the people who have been attacked and murdered by law enforcement, have committed crimes before. They have been customers of the incarceration business. NBG loves encouraging those people to commit crimes and once a person has, that person is a customer that they don’t want to lose. NBG is going to do what they can to keep that customer coming back again and again. They do murder some of their customers every once in a while.
When a person is listed on the Hit List, that person is just another customer. I expect you know that people of color are disproportionately represented on the Hit Lists. Why would that possibly be? Because it’s part of the incarceration business. Those people of color who are listed are part of this movement. And I guarantee you that they are much more likely to be murdered by law enforcement than anyone else.
This country belongs to us – all people who believe in actual freedom and limited government. It is time to take the country back.
Yes, this was a comment that even in the last few days, i have changed my mind a bit on. If criminal justice reform is to be the issue at large, we most definitely need to be a part of that.
This week an elderly woman was violently assaulted by a man who has been arrested over 100 times. Obviously this man is a threat to society and should remain behind bars. While someone commits a sex offense with one arrest that get years beyond bars and when they get out they still have invisible bars around them. Something is seriously wrong with our legal system. Its about time true criminals stay behind bars, not someone who has been a law abiding citizen for decades that pissed outside or did other things legal at the time. Societal norms change human behavior doesn’t.
Okay, so TODAY (6/15/2020) the 1964 Civil Rights Act has been extended by the Supreme Court to include workplace discrimination protections to the LGBTQ+ community.
How is the Act not applicable to us now? We are discriminated against before we get a job because we are on the registry, and fired once they find out we are on the registry.
Oh, that’s right. We are not included in the “ALL Americans” cabal. Fu¢k the U$A!
Hey JZ, I feel what you’re saying!
But I don’t say FU to the USA…
I say FU to the people who twist our beloved constitution in order to suit their own needs for hatred and revenge!!
Just my take on it.
Registrants are discriminated against because they are public.
Revert to a non-public police registry, as we used to have here and as we still have in Canada and other countries (and a few states), and a lot of that discrimination will evaporate. But when the state is publicly reporting an individual’s worst problems, what’s an employer (or their insurer) supposed to think?
The topic of registrants as a protected class comes up a lot on this forum. But they are not eligible to be a protected class under the text of the Civil Rights Act or other law that I am aware of. And fighting for “sex offender protection” (as detractors and the media would refer to it) might be an even tougher battle than a police registry. At least for the latter, we have studies and good precedent!
Are you are anyone going to ask that it be? What is the plan?
Hey Debi.
Great, incisive questions!
Here’s how I see it (and this is just my opinion):
This organization (and the others like it) are totally 100% volunteer.
SO’s like us only earn 1/2 (and often less) than other workers for the same job because our bosses know how hard it is for us to get another job. So we spend a lot of time scratchin’ and survivin’.
Even though we are very loosely organized, we suffer from an acute lack of funding (see above).
We live in a glass house. When we start talking about our rights, people get abrasive very quickly.
All we can do, it seems, is to ask each other to post and email and write-via-snail-mail and make phone calls as much as we can tear away from our days of scratchin’ and survivin’ to try just to stay afloat.
So here’s the deal (as I see it) – and, believe me, I am just a nobody – make a plan for yourself to help. Make phone calls. Write letters. Send emails. Strike up conversations. Learn to be an effective speaker.
It’s truly up to YOU and each one of us. This is truly about as grassroots as it gets!
Email [email protected] and ask if you can volunteer.
If you haven’t yet, look for NARSOL online.
You’ve heard of pulling oneself up by the bootstraps? This is it!
Just some ideas to chew on.
Yours with Deep Respect
JJJJ
If you call yourself a “sex offender”, or allow others to, you’ll likely always get less than others. Anyone who allows the Registry Hit List to be inflicted upon them without retaliating, is going to get a lot of immoral harassment.
Don’t accept it. Don’t accept lesser pay. Change and move. If you have to, create your own employment and be your own boss. The bottom line is to not accept it.
Also, the Hit List is naturally worthless. But people who are forced to be listed on it need to ensure that it is a lot worse than just worthless. Very few Registry Supporters/Terrorists are getting $$$ or anything else of value from the Hit List, but all good Americans need to ensure that the Hit List costs as much as possible, in time, money, morale, empathy, everything. The Hit Lists must cost and have consequences.
Amen, Will Allen! … Silence and Inaction = Consent!
Except I don’t call it a hit list.
I call it a Government Blacklist.
It is what fascists, and other control nuts, have used for centuries.
The plan is to keep funding our legal challenges to the registry. You’re doing that, right?
Also, and I missed this, do what JJJJ suggests.
Debi
I agree with everything that JJJJ posted. I would add If you know of others who share your opinions encourage them to get involved. No matter if it’s Standing up; Speaking up; or organizing groups to mobilize in state capitals. 25 years of this modern day slavery based on lies and fear has been going on long enough.
The lawmakers will always do what’s politically safe for them. They are the cowards ruling the swamp.
Civil discourse (marching, demonstrating and protesting) will never, ever work for this crowd.
Only organized and universal acts of defiance will.
Short answer, NO. As eloquent as Ms. Zilney is, despite an obvious copy & paste fail, “If the U.S. moves forward with a public registry,” politicians and the “average” citizen don’t bother to concern themselves with facts. They make decisions based on emotions, hatred being the most dominant.
Now, more than ever, “Americans” need a common enemy as to avoid coming to grips with things like “systemic” racism, wealth inequality, etc. “Sex offenders” will always be the go-to “whipping boy” to vent all grievances. Unless there are federal laws enacted to undo AWA, states, counties, cities, and municipalities will continue to craft and enact increasingly draconian punishments.
I hold out no hope for any “justice” reforms for “the likes of us.”
I agree with you look at the people that are calling for taking down statues of confederate soldiers. When they lived at a time when slavery and racism was tolerated. Registration and mass incarceration affects African Americans at higher rates today; yet nobody calls it out in public. How can we learn from history if we tear everything down because we are afraid to look at the hard truth? Just like today how can we face what’s being done if we can’t acknowledge the truth of what is being done in modern slavery.
No
I always tell people that I am happy over any improvement, no matter how small it is. As I search for articles on registrants/criminal justice reform, it often is so depressing. This one in Wisconsin offers a ray of hope:
https://www.hngnews.com/sun_prairie_star/news/article_a1d5fb18-0e36-5def-9f47-75dba1972a9a.html
Whenever I forget how different FL is from other states, articles like this remind me.
Not every state has it’s tentacles wrap around their registrants like Florida. I still can’t believe it’s getting away with fraud when it comes to inflating their numbers just to get money. All Florida officials should be charged with fraud and put this draconian system in the history books.
Also US Passports contain a Sex Offender statement which now results in denial of entry to many countries. This statement does not consider the level of the offense or if the passport holder is no longer required to register.
My attorney has a quote in his office…”create more laws catch more criminals”. In my opinion the new SO laws that just came out were designed to replace the pot smoker arrest (business). Are what we are doing criminal? Forgetting to register, not adding a vehicle, covering water mark on ID in order to work or see an unbiased doctor, Facebook with friends and family, car unowned parked in yard. This exceeds the intent of law and order. None of that’s a criminal act when unaccompanied by malice. The restrictions are worthless and actually makes it more difficult to catch predators because they simply goto greater lengths to hide their identity. (Case where guy was using neighbors WiFi ect.) Has the felon gun laws stopped felons from using guns to kill and protect against arrest and do illegal business? The laws have made it near impossible for most to begin a new life those that can find work I’m sure most are working far below aptitude.
People shouldn’t be deigned health care for any reason. We work have insurance and that needs to be fought until the registry and torn down. Also the lending process I’ve been getting rejected even though I have 807 credit score and enough money to cover the loan amount in the bank. I’m never told why. This all started about 7 years ago before then I was borrowing piles of money to fund projects. Now I’m turned down everywhere unless it’s private.
Hopefully we are finally coming to the point in this nation where the quality of the outcome of law enforcement is going to be considered above the quantity of jobs that it produces. The integration of all citizens into the fabric of this nation will serve us much better than the continued focus on the past failures of some people…all of which have had failures either identified or not identified. Let those who continually violate the law pay their price while those who have taken action to correct their failures be restored to the opportunities that this nation was founded to provide.
Captain Munsey, I have a quick question. I ask simply out of curiosity.
I think what you just said (above) is stated very well! I think is was clear, concise and eloquent.
My question is, have you posted this comment on any other website, newspaper letters-to-the-editor or social media?
I think that, probably, WE all agree with you, in most things that you say – and say so well!
But these things need to be said to somemone else besides “the choir”.
Just asking, ok?
JJJJ, I’m working on it. I have a whole list of media sites to address. I have been busy yesterday and will be today with the NARSOL web conference. I am no stranger to the media. I try to filter all that I gather and then put it together in a logical format that the media might be willing to print. I am a member of the FAC media team that is headed by Sarah who definitely has a personal reason for dedication. We are working on getting the word out…not just in Florida but around the country. Unfortunately there’s a lot of ‘news’ out there to compete with and the RSO subject is not on the top of the media list.
Thanks for the reply, Captain Munsey.
I can see that you are doing your part.
I too am working every day for this cause of registry abolition (as a regional volunteer).
Thanks for all that you do.
I pledge to keep working also!
JJJJ, I know that you have emailed and mailed many letters to help our cause. Thank you for that.
Capt. Munsey has probably written more letters to politicians and media than anyone else has that posts at this FAC website. You are correct in saying that he states everything well: clear, concise and eloquent.
I do not begin to compare what I do with all that Capt. Munsey does, but with any spare time that I can find, I am posting at media sites and writing letters. It is not always easy for someone like me, who is technologically illiterate, to make my comments stick, but I still try.
One of the projects for the Media Committee now is posting comments on articles dealing with criminal justice reform — don’t forget about the hundreds of thousands of registrants who are leading law-abiding lives.
I cannot remember what I have said previously — so forgive me if this is repetitious. I recently mailed one of Capt. Munsey’s letters to 18 Florida state senators and to Trump. We are writing letters to Florida and national newspapers. We are blessed to have a summer intern who is working on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts for FAC. Check out the FAC Facebook page. It is a lot different than it was 6 weeks ago.
The Media Committee and every other FAC committee have people spending hours trying to get our message out. After seeing what we do in the news media day after day, could you imagine what could be accomplished if all almost-one-million registrants and their family/friends were to work together in one accord?
Hi SarahF.
Thank you for your informative, courteous and thoughtful reply!
I’m glad that there are others (like myself) who are working day and night for our cause – the cause of Liberty and Justice for ALL.
Sometimes I, too, feel frustrated that there are about 1 million registrants in the US, yet the attendance number that was announced on Day 1 of the Annual NARSOL Conference was somewhere between 3 and 4 hundred! (Unless I misheard the figure)
I think that those of us who are working so hard need to share what we are doing with the rest of the group on a regular basis. – Not to self-aggrandize or seek applause, but rather, to encourage others to work furiously for our cause, as well!
I am sometimes blunt and abrasive. Sometimes I am very stubborn, but I am working my fingers to the bone.
I am currently working on a meeting place for Region 8. And as soon as I have secured one, and it is safe to associate in person again, I pledge to work on making this 5 county area in South West Florida a place of education and activism.
To me, the most sacred ideals of humanity are those that espouse liberty and justice. And the United States Constitution is not a rag for some persons with the ideals of hatred to twist to suit their xenophobic needs! I did my time (IN FULL), and I am a citizen!
Maybe I sound over-zealous. Okay, I think having a zealot or two in the crowd is a good mix. (How about you?) But I also know that I have a lot of anger towards the system (for reasons stated above), so I need my fellow activists to remind me, sometimes, that you catch more flies with honey.
So, thanks for your kind response and your hard work! Thank you too, Captain (and all of you)!
PS: Don’t you think (as I do) that regaining the vote should be priority #1? What are we doing with this Out-Of-State Challenge thing? (Just my opinion)
I wish I would of known that you could post a comment on FACs website without being a member. If I would of known that I’d been more vocal instead of hearing about some bill and writing in opposition. Even though I don’t live in Florida I will still make my voice heard because what the state is doing is a disgrace. I tried writing to legislators in Michigan about abolishing their registry but I’ve gotten nothing so far. Even though I’m not a resident and my voice doesn’t mean anything I still have to try.
Thank you, JJJJ. It was good to read everything you had to say. You are truly a worker for our cause.
I agree that regaining the right to vote is a top priority. I have also been commenting, where media sites allow me to do so, on every article that I come across concerning Amendment 4 — everyone should have the right to vote, not just certain groups. I also remind them that they promised to come back and fight for those with a past sex offense.
I can say this: The majority, probably 98% of sex offender laws in FL, since the Supreme court decision in 03 have been made by “perfect, squeaky clean, white” lawmakers(Lauren Book comes to mind). U tell me, is this a form of white priviledge?
Pretty sure this has nothing to do with race.
take a poll then. I think ur wrong and i think u kno it has something to do with it, if not a small part… Would there be an AA daughter to a wealthy lobbyist pulling the same stunts as this woman has?
Good point, I don’t think that her organization would get as much money thrown at it if Lauren Book and her daddy were black.
However- this is NOT surprising since Florida is a hotbed of racism and hypocrisy.
Hell Lauren could be brown and she’d think the state needs to pay for what has been done to her. Nope that’s your daddy being a negligent parent. Go back to Plantation and shut up Barbie!! She made sex dolls illegal in Florida and she’s got more plastic then a doll. She’s Fake all around
LOL
“I’m a Barbie Girl in my Barbie world!” LMAO!!!
Lauren Book has a heart full of hatred and bigotry.
Her Father, Ron, is worse…he doesn’t have a heart full of anything but self-interest.
They are a pair of sad, sad humans!
I need a Lauren Barbie Book parody. Only thing I got is no hanky panky cause I’m Barbie Miss entitled cause what I say is always right. I got Florida on its knees and they will do what I please!! So stop fighting and massage my feet.
If we’re saying that the registry disproportionately affects minorities, won’t argue:
https://theappeal.org/black-men-disproportionately-represented-on-sex-offender-registries/
If anything SO laws have helped other races because SO Registrant and their family are deemed at the hand of the government below every race on earth. I remember when I moved to a new neighborhood they only black guy living there looked me up and posted the neighborhood. I looked him up he was arrested for violent crimes, selling drugs so far from a school, 6 years in prison and I posted his ass also. Lawyers, law enforcement, government, politicians usually affect people sometime in their lives to earn distrust. The SO list curbs that by pointing to one group of people on the registry saying “no these are the bad people, we are the good people protecting you from all this and the world is safer only because of us” No it is not. I think the down tick is SO crimes isn’t because the registry or the sensation or fear of it, but people are less trustworthy of EVERYONE around them. Parents line up in their cars at bus stops now look around people are smarter and protecting their own kids not the registry!
Freddy
I agree and I’ve watched Lenore Skenazy’s “Fear all the time” video. If parents only rely on what experts tell them regarding the safety of their children I can see why they are fearful. There’s no such thing as being a 100% safe unless you are a hermit. People have bought into I need the experts because I’m to stupid to use common sense and raise my kids on my own mentality.
If you say 98% of Florida’s laws has been sponsored or passed because of Lauren’s victim hood I would endorse that; however her daddy is the bigger threat to Florida.
I certainly hope so since LE has used the registry as an excuse to abuse those on it for decades AND they have made it a lifetime punishment so that (even if you are falsely accused) the abuse will never end!
The protests are about social change including police profiling and police abuse – BOTH of which we as RSOs must endure or be locked up!
The protests and calls for social change MUST include those who have been victims of this unfair and these clearly unconstitutional punishments. We are unfairly labelled and all stereotyped as threats even in the case of victimless “crimes” and told that we are mentally ill and unable to change!
We need to be a part of this moment and if we truly are entering a “new normal” then we MUST be included in these changes and reforms!
#ACAB