The Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) ‘Families Rally for Justice Reform’ event began Tuesday at 9 AM with breakfast at the FAMM office in Washington, D.C.. Kevin Ring – President and the other officers are very dedicated to justice reform and sentencing reform while continuing to make the communities safe. Some of the family members who had traveled from various states for the rally shared their stories. They were emotional and the pain was visible. They listened to stories about our WAR families and the challenges faced every day. A guy picked up one of our brochures and asked if I knew about an interview with a guy from Florida (Ron Book) whom the news journalists questioned and didn’t back down from Ron’s tactics. The guy was impressed and it was a learning experience.Later we met at the rally spot and Kevin Ring, President, opened the even reinterating the rally cry for ‘justice reform now!’s We heard from other board members as well as several families, including children, who talked about the pain of life without their loved one.Representative Bobby Scott, a known advocate for change to the laws governing our registered citizens as well as justice reform as a whole spoke to the crowd. Senator Rand Paul also lent his voice to the need for justice reform along with several other legislators.There were probably 250 or so ralliers along with legislators and media outlets, including The Hill, who managed the scorching heat during the rally.We had WAR members Laurie Draper Jones from Georgia and Lee Dahl from Delaware, along with Ben, an intern from D.C., two members from CURE; Dr. Bernida Thompson and Sam the D.C. CURE president there for the rally. For those unfamiliar, Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE) was organized in 1972 by Charlie and Pauline Sullivan to reform the criminal justice system.The conversation with Representative Scott was about our families, how they have to live, our conference next year in D.C. and how we would be honored to have him as a speaker. We hope to include Ron Paul in our event next year as well. |
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“Some of the family members who had traveled from various states for the rally shared their stories. They were emotional and the pain was visible. They listened to stories about our WAR families and the challenges faced every day. ”
I realize this article is about WAR in Missouri, but how long will it take us to realize that these stories are best told within the organization and not used as a PR. All people think when they hear things like this is, “well that’s what you get.” And they walk away thinking one and only one thing: that’s a group that feels sorry for and goes soft on people who abuse children.
Is that what we’re about? Because i’ll quit today if that really is our mission. Of course it’s not. So why can’t we turn around our PR to match our message? Make no mistake, none of us are looking for pity. None of us are wanting to be relieved of the responsibility for wrongdoing. We simply:
“want to educate the media, public, and legislators with facts versus myths about sex offenders. FAC works to reform the SO laws and registry in Florida.”
If the public could get that, we’d be good. But they won’t really get that by having public displays of “Poor Me.”
Education of our legislators is effort well expended. For so many years they have been fed BS by people…and I use the term loosely…like Ron Book and his representative, Lauren, in the Florida legislature, and have bought this BS at the ‘opening of a wallet’. It’s time they have their eyes opened or they find themselves unemployed.