Once Fallen

Occupy Extremist Feminism (Feminazism)

2012-01-23T01:52:00.000-08:00

In my previous article, I released an article slamming both the Boston Globe and a group of extremist Feminists called the "Occupy Boston Women's Caucus" for targeting folks who have served their sentences. So now they have posted their proposal to the Occupy Boston assembly online. Lets look at it, shall we?

OB Proposal on Sa...

Occupy Boston had an encampment, and issues of sexual misconduct were present, including the presence of persons with a reported history of serious sexual crimes. Though we are no longer encamped, these concerns remain. Our intent with this proposal is to protect our community and not to vilify individuals.

Sexual Assault Awareness Proposal

1. If an Occupy Boston activist finds that another Occupy Boston activist is a Level 3 Sex Offender they are encouraged to inform the Sexual Assault Awareness (SAA) working group with documentation from the Sexual Offender Registry Board.

2. SAA would then ask the individual to voluntarily leave the movement for one week. They will announce that they will return to GA within a one week period and research any publicly available details of the individual in question in the intervening time.

3. SAA will present their results at the previously announced time and ask the GA whether or not the individual in question should be allowed to stay. The question will be put to a modified proposal process, where SAA will answer questions, take points of information, hear supports and concerns from any parties (including the individual in question), and then ask the GA for a direct vote.

If 75% of the GA votes to allow the individual to stay, they can remain a member of Occupy Boston. If not, they will no longer be considered a community member. If necessary, SAA will contact the accused and relay the results of the vote.

5. Should the offender be asked by the GA to leave and choose not to voluntarily leave, or later shows up at any public Occupy Boston events, an announcement will be made at the next General Assembly by SAA making the community aware of this.

6. This proposal, like all proposals, is a living document and can be added to, subtracted from or amended at any time with subsequent proposals.

[a]Anonymous:

My question is where did this SAA group come from? Who is spearheading it? This is nicole btw, I would love to participate in it- but I have never heard of it before which sends up alarms for me.

SarahBarneyDesigns:

We have to start it. I will participate and I will make outreach calls and

emails to the groups needed to make this work. We have two weeks,

according to the prop, to get it started. This came from two people's

amendments and I think this will work better than depending on various

working groups already established.

[b]SarahBarneyDesigns:

I just sent the proposal to our legal team email (as listed on the wiki) and asked for any feedback and specifically about being left open for discriminatory lawsuits. The flip side to that is that this is questioning if a level 3 is violating their probation to start with by participating in community events with children present. I've been trying to research what the boundaries of that are but haven't been too successful. I also asked legal for help in that. One specific person I know is level 3 lived at Dewey Square and actively participated in demonstrations when school groups visited. I believe this is a gross probation violation.

I also agree with sticking with primary resources, but I think having backup from independent groups (i.e., non-government possibly victim advocate groups?) is also a good idea.

Gunner, I'm leaning towards not addresses that in the proposal. I don't know how I feel about it and I think that addressing just the physical aspect is a good start. If anyone would like to make an amendment and present it later in addition, I'm fine with that. I'm just not comfortable speaking on a specific standpoint when I'm not sure my feelings on it.

[c]gunnerscott:

what about participating via online? Could be the alternative to in person participation?

[d]dcheeno:

OK, I have a few different comments. I'm not sure where's the best place to put them, so I decided that this "comment stream" would work.

First, I think that this proposal does a great job of addressing the concerns that many of us share, and I'm glad that this is being done.

I think that it would be best to stick to "primary sources," if that makes sense. So rather than using the massresources.org site or the sexcriminaldefense.com site, it may be best to use the definitions for a Level 3 sex offender as directly provided by MA laws: http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleII/Chapter6/Section178K

Another concern that I have is a bit more difficult to address. By relying on the definitions of a level 3 sex offender and by using the fact that at least one member of OB is a sex offender based on her registry entry, would we be in violation of the sentence that is plastered on every registry entry: "Information shall not be used to commit a crime or to engage in illegal discrimination or harassments of an offender?" By relying on the registry entry as our primary way of singling out this individual, does this proposal cross the line of "discrimination" if we shun registered sex offenders? Again, I agree that this proposal, or something like it, is necessary to protect our community, but I also want to make sure that we don't somehow end up opening ourselves up to a civil rights lawsuit by doing this. Perhaps we should have a discussion with the Legal WG before this proposal is presented?

Finally, just logistically: Is Safety still an active WG? I ask this because I honestly don't know--I've seen plenty of Safety folks around, but I'm not sure if they're still organized as a WG.

The very first sentence is already confusing enough to the average reader. The article states "issues of sexual misconduct were present, including the presence of persons with a reported history of serious sexual crimes", which obviously implies correlation between the two. That is obviously NOT true. The Occupiers were only made aware of the presence of a so-called "Tier 3" sex offender after the Boston Herald rag slammed the Boston Globe for featuring a registrant in a story about love found at the Occupy movement (already covered in my last article). But because the Extremist Feminists have infiltrated the Occupy movement, this became a point of contention for these extremists.

In a nutshell, this is what they proposed--If they found out you're a registrant, you'll be booted out for a week so people who freely admit they don't have much knowledge on such things will prod your personal life, then make a decision on your worthiness based upon your label alone. This is what discrimination looks like! Thankfully the proposal was blocked, which pissed the Feminazis off so much they left.

At least one comment on the proposal recognized the registry's disclaimer that states the info CANNOT BE USED TO HARASS A REGISTRANT. What they proposed obviously violates that rule.

So now they have a Care2 Petition up where they are complaining while distorting the facts even more. I can't imagine why they would bother at this point:

Issues of sexual misconduct have been present in Occupy Boston, including sexual assault of Occupy Boston members and the presence of persons with a documented history of serious sexual crimes. Individuals active in the Occupy Boston community attempted to address some of these concerns with the Sexual Assault Awareness proposal, which, after four, long contentious General Assemblies, was blocked without reaching a vote.

This block was a culmination of actions and events at Occupy Boston that have made women in particular and marginalized groups in general feel progressively less and less welcome. We the undersigned, while supporting the stated goals of Occupy Boston and the larger Occupy movement, strongly condemn the actions of Occupy Boston's General Assembly (GA) on Sunday, January 8 2012 and ask that Occupy Boston take immediate steps to address those actions and prevent further damage to our community.

Here we go, the "If you don't cave in to our demands you're a woman hater" argument. The irony is that registrants already feel marginalized and less and less welcome thanks in large part to this women's caucus.

Without going into detail (which you can read in full if you want by clicking the link) they accuse Paul Shannon of RSOL of hijacking the GA, even calling him a "rape apologist" in the process (no doubt after reading vigilante blogs as a cheap substitute for actual research). Ironically, Occupiers have been up in arms over having their personal info published, yet they targeted Shannon and referred to him in a negative fashion. Those who walked out consider themselves to be the backbone of the local movement. To me, it sounds like the quote from Animal farm where some people are more equal than others. As with many hypersensitive people, they feel their voices were not being heard enough. TRANSLATION-- they were not allowed to dominate the meeting.

Well let's look at the GA "minutes" for that day in question. Lets see what Paul Shannon did that was so offensive.

1919: Paul Shannon stands up to block. He is concerned aboutthe path that this type of decision takes us. His understanding (says he is notan expert) is that level 3 choosing process is illegitimate, that many level 3sare not actually a threat. Also concerned that proposal only addressesclassification, not behavior. We’re saying that the US CJ system is messed up,but not on this. It’s messed up here, too. Human Rights Watch and other groupshave shown that offender registries do not keep people safe. Main objection isthat this approach is the opposite of what OB is about.

Oh My God! Paul Shannon had the audacity to give people THE TRUTH. I know, who wants to hear the truth huh? So the Women's Caucus complained that Shannon violated some rule about autonomy, as if being an activist is the same as running some huge special interest like say, a Women's Caucus with an extremist agenda. That's more like the pot calling the Kettle black. I'm curious if I would be considered a "profession activist" had I been there because I damned sure would have raised the exact same questions. Now, I haven't exactly been a supporter of RSOL over the years and we really don't see eye to eye on a lot of things, but for once I'm in agreement with Paul Shannon.

Feminism, as with any ISM, does not support equality. Many complain of stuff like rape culture and patriarchy, but much of society favors women, ESPECIALLY the "Justice System."

Women have the advantage in the courts-- battered woman's syndrome, rape shield laws, defenses based upon hormonal changes from pregnancy/menopause/PMS/etc., advantages in custody battles
There is a double standard in sentencing guidelines, mainly based upon gender views (women seen as having psychological issues/ unmet emotional needs, where all men are seen as predatory)
Acts of misandry are seen as entertainment or condoned, as in the recent case of the woman who cut her husband's penis off and threw it in a garbage disposal; after all, the man MUST'VE done something to deserve this, huh? If someone cut off a woman's breast, would anyone find that funny?

Again, no ISM has ever brought equality. If we must "Occupy" anything at all, we should be begin with knowledge. Occupy your mind with the facts. Blind hatred as propagated by extreme feminists have destroyed innocent lives, from the McMartin trial to the 9 year old child on the registry. Truth and Equality are not ISMs.

Feminists blaming the victim and engaging in victim bashing? No, it must be my imagination.

what they really mean--You cannot Occupy Wall Street unless you emasculate yourself.

Occupy this, Boston Globe!

2012-01-18T21:30:00.000-08:00

Question: If you vote against allowing certain disenfranchised members of society, like RSOs, from being part of the Occupy Movement, what word describes that action? Answer: Hypocrisy.

The media has been romanticized far too much in our society-- the ethical journalist that stops at nothing to get to the facts, telling society the truth instead of what we want to hear. We all know that's bullshit, thanks in large part to the efforts of Faux News and the Howling Ladies Network. With traditional paper-print news media becoming a thing of the past, the few that remain are becoming no different than their TV counterparts.

It all began with a simple feed-good story-- two young lovers who met at Occupy Boston. Aw, how adorable, right? That was, until the gossip-rag posing as a real newspaper The Boston Herald decided to dig up dirt on the featured Occupy couple. It was a gossip-hound's dream--the man in the article was on the public registry and was homeless, the likely result of being on the registry. The Herald took it a step further, contacting the girlfriend and the reporter, who stated it was not an issue, but then took it to a supervisor. The Herald than states:

Jennifer Peter, the Globe’s deputy managing editor for local news, said the paper wouldn’t have run the piece if they’d known Stitham was a sex offender. “We were unaware of his status and would have opted not to do the story had we known,” Peter said in an email last night.

The Poynter Institute Blog (in Florida of all places) wrote another piece on the Globe article, and Craig Silverman does make an interesting point:

So it seems that what the Globe is saying is that, given Stitham’s history, it wouldn’t have written a love story about this couple. Knowing the criminal history ahead of time would have killed the romantic story, but could have led to another narrative.

So let me get this straight, a person is not allowed to be in love because he is on the list? I guess I should add falling in love to the list I created that registrants are not allowed to do, in addition to the new proposals that keep Registrants from participating in rehab programs funded by federal grants or to lose the benefit of tax breaks for those few people hiring them in Florida. Thank you, Boston Herald!

Of course, it is not enough for the Boston media to drag some poor guy through the mire, the Occupy Boston movement is dividing over whether or not to allow Tier 3 sex offenders to be a part of the movement. It is disappointing to see a movement so fragmented over the disenfranchisement and a system funded by political corruption, but unfortunately there is also a strong extreme feminist (aka Feminazi) presence in the Occupy Movement, and quite frankly, it is alienating many men. Below are comments from women in an Occupy Boston GA as told by the Boston Phoenix:

So on December 27, an Occupier named Sarah Barney brought a proposal to the GA to ban sex offenders. Her proposal generally states that if a member of Occupy Boston is found to be a level-three sex offender (a person convicted of a sexual crime whom the court deems to be at especially high risk for reoffending), the Safety working group would ask them to leave for one week, during which time the GA would vote on whether the accused should be asked to leave Occupy Boston permanently. For Barney, a mother who often brought her five-year-old son to Occupy Boston, the issue was larger than the mutual-aid proposal. "It stemmed from one specific incident, finding out that someone who lived at Dewey Square had gone to jail for nine years for two counts of sexual assault and rape of children under the age of 16," said Barney. Some of people at the GA were opposed to restricting anyone from Occupy Boston based on the state's sex-offender standards. Even Barney said she can agree with these concerns, to an extent. "I do understand where they're coming from," she said. "I don't think the American justice system or the police departments work effectively, and a lot of people get through the cracks. If you're a certain race or economic status, you get away with a lot more. That's one of the reasons I'm at Occupy Boston." That's why Barney limited the proposal to level-three sex offenders. "It's pretty hard to be labeled 'level three' unless you've gone someplace pretty dark, pretty violent, pretty bad," she said....

Whether or not Shannon had disclosed his affiliation, Occupy Boston's system of direct democracy means that even a person who had rarely attended Occupy events in the past could come to an assembly and "kidnap it," as Women's Caucus member Ren Jender described it to me the next evening.... "A lot of us have been surprised that for a progressive community, how in line [Occupy Boston] is with the mainstream as far as not taking women seriously, tolerating harassment of women, both verbal and physical," said Jender, who was among the walk-outs. "This is something that has been brewing for a while. . . . Things really are not changing. Once one problem is gone . . . another one appears."

"As it went on, it became really painfully obvious how broken things are and how far we have to go to repair them," Women's Caucus member Ariadne Ross said the next morning. "By the end of the night I was feeling worse than when we started." "The community doesn't have a good way for dealing, through the process, with blocks of that nature," said Ross. "Is it really consensus if eight or nine people can thwart what seemed like the strong will of the whole of Occupy Boston? No, I don't think so. "[It's] the culture of misogyny that prevails in our society at large," she added. "Like it or not, we're a microcosm of that society."

The Feminists are alienating disenfranchised men in general but the propaganda is acidic to say the least. I hate to see this happen but the movement is in too much trouble now to alienate even more members. The bottom line--this event should never have happened. Boy meets girl, they get married, cute story, end of story. Instead we have a shameful even that creates a black cloud over an entire movement.

Below is the Women's Caucus "Womyn's Statement":

The following statement was read by members of the Occupy Boston Women’s Caucus during the General Assembly on Saturday, November 18:

We, the women of Occupy Boston, are here to tell you that two months is far too long to have occupied without a feminist perspective.
Downwardly-mobile middle-class white men are finally realizing what women and people of color have known for too long. Capitalism is destructive. Capitalism oppresses and exploits. If you’re not talking about sexism and racism, you’re not talking about economic justice.
“A few bad apples” can’t exist without a community that condones their attitudes and behaviors. Oppressive language and behavior are an effort to limit our participation and silence our voice.
We chose to disrupt the GA because those with privilege have avoided spaces devoted to anti-oppression, when they are the ones who most need to hear this.
As the 99%, we must actively break down the systems which divide us.
Women have historically been the spine of social justice. We are the 52%, without us, revolution is impossible.

Well, all I can say is they should look at their fellow Occupiers in Portland, OR, that other town with a large liberal crowd on the other side of the country, and learn from them. Says a woman in Portland:

"It doesn't concern me, ‘cause I lived in Southeast Portland where there's one in every corner and every house anyways," Julianne Dunn says. "You never know when you could be attacked wherever you're at. So you have to be aware of your surroundings."

Meh, big deal she says. My fingers are raised and waving in approval. One more for good measure:

"He's registering as the law requires and he's paid his debt to society," said mother Jennifer Alexander, who stopped by the camp with her family on Monday. "There are plenty of registered sex offenders all over these surrounding blocks. It's not a new thing for this area or Portland."

Live and learn. Portland gets it. Boston doesn't.

THE BOSTON HALL OF SHAME

The Boston Globe, for adding the disclaimer

Boston Herald: Only a step up from the Boston Strangler. This is the best thing you can to a copy of the Boston Herald. Well, besides bird cage liner or toilet tissue.

Jessica Heslam: I don't know which is more yellow-- her hair or her journalism

All this "Womyn" business is dividing the movement. And the 52% bit? I thought this was Boston, NOT South Park.

Way to represent the Women's Caucus, Ren Jenders. I always thought it was Stimpy that was the idiot.

Womyn: "We are the 52%!" Well, since there are only 48% of us who are men, someone either has to double up on the guys or get left out in the cold. These must have been the latter.

Extreme Feminism, aka "Feminazis": Because there is nothing Equal about "Isms"

The alleged victim of the Sandusky/ Penn State case shows us the fallacy of the public registry

2011-11-17T18:43:00.001-08:00

The question of the public registry has always been its perceived effectiveness. After all, around 95% of sex crime arrests are of people who are not on the public registry, added to the fact that few registered citizens re-offend, not to mention that many on the registry are on there for such dangerous behavior as teens having consensual relations with other teens or sexting, or maybe even some of these silly cases, that one might question what good the public registry is in the first place.

Perhaps the most damning indictment of the public registry has come from the current Penn State alleged sexual abuse case (I say alleged because until a court has rendered a decision, those involved are innocent until proven guilty, despite what the media thinks). Below is a section from a current CNN article on the Sandusky case (scroll down about halfway to find it):

http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/16/us/pennsylvania-sandusky-case/index.html

The mother of one of Sandusky's alleged victims -- identified as Victim 1 in the indictment -- told CNN on Wednesday that her son watched the NBC interview and cried. "I said, 'Well, why did you cry?' And he said, 'Because I'm afraid that he might go free,' " said the woman, whose face and voice were altered to protect her -- and by extension her son's -- identity.

She said she first got clues that something was wrong when her son's behavior changed. "He went from like being a perfect 1,2,3 magic child to being ornery and being arrogant and mean," she said. But when her son asked her to lie to Sandusky when he called the house, she became suspicious.

"Then, out of the blue, one day he was sitting at the computer and wanted to look up 'sex weirdos.' He asked me 'What's the website you get on to look them up?' And I told him it was Megan's Law. And he said, 'Well, how do I type it in?' So, I gave him the web address and he typed it into the computer and I said, 'Who are you looking for?' and he said 'Jerry.' "I kinda froze. I was like, wow. 'What are you looking him up for?' And he was like, 'Oh, I don't know. I just want to see if he's on there.' I said, 'Well, why would he be on there? Do you have something you want to tell me?' and he was like, 'No.'" Asked what was going on with Sandusky, the boy answered, "Sometimes he just acts weird. So I just wanted to see if he was on there, that's all.'"

The mother said that, a few days afterward, she learned that Sandusky had been taking her son out of school without her permission, so she called school officials and asked them to talk to her son "and just ask him how he feels." Soon after, the principal called her back in tears and invited the boy's mother to meet with her and the school guidance counselor, the mother said. "They told me that my son had said some things about that there was a problem with Jerry," she said. "He just said that he thought he needed to tell somebody or it would get worse." The mother said that, at that point, she asked the school officials to call the police. "They said I needed to think about the ramifications of what would happen if I did that," she said.

No surprise, Sandusky was not on the Megan's fLaw website. The list does not work that way.

The Stop It Now website has a good commentary on this case and the importance of NOT relying on a list of "sex weirdos:"

We need to open our eyes to the reality of who sexually abuses children. Research shows that adults know that children are most likely to be abused by someone they know and often love and admire. We also know that most child sexual abuse is never reported to authorities. So, just because someone seems really nice, has a good job, and is not on a sex offender registryⁱ doesn’t mean they are safe with your children. What really matters is how they behave around children.

Note to detractors: Learn to read

2011-11-12T22:10:00.001-08:00

It never ceases to amaze me how many people in America lack basic reading comprehension. I'm not surprised how many people give themselves away by the things they say online.

In case my many followers are wondering what I'm talking about, I'm referring to a recent comment I never bothered to publish due to the implicit death threat it contained. Turns out it was from No Peace For Predators, a violent vigilante group based in Orange Park, FL. I discussed this group and their leader David Rowe at length on my vigilante watch blog. As with most of the other vigilantes I have written about over the years at AZUnites, those who peruse such violent groups tend to be devoid of rational thought and spend most of their days discussing ways to harass former offenders, or worse. It is easy to spot the hypocrisy. It is also amazing how blatant they can be about harassing others.

David Rowe (Center) of No Peace For Predators claims to be a Christian,
but his words and actions say otherwise.

It would really help society if people like members of No Peace for Predators would go back to school and take some remedial reading comprehension skills. I remember back in grade school in reading class we read paragraphs and stories and answered questions on what I read. Should I make a Q&A session after every article? Maybe it will help lower level readers grasp simple concepts.

They criticized my recent article in their ignorance, but anyone with half a brain would understand the gist of my editorial. no one is comparing sex offenses to the common cold; the article was a warning against using simple minds and thoughts (like those common in members of NPFP) to try to solve complex problem. It was a warning against simple and unreasonable terms like "cure," when the REAL experts all agree that management, treatment and accountability are terms that should be used instead. Maybe that is the REAL reason why a rabid and blind group like No PPFP can never understand how to prevent sexual abuse in the first place.

The word "tough" is not the same as the word "smart." Oxen are strong but dumb, hence the derogatory expression "strong as an ox and half as smart." Tough on crime isn't the same as smart on crime. Allowing thugs like David Rowe harass individuals, even anonymously on Google Blogspot, is not smart. To be honest, cowardly comments written anonymously is not smart either.

Thankfully, legislators and courts are beginning to listen to reason. The entire approach to preventing sexual abuse must be completely re-evaluated and overhauled. It does not take a brain to "solve problems" with your fists, but true problem solving comes from the mind, NOT the body.

ADDENDUM: If people don't want their personal communications published, then they need to keep their comments to themselves. Below is a laughable email from one of NPFP's retarded followers:

From Colleen Perry (cmperry85@gmail.com)
I am requesting you remove my sons photograph and my name (coleen perry) from your blog/website or wherever else you may have posted the screenshot (the most recent photo on your blog from facebook) containing my sons photo. I request you at least blur the image. I do believe i retain all ownership and rights over my sons photo and I do not release it for personal or otherwise use to anyone. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

All I can say is if you don't like your communications public, DO NOT make public comments where people can read them. It never ceases to amaze me how stupid people who support thugs like NPFP can be. On a related topic, maybe Colleen, like other FB users, should not post pics of their ugly kids online in the first place. I didn't even notice the pic until now but I don't plan on changing it since she made public comments accessible online. I protect my privacy, they should learn to do the same.

Editorial- Can sex offenders be cured?

2011-11-07T19:28:00.000-08:00

In my latest editorial, I explain the complexities of treatment and why we should change our way of thinking from "cure" to "control/manage." We are in serious need of an honest approach to treatment and rehabilitation based on facts not fears.

______________________________________________

Can sex offenders be cured? Counterpoint 11/6/2011

By Derek W. Logue
______________________________________________

Have you ever heard theexpression “you can’t cure the common cold”? Back in the 1980s, scientistsstudying the “rhinovirus” (a.k.a. the common cold) published the first detailedanalysis of how the virus operates within the human body. Spirits were highwithin the medical field that armed with this knowledge, the cure for thecommon cold was as simple as creating a drug that blocks the materials thevirus uses to latch onto and infect human cells.
.

A full generation after thisinitial discovery this “cure” for the common cold remains elusive. It turns outthe mechanics of how viruses work was far more complex than the researchersrealized. There cannot be a single vaccine for the common cold because there ismore than one type of rhinovirus. Many of the “symptoms” we have come toassociate with the common cold are actually not the result of the cold itselfbut our body’s “inflammatory response” to the virus. Our over-the-countermedicines we take thus do not cure the common cold, but treat and control thosebodily responses to the rhinovirus, which is likely not even in your body bythe time you notice the symptoms.
.

The business of creatingpotential cures for the common cold has many setbacks and difficulties of itsown. Since the virus is usually well under control by our immune systems by thetime we even notice symptoms, any potential cures must catch the virus withinthe first day or two of infection. Thus, without symptoms it is hard todetermine sickness in the first place. The latest drugs were costly andoffering only modest results with some unintended side effects. In the end, theold tried and true methods of controlling the symptoms of the common cold—handwashing, rest, chicken soup, and symptom control through simpleover-the-counter methods that have been around for generations have proven tobe the most effective [i].
.

In short, the best way to dealwith the common cold has been time tested and proven effective methods ofmanaging the effects of the virus.
.

When talking about sex offendermanagement, we use the same lingo. Our society has relied upon a simplistic approachto sexual offending. Despite having the most limited knowledge of the rootcauses behind sexual abuse, we both give simplistic causes, we look forsimplistic solutions. We have also discovered the hard way sexual offending ismore complex and heterogeneous than we realized. The business of “cure” hasbecome one of cost-benefits rather than effectiveness. We have determined the“simple” solutions had complex side-effects.
.

We have placed an unreasonableexpectation in managing sexual deviance. We have utilized an Eliminationistphilosophy. We are looking for quick fixes to “cure” a complex problem. We haveexpected eradication of sexual deviance much like vaccines have wiped out manydiseases in the 20^th century.
.

Back in the medical field, thereis a resurgence of one previously “eradicated” disease: whooping cough. Thedisease has adapted somewhat and patterns have changed, putting some people atrisk of contracting the disease even after vaccination [ii].We have also discovered that over-medicating led to antibiotic resistance [iii],which led to policy reforms of antibiotic usage.
.

To use simplistic terms like“cure” and to generalize all treatment and management concepts into aone-size-fits-all quick-fix solution undermines the true goals of sex offendertreatment and management. Solutions are multifaceted and require a focus onboth prevention of new offenses and management of deviant behaviors among thosewho have offended in the past. Like researchers in other fields, we are lookingfor what is effective rather than what is popular. The current research isalmost unanimous in admitting current tough-on-crime legislation has no impacton recidivism. However, there are encouraging advances in treatment, such asRestorative Justice and the Circles of Support and Accountability. We arebetter at recognizing warning signs of potential sexual abuse. However, thereis still potential for greater improvement.
.

Advances in treatment can only beaccomplished with an honest approach to addressing sexual deviance in society.This means leaving politics, media influence, stereotypes, and personalopinions out of research results. An honest approach that addresses the therapyneeds of both victim and offender rather than the simple desire for retributionand a burgeoning sex offender industry is the only we will ever make trueadvances in managing and containing sexual offending in our society.

[i] ChristineGorman, “How Come We Can't Cure The Cold?” Time Magazine, Mar. 10, 2003. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1004367,00.html,Retrieved Nov. 6, 2011.

[ii]John Timmer, “Vaccine's success spurs whooping cough comeback.” Ars Technica,March 2011. http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2011/03/whooping-coughs-comeback-not-only-due-to-vaccination-rates.ars,Retrieved Nov. 6, 2011.

[iii] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antibiotic_resistance

Once Fallen Registry Fees Fact Guide

2011-11-03T17:41:00.001-07:00

Just a quick note: Be sure to visit my latest article at OnceFallen regarding sex offender registry fees.

http://www.oncefallen.com/registryfees.html

My editorial on Halloween Laws

2011-10-31T19:18:00.000-07:00

Below is a brief editorial on Halloween Laws I wrote for a class. Since people stated it was good, I decided to share it here.

I was a child of the 1980s, andlike most children, I went trick-or-treating. Outside my own little world, anew era of Predator Panic was forming. Missing children were plastered on themilk cartons in the fridge while local daycare centers were searched forunderground tunnels, pentagrams, and literature from the Church of Satan. Whenwe got home, mom and dad would confiscate our bags, and, much to our dismay,some choice candies were taken to “test for poison.”

Like the poison candy and theSatanic Ritual Abuse reports of the 1980s, our current laws targeting sex offendersare based upon urban legends. Much like the claims of high recidivism rates, asmentioned by Blathers, the myths of Halloween being a “sex offender smorgasbord”is based on fear rather than fact.

There are much more real threatsto your children on Halloween night than the remote chance of a sex offendertargeting your child on Halloween. Recent reports have discovered that trafficaccidents with child victims are at their highest during Halloween. Should weban all cars from driving because they pose a greater threat during Halloweenthan people on the public registry?

The problem with Halloween laws,as with many sex offender laws, are based upon wrongful assumptions and thus donot work as intended. Halloween laws were created to combat a virtuallynon-existent threat. After all, there is a definitive lack of reports of sexcrimes committed by convicted sex offenders occurring on Halloween. So if inprevious years there were no sex crimes committed by registrants, and I pass anew law to ban all registrants from participating on Halloween for this yearand no sex crimes were committed by registrants this year, can I assume thelaws had any effect on a non-existent problem? I think not.

It is time we as a society lookat issues in our society from a rational standpoint and put stop scaring peoplewith urban legends. If a sex crime is to occur on this night, it will be farmore likely to occur within the child’s own home by a loved one not on thelist. If you are worried about your child’s safety on Halloween night, then gowith them, or take them to the many Halloween parties run by local churches orcivic groups. And while sifting for those non-existent poisoned candies, trynot to be as greedy with the choice candy as your parents were.

Happy Birthday to me! Thank God I don't live in certain places.

2011-10-31T06:37:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday! I turn 35 today. I don't really party like I did when I was younger, and Halloween seems mostly for the kids, so I'll likely stay home and watch TV or something. However, should I decide to go party, I'm grateful Cincinnati does not have Halloweenitis. Certain areas across the US have laws in place barring registrants from participating in a variety of Halloween-related activities. This would be a good time to remind everyone I recently updated my HALLOWEEN LAWS FACT GUIDE on my main website. If you haven't read it yet, check it out. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

The "SMART" Office needs to be sued for false advertising

2011-10-28T19:58:00.000-07:00

When the Adam Walsh was passed into law in 2006, the so-called SMART Office was also created. I don't know why people are so fascinated with acronyms, but of all the acronyms, they chose one that has the least symbolism for a group dedicated to pimping a bad law, namely the Adam Walsh Act.

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/smart/index.htm
"SMART" stands for Sex-offender Monitoring, Apprehending, Registration, and Tracking office. So far, sex offender policies have been anything but smart. Maybe it is time we take a little look at this "SMART" Office and judge for yourself if this Office is as "SMART" as it claims to be.

“The SMART Office: Open for Business”

In a press release, The SMART office proudly proclaims it is "open for business."

"In December 2006, the SMART Office officially opened for business when President Bush appointed Laura L. Rogers, a career prosecutor, as the Director. Ms. Rogers served as a Deputy District Attorney in San Diego, California for nine years, a Senior Attorney at the American Prosecutors Research Institute’s National Center for the Prosecution of Child Abuse for five years, the Director of the National Institute for Training Child Abuse Professionals for three years and an Adjunct Law Professor at George Mason School of Law for the past four years." This career description for Laura Rogers sounds awfully familiar. In fact, it reminds me of a certain loudmouth TV talking head who famously claimed she "never met a false rape claim" during the Duke Lacrosse case. But I digress.

The SMART Mission Statement:

To assure that convicted sex offenders are prohibited from preying on citizens through a system of appropriate restrictions, regulations and internment.

I love how they use the term "Internment." I immediately think of the Japanese Internment Camps of World War II. Could she have been alluding to the infamous Julia Tuttle Causeway debacle? Subsequent SMART Office Mission statements have removed the offensive word.

In 2009, Laura Rogers testified before the AWA Reauthorization Hearing in 2009. Lets hear her testimony for a minute:

Here we see Laura stumbling and fumbling and bumbling. It is clear she does not even understand how the Adam Walsh Act even works. She was asked if a 19 1/2 year old and 15 year old having consensual sex would lead to being forced to register. Laura replied that it depends on how each state codes the law, or, as she put it, "there are a lot of issues that would have to be examined, depending on how its charged in a particular jurisdiction." Well, that defeats the purpose of the Adam Walsh Act, because the point of the law was making a "uniform standard" of sex offender laws across the US. She was asked again, and Laura fumbled more times than a butterfingered football player. Finally some speaker from Louisiana answered her question, 25 years on the registry for the scenario described.

It was not long before Laura Rogers stepped down and replaced with Linda Baldwin. Lets look at Linda Baldwin's bio:

Prior to joining the U.S. Department of Justice’s SMART Office, Ms. Baldwin served as a project manager for the New York State Unified Court System’s Office of Court Administration, where she planned and implemented ground-breaking problem-solving court initiatives on behalf of the Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Court Operations and Planning. During her seven-year tenure, Ms. Baldwin implemented and expanded statewide initiatives for New York State’s sex offense, mental health and drug treatment courts.

As part of her work on the New York State Sex Offense Court Initiative, Ms. Baldwin organized training programs designed to teach and promote best practices for managing the high risk population of sex offenders. She also led an effort to create the Initiative’s Mission Statement and Key Principles, which were designed to guide and promote uniformity among these courts. Ms. Baldwin personally provided technical assistance to the first five sex offense courts in New York State.

Prior to joining the New York State Unified Court System, Ms. Baldwin spent eight years in private practice, concentrating in commercial litigation, real estate and zoning law. She began her legal career as a law clerk for New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Gary S. Stein after receiving her law degree from Columbia University School of Law in 1993.

So she began in the field of COMMERCIAL litigation and zoning law. What does that has to do with sex offenders, aside from residency laws? I've always wondered how people with no prior experience are given such jobs in the first place, but then again, politicians are rarely experts in the laws they pass. A look at those initiatives raise red flags-- polygraphs and "stakeholder meetings" (what ,can you buy stock in sex offender laws?) are issues of concern. Ironically, Baldwin's home state of New York has decided to opt out of Adam Walsh Act compliance.

The SMART Office website is up and down more often than a yo-yo. Their job is to pimp the AWA so I'm not surprised to find a lack of info on the AWA's shortcomings and rulings against it are mentioned on the website. I'm sure more hilarity will ensue with the Adam Walsh Act Reauthorization Act of 2011.

There is nothing smart about the SMART Office. They should be sued for false advertising. Better yet, I have a more fitting acronym:

Sex-offender
Trafficking
Under
Political
Influence
Department

The STUPID Office. Now that sounds about right.

Stop the Semantics: There is NO SUCH THING as a "convicted pedophile"

2011-10-03T15:06:00.000-07:00

Hey Media hounds,

It is time to set the record straight. There is no such thing as a "convicted pedophile." It is inaccurate. it is just plain wrong.

While some of you may think, "what semantic nonsense," the use of this term is derogatory and is on par with the "N" word. Allow me to clear the air.

First off, the term "pedophile" is a psychology term with distinct criteria.Below is the DSM-IV criteria for the diagnosis of pedophilia:

Diagnostic criteria for 302.2 Pedophilia
(cautionary statement)

A. Over a period of at least 6 months, recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child or children (generally age 13 years or younger).

B. The person has acted on these urges, or the sexual urges or fantasies causemarked distress or interpersonal difficulty.

C. The person is at least age 16 years and at least 5 years older than the child or children in Criterion A.

Note: Do not include an individual in late adolescence involved in an ongoing sexual relationship with a 12- or 13-year-old.

In order to be a "convicted pedophile," simply having a clinical diagnosis of pedophilia would be outlawed. That simply is not the case. Granted, anyone who admits they are sexually attracted to children would likely be harassed by LE and neighbors and subject to scrutiny, but simply having a pedophilia diagnosis would not be enough to arrest someone. Thus, you cannot be arrested simply for being diagnosed with pedophilia.

There is a difference between a sex offender and a pedophile. You can be one without being the other, even if someone has been convicted for a sex crime involving a minor. Very few Registrants are clinically diagnosed with pedophilia. There is a difference between a situational offender and a fixated offender; a situational offender does not have a sexual attraction to children but committed a sex crime involving a minor due to other influences such as a messy divorce or depression; fixated offenders are those far more likely to have clinical sexual deviancy. There are those with a diagnosis of pedophilia who have never committed a sex crime (that means pedophiles are capable of controlling their urges).

Stop assuming every registrant is a pedophile and misusing the term. You have done enough damage by misusing and abusing this term. Enough with the assumptions, the generalizations, and the downright lies. Quit trying to make progressively scary terms-- Pervert, Pedophiles, Predators, SVP, etc.

How about a little truth in addressing this issue? Fanning the flames of blind hate and stupidity has not helped matters. But then again, the media is all about milking tragedy.

Sincerely,

Derek

PS: I stand by my words, and certain braid-dead vigilantes need a crash course in reading comprehension. The "common use" of the word does not make it proper use of the word. The "N word" I mentioned is a "common usage" word but I doubt anyone but racists would think the N word is proper or ethical. Most will agree using it to refer to a group of people is unethical and just plain wrong.

Derek's TraveLOGUE

2011-09-24T11:40:00.000-07:00

I have gotten a lot of questions over the years about traveling while on the registry. Well, I've done a fair share of traveling over the years. I haven't let registration get me down. I've been able to enjoy many new things thanks to friends and family inviting me to homes across the country. I love taking pictures, trying the foods of the region, and seeing places I've never seen before. Yes, even on the registry, travel IS possible, if you are willing to plan ahead.

Any time I travel, I contact my local registrar. I let them know where I plan on going. Next, I call the area I plan on going to see what the rules of registration are. After all, I'm not MOVING to that place, I'm just visiting. Each state has different rules on visiting registrants. One state may require registration after a couple of days, while others may allow a week or two without registration. For example, when my mom was alive, I took frequent trips to Alabama. I'd go to the Sheriff's office here in Cincinnati and let them know where I'm going, and in Alabama I'd have to register and fill out paperwork. AL was strict so I had to do a FULL registration-- fingerprints, mug shot, etc. However, they noted my return home and how long I planned on being there. Not every state does this, thankfully.

I know it seems frustrating, but I teach the CYA principle. A little aggravation now saves you potential 10 year sentences in federal prison by overzealous prosecutors. States do not advertise their visitation policies. However, the sheriff's office is the best place to start. After all, they can make you aware of local laws, like park bans and other local ordinances.

It sounds like simple advice but that is all it takes. So long as you follow the rules you should be okay.

Missing White Woman's Syndrome

2011-08-23T15:16:00.000-07:00

Today The Crime Report published an article on the "Missing White Women Syndrome" (aka the Damsel in Distress Syndrome), the concept that reports of missing persons in the media lean towards covering the murder, kidnapping, or disappearance of only young, pretty, thin, conventional, heterosexual, middle-class or higher white females, because they draw audiences where male, gay, fat, homely, minority, poor, disabled and/or older victims do not.

The Crime Report Article notes that age, sex, and race, hair color, and beauty does indeed play a role in missing persons media coverage. Some people disagree, thinking this concept is cliche. The Crime Report referred to the NCIC missing person statistics to form its argument.Below are actual quotes from the article:

Age

The NCIC database indicates that of the 692,944 people reported missing in 2010, 531,928 were under age 18. Most people would agree that it’s reasonable and appropriate for cases of missing children to get a lot of press. Children are vulnerable and innocent. And such cases are every parent’s worst nightmare.

Sex

According to the NCIC statistics, 355,243 women were reported missing in 2010, compared to 337,660 men. But the slight edge that women have in the numbers doesn’t seem to justify the barrage of coverage their cases get at the expense of all those missing men. Think about it: when was the last time you saw extensive media coverage of the disappearance of a man?

Race

Besides sex, race is the biggest factor in determining how much interest journalists seem to show in a missing persons case. It’s difficult to tell from the NCIC statistics exactly how many white women were reported missing in 2010, because the database lumps white and Hispanic missing persons together (418,859) and doesn’t break down the race information by gender. But journalists certainly act as if cases of missing white people, especially women, merit extensive coverage....

For example, the disappearance of pregnant Laci Peterson was a huge news story. In contrast, a pregnant black woman named LaToyia Figueroa who disappeared was barely a blip in the national media, despite efforts by her family to enlist journalists’ help in finding her. (Like Peterson, Figueroa was later found murdered.)

It was a good article. I can expound on this further. Look at the list of cases that is mentioned in the 2006 "Adam Walsh Act." The list in the AWA is a virtual "who's who" of high-profile missing persons cases:

(1) Jacob Wetterling, who was 11 years old, was abducted in 1989 in Minnesota, and
remains missing.
(2) Megan Nicole Kanka, who was 7 years old, was abducted, sexually assaulted, and
murdered in 1994, in New Jersey.
(3) Pam Lychner, who was 31 years old, was attacked by a career offender in Houston,
Texas.
(4) Jetseta Gage, who was 10 years old, was kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and
murdered in 2005, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
(5) Dru Sjodin, who was 22 years old, was sexually assaulted and murdered in 2003, in
North Dakota.
(6) Jessica Lunsford, who was 9 years old, was abducted, sexually assaulted, buried alive,
and murdered in 2005, in Homosassa, Florida.
(7) Sarah Lunde, who was 13 years old, was strangled and murdered in 2005, in Ruskin,
Florida.
(8) Amie Zyla, who was 8 years old, was sexually assaulted in 1996 by a juvenile offender
in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and has become an advocate for child victims and protection of
children from juvenile sex offenders.
(9) Christy Ann Fornoff, who was 13 years old, was abducted, sexually assaulted, and
murdered in 1984, in Tempe, Arizona.
(10) Alexandra Nicole Zapp, who was 30 years old, was brutally attacked and murdered
in a public restroom by a repeat sex offender in 2002, in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.
(11) Polly Klaas, who was 12 years old, was abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered
in 1993 by a career offender in California.
(12) Jimmy Ryce, who was 9 years old, was kidnapped and murdered in Florida on
8 of 82
September 11, 1995.
(13) Carlie Brucia, who was 11 years old, was abducted and murdered in Florida in
February, 2004.
(14) Amanda Brown, who was 7 years old, was abducted and murdered in Florida in
1998.
(15) Elizabeth Smart, who was 14 years old, was abducted in Salt Lake City, Utah in
June 2002.
(16) Molly Bish, who was 16 years old, was abducted in 2000 while working as a
lifeguard in Warren, Massachusetts, where her remains were found 3 years later.
(17) Samantha Runnion, who was 5 years old, was abducted, sexually assaulted, and
murdered in California on July 15, 2002.

Of these 17 names:
1. Jacob Wetterling: white 11 year old boy
2. Megan Kanka: blonde white 7 year old girl
3. Pam Lychner: blonde white 31 year old woman
4. Jetseta Gage: brunette white 10 year old girl
5. Dru Sjodin: blonde white 22 year old woman
6. Jessica Lunsford: blonde white 9 year old girl
7. Sarah Lunde: brunette white 13 year old girl
8. Amie Zyla: blonde white 8 year old girl
9. Christy Ann Fornoff: blonde white 13 year old girl
10. Alexandra Nicole Zapp: Redhead white 30 year old woman
11. Polly Klaas: Brunette white 12 year old girl
12. Jimmy Ryce: 9 year old white boy
13. Carle Brucia: blonde white 11 year old girl
14. Amanda Brown: brunette white 7 year old girl
15. Elizabeth Smart: blonde white 14 year old girl
16. Molly Bish: blonde white 16 year old girl
17. Samantha Runnion: blonde white 5 year old girl

The AWA also adds Masha Allen, who inspired the Title VII "Masha's Law" provision of the AWA, is also a blonde girl known for being a victim of child porn.

So out of this list of 18 (counting Masha), 14 of the 18 are under 18, 16 of the 18 are female, and 18 of 18 are white.

I wonder if Christopher Barrios would've been added to this list had his murder happened before the AWA passed? I doubt it.

There is an air of truth to the "missing white girl" syndrome.

We need to pass a law to ban named laws (or "Curling Legislation")

2011-07-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a pretty good rule of thumb: If you're naming a piece of crime legislation after a crime victim, it's probably a bad law. It means you're legislating out of anger, or in reaction to public anger over a specific incident. That's generally not how good policy is made. -- Radley Balko, Senior Editor, Reason Magazine

"Nannyslature...What do you do when a mother comes in and testifies that her son got sick because he drank water out of a creek? Do we have a new law saying you can't drink water out of a creek? That's why you can't drink water out of a creek! That's why we have water-treatment plants. Lewis and Clark got sick when they drank water out of a creek...We're taking care of you. You don't have any responsibility to have any common sense."-- Washington State Rep. Phil Fortunato

The Free Range Kids blog recently reported the latest knee-jerk law in response to a tragic case: Leiby's Law. If this law passes, homeowners and store owners can voluntarily submit themselves to criminal background checks and, if cleared, get a large, bright green sticker symbolizing that location as a safe-haven for lost children. Really? A 2009 New York study noted that 95.9% of all arrests for any RSO, 95.9% of all arrests for rape, and 94.1% of all arrests for child molestation were of first-time sex offenders. In addition, only one in four Americans (around 65 million people) have any form of criminal records. In short, the law will honestly prevent nothing.

Named laws have been in vogue for a while. There is the Adam Walsh Act, Megan's Law, Jessica's Law, Sarah's Law (in the UK), the Jacob Wetterling Act, all directed at sex offenders. Laws named after people tend to be more knee-jerk responses that plow through legislature rather than common sense solutions which came after lengthy debate and rational focus to create narrow definitions to address the actual problem. This phenomenon does not seem to be limited to sex offender law. Below are a few examples of named laws on various subjects:

Texas's "Ashley's Law": This law increased penalties and registry requirements for sex offenders was named after seven-year-old Ashley Estell ,who disappeared from a park in 1993 and was strangled to death. Her body was found the next day by a roadside. A sex offender named Michael Blair was arrested and convicted on circumstantial and faulty evidence. Michael Blair was exonerated in 2008 when a series of DNA tests proved his innocence.
South Carolina's Chandler's Law: This law mandates ever ATV user under 16 take a $55 training coursewhile riding.While some of the law is indeed common sense, the criticism of this law is based on human nature, as noted in the linked article. First, "people will always be idiots." Second, "accidents will always happen." "Common sense doesn't always happen, and shit happens." In other words, passing more regulations won't prevent accidents. People are still free to ignore the new law.
NJ's "The Tyler Clementi HigherEducation Anti-Harassment Act": This law looks to prevent college bullying by dramatically expanding thescope of existing anti-harassment regulations.The newer law replaces a narrow definition of bullying with a broad and vague definition that suppresses a great deal of free speech.
Laci and Connor's Law: This law which makes it a federal offense to harm a fetus during an attack on a pregnant woman was named after Laci Peterson, who was 8 months pregnant when murdered, is heavily criticized as a backdoor attack on abortion rights.

The current legal flavor of the week is Caylee's Law, inspired by the Casey Anthony Trial. The law was begun by those unhappy with the trial's outcome (she was found "Not Guilty" because of a ramshackle prosecution case who relied on emotion rather than facts to try his case). There was a law proposed by watchers on Nancy Grace and crime TV shows who lack understanding of the justice system. Five states, including Florida and Wyoming, are looking at drafting a "Caylee's Law."

So what is "Caylee's Law" and what will it do? Well, supposedly it will force parents to report their children missing within 24 hours or report a death within an hour. While it sounds like common sense, many articles are questioning the law and offering scenarios that may lead innocent people in jail. Is it truly "better safe than sorry" to panic and call the police every time a child cannot be immediately located? Consider THIS WYFF TV STORY as an example. The missing kid was hiding in his own room where he was "missing"-- K-9 units and Reverse 911 was utilized to find a child that never left his room. Many missing person's reports are resolved this way.

The real fuel for the Caylee's Law is partially our unsatisfied bloodlust for Casey Anthony's head on a silver platter. However, the other half is our faulty belief that mere laws made in haste will somehow prevent rare tragedies from occurring. The "curling parenting" generation is fueling many of these laws. Maybe we can refer to this trend as "Curling Legislation." Laws named after kids may have good intentions. After all, who wants to see a child seriously hurt or killed? However, at some point we must come to the realization we can only do so much in our society to prevent rare tragedies from happening.

Which is a better memorial? An ill-conceived law passed in anger and ignorance? Or an act that uses a rational approach to addressing the root causes of societal concerns? Honestly, we need to propose a bill that will ban the use of names in the bill. Please, just don't name it after anyone.

Matthew 18:6

2011-07-08T17:52:00.000-07:00

^"But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." -- Matthew 18:6, KJV

This passage has been popping up around the internet among vigilante groups and alleged victim's rights groups, which they claim suggests that child abuse is worse than any other sin in God's eyes. My answe begins with the following warning:

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. -- 2 Peter 1:20

If anyone actually read Matthew 18, and the context it is used, you would see the meaning behind the passage is not what victim's rights groups are proclaiming:

The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven

¹ At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

² He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. ³ And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Causing to Stumble

⁶ “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. ⁷ Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! ⁸ If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. ⁹ And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. -- NIV

Jesus states two things. First off, in verses 3-5 Jesus compares the ideal Believer to a little child. In versus 6-9, Jesus is warning us about scandals in general. The Greek word σκανδαλίσῃ, translated as "stumble" in the NIV, is pronounced skandalisē. It is where we get the English term "scandal." Though we may immediately think of the Catholic Abuse scandal or maybe a political sex scandal, scandal is a general term for a large variety of activities. If you each your child to become a thief, it is a scandal. Jesus was warning again leading others into scandals by their actions.

What about the rest of the chapter? In Verses 15-19, we are taught the Christian method of dealing with Believers sinning in the Church. There are levels of rebuke in which multiple chances at forgiveness is possible-- one on one, then in the presence of a couple of witnesses, then to the church, and if all else fails separate yourself from the offender. The key here is forgiveness. It is a concept lost to modern America.

The last part of the chapter is the Parable of the unmerciful servant, warning us against squandering God's mercy. We have forgotten the concepts of forgiveness and mercy, though it is a very common theme in the Bible. After all, in Matthew 18:21-22 Jesus says not to forgive seven times, but seventy times seven (or seventy seven times depending on the translation). It does seem ironic how that message reminding us to forgive is in the exact same chapter as the verse abused by groups using the passage to promote agendas.

"If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." --- Luke 17:4 NIV

Scripture is highly symbolic. In Biblical times, numbers were symbolic, and the number seven means complete. What does it mean to forgive? THIS SITE can explain that far better than I can. I do know forgiveness is a process but it is also releasing yourself of the prison you make for yourself by perpetuating hatred. It is contrary to our vindictive attitude. You merely have to look at vendettas or blood feuds to see what happens when our desire for retribution for harms done goes unchecked.

Forgiveness does not mean we necessarily forget, but it does mean we let go of our need for vengeance, especially vengeance disguised as "justice."

HATEBOOK

2011-06-26T12:57:00.000-07:00

Cyber-bullying is a growing issue, but one not yet taken seriously. Despite the prevalence of cyber-crimes, cyber-hate, and cyber-bullying, little has been done to prevent or deter it. It took a LOT of public pressure just to get Facebook to remove hate groups denying the Holocaust. Facebook seems to be a cesspool of blind hate and stupidity. From what I've been told, you can find groups and pages on everything on Facebook.

Now, I could personally care less about Facebook. Putiing Mark Sucker-berg's stupid face on Time magazine shows how little we value real contributions to society. The Social Network winning movie awards is an even bigger joke. Facebook is essentially a grown up My Space where adults can cyber-bitch and cyber-complain like it is junior high school. There are no shortage of hate sites on Facebook, which all the more reason for people to get together for promoting hatred. I have enough hate to read without bothering going there.

Facebook technically bans sex offenders from using the website (though it is a TOS violation rather than a national law, though some states make it illegal). However, there is no shortage of Facebook pages to attack individuals on the sex offender registries. Thankfully since I'm no fan of FB, I have friends that are happy to send screen shots to me to show me what I'm missing. Below is one profile's list of groups she has joined pretty much all advocating hatred and violence against those on the registry:

I think it is funny how people keep telling me one common thread between many vocal witch hunters is the underlying misogyny in many of these groups. Not so say men do not get involved, but the majority are women.

Below are a few typical comments and mantras from these hate groups. Somehow, Facebook does not feel the need to remove such hate groups, yet registrants are not allowed on Facebook because of fears they will troll for kids. I'm not so sure people who join these type groups are not involved in criminal activity. At the least, harassment and bullying tactics tend to be the norm:

The group claims what they are doing is legal, yet their goal is to "exile" registrants and make them "extinct." Sounds like threatening behavior to me. As shown by SOI, the "No Peace For Predators" group

This comment is pretty self explanatory. This page also links to that No Peace For Predators page.

A person using a different organization to promote the vigilante and cyber-bully site Perverted-Justice. Speaking of Pee-J, they must not have the money train they once had during their heyday on Dateline NBC. There are a few people who are members of Pee-J on Facebook and who make themselves available to find. I'd rather give props to the counter site Corrupted-Justice, which has Pee-J's number. Perverted-Justice and all its members can go to hell. It is interesting to note on that "causes" page, they have raised no money for Pee-J. That's is hilarious!

My question is shouldn't Facebook be for adults only? If you want to protect kids, keep them off Facebook. That being said, this reeks of Jim Crowe. What next, separate water fountains?

These hate groups tend to support each other. They throw out the "P" words (perv, pred, and pedo), and use terms like monster. This is what you call dehumanization, a common tactic to create virtual lynch mobs and serve only to promote even more online hatred.

Here are typical hate comments from misinformed, uneducated people. The second one is even funnier. If you are a man, you cannot be too friendly with kids lest you be considered a possible sexual predator.

A Perverted Justice troll at work. Even if someone online is a registered person, it does not mean he is trolling for kids.

No Peace For Predators-- Paranoid much? Notice the one comment proudly proclaiming sex offenders should be harassed. They also believe sites that advocate for the rights of former offenders are all "pro-pedophile" websites. They sound a lot like Absolute Zero.

This is merely the tip of the iceberg. There are many hate groups and trolls on Facebook, hating on every subject known to man. However, I'd like to know what these people who run these hate groups hope to accomplish? Some groups, like Perverted Justice or No Peace For Predators, advocate various strong-arm tactics, harassment, and threats to promote their cause. If you disagree with such groups, you tend to be labeled a pedophile supporter/enabler or a pedophile yourself, and attacked en masse. The irony is many use religion to justify their hatred. That is all the more appalling.

Addendum: Thank you SOI for letting me know No Peace For Predators is trying to suppress the video they released showing them harassing a man on the registry.

Untitled from Brian Elfstrom on Vimeo.

"Once a child predator always a child predator."
"You filty disgusting human being-- waste of air."
"We're not sick in the head like you"
"He's still a sexual predator, it does not matter"
"We're going to bring him out on a wagon."
"You can't rehabilitate these people."
"You WILL do it again."

David Rowe admits that the man was not breaking any laws (though I think it is poor judgement on part of the victim) but decided to harass him anyways; they even suggested opening a day care to "flush him out." Personally I would have sold it to Rowe for a profit. I hate how people think they are justified because the guy is on the registry. I see it as a crowd of bullies against one man.

RIP Mary Duval

2011-06-21T17:40:00.000-07:00

Cross-posted from the Once Fallen website.

NOTICE: Paypal donations to help cover Mary's final expenses can be made through www.sosen.org, a 501(c)3 organization (Be sure to add a note when you donate). Cards and direct donations can be made to-- D. Logan, 765 Mesa View Drive, Space 24, Arroyo Grande, Ca., 93240.

http://oncefallen.com/maryduval

Mary Duval: A Requiem For A True HeroDerek W. Logue -- June 19, 2011
"Live your life in such a way that when you wake in the morning and your feet hit the floor that Satan shudders and says, 'OH hell, she's awake'." -- Mary's favorite quote, often seen at the end of her posts.

Mary Duval went to be with The Lord on June 19, 2011. She was a dedicated mother and activist, and left behind a lasting legacy through her short life on this planet. Through Mary's tireless efforts and dedication, the difficult issue of legal reform of American sex offender laws to national prominence, and inspired the passage of laws to protect juveniles from a lifetime on the public registry for consensual acts with their peers. Mary successfully fought to have her teenage son removed from the public registry for a consensual relationship with a peer. Mary also helped bring attention to the plight of those former offenders forced to live under the Julia Tuttle Causeway in Miami, FL. Mary dedicated her life to this cause even after her son was removed from the registry and the discovery of cancer within her body. She was a true altruist, continuing to work as CEO of www.sosen.org and making public speaking appearances. Mary Duval is a true hero in every sense of the word.

Ricky's Life
"I'm simply a mom who is not going to rest until my child and thousands of others like him are free of the registry which was never meant for teen consensual sex. Watching my son's dreams of being a Navy officer burn to nothing only makes my determination stronger and hopefully I can give him back some of those dreams so he will smile again." -- Mary Duval, June 29, 2007 article

After Mary's teenage son Ricky was listed on the public registry for a consensual act with his girlfriend, Mary founded the website www.rickyslife.com. She began a petition campaign through Ricky's Life and raising awareness through sharing her family's story. Ricky's story spread to many outlets, from the Ethical Treatment of All Youth website to Minnesota Public Radio.

Mary discovered the sex offender reform groups SOSEN and SO Clear Media through her growing network of supporters of her cause. Those who worked with her soon realized they discovered a rare gem. Mary did not let her physical disabilities interfere with her determination. The "little spitfire" felt the pain of many more individuals negatively impacted by the increasingly stringent sex offender laws, and felt called to further action. While she still fought for her son's freedom, which was pressuring the Oklahoma government to reform current sex offender laws, Mary turned her attention to the larger problem of the sex offender registry and the laws it created.

A FIGHT FOR LIFE

"Days have passed since our return home and one thing which remains is the desperation and tragedy in Bryans voice as he reflected on his future under the Julia Tuttle Causeway. Is there any way for me as a mother, an advocate and a human to help these men and women? Daily I work with many who suffer because of these laws and yet should my son and I be thankful we do not live under a bridge? Will this day come? We realize now as we are back home in our trailer with running water and food, a warm bed to sleep in that maybe, even though these laws are destroying our lives and my family is the collateral damage, that we should be thankful for the small blessings we have. These include; a group of advocates and friends who care, a home and, most of all, we have each other. Indeed it’s the small blessings we should be thankful for." -- Mary Duval, Commentary from her trip to the Julia Tuttle Causeway, April 19, 2009

Around the same time Mary began her fight to remove her son from the public registry, there was another crisis forming under the Julia Tuttle Causeway bridge in Miami, Florida, as registered citizens were forced to live in deplorable conditions. Mary visited the JTC camp (also called the "Bookville" camp after the controversial lobbyist who created the camp) while in Miami to be interviewed for the Spanish talk show "Cristina." Mary called it "America's dirty little secret." Mary Duval, as co-host of ARC Talk Radio, raised a level of awareness to the JTC plight in a way not covered by the national media. Mary, with host Kevin, interviewed JTC residents and even Ron Book, the lobbyist who supported the 2500 foot residency restrictions that created this crisis. Mary was named spokeswoman for the camp by the residents. Media outlets as far away as Germany and Russia covered this travesty, and Miami was the center of an international embarrassment.

Long after she succeeded in having her son removed from the public sex offender registry, and knowing collateral consequences did not end with removal from that list, didn't Mary Duval continued a run of public appearances: CNN, the 2010 RSOL National Conference, the John Stossel Show, and her meeting with Lenore Skenazy of Free Range Kids.

As Mary prepared to confront controversial advocate Mark Lunsford at the steps of CNN in Los Angeles in September 2010, Mary's health took a turn for the worse. Mary had suffered from Marfan Syndrome, which had claimed her eyesight, but not her spirit. Now doctors discovered cancer and would undergo chremotherapy. Despite her deteriorating health, she still faithfully performed her duties as co-host of ARC Talk Radio, CEO of SOSEN, and making public appearances. In what would be her final full length interview, Mary made an appearance on Nevada Newmakers in April 2011. Mary's health became critical as she suffered complications from Marfan's and the chemotherapy, and slipped into a coma. She never recovered and was declared dead on the morning of June 18, 2011.

Mary leaves behind her two sons, Ricky and Eric, as well as many followers and supporters. Her dedication, altruism, and fire for this movement are legendary, and she will be sorely missed not just as a fellow sex offender reformist, but as a close friend of mine.

I began working with Mary in 2008 during her days working with SO Clear Media. I knew from the moment we first started working together, she was someone special. Mary Duval is irreplaceable both as an advocate and a dear friend. Mary took the time to volunteer for the National RSO Support Hotline. She was also on my "My Faves" five for years. She was a light to those forced to live under the bridge in Miami, as well as homeless registrants across the country.

Mary IS a TRUE HERO in every sense of the word. I am going to miss picking on her about her dangerous dogs and the Oklahoma Sooners, the weekly sharing of ideas, hearing her voice on ARC Talk Radio, and the times we encouraged each other during our down times. She helped me proofread the Once Fallen book, and promoted it tirelessly. I'll miss the friendly banter during the SO Clear VAT classes; it makes me wish we had recorded them. I believe the best way to honor her is continue her legacy and continue to fight for reform of current sex offender laws.

MORE MEMORIALS:

Another Memorial from the "Walking in my F'ing Shoes" Blog:
http://walkamileinmyfingshoes.wordpress.com/2011/06/19/when-the-trumpet-sounds/

A Memorial Video by Sex Offender Issues Blog:
http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.com/2011/06/dedicated-to-mary-duvall-of-sosen-you.html

Memorial page from the eAdvocate website:
http://on-suicides-deaths.blogspot.com/2011/06/mary-duval-of-sosen-passed-away-this.html

Memorial Page by Free Range Kids
:http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/2011/06/20/when-child-porn-isnt-and-the-woman-who-insisted-we-differentiate/

June is False Allegations Awareness month!

2011-06-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

“In Stalinist Russia, innocent people were presumed guilty if reported as ‘Enemies of the Motherland.’ They were sent to the Gulag or executed without due process. In the United States of America, citizens are presumed guilty if reported as ‘Domestic Abusers.’...they lost their jobs, their mental health, their reputation, their trust in justice, and their self-esteem.” -- Natasha Spivack, speaking at the first False Allegations Summit at Washington DC, June 2011

As a recent victim of abuse and a false allegation by a certain mentally ill ex-girlfriend who shall remain nameless, I have become increasingly aware of the plight of individuals, particularly men accused of domestic or sex crimes. I have already discussed the concept of legal misandry in an earlier post. I've also discussed false allegations on my main website. However, in light of recent revelations, I felt the need to address the issue even more.

A recent survey of over 10,000 people compiled by Stop Abusive and Violent Environments (SAVE) on false allegations revealed that 11% of respondents stated they were falsely accused of a crime, with 81% of those falsely accused, and nearly half were falsely accused of sexual abuse.In an age of increasing paranoia over sex crimes, the likelihood of being falsely accused is a very real possibility, especially in custody disputes.

For more info on false allegations, visit the following websites:

http://www.saveservices.org/false-allegations-awareness-month/

and

http://falserapesociety.blogspot.com/

A Prayer for Mary Duval, a true warrior of this movement

2011-06-08T18:47:00.000-07:00

Recently, both Free Range Kids and SOSEN.ORG announced that Mary Duval, the CEO of SOSEN and fiery civil rights advocate, has slipped into a coma from health complications and her chances of survival are less than slim. As someone who lost his mother just this past August, I fully understand the pain the family she may be leaving behind is going through. We rarely have time to grieve while making those final arrangements and trying to figure out where that money is going to come from. Mary's son Ricky, whose own personal experiences with overbearing sex offender laws inspired Mary to advocate for sex offender reforms, will be left behind to help care for his younger brother, who is still a minor.

TO HELP THE DUVAL FAMILY DURING THIS CRISIS, SEND YOUR DONATIONS TO WWW.SOSEN.ORG (Don't forget to earmark it for the Duval family) -- Go through Sosen, not this site, to donate to them.

I've known Mary since 2008, when we worked together at SO Clear Media, creating videos to educate the public about sex offender laws. It didn't take long for me to realize we had a true warrior on our hands (a rarity considering how many people are afraid of advocating sex offender legal reform). It did not take long for people to see that either, because she became the head of SOSEN in 2009 and co-host of ARC Talk Radio. She has made made many public appearances in the national media, but even then made time to deal with my petty ideas, concerns, and projects, including proofreading my eBook Once Fallen. She made plenty of time to volunteer for the National RSO Hotline.

Mary Duval became in every sense of the word the face of this movement. She increased awareness of the plight of those forced to live under the Julia Tuttle Causeway camp. The JTC residents named her spokesperson. She even helped convince Bookville (JTC camp) Emperor Ron Book to the ARC Talk Radio show. She has made more public appearances than I can count, from CNN to public speaking appearances to the John Stossel Show.

We were first made aware of Mary's health issues in September 2010, as she prepared to confront the controversial Mark Lunsford on the steps of the CNN building in L.A. Even in her condition, Mary still made it to Washington DC for the SORNA Congressional Hearings and a TV interview for Nevada Public Television.

We can only pray for Mary's speedy recovery at this point. Much like my mother, she's a strong fighter.

Here is another very good dedication post to her, it is a very good read.

Its okay to tell.... the truth about Ron and Lauren Book.

2011-06-01T15:26:00.000-07:00


From one exploiter of sex offenders to another: Lauren Book fawns over Mark Lunsford's infamous "Save a child, Hang a Pedophile" badge. I wonder if Lunsford was drunk that day, too.

I have to admit, I flat out despise Ron Book and his daughter Lauren Book-Lim. My faorite memory of Ron Book will always be the day I got Ron Book so angry he was screaming on the ARC Talk Radio (around the 1:35:00 mark) show. I'm not the only one who dislikes the Books, and it is not just because he was the Emperor of "Bookville" (a.k.a. The Julia Tuttle Causeway Causeway Sex Offender Camp). I have an entire article on that saga already, so I won't go too deep into that subject. I will, however, bring up some more of the Book's recent controversies.

Book is currently under investigation by the FBI for issues related to South Florida corruption in politics:

In Broward and Tallahassee politics, influence peddling comes in countless forms. Here's one currently under investigation by the federal government:

A powerful lobbyist, seeking to curry favor with a state senator and benefit a major client, helps to secure the senator's boyfriend a job at the development firm the lobbyist represents. The boyfriend also happens to be a Housing Authority honcho who goes on to oversee two new multimillion-dollar publicly financed projects with the very developer who hired him.

This is one scenario that sources say the FBI is currently investigating as part of a major probe that involves recently convicted GOP fundraiser and lobbyist Alan Mendelsohn, who had deep ties to numerous politicians, including former Gov. Charlie Crist, former Senate President Ken Pruitt, embattled Congressman David Rivera, and state Sen. Eleanor Sobel. The same federal investigation also involves several figures from the massive Mutual Benefits Corp. Ponzi scheme, including MBC fraudster Joel Steinger, who is awaiting trial on federal charges himself.

Here are the players in the scenario:

The lobbyist: Ron Book, who represents a host of governments, including Broward County, and private clients, including the Miami Dolphins, as perhaps the most powerful lobbyist in Florida.

Ron Book apparently has not reformed since his own conviction for illegal campaign contributions in the mid-1990s.From what I've seen, corrupt South Florida politics are par for the course. Maybe that is partly the reason why he remains one of the most sought-after lobbyists in Dade County (in fact, many local news hounds call him the uber-lobbyist). For the right price he'll even represent both sides of the issue (though it is unethical if not illegal).

Well, whats a person to do while his Empire slowly closes in on him? Like Rod Blagojovich and Bobby Jindal, the best way to divert attention is to bring up the sex offender issue. Ron Book is President of an organization that bears his daughter's name (Lauren's Kids). An organization that lobbied for a law named for Lauren which, among efforts to deny the accused the right to a fair trial, also put $1.5 MILLION DOLLARS into an already fully funded program. Book is denying he asked for that money while admitting he asked for TWICE as much. Well, you can always use that money to shelter those Bookville residents now forced to sleep in the parking lots at the Florida Dept. of Corrections:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/legislature/nonprofit-run-by-lobbyist-ron-books-daughter-nets-15-million-but-not-for/1169436

TALLAHASSEE — It pays to be the daughter of a super lobbyist, but things can get complicated.

In the final days of the legislative session, lawmakers amended a bill to protect children from sexual abuse that gave $1.5 million to Lauren's Kids, a nonprofit run by the daughter of Ron Book, the Tallahassee uber-lobbyist from Miami.

The problem is, according to all accounts, neither of the Books asked for the money. The bill, HB 215, says the money must be used to finance a 24-hour abuse hotline and pay for sexual abuse prevention education in schools — programs already offered by Lauren's Kids without state funding.

The money the Books did ask for but did not receive: $3 million to finance the cost of relocating victims of sexual assault who are too threatened to remain at home. Instead, the late-session allocation was tacked onto a bill victim advocates had worked on all year. Among other things, the bill limits a defendant's access to child pornography evidence, allows the admission of prior sexual crimes as evidence and ensures the HIV testing of sex offenders.

The House sponsor, Rep. Chris Dorworth, R-Lake Mary, says the House objected after the Attorney General's Office raised concerns that the Senate plan to put $3 million into the victims relocation fund would not be enough to pay for relocation of sexual abuse victims. It didn't want to risk running out of money and having to tap funds for a current program that pays for relocation costs of domestic abuse victims. Book and other supporters disagreed, but the House wouldn't back down. "There is no denying our staff had trouble with that,'' Dorworth said. But he quickly added: "The language didn't originate in the House."

No one disputes the issue got attention from House and Senate leadership because it had Book's name attached.

The commenters are showing how South Floridians are catching on to the corruption:

geoteacher May 13, 2011 4:17 PM

Corruption Period! Paying off legislators with taxpayer funding Repbulican friends. What a way to do business. Let's ask Bondi to put them in jail? Nah, can't do that, she is a Republican.

JohnQCitizenMD May 13, 2011 3:55 PM

Shenanigans, period.

seminolebuck1 May 13, 2011 5:05 PM

can you say "bribery"? Ronnie is super scummy!

JohnQCitizenMD May 13, 2011 6:14 PM

Here are your Republicans being fiscal hawks. The area they demand the money be used in (1.5 MILLION) is already being funded without state aid. This is right up there with the Taj Mahal.

sundog May 13, 2011 9:39 PM

another fine example of the florida legislative branch's complete sense of entitlement fueled by self interest and their never ending quest for personal power and especially personal profit.

FL Geezer May 14, 2011 3:21 AM

Let's see. About 20 Large for Hari-dope's Senate campaign gets you $1,500,000 from Hari-dope's "Money Pit." What a country !!!

seminolebuck1 May 14, 2011 11:06 AM

how long is Ronnie gonna milk his daughter's misfortune?

mattgordonmd May 15, 2011 12:08 AM

"It's always going to be difficult when a high-priced lobbyist advocates for or against something, but that doesn't make it bad,'' said Book"

- Ron, you are being disingenuous. The bill that granted your daughter's "foundation" $1.5M did not write itself. Indeed, it is very "bad" when a bill is passed and the author is anonymous. Perhaps it was intended as a "gift" from the state "pot" of spare money? The pols claimed money was tight, budgets were being trimmed, worthwhile programs defunded... yet, there is a "pot" of money not yet allocated?

With very few exceptions, this is the most untrustworthy group of legislators Florida has had the displeasure of being violated by in a long time. If their sociopathy continues at this pace, then the next session should be held at the mental hospital in Chattahoochee.

Realist 1 May 17, 2011 7:58 AM

It is not his daughters Ron is the president of the non profit.

Follow The Leader: As usual, Daddy Book takes charge, with Lauren behind him.

One of the happiest days of my life will be the day all those corruption finally catches up to Ron Book. At a time when the economy is at an all time low, do we need to give our money to rich (and corrupt) people who can blow a cool million on a wedding that barely lasted a full year while rubbing it in to those they forced to live under bridge? I'd like to "walk in your shoes" but I'm not a rich family, just another guy with a criminal record. Well we have ONE thing in common.

More privatization of the justice system

2011-05-27T17:56:00.000-07:00

Last month, I wrote an article about the privatization of prisons. That is only the tip of the iceberg. Private companies will also be handling GPS monitoring in California, and companies like Offender Watch Systems is taking over public registries in many locations. All this privatization implies lowest bidder, corner cutting, and less oversight. As bad as the government is at targeting those forced onto public registries, corporate/ private business interest is downright scary.

Think about it-- the business has a vested interest in keeping business alive. There is a wealth of information to suggest the registries cause the social ostracism which increases the likelihood of re-offending, so why would a private company concern itself with rehabilitation and effective measures of reducing crime?

On the Offender Watch corporate website, it says, "Together, Appriss and Watch Systems are providing services covering nearly 70,000 sex offenders, about 15 percent of the registered sex offender population in the United States." Actually, it is less than 10%. Business is booming, after all, especially with their systems making the claim they are "Adam Walsh Act compliant."

"Appriss currently notifies residents and businesses when registered sex offenders move into their neighborhoods. Its solutions also locate non- complaint offenders and update at-risk agencies of registered sex offenders in their area via phone, fax, or e-mail. Appriss will now be able to tap into Watch Systems' OffenderWatch® to enhance law enforcement's ability to track offenders' whereabouts." I'm curious how they locate non-compliant registrants. After all they are only a database. They also pimp iris scan technology. I am curious as to how an iris scan will prevent crime. Again, remember OffenderWatch is a business.

Consider this quote from the Houston Chronicle: "'You can easily see how it goes from iris scans for registered sex offenders to iris scans for all felons, to iris scans for everyone who is convicted of a misdemeanor, to iris scans for anyone who is arrested,' said Melissa Ngo, director of EPIC's identification and surveillance project." It reminds me of the registry itself. We are seeing more offenses added to the registry with every legislative session, while new registries from violent offender to dangerous dog registries exist across the US. It makes me wonder what else applied only to sex offenders will expand in due time, given people have been willing to accept intrusions of their rights for the sake of security.

There are a few questions I have. What does Offender Watch mean by "Geographic Risk Assessment?" Studies have already proven where a registrant lives is irrelevant. Why is there no disclaimer against abusing the registry info? What is a "Geo-Address Scrubber?" Sounds like some kind of Swiffer-style cleaner. My favorite is the "Fireworks Safety" PDF-- what does firework safety have to do with sex offenders? Don't shoot fireworks at home; instead, get on the sex offender registry.

I wonder if Watch Systems, LLC will offer stock someday, like GEO Group has. That is a disgusting thought. I'm sure there will also be paid lobbyists designed to keep more low-risk offenders on the registry. The corporate takeover of the Justice system is a very scary thought indeed.

Legal misandry: The true silent epidemic

2011-05-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

Domestic violence laws are controversial in many ways, primarily because of the low standards required and the gender discrimination against men. Men are already seen as potential predators by many victim's groups. It is socially acceptable to cast men as potential predators. Child victim advocate John Walsh even advocates not hiring male babysitters because men are all potential pedophiles in his eyes. Maybe he just feels that way because he has battled sexual addiction over the years. No one questions that belief, and as a result, men must face uphill battles in defending outlandish accusations of abuse of any kind in court, be it sexual abuse of a child or against a protection order against a woman.

Our society has been inundated with Radical Feminist propaganda for many years. Popular culture has romanticized the concept of vigilantism against "abusive men" in movies like the Feminist film Thelma and Louise and Sleeping with the Enemy, and in songs like Janie's Got a Gun by Aerosmyth. Lorena Bobbitt was exalted by Feminist groups and other extremist "domestic violence advocates." Just type in the word "battered" in Google and the first results to come back include "battered woman's syndrome," "battered wife's syndrome," and "battered woman." There is a "battered men/ husband's syndrome," but to be honest, even I am surprised anyone has ever coined the term, and I doubt this has ever been used as a defense in court (the technical term is "Battered Person's Syndrome," but again, the term is generally applied to women). Do not not forget the discrepancy in sentencing for men and women are significantly different as well, with women getting shorter sentences for similar crimes as men.

There is probably no greater discrepancy in the gender gap in the area of domestic relations. Allow me to introduce a perfect illustration. Lets say you've been in a relationship for so many years to a woman who has a clinical diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder, Major Depression, has paranoia, and a family history of schizophrenia. She believes all men are indeed brutish, violent, and prone to cheat. As the man in this relationship you are subject to interrogations, invasive searches, and constant surveillance without ever giving the woman a reason to believe you are a womanizer or abuser. You are "walking on eggshells" as your every action becomes suspect. If a woman that isn't wrapped up like a Muslim wife in public, she would go on tirades about the perceived trashiness of the woman and accusations of lust for the woman of loose morals are directed at you. You reach a point in your relationship where you want out because you are tired of feeling like you are the subject of an FBI investigation rather than a loving hubby/ boyfriend/ fiancee.

When you two break up, she calls the police on you and makes a wild accusation. The police hassle you but they don't arrest you because you did nothing wrong (but as they see it, they "haven't caught you"). You pack up her things and leave them at her place in neat little boxes. A few days later you get a knock at the door; it is a sheriff's deputy handing you a restraining order. You feel a sinking feeling in your chest as you are treated like you just murdered someone. In 2 weeks you go before a judge and plead your innocence. The "ex" paints a picture of you as some kind of "monster," and the female judge accepts her on her word only. The judge rules against you. You have no defense. You are a man, after all.

How many times has this scenario played out in court? There is no telling. Men are the "stronger" sex, after all. Men do not report domestic violence against them because of many reasons, including a fear of a 911 call turning against him, fear (mostly of being accused of being abusive himself), societal disbelief, and shame. You can even say it seems like a joke, the thought of a big, burly guy whipped by a 5'3 woman. The cultural belief favors the woman, and many women know it. As a result, arrests of female abusers are rare.

There is another element of abuse that is not considered, though is often used in defense of women abused by men. Women tend to be more emotionally and psychologically abusive (though some were physical). Some women abuse their men through the legal system that favors women in domestic laws as well. It is far too easy to traumatize a man through a false allegation in the domestic civil courts, where only a "preponderance of the evidence" (a low standard of proof suggesting the allegation is "more likely than not" something happened) is the standard by which you are labeled and condemned. It is hard to prove psychological abuse, and as a man it seems the standard is unconsciously raised to "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt."

I have experienced firsthand the impact of psychological and emotional abuse from a woman. It is essentially the same as "Asymmetrical Warfare." Asymmetric warfare, in a nutshell, is the use of tactics to compensate for being the weaker force in a war, like Guerrilla Warfare or terrorism. A series of small scale attacks compromise the will of a larger force. perhaps the term "war of the sexes" has merit. I have suffered the long term effects of abuse, but as a man, I really have nowhere to turn. There are no "battered men's shelters," no assistance programs for men displaced by leaving his abuser, or even a support network. Equality is a myth.

Radical Feminists have been called "Feminazis." In light of many things they have stated publicly, I can see why Radical Feminism is seen with such disdain, yet their views are accepted in culture and the courts. It is not about "equality" of the sexes, it is a matter of usurping power. Ironically, Radical Feminists become the very evil they are claiming to fight. The symbol of the justice system is a scale, not a pendulum. Equality is a balance, but the Radical Feminists Courts are a pendulum. It takes more men willing to speak out against their abusers. We must not continue to suffer in silence.

How Ironic: Comments from alleged advocates for children

2011-05-05T20:56:00.000-07:00

I find comments in message boards across America quite contrary. I work specifically on sex offender issues, so I'm never surprised by the typical comments that go along the line of "kill/ rape/ brand all sex offenders." What I find even the more ironic is this venom coming from people who claim to be anti-rape. Am I the only one seeing the irony in all this? Why would any person or group so opposed to rape advocating prison rape or other violent crimes? I'd love an explanation.

Two wrongs do not make a right. To say you oppose rape but support rape is hypocrisy.

I think there should be a few rules of commenting for these individuals.

But all those who comment on the boards, please do me a favor. Please learn to spell. A "pedifile" is a file for your feet. Please don't use your "assoicats" degree from the University of Phoenix as credentials. I have a Bachelor's degree from Athens State University. It may not be Harvard, but it's an accredited university. I graduated cum laude. If your GPA is above 3.5 like you claim, please use Latin. Also, I'd prefer you offer something to the debate instead of the same tired comments; references to actual studies is a plus. Also, I stand by my comments publicly, so please do the same. If you are so right and I'm so wrong, why hide your identity? It makes me think you're hiding other things. I guess it would be too much to ask those attacking me personally to actually read my website rather than attack sites. I stand by every word I say.

That is all. Thank you.

PS: If you still don't like me, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Derek Logue is winning

2011-05-04T15:50:00.000-07:00

"The only thing I'm addicted to right now is winning." --Charlie Sheen

Hated celebrity Charlie Sheen is not the only one out there "winning." Winning is a relative term at any rate, depends on what we are competing for and what is the ultimate goal.

In my case, my ultimate goal is being an online advocate for the reform of criminal laws, and particular sex offender laws, to emphasize the rehabilitative aspect of law and to promote healing for both offender and victim. Since I don't advocate the "kill all sex offenders" mantra that many of the common citizens do, and because I am a member of this group forced to disclose my private information for the public eye to scrutinize, that generally makes me the bad guy in the eyes of a lot of people. Most of these people make assumptions and draw on sites run by people who get their kicks from creating falsehoods about people and making three a.m. death threats over the phone. It goes with the territory.

I've been advocating changes to these laws since 2004, and since the end of 2007 I have become a highly visible (and hated) figure. It is amazing how we can make assumptions and hate without knowing anything about a person, just a label. Its almost laughable to see the accusations if only people did not believe it because of my label. I've never tried hiding the label. In fact, much like people who have "owned" the "N" word, I have overcome the label society places upon my. I am "winning."

So I'll play Charlie Sheen for a moment and dissect the arguments of one of my detractors, the idiotic Shoalanda Speaks.

hXXp://shoalandaspeaks.blogspot.com/search/label/Derek%20Logue

First point: Troll-anda Spews, in addressing me and other activists who call for reform of sex offender laws, says this on April 4, 2011:

The garbage that these advocates preach concerning children is so sickening that we chose not to finish the blog

It is interesting that she considers treatment for both victim and offender "sickening." Lets look at a few of my "sickening comments:"

I believe sex crimes should be punished. If you want more jail time, fine by me. My problem is with the treatment of offenders after they have finished their sentences. If you commit a sex crime, you should serve time, whatever the state allots. But if (or when) a sex criminal is released, efforts must be made to successfully reintegrate the offender back into society to minimize risk of re-offending. Also, society lacks preventive measures and available counselors to deal with sexual issues before they become sex crimes. It is not about condoning behaviors, it is about minimizing risk.

So Shoalanda thinks punishing sex crimes and calling for rehabilitation programs to minimize recidivism is "sickening." As a matter of fact, I wrote an entire "sickening article entitled "Prevention 101:"

http://www.oncefallen.com/Prevention101.html

Principles of Prevention
Prevention means finding a way to keep sexual violence from occurring in the first case. I believe it IS
possible to find prevention strategies that work. But we have to approach this problem with an open mind.
There are two great websites with prevention as its focus (as you can see from these sites, its about being
“smart” rather than “tough”):

www.stopitnow.org
www.jwf.org (NOTE: recently the Jacob Wetterling Foundation has become the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center, www.jwrc.org, and some of the below pages referenced are NOT AVAILABLE at this time

Holy Shiitakes! I'm promoting pro-sex offender sites! Its all downhill from there:

Prevention strategies exist today, but for some reason, we choose to neglect them in favor of punishment strategies
for former offenders, strategies which fail to address preventing strategies. The Jabob Wetterling Resource Center
and Stop It Now! are two fine examples of prevention and treatment oriented approaches which will prove effective
in reducing sex crimes. These strategies teach principles of responsibility, accountability, penance, honesty,
education, vigilance, and most of all, balance or moderation.
Regarding former offenders, there are prevention strategies available to keep former offenders from offending
again. Restorative justice (accountability and empathy training), identifying sexual assault cycles, and developing
relapse prevention plans are tried and true methods of reducing recidivism amongst former offenders. These
treatments have been shown to reduce both general and specific recidivism by at least half, and recognized to be
effective by leading researchers like Karl Hanson.
However, in order to effectively implement these prevention strategies, we must address and reform the many
obstacles in our society: The mass media, politicians, myths and misconceptions, our emphasis on retribution and
punishment, CAPTA mandatory reporting requirements, lack of professionals, and our contrary fear/ fascination of
sex. Only by approaching the subject openly and honestly can we have any hope of preventing sexual violence.

Imagine that, promoting empathy and accountability in those who have sexually offended is "sickening?" That's nothing, check out these two "pro-sex offender" books I promote on my "recommended media" page:

http://www.oncefallen.com/multimedia.html

HANDBOOK FOR SEXUAL ABUSER ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT (2001) BY: Mark S.
Carich, Ph. D., and Steven E. Mussack, Ph. D.
Description: (From the Safer Society Press) Safer Society is pleased to publish this long-awaited
compendium. With chapters from William Marshall, Robert McGrath, Emily Coleman, James
Haaven, Alvin Lewis, Laren Bays, William Murphy, Peter Loss, Jerry Thomas, and Gary Lowe, as
well as from the editors and others, this volume provides an essential basic outline of
comprehensive treatment--the perfect introduction and reference volume that should be on every
clinician's shelf.Ordering Info: CLICK HERE to order from Safer Society Press or CLICK HERE to order from
Amazon.com. No Kindle version available.COMMENTS: A collection of articles on treatment, victim empathy, evaluating and treating
offenders, and other issues related to treating offenders.

HELPING VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ABUSE (2006) BY: Lynn Heitritter and Jeanette Vought
Description: (From the publisher) How do we minister to victims of sexual abuse? It's a difficult
problem for Christian communities. This solidly biblical and sensitive guide is packed full of helpful
information that provides a valuable perspective on how abuse affects children and the family
dynamics that play into its development. As well, readers will also discover practical tools that can
lead adult victims into full recovery in Christ. Required reading for everyone who wants to bring
meaningful ministry to those affected by sexual abuse.Ordering Info: CLICK HERE to order from Bethany House or CLICK HERE to order from Amazon.
com. Kindle Version Available!COMMENTS: This is a good book on helping victims of sexual abuse recover from the effects of
the abuse from a Christian perspective, and it deals with many issues dealing with forgiveness and
views of God following abuse.

Oh yeah, my front page disclaimer:

ONCE FALLEN DISCLAIMERS
The purpose of this site is to educate the public on the truth on sex offender
laws and to offer support and guidance to those accused or convicted of sex
crimes. This site does not promote, condone, or tolerate illegal activities
nor any "pro-pedophile" agenda or groups such as NAMBLA. This site
DOES believe in punishment for illicit sexual activity, so long as it is coupled
with treatment and Restorative Justice. This site promotes education and
prevention programs coupled with treatment and successful reintegration of
those who have served their sentences as the only effective method for the
successful reduction in sexual violence.
An example from this blog:

http://once-fallen.blogspot.com/2009/11/of-myths-and-monsters-plague-of-sex.html

Most importantly, we need to honor victims by helping victims of sex crimes overcome the crimes committed against them. These days, if a victim forgives his or her attacker, many people look at them like they are crazy. What good does keeping victims thinking about what happened to them and the guilt and anger they feel rather than dealing with those feelings? The result is many more lives remain broken rather than healed, making them lifelong victims rather than “Thrivers.”

Helping victims of sexual abuse overcome the negative effects of the abuse is also sickening? Somehow I don't think people see it that way. I am winning this round.

Here's an interesting comment Trollanda makes in the same post: He objected to our remark that all sex offenders should literally be branded as such.

Ironically enough, children have been targeted because of Trollanda's mentality. In fact, we've put children themselves (some as young as age 9) on the public registry:

http://www.solresearch.org/~SOLR/rprt/JSOs.htm

http://www.oncefallen.com/CriminalizingTeenSex.html

But we also forget that family members and even children of registrants are also attacked:

http://www.opd.ohio.gov/AWA_Information/AW_levenson_family_impact_study.pdf

Family members living with an RSO were more likely to experience threats and
harassment by neighbors. Children of RSOs reportedly experienced adverse consequences
including stigmatization and differential treatment by teachers and classmates. More than half
had experienced ridicule, teasing, depression, anxiety, fear, or anger. Unintended consequences
can impact family members’ ability to support RSOs in their efforts to avoid recidivism and
successfully reintegrate.

Has Trollanda not heard the expression "violence begets violence?"Has all the vigilante violence targeting those on the public registry impacted sex crime rates? The evidence states the opposite. (By the way, sign the "Stop Vigilante Violence Act HERE). Shoalanda Speaks out her tail end, apparently, while I continue to trump her arguments. Logue 2, Trollanda 0.

I guess I should tell her that calling me a "pedophile" is slander and makes her liable to being sued, seeing as how I not only have never been classified as such by Alabama, I have not had sex with a child nor have I been clinically diagnosed with pedophilia. Maybe Trollanda needs to get her facts from people OTHER than Pensacola sex offender Clay "Roar For Truth" Keys and Sheffield Prosecutor BT Gardner (I wonder is Shoalanda supports Gardner's defense of a man accused of rape. Hm). Logue 3, Trollanda 0.

Trollanda's obsession with me is so great, she comments on my move to Cincinnati for budget reasons. Yes, Sheffield, Alabama utilities exceed Cincinnati's by at least twice as much. But you see, I only moved to The Shoals because I was engaged. It fell through, so I saw no reason to stay in a place lacking public transportation and extremely isolated from the modern world. Sorry, Trollanda, not everyone finds your isolated community a nice place to live, especially the large numbers of young people leaving it for greener pastures. Only an idiot like Shoalanda can't do the math. Logue 4, Trollanda 0.

Another Trollanda rant: Logue would like us to believe that he and others like him are changed. What his writings actually do is portray such a twisted individual that we can't blame those who live nearby this Sheffield "activist" for wanting rid of him.

I don't care about being disliked by neighbors in that cesspool of depravity. There is a reason The Shoals is a dying, withering community. It is funny to suggest my writings make me twisted. If I am twisted for saying sex offender laws need reform, then what does that say about all those people (Shoalanda included) who advocate violence, mutilation, and murder? Shoalanda wants to brand people, after all. I have always found it ironic that the very people who advocate for the end of violence advocate violent actions to promote their cause. I'm winning again, 5-0.

Well, to Shoalanda Speaks's credit, she does make a couple of disclaimers:

Obviously, we hear and read much that can't be proved [sic], but we do usually manage to present the known facts to our readers. (Geez, it's "can't be proven," not "can't be proved." I guess those portable classrooms WERE detrimental to children's education in Alabama after all. But the English language has a word for it-- RUMORS. Rumors are what you pay for them-- nothing. I heard plenty of gossip in the Shoals. Like I heard BT Gardner is an alcoholic and has been chased out of prosecutor positions in other cities like Tuscumbia (a rumor told to me, ironically enough, from a couple of people who work with him), or the rumor that Elvis, Osama Bin Laden, and Tupac Shakur are on the same Caribbean island sipping a Corona and laughing at the death money rolling in. Only problem is, Trollanda and other wannabe crime bloggers love to throw rumors out there as issues of fact.

the rumor mill can't dissolve many facts:

FACT: I have been out of prison over eight years and have not been accused of any sex crimes.
FACT: I have been given a partial pardon from the State of Alabama since the state looks at my actually actions, not what online trolls like Shoalanda thinks of me.
FACT: Despite how Trollanda Spews her filth and makes implied threats, I can move back to The Shoals if I wanted to. However, I didn't like it any time BEFORE I was added to the public registry, feel free to ask my ex-wife/ fiancee BRANDI, who Shoalanda targeted in her blog last year. Shoalanda put a mother and child in harm's way without a thought. Careless? Yes. Stupid? Without a doubt. My beef with her stemmed from attacking Brandi, not her criticism of me. Now, I can care less. But unlike her, I'm not afraid of being public. Again, I am winning.

Shoalanda is not the first or last who will try to slander, discredit, or bully me into submission. I'm still here, and most of my detractors are gone (WASP Ohio, Wikisposure, and certain other random 3 am phone callers). Charlie Sheen is goofy, but I like some of his quotes. Love me or hate me, I continue to win.

PS: According to Alexa.com, I'm beating Trollanda there too:

Shoalanda Speaks: Rank #10,348,935
Once Fallen: Rank# 4,057,021
My anti-AZU blog: #5,095,681
This Once-Fallen blog: #4,611,504

Take that, Trollanda! Tell that to Karen.

GEO Group and the Big Prison industry

2011-04-29T22:13:00.000-07:00

“What happens if you privatize prisons is that you have a large industry with a vested interest in building ever-more prisons.” -- Molly Ivins (Pulitzer prize-winning Reporter and author), 2003

I have never cared much for the stock market. I am usually more concerned with ERAs than IRAs, and Fox Sports than Fox Business. However, two things piqued my sudden interest in that otherwise dull subject: crooked lobbyist Ron Book lobbying for expanding private prisons in South Florida, and seeing billboards in Texas advertising for GEO Group.

What is GEO Group? GEO Group, once known as Wackenhut Corrections Corporation, is a private prison business. A for-profit industry. A private prison with stock you can buy. Amazingly enough, GEO Group's stock is actually on par or higher than many other high-profile companies that many of us actually use every day:

Stock Quotes as of April 29, 2011
GEO Group, Private Prison Industry -- 26.68
GE, Appliance and mechanics industry -- 20.45
Pfizer, Prescription drugs -- 20.97
Ford, car maker -- 15.47
Microsoft, computer software -- 25.92
Yahoo! Search engine -- 17.46
Kroger, grocery stores -- 24.31
(as an aside, GEO is beating Corrections Corporation of America, its larger rival -- 24.89)

Interestingly, GEO Group's stock jumped significantly from about 5.00 back in 2003, spiked over 30.00 in late 2007, dropped as low as 14.00 in 2009, and now it is nearly at 30.00 again as of writing this article.

What's the big deal about privatizing prisons? You ask? Think about that quote by Molly Ivins.

First off, in any industry, there are businesses available that compete for your money. Now, I admit economics is not my forte. However, I know that Wal-Mart has been given a reputation of being the big bully company that wipes out small town businesses and imposing a monopoly in many small towns across the USA. GEO Group is growing. It has acquired Correctional Service Corporation in 2005, Cornell Corrections in 2010, and Behavioral Interventions (an electronic monitoring company) in 2011.

Being the lowest bidder generally means cutting corners. GEO Group has amassed over half a million in fines alone while maintaining a severely understaffed facility and paying guards just a cut above minimum wage. There have been been numerous complaints of inmate abuse and poor conditions in the private prisons, but since they are "just prison inmates, who cares, right? Getting back to Ron Book's South Florida, when GEO Group was known as Wackenhut, the state was overcharged by millions, which all came out of taxpayer wallets. In fact, the former Florida head of Wackenhut was recently arrested for racketeering. Considering Ron Book's track record of corruption and controversy, it is no surprise he lobbies for such a group. What's next? Maybe he'll represent the Bad News Bengals next.

Who cares, right? Think about it. The US has the largest prison population in the world in terms of numbers and per capita rates. An astounding 3.1% of adults in the US have criminal records, and one out of every 99 US adults are incarcerated right now. It is little wonder why prison is a big industry; after in, in many states, spending on prisons compete or exceed the funding for education. Most of these people are going to get out only to be socially ostracized to the point where committing crimes become almost a necessary survival component. There is no incentive to rehabilitate the offender, because no repeat customers is bad for the industry. You merely make a prisoner a better criminal. That, my friends, is Capitalism at its finest.

Feel free to check out the following sites for more on the pitfalls of privatization of the prison system:

http://www.privateci.org/index.html

http://www.texasprisonbidness.org/

As an aside, I wonder why the USA only tends to rank high on the bad stats. We are getting beat in many positive areas by European nations. Norway's prisons are so much unlike America's prisons. I wonder why Norway's crime rate is so much lower than ours. Could it be tough on crime is backfiring?

Mismatch dot com: How Carole Markin hoodwinked America

2011-04-20T09:40:00.000-07:00

I have been writing constantly over the past few years about how when you put the words "sex" and "offender" side by side, it kills any rationality of otherwise rational people. The recent story of Carole Markin is just another prime example of this example. Markin was formerly known as the "Jane Doe" in the Match.com lawsuit claiming the man she met online sexually assaulted her, and later discovered he was on the sex offender registry. It came as no surprise amidst the usual "kill/castrate/banish all sex offenders" comments was the typical fear mongering over internet predation. As a result, Match.com announced it will match new and existing customers against the national sex offender registry. Match.com saves face, crisis is averted, Match.com customers feel safer, and Carole Markin raises awareness of another fear. Case closed, right? Not hardly.

I always wondered why the accuser in the lawsuit was listed as a "Jane Doe" but announced she was a Hollywood executive. So the moment she revealed herself as Carole Markin, I was interested enough to run a Google search on her. I was amazed at what popped up. The first thing I found was a press release written by Markin herself:

Information contained on this page is provided by companies via press release distributed through PR Newswire, an independent third-party content provider. PR Newswire, WorldNow and this Station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith.

SOURCE Carole Markin

NEW YORK, April 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Media Giants -- HMR -- The "Hollywood executive Jane Doe" in the Jane Doe v. Match.com civil suit [L.A. Superior Court Case BC458927], took a very heroic step forward this morning, as she appeared unmasked while revealing her identity on NBC's "Today" and ABC's "Good Morning America." Jane Doe's real name is Carole Markin. Ms. Markin, a Harvard College graduate, is a former executive, a film and TV producer, screenwriter and published author. She asserts she was brutally sexually assaulted by another Match.com member named Alan Paul Wurtzel, who had been convicted six separate times for sexual battery. Felony charges against Mr. Wurtzel are pending in Los Angeles Superior Court [Case # BA373188]. Today, Ms. Markin is being hailed widely as the "Erin Brockovich of Online Dating" for her valor and key role in Match.com's purported move to begin checking existing and new subscribers against the national sex offender registry within the next 60-90 days.

I thought comparing herself to Erin Brockovich was ironic, since the movie conjures images of Julia Roberts in a push-up bra using sexuality to advance her career (which is somewhat true, as Erin was a former beauty queen). Brockovich is also a shameless self promoter. Says Brockovich of herself:

Say the name Erin Brockovich and you think, strong, tough, stubborn and sexy. Erin is all that and definitely more. She is a modern-day “David” who loves a good brawl with today’s “Goliaths”.

Must just be the norm in Hollywood. At any rate, I also found it interesting that she put a resume in a press release:

About Carole Markin

Carole Markin is a producer, screenwriter and author with more than 20 years experience in entertainment. Ms. Markin served as producer on "Accumulations" and associate producer on the series pilot "Trying Times," both directed by Oscar winner Jonathan Demme. Her film, "From Harlem to Harvard," which she produced and co-directed, won a Cable Ace Award and an NEA grant. Her work in television also included the role of Manager of National Program Development for KCET. From 1989 to 1991 Ms. Markin held the titles of Vice President and then President of the Independent Feature Project/West and was also Chairman of the "Spirit Awards" nominating committee. Ms. Markin is creator and executive producer of a reality series currently optioned by Conrad Riggs, which is being sold internationally and set up in China, as a joint venture. Markin is a Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard College. She earned her MBA at the Anderson School at UCLA. Ms. Markin was also a directing fellow at the American Film Institute.

It is funny with all those "accolades" her work as an author was glossed over. I'm curious about her reality show, but there isn't much info on it yet. However, she has two books out in the market. Both focus on stories about dates from hell--Bad Dates: Celebrities and other talented types reveal their worst nights out, and a sequel, More Bad Dates: And Other Tales of the Dark Side of Love. It seems a little too coincidental if you ask me. Maybe I'm missing something here but how many rich Hollywood types both with internet dating? I hate to speak ill of internet dating, but most people use it out of desperation.

While she attributes the revelations of Wurtzel's identity via a Google search, he is NOT listed on the public sex offender registry. It is odd that Markin claimed on the Today Show that now she got the info through the LA Sheriff's Office rather than the Google search (CA Megan's law does not list low-level offenders publicly). Then she mentioned she didn't have his full name later in the Today show interview. How did she Google him without a full name? There are a lot of holes in her testimony.

Markin does mention a LA Sheriff's Office investigation as a reason for not stepping forward sooner, yet the LA Sheriff's Office has made a habit of sending press releases requesting info leading to conviction of those accused of sex crimes.

A friend of mine raised a good point with me yesterday--why was she really going by a Jane Doe in the first place? Markin claims it was because of the ongoing LA Sheriff's Department investigation, yet the early reports already shed light on the accuser's background as a "Hollywood Executive." Perhaps she knew the skepticism would have come sooner if we all knew she writes stories of bad dates and is trying to get a reality show. It still reeks of Erin Brockovich-like self-promotion.

Her testimony is suspect at best. There should be an investigation into her as much as Wurtzel just to be fair. While the media is slowly revealing this information to the public, it seems modern journalism has skipped the old tenants of the trade-- check the facts, rechecking them, and after that is done check them a third time. To Markin's credit, however, it is amazing what a simple Google search can reveal about a person. In this case, two people with a questionable history.

More info on false accusations from the "Erin Brockovich of sex offender laws": http://www.oncefallen.com/falseallegations.html

Idiocracy: The Art of Lobbying

2011-03-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

This is legislative season, so many registered citizens are looking at the prospect of new legislation targeting their lives. Members of online activist groups have begun fighting back and going to legislative hearings on all levels of government.

There is one little thing people must understand about politics-- elections are popularity contests. Remember-- you don't have to be a medical examiner to be the county coroner. You don't need degrees to say "Yay" or "Nay" to a piece of legislation. Hell, you don't even have to read the bill to vote on it (though that could soon change).

In a little bit of irony, I quote the Fox News story news link written by possibly one of the one Fox employees with a working brain, Radley Balko:

"Most Americans think their elected representatives in Congress deliberate and debate the costs and benefits of a bill before voting it into law. Unfortunately, most members don't even read the laws they pass. Neither do their staffs. Instead, they more often than not rely on summaries prepared by the bill's authors, or by interest groups whose judgment they trust. Rep. Brian Baird, D-Wash., wrote a remarkable op-ed in the Washington Post last weekend titled "We Need to Read the Bills." By "we," Baird meant "Congress;" by "bills," he meant the laws Congress passes every day and expects you and me to follow."

I want to remind you-- politics is a popularity contest. Popularity does not equal effectiveness (As actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger made millions; as Governor, California LOST billions). In fact, many of them are downright dumb. We might want to keep that in mind we have to talk on their level. Someone told me there are a few differences between Republicans and Democrats-- Republicans are motivated by money, and Democrats are motivated by emotions. Both could use a little education. We have to cater to them. Consider the following lesson from the movie "Idiocracy," and remember we are dealing with people who rarely read and analyze a bill.

Once Fallen is officially Y10K Compliant!

2011-02-20T10:02:00.000-08:00

I am quite the procrastinator. The year 2000 has come and gone but I am just now reading the definitive book on preparing for this potential global threat known as Y2K. Better late than never! Do you remember the night of January 31, 1999? When the clock struck midnight, pacemakers stopped working, planes dropped out of the sky, nuclear weapons fired on their own and wiped out large portions of the world, machines rebelled against humans, the apocalypse begun, and we are fending for our lives in a post-apocalyptic world roving from abandoned city to abandoned city fending of zombie hordes while searching for rapidly dwindling resources. Ah, those were the days! Okay, none of this stuff really happened. However, I remember the time when the so-called Millennium Bug filled the nightly news with fear-laden stories about what will happen to the world because some computers only had two spaces to represent the year. Thus it would reset to 00, freak out, and crash, with hilarity ensuing. Apparently the only things to freak out and crash with hilarious results were the panicky people who bought into this crap.

Reading this book is funny today, but before 2000, people were taking this issue seriously. After all, this book retailed for $24.95 in 1998 and was once a New York Times Bestseller (My copy says so on the cover). I paid just a dollar for it last year, so I got it at quite the bargain. Besides, since all of our computers recognize years in 4 digits, it is never too early to prepare for the year 10,000. Imagine the chaos that will occur on December 31, 9999, when spaceships will drop out of the sky and service robots go awry a la Maximum Overdrive. Or maybe the computers will see the date as January 1, AD 0, and start taxing people in Roman Denarius. But I digress.

The whole point of this is to point out our absurdity in dealing with perceived crises in this country. Think about how many crises we've had since then, such as swine flu. The great epidemic didn't happen. A few people got sick and died, but a few was far short of the millions predicted.

Sex offenses are viewed in the same way. We look at the rare heartbreaking tragedies as anything but the rare tragedies they are. John Walsh once testified before Congress our country is "littered with mutilated, decapitated, raped, and strangled children." The media replays these stories night after night, and terms like "epidemic" are used to describe the prevalence. Laws have been passed and enforced according to the fear we have experienced. Fear ebbs and flows. There was a similar panic after World War 2, followed by a swing of the pendulum in the other direction, but now we have swung back to the panic of the post WW2 era. What will it wake to wake people up to the truth? Or should we just shrink back to out Y2K bunkers. Yeah, I know some of you built them. I think I'll take my chances and stay out of the bunkers.

Okay, I'm ready to start working again

2011-01-26T16:48:00.000-08:00

After four long months of battling depression, a psychotic ex-fiancee, the loss of my mother, and a move to Cincinnati, I am ready to settle down and get back to work

I had a lot of time to step back and see a lot of sights I have never seen before. My mother wanted to travel, so I've taken her ashes with me while I visited some old familiar places, along with new places she would have enjoyed.

I walked the pier at Newport Beach, California. I took my mom to the Crystal Cathedral in Anaheim. I sampled fresh cheese at the Tillamook cheese factory. I ate frog legs in a restaurant my mom used to work at in my hometown. I watched the sun set on the Pacific ocean along the rocky Oregon coastline. I grew a collection of postcards, key chains, and refrigerator magnets of these places I visited. I've even discovered a penchant for taking photographs.

Mom liked seeing new places. There were many places she never seen, nor have I until recently. Thanks to those I have befriended in recent months, I've had the opportunity to do something I never had before. In a way, mom was there to see it, too.

With renewed strength, I return to work. This year should see new projects from the Once Fallen brand name, including a revised version of my groundbreaking book. Those of us who work to fight these laws should take the time to get out of the house and try something new, or at least something you enjoy. I feel better today than I have at any point in 2010. I think it is important to keep refreshed and well rested.

Mother's final gift

2010-12-23T17:58:00.000-08:00

I got on my bicycle yesterday and rode thirty miles to the small town where I spent a large part of my childhood. Since I'm moving away from Alabama permanently I figured this would be my final opportunity to see my old home. That was not my only reason for going.

My mother recently passed away. Before she died, we had talked about writing a book together, sharing our experiences of adjusting to life in small town Alabama. Mom was from Canada so she stood out like a sore thumb. However, she made many friends in that small town over the years. There were a lot of memories that went to the grave with her. After all, I was only five when we left big city Baltimore for rural Alabama. I saw this as a final opportunity to summon long lost memories of the distant past.

I have struggled with my faith over the past few months, but a couple of events that occurred during this trip led me to believe someone was watching over me. Perhaps it was my mother's spirit. I felt it once before right after mom had died, a firm hand pressing against my leg in the middle of the night, like someone trying to wake me up from my slumber.

My first sign came as I took a detour off the main highway to visit my aunt's old house. My step-aunt is still alive-- she has Parkinson's and lives in a nursing home. The house was being renovated and sits abandoned. Next door was my other step-aunt and uncle's house. They died years ago. The two houses sat empty, but still looked like it did when I was a child. On the other side of my aunt's old house was a new house, built barely a year ago in what used to be a wooded area I played in and picked muscadine grapes. A man in a silver Rio was pulling out of the driveway of the new house.

I flagged this man down and asked him if anyone was currently staying in the house. He seemed a bit wary at first until I explained my relation with the woman who used to live in the house. I introduced myself and told him about my mother and my book. Coincidentally, he was heading to Decatur via Moulton so he would pass right by where I needed to go, and he offered to take me to my destination. After two long hours of bike riding, I was a little sore, so I accepted the lift.

Along the way, he asked me if I believed in God. I told him I was struggling because of recent events, including losing my mother. He asked me if I believe in angels. I told him since I was Catholic I believe in guardian angels. I also believe angels can take the form of regular people. He responded "You never know. I could be an angel in disguise for all you know." He dropped me off at my first destination, just up the street from the home I lived in for a quarter of my life. The guy was illiterate and could not remember his address but he drew me a map to his residence. He drew a very familiar map, a corner of two intersections that was very familiar to me. He lived just across the street from my first home after we moved to Alabama! Call it what you want-- a coincidence, divine intervention, a sign-- but I want to believe there was a reason for this meeting.

I visited many places I remember from my childhood-- both houses we lived in, the old pizza parlor where mom used to work (it is now a seafood restaurant), the car lot where my step-dad worked (abandoned but still standing), and a few of our favorite places to stop in town, some of which still stood.

My first house was abandoned years ago and it is set to be torn down. I went next door, and it turns out the same people have lived there for over 30 years, and they remembered me. They invited me inside and listened to my story. I found my second coincidence when they mentioned their son, who went to school with me, lives in Cincinnati, my home of seven years. Thankfully, on top of showing me hospitality, they were also the people keeping tabs on my old house. I was allowed the chance to enter my old house.

My old house was in shambles. However, I was still able to find my old room, and the great oak tree still beckoned to the open window. When I was a child, I tamed a squirrel who lived in the big oak tree, and he'd come in through the window and cuddle up next to me. A flood of memories returned, and for the first time in weeks, I felt peace.

I spent the day stopping at place after place and reliving the memories of my childhood. My third "sign" came when I stopped by the house I lived in for 8 years. There is a small wooded area near the house I lived in, and in those woods is a stream. My brother and I played in that stream. We even had a favorite spot we called "Sacred Rock." It was a large round sandstone rock that resembled an altar, hence the name. I had broken off a piece of that rock and placed it in a small plastic bag. The bag fell out of my pocket in the driveway of my old house. I didn't notice until I was a mile down the road that I lost it. I returned to my house to retrieve it when it dawned on me-- I forgot to scatter some of mom's remains here. I believe again this happened for a reason.

I returned just moments ago to write this entry. I'm tired and chances are I will be sore. After all, I spent roughly 16 hours and rode about 100 miles on a bicycle. However, I wouldn't have traded this trip for the world. I was able to fulfill a promise and a desire. I left a part of mom in the place that changed her life as well as mine.

I have a feeling mom knew her time was coming, and she left me this project. I have thought about why she left this to me. Now I see this project for what it was. This was mom's final gift to me. This gift is the one thing no one can ever take away from me-- not Brandi, not the criminal justice system, not the trolls, and not even a hateful, spiteful society. Mom wanted me to find the good memories and hold fast to them. For so many years, I've only looked at the negative aspects of my life-- after all, I'm still a registered individual, and the justice system and society are not kind on people with my label. However, when I rested last night, it was filled with the happier moments. Mom wanted to remind me of those moments. She knew I would figure out what to do with that gift. She knew I would not let this book die with her.

Somehow I think she's still watching over me.

Starting over and hope

2010-12-16T09:29:00.000-08:00

When all else was lost, I still had hope. Throughout my life there have been short peaks and deep valleys. Prison was the darkest valley in my life, and yet, I had hope. There was hope I could overcome the label and live a normal life. There was hope my ex-wife would find peace in her heart and there was hope someday we'd reconcile. There was hope for something better.

In my previous article, I likened Brandi to my relationship with society. Today solidified that. Love so easily turns to hate.Life as a sex offender can be that way. In April 2005, life was as good as I could make it under the circumstances. I was dating a beautiful young lady, I had a job and money in the bank, and my own place. It was just over a year removed from being homeless. I was "beating the odds." I may not have been making a six figure income and driving a Jag, but I was happy. It all changed the day I received the notice the state of Ohio was changing my classification. It was followed by notice my approved sleeping room was too close to a school and I had to move. My girlfriend left me fearing my status change. Though I fought so hard, I lost all I worked to achieve.

I was homeless again, though only temporary, as I had found a new apartment and would wait two months for the apartment to finish renovations. I was starting over again, but I had hope that I would rebuild. It was that time, in 2006, that my dream to reconcile with Brandi was fulfilled. That glimmer of hope was just that -- a glimmer. In early 2007, we broke up. I turned my anguish and despair into my book "Once Fallen." I thrust my frustrations into my activism.

In 2008 Brandi and I reconciled a third time, and recently, we broke up a third time. I cataloged my despair on this blog; I questioned whether I have ever accomplished anything in the past decade. It is hard to see someone I loved more than life itself sees me as an enemy. In the blink of an eyes, the love turned to hate. The one who had been there in my darkest hours of life has abandoned me and created a new darkest hour in my life. I've lost it all over again.

When I had nothing, I had hope. Hope is a hard thing to maintain in times of darkness. There was plenty of darkness and despair this week. It is hard to accept the contempt of someone I loved so deeply but I have no choice. I struggled to search for hope. It is not easy to find it alone, or even with new friends. Without hope, however, what else is there?

I know this storm will pass, like the storms I faced in the past. If I have nothing else, I have hope. I had nothing in prison but hope. Each starting over is a chance for something new.

I'm starting over again, as before. This time, hope is not coming easy. It has become harder to grasp each time. I must have hope, because without it, I have nothing.

Brandi

2010-12-13T20:35:00.000-08:00

Brandi.

For fifteen long years, Brandi has been a part of my life, for better or for worse. In many ways, my relationship with Brandi and my life as a sex offender is similar -- tumultuous, filled with mistakes, and periods of both hope and utter despair.

I met Brandi March 8, 1996 at Northwest-Shoals Community College. It was love at first sight, and she was my first true love. We had a whirlwind romance and married on May 31, 1996. It was a happy time in my life, long before my days of the registry. Like most young couples (I was 19, she was 17), we had our share of struggles and disagreements. It was a somewhat amicable split after three years of marriage (though the last year was in separation).

Hindsight is 20/20. I never knew what I lost until she was gone. I fell into a deep depression and it was the factors related to that depression which led to my terrible mistake. I had sexual contact with an underage girl. I was arrested and charged with sexual abuse. When I sat alone in that jail cell and no one else was there, she was my only supporter. It was her faith in me that first led me on the path of redemption.

We drifted apart in time. Time marched on. I still thought of Brandi often, and even held hope we would get back together. Then, through a chance encounter at a Renaissance Fair we were together again. It lasted three months and ended fairly badly. It became a prevailing theme over the years. We ebb and we flow. We have good times together, but eventually things turn sour. We love each other, we hate each other. We've been together twice since then, and now we are apart again.

My relationship with society also ebbs and flows. I worked for two years to drag myself out of homelessness. I bothered nobody, kept to myself, and slowly built a life for myself. Things were looking up for a while. Then one day, my status was changed and I was forced into homelessness again. I found a new house and successfully fought to keep it. I experienced death threats. It was followed by the opportunity to establish myself as an online advocate. And as fate... and Brandi... would have it, I returned to the place where my journey began.

Throughout my two journeys, I have struggled to overcome two labels. Society judges me because I am a sex offender. Brandi judges me because I am a man.

Society says all sex offenders will re-offend. Brandi says all men cheat on and beat on their wives. Society says sex offenders can never change. Brandi says men can never change. Society says if a sex offender did it once he will do it again. Brandi says if a man does wrong once he will do it again. Brandi is filled with hatred of men, and society is filled with hatred of sex offenders.

Society believes in myths that hinder growth. So does Brandi. Not only does it hinder growth, it hinders relationships. Brandi, at 32, is no different from Brandi at 17. In her personal life there is no growth. Society, despite proof to the contrary, cannot be swayed from their deeply held myths. There is no growth in our knowledge of preventing sex crimes since Megan's law was passed in 1996.

Is it another coincidence my two journeys originated from events that occurred in 1996? Maybe it wasn't a coincidence after all. Both journeys are immortalized in my book, "Once Fallen." I would love to see the light at the end of this journey. Unfortunately, at this point my journey has lead me into a valley rather than a peak. I can only walk the valley until the peak returns. Time marches on. My journey now leads me elsewhere, and it is time to say goodbye to this forlorn past forever.

My journey with Brandi did not have a happy ending, but my journey to overcome the sex offender label does not have to share the same fate.

There IS hope to be removed from the sex offender registry

2010-12-12T09:49:00.000-08:00

One of the most frequent questions I receive is, "Can a person ever be removed from the registry?" The answer is yes, though it is difficult. There is one way to be removed from the registry if you are guilty-- obtain a pardon.

http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/west-volusia/2010/12/11/deltona-sexual-predator-receives-pardon.html

DELTONA -- A Deltona man listed as a sexual predator for eight years won a pardon this week after he told the governor's clemency panel he has received therapy, and the designation has kept him from finding steady work.

********, 49, must now petition the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to have his name and photograph removed from a state website listing sexual offenders and predators, said Jane Tillman, a spokeswoman for the Executive Clemency Board. The board -- Gov. Charlie Crist and three members of the Cabinet -- granted **** a pardon Thursday. **** was among 81 cases heard.

Even in Florida, the state seen as the worst in the USA, it is possible to obtain a pardon. Even if society and the law labels you a sexual predator, you can obtain a pardon. Even if you are standing before someone like Charlie Crist, a pandering politician who has used sex offenders to garner votes, you can obtain a pardon.

There IS hope. Simply type in "Pardons" and the name of the state of your conviction, and you can learn how to obtain a pardon.

DO NOT buy these toys to protect our precious Predator Panic!

2010-12-04T14:23:00.000-08:00

Every year there are lists of warnings for the year's worst toys, but I'm sure this year, there is hoopla over a pair of innocent children's toys. The irony is, people criticizing these toys are asking the manufacturers, "What were they thinking?" We know exactly what critics are thinking, and it is quite perverted.

"VIDEO GIRL BARBIE"

Barbie has always been the subject of many controversies over the years, from claims she promotes anorexia and sexuality to the fight over her "decision" to dump Ken and be single. No controversy is more asinine than the recent news story that "Video Girl Barbie" can be used for... wait for it... Production of Child Pornography! In fact, the FBI actually created a press release just to warn parents that Barbie could be a mule for child pornography pictures. "If we pair the doll with someone familiar to the child, a babysitter or a friend, then you have something that is fairly dangerous at play," stated forensic psychologist Dr. N.G. Berrill. The justification is sexual predators could potentially take hidden video of kids using this toy.

There are a few problems with this line of logic. First, the same argument could be made for video cameras in general, including webcams and cell phone cameras. Second, the camera cannot be run in secret. Video Girl Barbie is not a spy camera that can be run by remote control. Third, are we supposed to believe giving this toy to a little girl will compel her to take off her clothes and pose for Barbie? Somehow I find that hard to believe. Perhaps people assumed this toy is as complex as cameras costing hundreds of dollars, with delayed recording functions. However, I doubt this toy, even at $50 MRP, is that complex.

What's next? Maybe we'll have "Voyeur Barbie" complete with trenchcoat, puppy, and the Barbie Malibu Resty Van, with a "Kidnapping Ken" doll sold separately.

"THE HARRY POTTER BROOMSTICK NIMBUS 2000."

Who would have guessed a vibrating broomstick would cause such a fuss? Reports abound online that the Harry Potter vibrating broomstick was causing a lot of "problems." Consumers were reporting their children were becoming "addicted" to the toy, playing with it "for hours."

Apparently the toy was pulled off the shelves within weeks of its 2008 release. No word on whether these toys were ever sold in Alabama, where sex toys like vibrators have been banned for years.

All this reminds me of the "Jelly Bracelet Sex Game" hoopla of the early 2000s (and supposedly making a comeback). While undoubtedly there are a small number of individuals who misuse a product, the amount of fear-mongering we devote to isolated incidents have been staggering. It is nothing new; after all, there was a lot of controversy surrounding the Dungeons and Dragons board game in the 1980s. The main difference is these days, we fear sex more than murder.

The bottom line-- at what point do we draw the line between genuine concern and witch hunting? Does a few isolated incidents equate to an "epidemic?" Many Americans seem to think so. Why stop there? Lets ban bicycles. They vibrate between a kid's legs when you ride them, and don't forget about roving bands of "smegglers."

So, this holiday season, watch out for Pedobear Santas bringing sackfuls of bicycles, Harry Potter vibrators, and Video Voyeur Barbies. Or, you can simply ignore the fear-mongers and just enjoy the holidays.

Lunsford Take The Money and Run (Spoof Song)

2010-11-28T05:52:00.000-08:00

VOTE NOW FOR THE 2010 SHIITAKE AWARDS: http://shiitakeawards.blogspot.com/

Voting for the 2010 Shiitake Awards is taking place, so I set the mood by sharing the lyrics for one of the spoof songs featured in the 2009 Shiitake Awards. CLICK HERE to visit the Shiitake Awards during the month of December to vote, to watch the 2009 awards show, or to find out more about the third annual Shiitake Awards if you're not familiar with the awards show. No surprise, Mark Lunsford was a double winner (or loser, depending on your perception).

Lunsford take the money and run

[Spoof of "Take the money and run" By: Steve Miller Band]

This here’s a story about Mark Lunsford’s money woes

Some people asked where his foundation money goes

Got a custom chopper and a hummer parked outside

People got suspicious he was taking them for a ride

The IRS wanted to search his castle

You know ol’ Lunsford didn’t want that hassle

Hank Asher came in to bail out this bum

So now he’ll take the money and run

Lunsford take the money and run

Lunsford take the money and run

HERE IS A SECOND SPOOF, DEDICATED TO THE 2009 EVERYDAY ZEROES WINNER, PAUL SANDMAN, WHO TRIED TO EXTORT MONEY FROM A REGISTRANT:

MISTER PAUL SANDMAN
[Spoof of "Mr Sandman" By The Cordettes]

Mister Sandman Extorted Me [bum bum bum bum]

He needed money to buy him some weed [bum bum bum bum]

He tried to cheat me out of my clover [bum bum bum bum]

But one call to the cops and now its over!

Mister Paul Sandman sits all alone [bum bum bum bum]

Inside that jail cell he calls his home [bum bum bum bum]

For all the things he stole from me

Paul Sandman extorted me!

Unaccompanied adults: How far will we take Predator Panic?

2010-11-18T06:17:00.000-08:00

I'd love to give a nod to Lenore Skenazy's Free Range Kids blog for this story.

Predator Panic in this country seemingly has no end. It is becoming more common for city parks to ban adults from being near playgrounds unless accompanied by an adult. Apparently this is the case in New York City, as seen in this sign. This week, seven people were cited (they could have been arrested) because they did a terrible thing-- they were playing Chess in the park!

Hide your children! After all, the game of Chess has been teaching violence for a millennium or so; the object of the game is to use your army of pawns, Castles (rooks), Knights, Bishops, and even your Queen to capture the enemy king. Each piece "kidnaps" the enemy pieces (and there is no telling about the conditions of confinement upon capture, especially when our poor Queen is captured). It is a terrible game, teaching militarism, which ultimately leads to despotism-- even church members and women get in on the violence! I won't even mention the sexual undertones of the game, with most pieces shaped like a phallus. Seeing as how the Queen is the most sought after and versatile character in the game, much of the strategy involves boxing her in like you're trying to gang-rape her, so it is obviously promoting violence against women. Since the queen is the only feminine piece on the table, and not shaped very womanly, Chess promotes racism. Since most Chess games involve white and black pieces, it is possibly racist as well. Thus, those who play the game should be monitored closely.

Okay, enough sarcasm. It is time to analyze this idiotic story:

http://www.dnainfo.com/20101117/washington-heights-inwood/chess-players-ticketed-by-nypd-for-using-inwood-hill-park-chess-tables

Since blogger is acting up I'll have to summarize: Seven men were issued a citation for "Failure to comply with signs," specifically, playing chess near a playground area (which means they must be accompanied by a minor). Note I said "near;" the tables are separated from the playground by a fence. Adding to the story is the fact that the seven chess players are known by the community and has even taught some of the children in the neighborhood how to play the game. Many members in the community expressed outrage over the citations. However, the way the police showed up and approached the players implies someone called the police, likely by a "concerned citizen" (a.k.a., a paranoid helicopter mom).

We are already teaching children to fear men as potential sexual predators. How far are we willing to take this panic? In the interest of fairness, I wonder why we cannot have child-free zones besides strip clubs and bars. After all, with all the danger outside, keeping children at home seems to be a logical solution. Maybe we can even take the hint from South Park and build a wall around our cities to keep the outsiders out, at least until the story is released that most child abductions are by the parents, so they exiled the children. At this point in our culture, the art is not far from truly imitating the life.

NCMEC drops the ball, speads more stranger danger

2010-11-16T07:42:00.000-08:00

I have to admit one good thing about the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; they have been trying to dispel the "stranger danger" myth. Today, they released a major setback in their quest to dispel this myth. Below is their latest press release:

http://www.ncmec.org/missingkids/servlet/NewsEventServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=4320

CHILDREN AT GREATEST RISK OF ABDUCTION WHEN GOING TO AND FROM SCHOOL OR SCHOOL-RELATED ACTIVITIES

Rather than cut and paste the entire article, I will cut out the high points and point out the contradictions.

NEMEC: "An estimated 800,000 children are reported missing every year. That is 2,000 children every day or one child every 40 seconds. NCMEC analyzed more than 4200 attempted abductions for the five year period from February 2005 and March 2010 and found that:"

The stat is from the NISMART-2; 800,000 missing child reports are just that-- missing person reports. They do not clarify that fact that of the 800k reports, the vast majority are runaway/ throwaway children. Part 2 is a structural issue because it implies that each of the 800,000 reports are the same as abductions.The problem is they took two stats that are not alike and put the two together. They clarify this later on in the report but by then the damage has been done.

NCMEC: "Parents also need to understand that most of those who abduct children are not 'strangers'. The phrase 'stranger danger' is pervasive in our culture. However, teaching children to only be afraid of strangers is the wrong message. Children don’t get it. Children view a 'stranger' as someone who is 'ugly' or 'mean'. If someone spends time talking to a child or is even just around a child they think they “know” the person and don’t view them as a stranger. Research shows that of the 58,000 non-family abductions each year 63% involved a friend, long-term acquaintance, neighbor, caretaker, baby sitter or person of authority and only 37% involved a stranger. The number of pure strangers is not insignificant but it remains far smaller than other offenders who have easy and legitimate access to children."

This should have been mentioned without the 800,000 missing child report statistics, most of which are runaways. From the 58,000 "non-family abductions, that'd be roughly 19,000 "stranger" abductions. The definition of abduction in the NISMART-2 report is rather vague. The criteria is extrapolated from the NISMART-2:

Thus, NISMART–2 defined a missing child in two ways:
first, in terms of those who were missing from their caretakers
(“caretaker missing”); and second, in terms of those
who were missing from their caretakers and reported to
an agency for help locating them (“reported missing”).
NISMART–2 counts a child as missing from the caretaker’s
perspective when the child experienced a qualifying
episode during which the child’s whereabouts were
unknown to the primary caretaker, with the result that
the caretaker was alarmed for at least 1 hour and tried to
locate the child. For an episode to qualify, the child had
to be younger than 18 and the situation had to meet the
specific criteria for one of the following NISMART–2
episode types (summarized in the sidebar on page 4):
■ Nonfamily abductions (including a subcategory,
stereotypical kidnappings).
■ Family abductions.
■ Runaway/thrownaway episodes.

Nonfamily Abduction
A nonfamily abduction occurs when a nonfamily perpetrator
takes a child by the use of physical force or threat of bodily
harm or detains a child for at least 1 hour in an isolated place
by the use of physical force or threat of bodily harm without
lawful authority or parental permission; or when a child who
is younger than 15 years old or is mentally incompetent, without
lawful authority or parental permission, is taken or detained
by or voluntarily accompanies a nonfamily perpetrator
who conceals the child’s whereabouts, demands ransom, or
expresses the intention to keep the child permanently [Emphasis added]

Stereotypical Kidnapping
A stereotypical kidnapping occurs when a stranger or slight
acquaintance perpetrates a nonfamily abduction in which the
child is detained overnight, transported at least 50 miles, held
for ransom, abducted with intent to keep the child permanently,
or killed.

But there was no mention of the stats for "stereotypical" abductions, which was 115, the high-profile cases people fear most. There is no clarification between the different types of missing person reports, and without even knowing the NISMART-2 was quoted, you have no way of clarifying the facts.

This poses another question--why did they look at only attempted abductions rather than actual abductions? The scenario is a little stereotypical. What were the other scenarios involved? I'd like to know.

The bottom line: They should know better than to write such a easily misread article.

This news story already shows how the article is already misread and misinterpreted; notice the headline:

New Stranger Danger: Sex offenders target middle school-aged children

Read more: http://www.cbs12.com/articles/kids-4729646-children-school.html#ixzz15SZHJKNM

"JUPITER, Fla.-- It's something many kids have to do, walk to and from school. But it's a passage of childhood filled with peril.... The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says a startling amount of attempted abductions, 43%, now involve kids between the ages of 10 and 14. 38% of attempted abductions take place to and from school. And about the same number of cases,37%, occur between the hours of 2pm and 7pm. The results were released in August after the NCMEC analyzed over 4200 attempted abductions between 2005 and 2010..."

No mention of the NCMEC's warning about how the number of true stranger abductions. After all, the whole point is to scare you. Do we really need ignorance and fear to be the catalyst for teaching a few tips on prevention? I have no problem with the safety tips. However, our culture of fear mongering has also made us very blind and hypersensitive to the true degree of risk. It is sad we cannot learn honesty in addressing the issue. The NCMEC really dropped the ball on this one!

UPDATE: Read eAdvocate's dissection of the CBS 12 article by clicking on the link below:

http://sexoffenderresearch.blogspot.com/2010/11/how-to-co-mingle-unrelated-facts-to.html

Collective Punishment: Should one man suffer for the sins of another?

2010-11-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_punishment

Collective punishment is the punishment of a group of people as a result of the behavior of one or more other individuals or groups. The punished group may often have no direct association with the other individuals or groups, or direct control over their actions. In times of war and armed conflict, collective punishment has resulted in atrocities, and is a violation of the laws of war and the Geneva Conventions. Historically, occupying powers have used collective punishment to retaliate against and deter attacks on their forces by resistance movements (e.g. destroying whole towns and villages where such attacks have occurred).

This is the Wikipedia definition of "collective punishment."Collective punishment, simply put, is the concept of punishing a group of individuals for the sins of one person. Sex offender laws are a prime example of collective punishment.

You need to look no further than the Adam Walsh Act to understand this concept. The law was named after a child who was killed in 1981, before my fifth birthday. I was still living in Baltimore, MD in 1981, so there is a pretty good chance I had nothing to do with young Adam Walsh's disappearance and death. Yet, nearly 30 years later, I am punished for his death by a law passed in his memory. In fact, there are 715,000+ (and growing) individuals who had nothing to do with Adam Walsh's tragic death, but are punished in his name.

What happened to Adam Walsh was tragic indeed and no one deserves that kind of fate. However, should I be held accountable for a tragic murder that had occurred when I was in Kindergarten? Should I apologize over and over again for something I did not do? Society seems to think so. I don't. Somehow not claiming responsibility for a crime I didn't do somehow makes me "unrepentant?" I don't think so.

Sex offender laws should be based on reason rather than revenge. Revenge motivated laws have tarnished the memories of those children we have named laws after. Why is it we can name a law after Adam Walsh to satisfy our bloodlust but we won't throw our support to a grieving family who believes in rehabilitation of former offenders, as in the case of Esme Kenney? Where is an Esme's law that supports the things that the Kenney family believes in, such as a common sense approach to the issues?

The answer is simple. America supports revenge, not rehabilitation. That is why we have the highest incarceration rates in the world, beating out Russia and China. Ironically, as a former offender, I'm supposed to apologize for every tragedy that happens, accept whatever punishment they arbitrarily throw my way, and if I complain, I'm "unrepentant." To that I say, is Esme Kenney's family as deserving of a voice as Adam Walsh's family? Think about it.

Election Night Thriller (Yet another spoof song)

2010-10-31T17:09:00.000-07:00

My first spoof song since the Shiitake Awards, I think. As heard on ARC Talk Radio on my birthday, Oct. 31, 2010 (yes I was really born on Halloween)!

ELECTION NIGHT THRILLER
(Sung to Michael Jackson's Thriller)

It's close to midnight/ And something evil's lurking on TV
Right now on primetime/ You see some crap you really can't believe
You Try to scream/ But you still can't drown out Ann Coulter's screeching
You start to freeze/ As Bill O'Reilly looks you in the eyes
Feeding you lies!

'Cause its a thriller, election night!
And no one's gonna save you from four more years of this tripe!
You know it's thriller, election night
Your fighting for your right to fight this killer, election night!

You change the channel/ But election cov'rage rules on every one
You feel a cold chill/ You're wondering who voted for this bum
You close your eyes/ And hope some people voted independent
But all the while/ You see another tally rolling in
You just can't win!

Cause it's a thriller, election night!
There ain't no chance he'll lose now with a lead that friggin' wide!
You know it's thriller, election night
You'll want to end your life here on this killer election night!

The votes are all tallied and evil ones cheer in their masquerade
There's no escape from the lies of the winners this time
Its the end of your life!

They're out to get you/ It feels there's nothing more that you can do
They'll raise your taxes/ but then again that's nothing new to you
Now is the time/ for us to move the heck out of this country
All through the night/ I'll push the car pedal to the floor
To reach the border!

'Cause its a thriller election night
And no one's gonna save you from the damn teabagger's strike
Yeah it's a thriller election night
So spread your cheeks real wide and take this-
-Killer, diller, chiller, thriller, election night!
It's a thriller election night
Those elephants and donkeys got you locked into their sights
Yes it's a thriller election night
So spread your cheeks real wide and take this killer, thriller, ow!

We're getting screwed tonight!

Darkness falls across the land
Election hour is close at hand
Creatures ponder for your votes
The night air fills with pundit's notes
And whosoever shall be found
An undecided voter still in town
Must stand and face the ballot from hell
And choose from two clowns he can't can't apart tell

The foulest stench is in the air
The funk of FOUR MORE YEARS!
And grisly laws from womb to tomb
Will be passed soon to seal your doom
And as you watch the nightly news
Your body starts to shiver
For no mere mortal can withstand
The evil election night thriller!

[Evil laugh]

Lets just lock 'em up now before they're grown!

2010-10-30T07:24:00.000-07:00

The NPR recently reported that a judge reported that a four year old can be successfully sued in court for negligence. The case stemmed from a 4 year old running into an elderly lady with a tricycle, who fell down, broke her hip, and died. It is a sad situation, but the concept of suing a toddler for negligent death just shocks the conscience.

This pales in comparison to the current insanity related to sex crime panic. Children as young as age 3 have been suspended from school or even arrested for "sexual harassment:"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/19/AR2007101901544.html

-- I recently learned that children nationwide, some of preschool age, have been suspended from school or taken to jail after being accused of sexual harassment. In their zeal to avoid lawsuits, educators seem to be ignoring important information, such as whether the accused child intended to commit a crime or even knows how to pronounce the word "harassment..."

Consider these egregious examples: In December 2006, a 4-year-old boy in Waco, Tex., was punished with an in-school suspension after a female aide accused him of sexual harassment. According to a television station there, the child had hugged the woman while getting on the bus, and she later complained to administrators at La Vega Primary School that the child had put his face in her chest. School officials later agreed to remove sexual references but refused to expunge the "inappropriate physical contact" charge from the boy's school record.

In my home state of Maryland, state data show that during the 2005-06 school year, 28 kindergartners were suspended for sex offenses, including 15 for sexual harassment.

Our fear of all things sexual has led to disastrous results. Why stop at age 4? Considering the USSA have the highest incarceration rates in the world, we could just turn our schools into prisons. Why stop there? Lets turn day care centers, nurseries, and even hospital delivery rooms into prisons as well.

At what point will the witch hunt end? I'm not sure. I wonder if that female teacher's aid understood the concept of "sexual harassment" any more than Beavis and Butt-head does.

We hear this mantra all the time: "If it saves just one child, then it is worth it." Is saving one child worth destroying countless lives in a hypersensitive witch hunt? You decide.

If I was a monster, then why...

2010-10-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

Was Frankenstein's creation truly a MONSTER? We're all familiar with at least part of the story. Dr. Victor Frankenstein created an artificial being. He was freakish in appearance, and at times was very scary. He was abandoned by his creator, people were afraid of him and tried to kill him, and his quest for love and acceptance went unrequited. He was labeled a monster because he went after his creator in an act of vengeance, but felt remorse for his actions and took his own life. It was a tragic story, but "Frankenstein's monster" was not a monster.

I feel a common bond with this story. Frankenstein's creation was no monster. He was misunderstood. He was doomed from the start because he would always be seen as a freak in a society that judges based upon superficiality. He was aware he was seen as "broken." He wanted love and acceptance. He felt remorse for killing his creator. We judge him based upon fighting his creator, yet we forget the other aspects of the creation's personality.

Last month I wrote an article asking if I am a monster. Maybe I have a preconceived notion of what constitutes a "monster." We hear this a lot as registrants -- "Sex offenders think of nothing but sex. They do not have any feelings. They lack remorse/ empathy. Etc." In short, we lack the capacity to feel for anyone but ourselves.

If I was a monster...

Then why do I feel pain?

Why do I feel remorse for past wrongs I have done?

Why do I feel sad over losing my mother and fiancee?

Do monsters do these things? I pondered these things while I took a trip to Oregon. I watched the waves crash onto the rocky shores of Oregon as the sun set over the Pacific Ocean. I partook of the most heavenly brownies at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood, Tillamook cheese, and Marionberry Cobbler in various shops around Oregon. I shopped for Oregon Duck attire at Clackamas Mall. I stood in awe of the artsy buildings of downtown Portland. I stopped to smell the roses in Portland's famed Rose Garden. I felt the mist of Multnomah Falls land on my skin. I stood in awe of the devastation left by Mt. St. Helens 30 years ago. I spread mom's ashes at Mt. St Helens and the Pacific Coast at Manzanita. I enjoyed the beauty and diversity of the lands in Oregon, the nice people of Portland, and the feeling of experiencing something new and exciting. I was in good company, though I wish I could have shared this journey with my ex-fiancee.

Looking back on that short trip, I think a "monster" would not have enjoyed the experience. Can a monster feel love, feel sad, or feel pain? I think not. If a monster's only goal is revenge or inflict pain and incapable of feeling remorse, then why do I feel remorse and why do I still care about the one who betrayed me? That must mean I'm not a monster!

People love to label other people. Do we have to be slaves to the label? I think not.

Lunsford's "Ride for their Lies" Rally a commercial flop

2010-09-28T06:15:00.000-07:00

I had reported on and critiqued Mark Lunsford and the Surviving Parents Coalition's latest get rich quick scheme in an earlier post on my blog. Well it appears at least for the amount of publicity, or rather the lack of publicity, that the so-called "Ride For Their Lives," the fundraising scheme to earn a million dollars for lobbying, has been a bigger flop than Gigli or Son of the Mask. The next picture sums up the typical rally quite well:

http://www.kplr11.com/news/ktvi-ed-smart-st-louis-083110,0,5285312.story

ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com) - Stopping sex offenders before they strike. Ed Smart whose daughter Elizabeth was taken from their Utah home, joined local parents Tuesday night to push for tougher laws. Ed Smart and Ahmad Rivazfar are on a cross country bike tour to encourage lawmakers to throw the book at convicted sex offenders. Both Ed and Ahmad speak from the heart and from experience...so why didn't anyone go to Kiener Plaza to listen?

Ed Smart replied "Sometimes we don't like hear about these stories."

I don't think so, Ed. People hear it all the time. The problem is people are starting to become skeptical of people like Mark Lunsford, who has been embroiled in controversy over mismanagement of funds donated in his deceased daughter's name.

The "Ride for their lives" event was a 3000 mile trip from Rochester, NY to Los Angeles, CA. The month long trip was to raise a million dollars for lobbying for the Adam Walsh Act and other useless bills that already exist. I suppose Ed mart and Lunsford figured star power alone would get enough attention to make their goals. Lets just ride our bikes a few miles, Lunsford on a motorcycle, and watch the masses flock to us -- easy money.

A funny thing happened along the way. Turnout was ridiculously low, as evidenced by the picture at the St. Louis event. In fact, you'll find little media coverage at all about the event.

There is absolutely no media coverage of the "Grand Finale" to the rally in Los Angeles, CA. None. Unless you count what the SPC put up on the internet.

These rallies, no matter how unsuccessful they may be, are still golden opportunities to counter the ignorance and blind hatred of the populace. There are plenty of materials at Sosen and Once Fallen you can print out and hand out. Approach media hounds. peak with event organizers. You don't have to have an organized counter, just be there.

UPDATE: It seems Jane Velez-Mitchell reads this blog because now, over a week AFTER the fact, wrote a small piece on the Ride 4 their lies:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/09/30/velez.mitchell.victims.families/

AM I A MONSTER?

2010-09-18T07:22:00.000-07:00

"Are they monster? You bet they are. You bet they are." -- Ron Book, Florida Lobbyist and advocate for stricter residency laws

AM I A MONSTER? The answer has plagued my mind for days on end. My neighbors watch me with suspicious eyes and gossip behind my back. People shout obscenities at me while I'm walking down the street. People devote website to hating and attacking me. I am put on a public list, and that makes people afraid.

Recently, my now ex-fiancee was told by her neighbor, a child, "That man who comes over to your house, he' a bad man, he hurts people." He's a monster. We could not get married because she has a child so the law won't allow it. We could not easily go on trips together or attend kid friendly events together out of fear of vigilantes.

My ex-fiancee could not take it anymore so she left me. Even she began seeing me as a monster. I will never forget that she sees me as a monster. I can never forget.

AM I A MONSTER? Am I eternally doomed to virtual exile? Is death my only escape? Once fallen, can anyone restore his or her own life? Is there hope? Is there forgiveness? Is there LOVE?

If I am a "monster," then I have none of those things. If that is the case, why should I bother to fight anymore? I have lost everything-- my family, my friends, even the one person in this world I truly loved. All I have left is instinct to survive. I have fought not because I wanted to because I felt I did not have a choice.

Every morning I wake up from a nightmare and into a bigger nightmare of life. Every day I am gripped with the thought of the hells in tore for me today. I wonder what new law will be passed out of fear of the people on that public list. I wonder what more people can do to harm me. I fall deeper and deeper into despair. It is as if even God himself has forsaken me. Each day is filled with one objective-- finding the will to live.

I'm sure this makes those who hate me feel happy. It is sad how people get such pleasure from another person's suffering. They love to point out the harm I caused, but if they get pleasure out of my pain, then what does that make them?

AM I A MONSTER? The Cypress Times wrote an article last year called "The Monster Next Door: The Plague of American Sex Offenders." In it he says this:

“There’s no such thing as monsters.” We tell our kids that. The truth is that monsters are real. A real live monster might live next door to you, or across the street from your child’s school, even around the corner from your church. These monsters are called “Sex Offenders”, a label that is far too innocuous to convey the evil of those who have earned it.

Most people agree with him. To most people, we are all "monsters." It does not matter what landed us on the registry, whether we are rehabilitated or not, or whether or not we are a threat of any kind. To them, we are ALL "monsters."They have made up their minds. [To the Cypress Times's credit, they did allow me to write a counter-argument]

It was funny when I typed in the words "sex offenders are" into Google. It did not end with "monsters." Instead the first item that came up was "sex offenders are people too." The article begins with a quote by GK Chesterton:

To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything is hopeless.

It stopped me in the middle of writing this post. It was a different view on sex offenders than the norm. Forgiveness? The sex offender is a "human being?" What audacity! The article asks this question:

While a child who has been harmed deserves justice, does an offender who has served the sentence required of him deserve a second chance at life?

Read that article in its entirety and you will see she discovered she was truly blind to the issues until it impacted her family. she once held the same views as the majority. That's the issue I have with society-- no one is ever aware of what these laws do to us.

People have blindly supported laws because "monsters" don't deserve to be treated like human beings. People find it hard to believe the effects the laws have in my personal life. They did not know what they were supporting.

AM I A MONSTER? If I am, then why do I feel pain, remorse, heartbreak, and sadness? I am reminded of the classic work "Frankenstein."

Victor Frankenstein created a "Monster." He feared the monster. He flees the "monster" he created. The "monster" was abandoned. It was confused, angry at being abandoned, and afraid. This poor creature sought out friendship and acceptance, only to be met with derision and violence against him. His own creator betrayed him. The "monster" could find no peace, neither in reaching out to others or by getting revenge on his creator. In the end the "monster" destroys himself.

I feel like Frankenstein's "Monster." I have been searching for love and acceptance but I am only met with anger, derision, fear, and violence. AM I TRULY A MONSTER?

It does not matter what I have done since my release. It does not matter I have never been suspected of any wrongdoing. It does not matter that I have never re-offended. It does not matter I have made reparations and atoned for the wrongs I have committed to the extent allowable. In the eyes of society, I committed the unforgivable sin, and there can never be a pardon.

I wish I could say I am not a "monster." If I am not a monster, what am I? Even the angels desire to he human. If only I knew the answer.

Pedobears, bus surfers, and Lone Guys on Park Benches! Oh, My!

2010-09-14T07:30:00.000-07:00

Do we need any more proof that America is getting too paranoid about sex offenders? It seems that our fear of sex offenders has not yet reached its peak.

Below are some of the most recent stories:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39088022

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department is warning parents about a disturbing new phenomenon made popular by pedophiles and sexual deviants. The Pedo Bear began as an online Japanese cartoon character, and is known for his "lecherous nature" towards prepubescent children. Recently, pedophiles have adopted the bear as a mascot. Although there have been no reported sightings of the image on the Central Coast, individuals dressed in the bear costume and car decals have been seen in Southern California. Local law enforcement cautions parents to be aware of the image, particularly at public events. For concerns about the image, contact the Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement division of the sheriff's department at 805-781-4550.

For those of you who have never heard of "Pedobear," Pedobear is a character created on a popular website called 4chan that was used to call out someone who makes a comment that sounds sexually inappropriate, or calls to attention something that oversexualizes children or minors. Pedobear eventually became used outside the 4chan site, of course. But many do not understand what it means because it is a 4chan inside joke. Apparently, neither did the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office. They saw a person dressed as Pedobear at the comic book convention and they sound the alarm. It may be a joke in bad taste, but it is not necessarily a criminal, either.

The San Lius Obispo Sheriff's Office is not the only one creating panic. John Walsh of AMW, the leader in fear promoting for almost 30 years, has created a new panic: Watch out for "bus surfing pedophiles:"

http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.com/2010/07/nv-americas-most-wanted-host-john-walsh.html

"The front lines against a disturbing reality. John Walsh calls it "bus surfing" -- pedophiles who follow buses and prey on children at bus stops."

Of course, the problem is not just that he creates a new fear, he finds a few people willing to back him up on his latest campaign of fear:

The bus drivers here say they're aware this goes on. And they say John's presence here serves as inspiration to constantly be on the watch and report any suspicions. They know their neighborhood routes well, so they say they look out for cars who linger behind buses or people who seem out of place. And they say they're not afraid to report suspicious activity to the police.

Oh yeah, if you are lost or new to the neighborhood, be prepared to be a suspect.

The last featured article is relevant in light of recent trends that ban sex offenders or even people without children from parks.

http://blog.seattlepi.com/wallingford/archives/220922.asp

The Monster of Meridian Park

This post originally appeared on Wallyhood, the Wallingford, Seattle neighborhood blog. Visit us for more Wallingford news.

(By Margaret)

Imagine, if you will, an idyllic park setting where sounds of children's laughter and shrieks of delight fill the air. You shade your eyes from the sun and catch a glimpse of someone sitting on a nearby bench. Looking around, you discover that this person is at the park alone, which you find strange. "Something's not quite right," you think, as you watch him wander through the playground. Your instincts tell you that this person shouldn't be anywhere near children.

Back home, you log onto your computer and check the database of registered sex offenders, during which you find that there are 12 offenders within a mile radius of your address. Your pulse quickens as you look through the database. You suddenly see a picture of someone that stops your heart cold, and you ask yourself, "Is it him? Is this the man who was at the park"? You're horrified. That man is a Level 2 sex offender, and what's more, he's NON-COMPLIANT. Your hunch was right. He has no business being anywhere near children.

So you share the news in the public forum of your community's neighborhood blog because people need to know, and parents with children who visit the park need to be aware that this dangerous man could return to the park at any time and possibly re-offend. Before long, people are asking, "Why is this guy allowed to be in the park?" People then report that they've seen this man everywhere: at the supermarket, the library, and a bus stop. What's worse is that someone else calls the Seattle Police Department to report "the incident," and dispatcher tells the caller that since the man is not on probation, there is nothing stopping him from being around children.

Meanwhile, fliers emblazoned with "HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN?" and the man's photo are distributed to parents in the park. One parent Google's the man's name, only to find out that he was thrown in jail last year for keeping pornographic files of children on his computer. "Why the HELL," she asks, "isn't this man still in jail?"

But then, someone else does a bit more digging. Finds that the man in question is actually not the same man in the database. That man has been behind bars for the past year, and he will remain so for 11 more. That man should have been taken off of the Sex Offender database last year.

It's an honest mistake, to be sure, but one that has raised a lot of fears. The intention was admirable, but the cascade of events that followed was not.

We are incredibly lucky to be living in the digital age--where infinite information is delivered to us effortlessly. We are more informed, more aware, and as such, more proactive about delivering information that can be helpful to our neighbors. But sometimes, a little information can be very dangerous. Without checking facts or digging deeper, we stand a chance to instill unnecessary fear and widespread panic.

And there you have it. How do you think this innocent man must have felt because some idiot thought he was a pedophile? His only "crime" was sitting in a park. Men are increasingly cast as potential sexual predators in this country.

Sexual predators are EVERYWHERE! HIDE THE KIDS! Watch the video below, and you'll see how far this has gone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBw1I0AOhQ4

ADDENDUM: There is one more panic out there. Now CNN is reporting an alleged "Pedophile Manifesto," and promotes the fear by getting Ed Smart, Robin Sax, and Mark Klaas, complete with faulty stats. Joy Behar should've stayed on The View. The irony is that most of the child advocacy place put info out there on how molesters work. That is about the same thing, in my opinion.

http://joybehar.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/08/manual-for-child-molesters/

ADDENDUM 2: The Pedobear scare spreads!

Tulsa's Fox 23 News claims the guy under the mask was a Registered Sex Offender, yet there is no actual report of that, the man would have been arrested on the spot and would have been in the earlier report.

http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/Pedobear-The-New-Pedophile/jcdOrr1dzU2Pbv12JE4qZw.cspx

Are "unintended consequences" REALLY "unintended?"

2010-09-04T22:08:00.000-07:00

"I think this is a clear example of an unintended consequence, which can occur when we go beyond what we call police protocol when handling sex offenders. I understand the concern of parents for their children. But we must not allow hysteria to take place."-- Marion County, Florida Sheriff Ed Dean, responding to the suicide of a handicapped Former Offender after flyers picturing him with the words “CHILD RAPIST” printed in big bold letters were plastered all over the community

I am always hearing the term "unintended consequences" in many articles about the pitfalls of overbroad sex offender legislation, but I wonder if the people who have used this term really understand the term "unintended consequences."

"My intent personally is to make it so onerous on those that are convicted of these offenses . . . they will want to move to another state." -- Georgia House Majority Leader Jerry Keen (R)

"Is there anything left we can do to sex offenders with a few days left in the session?" -- Louisiana State Rep. Danny Martiny, R-Metairie, during the closing days of a 2006 legislative session

If Georgia passes laws to make living "onerous" and they are conscious of the fact, then the consequences are not "unintended." When a Louisiana state senator half-jokingly muses if we can find ways to destroy the lives of people who have completed their sentences, that is not unintentional. When a state passes residency restrictions knowing they have Iowa's problems as an example beforehand, or they pass the Adam Walsh Act knowing Ohio's problems implementing the laws, that is not unintentional.

Let me illustrate "unintentional consequences," because the concept seems to elude politicians.

In the span of a month, I have experienced both the death of one of my loved ones and the break-up of a two year long relationship which compelled me to move.

The grieving process over losing a loved one is my first exhibit. While in the process of grieving, I was also in charge of the arrangements. I also wrote the obituary. However, because I was afraid vigilantes would disrespect my loved one's memory or use the info to attack my living loved ones, I completely omitted myself from the obituary. That was also the week one of those local mug shot newspapers decided to feature me, and one of my neighbors were quick to mention it to my now ex-fiancee. Then the car broke down in Nashville when I went to pick up a traveler to the funeral, and my mind raced to thoughts of having to show my ID card with "Criminal Sex Offender" in bright red letters to an officer or repair man in a place far from home. Each of those experiences were examples of "unintended consequences." Or are they?

The second exhibit is my break-up with my long time fiancee. There were many reasons for the break-up, but a major aggravating factor is my status as a sex offender. Because she has a child, we cannot live together. For nearly two years, we lived a "double life." Our days revolved around trying to see each other as much as possible while spending as little time with her child as possible, not because I was a risk, but because of paranoia brought on by nosy neighbors. Busybodies abound in rural America. Once we broke up, tasks as simple as returning unwanted mementos of the broken relationship take on new dimensions. As an RSO, you're always suspect of being a threat, despite never showing aggression. It becomes a weapon to use against you. The neighbors stare and whisper, watching that "dangerous sex offender" being hassled by the police for doing nothing more than returning unwanted mementos to its rightful order in neatly stacked boxes. I wish to say those were unintended, but then I reflect upon the events of that day and ask myself it it was truly "unintentional?"

If I committed suicide, would that be an "unintended consequence?" I wonder if that is really what those who pass these laws against me intended for me to do.

I hardly think the impact of these laws are "unintentional." Unconsidered, possibly, but not unintended. The intent of tough sex offender laws is to make life as miserable as possible. It is not about child safety, or about reducing sex crimes, it is about causing the maximum amount of pain upon those who made mistakes. There is nothing "unintended" about that!

I see no changes wake up in the morning and I ask myself
is life worth living should I blast myself? -- 2Pac from the song "Changes"

Once Fallen registry poll

2010-08-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

There is a little debate regarding whether the registry should be reformed or abolished (or even expanded). I have created a poll to gauge how my readers view the registry, so please take a minute to vote. The poll is to the right, just below the graphic of my book. It only takes a second, so please vote today!

Ride For Their Wallets

2010-08-29T00:14:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: The video of the event now available. Scroll down to bottom of article to view!

Looks like Mark Lunsford has cooked up yet another Get Rich Quick Scheme (TM). As a charter member of yet another group, the "Surviving Parents Coalition," Inc., Lunsford is a part of the "Ride For Their Lives," coming to a major city near you. So what is the purpose, exactly? Well it is pretty simple. Read it for yourself:

The purpose of The Ride For Their Lives is to raise more than $1,000,000 to help walk the halls of congress to advocate for laws that protect our children. The Surviving Parents Coalition focus changes to meet the ever present need to prevent predatory crimes against children and young adults.

COMMENT: So let me get this straight. The purpose of "The Ride" is to raise a million bucks or more so Lunsford can have cocktails with Congressmen who already blindly support his legislation? Does it really cost THAT much to hang around in DC for a few days? I only spent $500 for a five day conference in DC back in 1996 when I was in college and that included my airfare and my hotel stay, and a couple of souvenirs. Damn, inflation is something else.

So what are they planning on doing in DC? They were at least kind enough to explain:

The four causes being focused on during this ride are:

1. Mandatory DNA testing upon arrest:

Oh great. They support more Big Brother legislation. I wonder if they'll be the first in line to give their DNA to the beast.

2. Protect our children act of 2008

Ok. First off, why would Lungsfull lobby for a law ALREADY PASSED AND FUNDED? And where do these crazy stats come from? Do you think Lunsford is aware the law passed yet?

3. The Adam Walsh Act

See #2. What the hell has Lunsford been doing all this time? Okay, I'll explain s-l-o-w-l-y in case Lungsfull ever reads this. THE AWA PASSED 4 YEARS AGO, AND BARACK HUSSEIN OSAMA FUNDED THIS STUPID BILL! Again, why waste a million dollars to send someone to lobby a bill already passed and funded? Of course, most states found implementing AWA has been a disaster.

4. Child safety initiative

Now see, I have no problems with education and prevention. However, will this education tell kids not to sext or have relations with each other lest they land on the registry? Of course, there have been such programs in place for years, but people do not utilize them.

If that wasn't enough to get you going, check out the "state report cards:"

http://ridefortheirlives.com/State-Report-Cards.html

Ohio is just one of the states they will ride through. Ohio has DNA testing already. Big whoop. They're also AWA compliant. Again, big whoop. Since the Ohio Supreme Court ruled retroactive application of SB 10 (their version of the AWA), I wonder if Ohio is still technically "compliant."

This is where it gets kooky. Their stat page claims Ohio has "100,624 known sex offenders." Wow. They must have something the NCMEC doesn't because the latest stats from the NCMEC show there are just under 20,000 Registered Sex Offenders in Ohio.

The site suggests the Protect Act stats are from the ICAC though there is no study that suggests anything like they are suggesting. However, even with my limited knowledge of the internet, I'm fully aware of the use of viruses to infect PCs with child porn, sometimes even as a set-up. Lunsford should know since a news article had reported it days after his daughter's death. Considering how we let John McCain, a man who admittedly cannot use a computer, much less understand the internet, pass laws restricting the internet. Well crap, that means I could write and pass laws on combatting Nuclear Proliferation.

One activist for the rights of Former Offenders attended the Chicago event. It seems there were only about 30 people who attended, he being one of them. If you want a play by play, you can listen to the play by play on the August 28 "Open Mic Night" on ARC Radio.

The play by play highlights of the Chicago event:

1. Only 6 riders
2. Event lasted 30 minutes
3. Lunsford arrived late, did not ride during rally, appeared drunk
4. No politicians or legislators

As of this writing there is not much media coverage of the events. It looks like squeezing a million bucks from the poor people of this nation is going to be just a little tougher than he thought.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUsvIkEoy2A#normal

Spending more on corrections than education

2010-08-07T00:02:00.000-07:00

Americans are spending more on incarceration than education. I'm not surprised to hear it, but I did not think about it until I moved to Alabama to be with my (now EX-) fiancee.

She has a child enrolled in public school. It seemed like every day, there were notes from the school asking for money. Hat day fund, one dollar. Pizza day, three dollars. Buy a school T-Shirt (a "requirement" I'm told, $10), a CD "yearbook" costs $10 (that anyone with a CD, a label making copying machine, and Microsoft picture slideshow maker could make). And I'm not even counting those "required" supplies on that list that we were forced to buy to "share with everyone" (yet when the kid actually NEEDED a pencil from that communal stash of school supplies they were nowhere to be found). Nor did I mention the endless barrage of other "fundraiser" activities-- the candy sales, the catalogue order forms, the bookmobile, etc. It was staring to sound like a Mastercard commercial, only without the "priceless" line. Actually it felt more like petty theft mixed in with extortion.

I kid you not, if we bought into every fundraiser, hat day privilege, party, field trip and event, we could have paid enough to send the kid to a private top-notch local academy. This is supposed to be a public school paid for by the insane amount of taxes even the poorest citizens pay, like the sales tax. It makes me wonder exactly what the schools do with all that money, that communal school supply stuff we had to buy the start of the year, and all those donations collected for that "tools for schools charity."

Despite Wal-mart selling pens, paper, and notebooks at pocket-change prices (an in spite of that tax-free holiday), we still found ourselves over school budget.

While our kids' educations are compromised by the constant need for funding, the feds are spending BILLIONS to run public lists of people who committed crimes as far back as the 1950s (or kids as young as age 10), to send US Marshals to knock on doors just to see if they are home, to keep them in mental institutions just to please the public, or to send someone out with a tape measure to ensure that guy on the public list is at least 1 foot outside that residency restriction buffer.

"If it saves one child" apparently is a relative term. After all, our attitude about sexual accountability education is to shield them from it until they have it, then brand them for life. Somehow, we've grown to equate teaching kids about the legal pitfalls is equivalent to condoning a "pedophile" act. How come we do not think that "scared Straight" is the same as teaching kids how to do drive-bys and how to turn powedered cocaine into crack rock? It just seems when we put the letters S, E, and X together to form a word, people become instant paranoid schizophrenics.

But I digress. I've written TWO articles on my website on the money issue in the sex offender field. They've been up there for a while. This is just another example of capitolism gone wild.

Lets Play "The Fear Mongering Game"

2010-08-04T06:32:00.000-07:00

We're quite the fearful nation. We're scared of sexual predators, terrorists, and whatever the flavor of the week is on our nightly news. A few months ago I was talking to some fifty-something year old guy about computers and we started talking about the Internet and the first thing he mentioned was "there are sexual predators on the internet." Do you think this guy is worried he'll be targeted by "sexual predators?" No mention of Nigerian scam artists, spammers sending you offers of cheap meds or find "flirty singles" in Timbuktu, cyber-bullies, or the loads of OTHER problems of the internet.

It made me think about all the things blasted in the media lately to scare the crap out of the public.

Let's play "fear mongering" game. I'll start off by listing as many events that was blasted over the airwaves over the years that got people afraid to leave their homes. Lets see how many we can come up with. Remember, these are fears where a few isolated cases created widespread panic or called "epidemics," or REAL epidemics where there was a lot of misinformation and acts of hate committed out of fear:

1. Sex offenders/ stranger danger
2. Terrorists
3. People sending powdered poison/ Anthrax in the mail
4. Swine/ Pig Flu
5. Bird Flu
6. SARS
7. Occult Ritualistic Abuse occurring in Day Care centers
8. Pit Bull attacks
9. Meavy metal/ violent movies/ Dungeons and Dragons/ violent video games turning kids into parent killers
10. School shootings
11. HIV
12. Food recalls (they'll recall millions of pounds of a product because it MIGHT have some virus that gives you diarrhea)

That's just for starters. Anyone else remember a good scare lately?

Pit Bulls, Sex Offenders, and stereotyping

2010-07-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

I am not a fan of pit bulls. Personally, I think they are ugly as sin with fat, bloated heads with floppy mouths and slobber (the demon dog from "Turner and Hooch" immediately comes to mind). My fiancee thinks they are adorable. I'm not really a dog person, come to think of it.

A few months ago, my fiancee and I were walking around the neighborhood on a lazy Sunday afternoon when this stray dog came up to us and started sniffing us. It looked like a pit bull. I was one of those people who believed the media hype about vicious pit bulls, so I was on guard. The dog was very friendly, however, and followed us like the lost puppy it was. It eventually followed us home, and after some tearful pleas for the dog's life (as shelters routinely euthanize Pit Bulls), my fiancee talked me into letting her keep the stray.

The stray turned out to be a "Rhodesian Ridgeback." They are related to bulldogs such as Bull Mastiffs by breed, so it could be rather easily confused for a Pit Bull. So now I'm the reluctant "co-owner" of an energetic, bone-chewing, poo-and-grass eating, hole digging bag of fleas that is scared of kittens. The dog is far from vicious. Rhodesian Ridgebacks were bred for chasing lions, but this particular dog is more cowardly lion than lion chaser. It reminded me how little I knew about Pit Bulls or dogs in general.

People stereotype everything. If I say a group of anything, such as "pit bulls," we conjure up a particular image. Many people, when asked to imagine a pit bull, will conjure up an image of a vicious dog that kills cats or people, is vicious, and has "locking jaws." I was one of those people. I just accepted news media accounts and my own fear of the dogs as absolute fact. Only when I thought I was on the verge of having to share part of my life with one of those "vicious dogs" did I really research the breed.

The first information I found was a website called www.pitbulls.org. There is a wealth of information at that site that breaks down the stereotypes surrounding the breed. The site refers to http://atts.org/, a site that tests various breeds for certain traits that make dogs less-than-ideal pets, like unprovoked aggression, strong avoidance, and panic without recovery. The more dogs than show one of these traits, the lower the score. Below are the numbers of a few select breeds:

American Pit Bull Terriers: 86%
German Shepherd: 84.2%
Collie: 79.7%
Miniature Poodle: 77.9%
Chihuahua: 71.1%

As an aside, my Rhodesian Ridgeback scored a 84.4%. My fiancee's mother owns a chihuahua. She's quite a vicious little nipper, and I've been bitten by the little runt. Which dog is the more dangerous dog? [To see a really good video on the Pit Bull CLICK HERE]

Thanks in part to selective breeding, the Pit Bull is a very people oriented dog. In fact, at one time they were also known as "nanny dogs" because of their people-friendliness. However, it is also thanks to people that Pit Bulls have a very bad reputation. Many people are scared of Pit Bulls. Pit Bulls gained their reputation because they are powerful and tenacious dogs, making them perfect for pit fighting (hence the name). According to the Pitbulls.org site, the current state of Pit Bull Panic stemmed from a 1987 Sports Illustrated article on Pit Bull fighting. The 1987 cover was indeed a very powerful image depicting the dog in the most negative light. It is an image not easily shaken, and fits perfectly the "dangerous Pit Bull" stereotype. Sports Illustrated has admitted their 1987 cover played a major role in the hysteria surrounding Pit Bulls. As an act of penance, Sports Illustrated ran a more recent article following the success stories of the animals rescued from Michael Vick's dog fighting ring.

Destroying stereotypes embedded in our culture is no easy task. A recent article landed on CBS news, entitled "Pitbull Kills 2-Year-Old Boy in California: Recent String of Attacks Renewed Calls for Regulations on Dangerous Breed." The article lists a total of two attacks, on that killed a 2-year-old boy in California, and one that killed an elderly man in Memphis (the dog's owner is a registered sex offender). Apparently it does not take many incidents to declare an epidemic, especially when a child is involved. The article also highlights the city of Worchester, MA, and the typical knee jerk reaction to news stories. The city is looking to pass restrictions on Pit Bull owners, including muzzling the pets and placing warning signs on the properties of owners after dog bite reports. Other cities, like Minneapolis, MN, Seminole Co., FL, and Sarasota Co., FL all have public "dangerous dog" registries, complete with mapping software (Ironically, upon actually viewing these registries, there are a lot of non-Pit Bull type breeds on this list). They look a lot like the public sex offender registries run by the same sheriff's websites. Some cities have outright bans, including Miami, FL, Denver, CO., and Cincinnati, OH (as a former Cincinnatian, I can assure you they do not enforce the ban).These actions are referred to as "Breed Specific Legislation" or BSL.

Fueling BSL is a lot of inflated statistics and fear mongering. One of the Worchester city councilmen went on record stating while the Pit Bulls make up 2% of the population of licensed dogs on the city, they are accountable for 25% of dog bite reports. That comment mirrors the statistic mentioned in the 1987 Sports Illustrated article-- 12 of the 18 fatal dog bites in the 18 months prior to the 1987 article were from Pit Bulls, though they make up only 1% of the US dog population. I'm admittedly not an exprt in the field, but I have enough common sense to know that many individuals keep large, powerful dogs like Put Bulls, German Shepards, Rottweilers, and Dobermans for protection. Even many police departments have canine units and killing a police dog can carry as bad a penalty as killing a human officer.

In a heavily-criticised Miami Herald article on using Pit Bulls as service dogs, Broward County resident Larry Steinhauser states, "I've never seen one that isn't aggressive. I think they're a danger to society."

Pit Bulls are ALL dangerous, cannot be cured, the stereotypes, the inflated "OMG" epidemic statistics, the blanket bans, the targeted legislation, and the public registries, the outcries for more laws to protect our children from these vicious predators.

Does any of this sound familiar to you?

I was in the dark about Pit Bulls until I decided to research the facts. I eventually learned everything I believed about them was a lie. How many people have changed their opinions about American sex offender laws after they were targeted by the very laws they blindly supported? How many have read both of the story? How many have researched the facts?

Education is sorely needed to separate fact from fiction. We are indeed fighting an uphill battle. Many current laws were passed out of fear, loathing, and blind ignorance. It will take tanacity, persistence, and the ability to grasp the truth and never let go. Not all Pit Bulls fit the sterotype. Not all sex offenders fit the stereotype. The best example we can lead is in our own lives. Educate one person at a time. Live your live above the stereotype and do not believe the hype.

The greatest "enemy" in our fight -- APATHY

2010-07-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

Who is the greatest "enemy" in the fight against these crazy sex offender laws? Pandering Politicians pimping the nlatest ill-conceived laws? Celebrity advocates like John Walsh? Camera-hogging media news analysts? Self-made vigilantes and vigilante groups like Perverted Justice? No.

The greatest "enemy" in our fight is APATHY.

The old adage "we are our own worst enemies" rings very true in this fight. I have been involved in this fight for about seven years, and www.oncefallen.com has been up for years, and in this time, I have received many emails from people seemingly desperate for help, get their answers, thank me, and disappear. I feel a lot alike I'm in that movie "300." I am one of just a handful of people, many of whom have been in this fight for years. We fight for a "nation" of 700,000 people plus their families, every one of them threatened by a larger army backed by tough laws and blind support. Our resources are few, our warriors are fewer. Much like in the movie, this small band of warriors are fighting for the sake of their homes, while the rest sit back and watch us fight to the death.

I can understand the concerns of those affected by these laws. I fear for my safety. I worry how this will impact my fiancee's life. I worry how each high profile case in the media will ultimately impact my personal life. However, it is exactly for these reasons I have decided to fight.

Unlike the soldiers in "300," I am not wanting to die fighting. I'm not trying to be a martyr to the cause. My desire is to live. However, I cannot live my life under this fear for the rest of my life, because living this life the way I'm forced to live is not truly "living" at all. I fight for myself, yet, by fighting for others, I achieve not only great things for them, I achieve great things for myself as well. We all want to live. If we all want to live, we should all want to fight.

If you think you won't be targeted because you obey every law and submit to every whim of the people, you're sadly mistaken. For two years following my release, I kept to myself. I battled umemployment and homelessness until I found a minimum wage job and a sleeping room in the "hood." It was not what I wanted but it was life and I made the most of it. I started making small contributions where I could to society, donating money and supplies to those less fortunate. Two years later, the state reclassified me arbitrarily, and determined I now lived too close to a GED school (a place pre-approved by the sheriff's office). I lost my job and my girlfriend, and eventually my tiny sleeping room. After I moved to another place meeting the residency law requirements, the city I lived in decided they were going to pass an ordinance increasing residency restrictions. I had enough.

It can happen just as easily to every one of you.

Over the past few years, federal, state, and local officials have targeted registrants on a regular basis. Below are just a few of the ways sex offenders have been targeted over the years (some may or may not apply to you today, but it is only a matter of time):

Public Registries
Community notification
Residency restrictions
Anti-loitering laws/ complete bans from certain places like parks, amusement parks, playgrounds, school functions, certain eating establishments, churches
Civil commitment laws
Mandatory minimum sentences and registration time increases
Barred from getting certain jobs/ cannot work too close to restricted areas
Barred from living around other sex offenders (anti-clustering laws)
Barred from living in a household with minors present
Barred from many internet sites like MySpace or Facebook for any reason, or from the internet altogether
Fees for registering
Cannot wear costumes/ masks/ give out Halloween candy
Cannot obtain emergency shelter during hurricanes/ blizzards/ other inclement weather
Scarlet letter license plates
Scarlet letter ID cards
Random "compliance checks" by the police working with US Marshals, then threaten you under duress to agree to warrantless searches
Barred from Section 8 Housing
Proposed: barred from obtaining small business loans
Proposed: Denied Unemployment Benefits
Proposed: Denied Federal Housing Authority Loans (FHA)
Chemical castration, polygraphs, "peter readers" (plethysmographs) and other witch-doctor science
Periodic changes to any of the aforementioned laws
Assumption of guilt in all your actions
Constant threat of vigilantism; vigilante attacks are rarely severely punished
Promotion of fear and loathing makes you more likely to face discrimination based upon status alone

Many of these laws have been passed without a single thought to the consequences.

This is not about promoting websites, selling books, or collecting donations. This is about taking a stand and fighting back. This small group, this "300" has done great things-- awareness has been raised, laws have been defeated, and hope has been brought to thousands impacted by these laws. To paraphrase the movie, If we could achieve so many things with "300" Spartans, imagine what an army of "10,000" Spartans can do!

Don't sit still thinking someone else is going to fight for you. Chances are, the person you are waiting for is likely doing the same.

ADDENDUM: Let me just reiterate one thing. Fear is indeed a strong reason not to fight, but I see apathy as being as great, if not greater, than fear. There is an old adage about 20% of the people doing 80% of the work. We have LESS than 20% in this movement. Based on what I have seen, very small numbers are willing to do tasks like sign an online petition, post on a message board, or participate in online groups and forums. I'm not surprised to see the same screen names when I post a comment in Boston, Portland, or Houston. I'd like to see them flooded with new faces speaking out.

On my front page are a few suggestions on how to get active: http://www.oncefallen.com/

Mid-year report 2010

2010-06-08T07:17:00.000-07:00

I find it hard to believe the year is almost half over! The primaries are finished, with two candidates relying on sex offenders for votes getting the boot.

I may not have accomplished much in 2010 so far, but I have done a few things:

1. Made an appearance on CNN and the Allen Hunt show,
2. Started ReFORM Alabama, a site specifically on Alabama sex offender issues,
3. Fought the three laws specifically targeting Alabama registrants,
4. Began major revisions to Once Fallen, with the revised version due out later this year and this time in PRINT format, and
5. Was interviewed by a film crew for a documentary out later this year.

It sounds like a lot, but it really was not much. More can always be done. We are finally at a point where we are taken seriously by mass media, and I encourage you to spread the word. Word of mouth is still the best way to spread the word. Support websites like Once Fallen, Texas Voices, the various state affiliate sites, and SOSEN, both in terms of time and money. The more helpers, the more that gets accomplished. Simple as that!

If It Saves One Child: The Trading of Freedom for Security

2010-04-24T07:54:00.000-07:00

This article was added to the front page of www.sosen.org. Think about how far these laws are going as we are trading freedom for a false sense of security.

If it Saves One Child: The Trading of Freedom for SecurityBy Derek W. Logue

When Patty Wetterling first lobbied for a sex offender registry in 1990, she was met with resistance because people knew these laws violated the civil rights of those who served their sentences. Twenty years later, the pendulum has swung completely; the public feels we cannot pass enough laws against people convicted of sex crimes . And despite a decline in sex crime cases since 1993 (before the passage of modern sex offender laws) , our culture fears the sex offender more than any other criminal in our culture.
Over the past two decades, a definitive pattern has repeated itself in our culture and media which has led to our current state of “Predator Panic.” Mass media offers round-the-clock coverage of a tragic rape-murder, almost always of a white female child . Through the victim’s family or through legislators, a new bill is introduced or an existing law is expanded. Most, if not all, sex offender laws pass without dissenting votes or even debating the laws in question ; facts and studies about the true nature of sexual abuse are ignored in favor of harsher post-conviction sex offender laws. These laws are justified by such myths as “sex offenders are highly likely to re-offend” and “all sex offenders are ‘predators’ or ‘pedophiles’” coupled with the generalization all sex crimes are similar to the high-profile sensationalized cases used to justify the passage of these laws .
Law professor and author Eric S. Janus warns us sex offender laws are a “harbinger of a preventive state” and re-introduce the concept of a “degraded status” that was largely abolished during the civil rights era . One recent case in Ohio illustrates Janus’s point perfectly. In the decision to retroactively apply registration duties under the Adam Walsh Act, Ohio’s First District Court of Appeals stated:

“By their voluntary acts, sex offenders have surrendered certain protections that arguably are afforded to other citizens. Their conviction of felony offenses puts them into a class that has already been deemed to have no expectation of finality in the consequences of the judgments against them .”

   One of the primary features of this trend has been the exclusiveness of sanctions specifically targeting those on the sex offender registries. The shift towards this degraded status began with the creating of the first registry under the Jacob Wetterling Act in 1994, followed by community notification, residency restrictions, GPS monitoring, and other laws . In 2003, the US Supreme Court upheld the public registry, stating the laws were “regulatory” and not “punitive,” meaning Constitutional safeguards do not apply to the public registry . Since that decision, the US Supreme Court has only made one single ruling against any sex offender laws; the Kennedy v. Louisiana decision ruled 5-4 against the use of the death penalty in child sex crime cases where the victim did not die .
   Having “no expectation of finality in the consequences of the judgments” against sex offenders has resulted in the erosion of civil rights that could potentially expand to other crimes and eventually a “risk-alone society.” In 2004, the same arguments to justify sex offender registries were used to attempt to pass a Maryland bill that would have made a public AIDS registry. It was argued AIDS patients were “bad people,” many of them “brought it upon themselves,” they are “high-risk people,” and it is a “public safety” issue. While that law was struck down (for now), other registries began popping up in different locations, from violent offenses to DUI registries. A few places even have “dangerous/ vicious dog” registries with Fido’s picture, street address, and a map showing where they live. The United Kingdom already allows people deemed “dangerous” but have never been charged with a sex crime to be listed on their sex offender registries. The United States has not passed a similar law yet, though the state of Ohio passed a “civil registry,” which forces people not convicted in criminal courts to register and abide by all other sex offender laws through a civil court (and a lesser burden of proof) .
   A recent poll revealed 51% of American citizens would gladly give up personal freedoms for laws that make them feel more secure . Slowly we allowed personal rights and freedoms to erode in exchange for a false sense of security. Columnist Naomi Wolf described 10 steps of fascism in writing about the Bush administration; current sex offender legislation follows her pattern as easily as the war on terror:

1.   Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy: It is obvious sex offenders are the most vilified members of our culture. In a recent billboard campaign asking “what’s forgivable” in our society, the general consensus was sex offenders are unforgivable .
2.   Create a gulag: Janus has pointed out the sex offender is America’s degraded class complete with a separate set of legal rules registrants must follow . Laws regularly dictate where a person and live, work, or even worship. Few legislators are willing to speak out against these laws because it is political suicide , and mass media largely fails to acknowledge the negative consequences of these laws.
3.   Develop a thug caste: “The feds” were given increased jurisdiction under the Adam Walsh Act, which led to massive round-ups of registrants suspected of failure to meet strict reporting requirements . We’ve justified our laws and actions by claiming registrants are an imminent present threat, despite evidence that proves much of what we know about sex offenders is untrue .
4.   Set up an internal surveillance system: Megan’s Law has been in place for over a decade, and was “intended to increase awareness of dangerous sex offenders in the area .” “Big Registry” is big business, as companies are offering iPhone tracking applications , GPS devices and readers , and even microchip implants .
5.   Harass Citizen’s Groups: Those who speak out against these laws become targets of individual vigilantes, with the legal system rarely offering sanctions against those who assault registrants. In 2009, a Seattle woman received a mere 90 days for assault with a deadly weapon of a registrant ; outraged citizens had organized and raised money for her $15,000 bail for a woman with a lengthy criminal record . Organizations that sometimes work with police (such as the controversial group “Perverted Justice”) have targeted individuals and groups that speak out against sex offender registries with no repercussions for wholesale harassment of civil rights activists .
6.   Engage in arbitrary detention and release: Civil commitment laws have rebounded in recent years. In 1997, the US Supreme Court ruled a person can be civilly confined under a relatively low standard of “personality disorder .” It has become nothing more than a means of detainment; since 1993, no one has ever graduated from Minnesota’s civil commitment centers .
7.   Target Key Individuals: Our fine legislators believe it to be “political suicide” to oppose tough sex crime measures. During a campaign to pass the Adam Walsh Act, America’s Most Wanted host John Walsh shamed would-be opponents to his bill by asking them if they were child molesters or had child porn on their computers . No one opposed the bill.
8.   Control the press: Mass media rarely offers opposing viewpoints to the sex offender laws. Even in our skeptical society, few question celebrity advocates like John Walsh no matter how often scandal and controversy plague him. John Walsh testified before Congress that our country is “littered with mutilated, decapitated, raped, strangled children” while claiming hundreds of thousands of kidnapped children every year . Yet the studies conducted in part by Walsh’s own lobbying contradicts him by proving “stereotypical kidnappings” are extremely rare; only 45 were killed or went permanently missing across the country per year . Mass media needs little goading because child abduction stories equal ratings; the media even called the summer months of 2002 the “summer of abduction” because of the amount of media attention based on the issue . For the most part, fueling the fear rather than objective reporting is the key.
9.   Dissent equals treason: If you oppose tough-on-crime measures, you are a “hug-a-thug” liberal, or worse, a closet pedophile. Politicians running for office in Omaha Nebraska were the targets of a flier campaign from the local police union claiming they allowed sex offenders to roam the streets; the campaign was retaliation for opposing viewpoints on police pensions . Another site targeted a Wylie, Texas Councilman and the Mayor for “supporting” a registrant .
10.   Suspend the rule of law: For years, sex offender laws have been circumvented the Constitution because they were considered “regulatory” rather than “punitive .” The Adam Walsh Act was passed under “Suspension of the Rules” without even enough members of the Senate to hold a quorum. Most of the provisions of the bill were added just minutes before the suspension of the rules vote . Not only did the vast majority of the US Senate failed to vote on the Adam Walsh Act, most of them had not even read the bill! Former US Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez applied the rule retroactively using “Interim Rule,” which bypassed APA procedure due to “pressing emergency .”

This issue is not a matter of sympathy for those convicted of sex crimes. In an ideal society, they would be punished and receive treatment for their crimes, but also given a chance to be productive members of society after serving their sentences. Thanks to a perfect storm of moral panic, a society willing to surrender Constitutional safeguards for security, a Big Brother bureaucracy, and a “Big Registry” industry willing to further erode our civil rights, we are no closer to sex crime prevention but closer to an Orwellian “risk-alone” society.
In vetoing a bill that would exclude teens from registering for consensual sex with other teens within four years of each other, Texas Governor Rick Perry stated it was to “protect young victims .” Texas has over 4000 sex offenders listed on the public registry who were convicted as juveniles, many for consensual sex with other teens . How much are we willing to sacrifice to “save one child?”

Letter opposing AL SB 48: Social Networking ban

2010-01-20T14:55:00.000-08:00

My letter opposing Alabama Senate Bill 48, which bans registrants from social networking sites, and is broadly interpreted and can include other non-social sites.

Dear Senators Benefield, Smitherman, and Denton,

I am writing to you today in opposition to your proposed Senate Bill 48, the proposed law to ban sex offenders from "social websites."

I am a former sex offender residing in Sheffield, Alabama, and a nationally-known civil rights advocate for the rights of individuals who have completed their sentences. I was granted a partial pardon, restoring my voting rights, from this state in May 2007, a powerful testament to my status as a reformed individual. My primary web address is www.oncefallen .com, but I use certain sites like Twitter and Google Blogspot to showcase my authorship and writings. In addition, I am involved in a national movement to reform well-intentioned but ill-conceived laws, which also utilize forums and sites that could be considered "social networking sites" under your proposed bill.

I am very concerned your bill gives a harsher penalty for simply participating in a social networking site than someone who has actual physical contact with a child. I would also like to point out that many social networking sites ban the access or use of their services by minors, FaceBook allows 13-year-olds, and MySpace 14-year-olds to access such sites, which also allow adults on said sites. Even without age restrictions, there is no way to monitor every internet activity. [See http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1156136/Children-exposed-pornography-prostitution-drugs-Twitter.html]

In addition, your bill is not very clear as to what is licit and illicit use. For example, I use Twitter [http://twitter.com/oncefallenbook] as a way to advertise my book and website, as well as keeping my followers up to date on the latest must-read articles, research papers, and site updates. By virtue of the fact that the aforementioned article states Twitter has no explicit age restrictions, this would mean I'd be in violation of this law and be incarcerated for 20 years, with no good time or parole, simply because I have a Twitter account.

In passing this bill, you will be criminalizing legitimate uses for the internet or sites that could be deemed social networking sites. For example, I have posted online responses to articles at the Montgomery Advertiser website. As with many sites, the Montgomery Advertiser has a profile page as a registered member of the site, and you have to be a registered member in order to post comments. And children could theoretically access my Montgomery Advertiser profile. Thus, by exercising my First Amendment right to comment on a public message board, I'd be a Class B felon in this state, and I'd serve more time than if I had touched a child. In addition, places that offer both IM services and email, such as “Yahoo!,” would fall under these laws, as the profiles connected to the service could possibly be accessed by children.

This bill is difficult to enforce, but could be subject to abuses. It only takes a couple of minutes to create a new account. I could even create an account in the name of a Senator if the name is unused by a certain service; as I’ve discovered as a victim of online harassment, my identity can be used by someone else in the commission of a crime. There are also anonymous browsers, web services, and netbooks/ PDAS/ notebook computers to mask illegal activity. What would be next? Will registrants unable to use or possess cell phones or portable computers? On one hand, criminals could easily circumvent the law; on the other hand, reformed registrants using web services for legitimate enterprises could be locked away for years or decades!

Courts have ruled against many restrictions that criminalize normally legal activities [see Johnson et al. v. City of Cincinnati, 2002 FED App. 0332P (6th Cir.), cert. denied, US Supreme Court case no. 02-1452]. In addition, courts have ruled that the mere suspicion that one might engage in illicit activity is not enough to justify punishment [see US v. Cintolo, 818 F. 2d. 980, 1003 (1987), Tot v. US, 319 US 463 (1943), and Robinson v. California, 270 US 660 (1962)].

Studies have shown the fear of "online predators" is grossly exaggerated, and laws directed at "online predators" fail because of our misconceptions regarding online “predators” [Janis Wolak, David Finkelhor, Kimberly J. Mitchell, and Michele L. Ybarra. "Online 'Predators' and their victims." American Psychologist, Vol. 63 No. 2 February-March 2008). Sadly, we’ve based our perceptions of the nature of online solicitation by watching re-runs of “To Catch a Predator;” many of those cases on that show were thrown out in court. Studies have shown most teens solicited online for sex were from their peer group. Also interesting to note is in the study of online solicitation, not one online solicitation resulted in physical contact [http://www.csicop.org/si/show/predator_panic_a_closer_look/].

The vast majority of sex crime arrests are of people not on the sex offender registry, i.e. first time offenders. We’d spend millions of dollars on an expensive law that will do nothing to prevent crime, yet we won’t spend a dime on treatment and prevention programs. We spend millions on long periods of incarceration, denial of parole, and good time, but not a dime to treat the offender to become a productive citizen upon his or her release. We’ll spend millions to incarcerate a teen for “sexting,” but not one dime to educate our youth on sexual responsibility and accountability .

Thus, I implore you to look long and hard at this law and realize it is nothing more than another piece of well-intentioned but poorly designed laws. It is time Alabama learns to do what is RIGHT rather than what is popular. The thought of spending millions to incarcerate people, who simply use the internet to make a living, protest or petition our government, or even keep up with family and loved ones, is simply appalling. In regards to certain sites like Face Book and MySpace, they do not allow registrants to use their services in the first place; however, the potential for abuse of these laws and overextending of the punishments to legitimate purposes of this law is unconstitution al, and likely to be successfully challenged in a court of law.

I am most troubled there is no disclaimer on your state website regarding the abuse of registry information (thus allowing vigilantes to target registrants and family members without recourse), while simultaneously pushing a bill barring registrants from legitimate enterprises. At what point do we, as a society, put a stop to draconian punishments of those who have finished their sentences and stop sliding down the slippery slope of Predator Panic? I hope you do the right thing and repeal support for this terrible law.

Message from a REAL THRIVER

2010-01-14T09:45:00.000-08:00

Of all the comments I read from the CNN article on civil commitment on Jan. 12, 2010, none touched me more this comment from someone using the screen name "nowathriver." I'm not against punishment or sex offenders, but I also believe in healing and therapy for both offender and victim to put an end to the cycle of abuse and address the root causes of sexual offending.

I couldn't even hold a candle to this comment.

nowathriver

"No, it's not worse than murder. I recovered from three years of being raped beginning at the age of seven. I am married, happy, educated, and a productive member of society. Your comments suggests that I would be better off dead. I find that insulting. Many people feel that those of us who were once victims can never recover and that is simply not true. While there are some who struggle all of their lives there are many of us who actually are strengthened by what happened to us. I was asked once if I could go back in time would I changed what happened to me. I replied no. It is part of who I am now and I use my experience to help others. Please do not tell a survivor that their living is worse than death. That is just an awful thing to say.

What is needed is more access to affordable therapy for survivors. I'm thankful that articles like this get people talking about the topic so that it is not hidden behind secrecy and shame. Survivors need to know that it is never their fault and that the adult had all the power. Therapy works and survivors need more access to it."

Addressing Hate Mail

2010-01-13T08:13:00.000-08:00

Recently I was briefly mentioned in an article for CNN. I'm used to hate comments in message boards, but yesterday and today I had more than my fair share of hate mail. So I thought I'd share the hate because to me it illustrates the lack of character and insight many people have in regards to this issue.

Response: If that is all you have to add, save it for the sharks in the message boards. Its not worthy of a reply. Of course, this is the cowardly crap I expect from AZU/ Pee-J cultists. I have more important things to do than waste my time on obscenity-filled diatribes.

Response: Please DO NOT try to use God to justify hate mail. I may be rusty on my Biblical knowledge, but I know that:

A: The context of the "whoever harms a child should have a millstone tied to his neck and cast into the sea" is in Matthew 18. The passage calls ALL believers Children of God, we're to approach God as lowly as a child, and also warns us about abusing the grace God gives us in the parable at the end of the chapter.

B: The "Mark of Cain" in Genesis chapter 4 is a MARK OF PROTECTION FROM WOULD BE VIGILANTES. Cain, though punished, was still given a chance to marry and have a family and start a tribe.

C: While God does punish, God also teaches rehabilitation. If God simply killed, then David, Solomon, St. Paul, St. Peter, Noah, Moses and virtually every Biblical hero would have been dead long before their time. The Bible teaches a little thing called MERCY, and Christians seem to gloss over that.

Also, if you're going to throw out a stat, you better be ready to QUOTE YOUR SOURCE. Teresa, where's your proof of the 99% stat?

Finally, don't assume you know anything about me. You obviously didn't even read my "about me page."

Its a good idea to never, EVER, send hate mail from your place of employment. L's boss was not pleased with wasting company time to harass someone over the internet.

Also, again with the assumptions. People have been so trained to equate sex offender with raped and murdered child, they cannot see beyond it. I put what I did up on front street, and you're free to believe it or not, but facts are facts: http://www.oncefallen.com/aboutme.html

Finally, people need to read up on the facts. Please, when debating me bring references, because in a debate I'm armed to the teeth with facts. See http://www.oncefallen.com/SOMyths.html

This addresses many of the typical responses I received from haters. If you disagree with me fine, but if you try to feed me a load of shiitake, I'll call you on it, and if you debate, use FACTS not FICTION!