What I actually do at Once Fallen and why even independent activists need funds. (Yes, I'm fundraising, BTW)

A flood of inmate letters I responded to over the holidays.

Look folks, I have to admit that I not only hate the concept of fundraising, I'm flat-out terrible at it. I couldn't sell water in a desert. However, it is one of those necessary evils. But since I'm an "independent" activist, not affiliated with anyone else, there are times I struggle to raise the funds needed for various projects. 

Recently, I contacted a certain individual (I won't name who, I'll just call him "Ted") to discuss the idea of having a protest in DC. Ted obviously didn't support the idea of public demonstrations (much to my chagrin) and proceeded to try to sell me on HIS way of doing things. Ted sent me a list of things he had done since May of last year, talking to me as if I just sat on my duff since returning from the Rally in Tally. Well, Ted TALKS a big game (about himself, mostly), but to belittle me because I am an independent and doing something else besides promoting his personal well-being just ticked me off. 

Since Ted likes to talk about his "accomplishments," perhaps I should take the time to tell you folks what Once Fallen has accomplished in the past year. I guess I'll borrow a page from ol' Ted and tell you what I've done in the past year:

1. In April, I successfully completed organizing and hosting the Rally in Tally (with help from a few other groups), taking on the Book family in their own state of FloriDUH. I'm sure you've seen the recent trailer for "Untouchable." I have also engaged in protests in Oregon and I even dropped in on Parents For Megan's Law unannounced (and was escorted out but that's a story for another day). I'd also like to add that support for the Rally in Tally far exceeded expecttions, raising enough money to cover the full expenses!
2. Since this time last year, I've been in the media at AL.com, the Tallahassee Democrat, the Sacramento Bee, the Florida Politics and the St Peters Blog, The University of Buffalo Spectrum, the Dr. Drew show in HLN, and the Alex City Outlook. I was also in the Emily Horowitz book, the Prison Legal News, and on RSOL's "Tales From the Registry" site. 
3. Added three new Once Fallen research papers to my main site, in addition to the constant updates. I wrote a history of our movement, a legal article on the confusing definition of Child Pornography, and about International Megan's Law.
4. Created the Informational CorrLinks Newsletter (The "ICoN") specifically for users of CorrLinks, a correctional email service, now being sent to 80 inmates. The latest edition went out March 1. 
5. Answered over 70 letters by mail, 350 emails, and 500 individual phone calls. Typical phone calls can last up to an hour, and I make constant referrals to other state affiliates. 
6. I recently completed collecting over 300 responses to the Job & Welfare Survey, the first study to directly study how registrants find work and financial assistance. The study should be out soon. I'll be starting another study on compliance checks soon. 
7. I'm also trying to assist in stopping bad bills in my home state of Ohio as well as other states, as well as my attempts to stop IML. 
8. I took in a fellow RSO after his release from prison and helped him get ID and his retirement benefits. 

I do all this and more without constantly hounding you for cash. I live off $753 a month and food stamps, so money is always tight with me, but I am very good at budgeting. When I travel, I ride a bus, use public transportation, stay in the cheapest hotel I can find, and eat granola and Chef Boyardee (I never add food to my expenses anyways since I'll eat no matter where I'm at). 

Since my planned demonstration in DC was cancelled, I have my sights sent on another big city. Unlike the DC event, this demonstration is etched in stone. However, because of the sensitive nature of our plans, I am not publicly listing the plans. In addition, this is the month I pay my annual $120 fee to keep Once Fallen online. So as much as it pains me to ask, don't forget us independents. I'm not asking for a Hundred Grand (unless we are talking about the candy bars). My needs are far more modest. I can only ask those able to give to give what you can. 

So, if you are willing to donate to make my next project a success, send donations to:

Derek W. Logue

8258 Monon Ave., Apt. 3

Cincinnati, OH 45216

If you have Paypal, you can send a donation to iamthefallen1@yahoo.com

Also, if you wish to donate to another independent, I suggest you send some funds to Mary Devoy from the state of Virginia, who is fighting a stupid sex offender law aptly numbered SB666. Click the link below to learn more. 

http://restoringintegritytovirginiaregistry.blogspot.com/2016/03/action-item-virginia-governor-terry.html

As of today, I am accepting donations to oppose SB666 and HB 1190 from becoming law on July 1st in Virginia.

1. You can send a donation through PaylPal at this link:  https://goo.gl/PNYUiI    to my email address marydavyedevoy@comcast.net remember my PayPal fee is 2.9% + $0.30 per every donation sent. Because I am NOT a non-profit and I am NOT a business I can NOT add a PayPal button to this website and I can NOT offer automatic monthly donations, I’m sorry I wish I could. 
2. You can send a check or money order donation, please email me marydavyedevoy@comcast.net and I will then send you my mailing address, I’ve decided not to post it on the site and it’s not worth the money or time to rent a PO Box.

Not every activist is fortunate enough to have a large network with lots of financial backing, but that doesn't mean we are any less worthy of your support. Without your support, Once Fallen would not be around today. Once Fallen is used by tens of thousands of people every year, including attorneys, law enforcement agents, politicians, and even victim advocate groups! Most of all, YOU use it. It is a labor of love (mostly labor), but the point was to promote the cause and give you tools to fight back against these oppressive laws. So please offer up your support to Once Fallen (and other independents) today!

The Once Fallen Job and Welfare Survey has officially closed. Here are some preliminary results.

First of all, I want to thank all 307 respondents to the Once Fallen Job and Welfare Survey. Thanks to the assistance from other groups like FAC, RSOL and their affiliates, Daily Strength, and SOSEN, I received a completed survey from at least 46 states and DC.

1. Florida, 54 (17.88%)

2. Arkansas, 25 (8.28%)

3. Alabama, 21 (6.95%)

4. Ohio, 18 (5.96%)

5. New York/ Texas, 13 each (4.30% each)

6. California, 11 (3.64%)

7. Virginia, 10 (3.31%)

8. Michigan/ Pennsylvania, 9 each (2.98% each)

9. Colorado, 8 (2.65%)

10. Georgia/ Maryland/ Nebraska/ New Mexico, 7 each (2.32% each)

11. Connecticut/ Illinois/ Louisiana, 6 each (1.99% each)

12. Oregon, 5 (1.66%)

13. Missouri/ Nevada/ Wisconsin/ Washington DC, 4 each (1.32% each)

14. Arizona/ Kansas/ Maine/ New Jersey/ Utah/ West Virginia, 3 each (0.99% each)

15. Idaho/ Kentucky/ Massachusetts/ Montana/ North Carolina/ Oklahoma/ Tennessee/ Washington State, 2 each (0.66% each)

16. Alaska/ Hawaii/ Indiana/ Iowa/ Minnesota/ Mississippi/ Rhode Island/ South Carolina/ Vermont/ Wyoming, 1 each (0.33% each)

17. Delaware/ New Hampshire/ North Dakota/ South Dakota, US Territories, Native American Tribal Lands, 0 (0%)

I know you are dying to get the full results, but crunching all of the numbers, writing the report, proofreading and editing the report, and getting it out there may take a little time. However, I created a preliminary result to tide everyone over in the meantime. I have written this as part of my Informational CorrLinks Newsletter (ICoN), a newsletter I make for prisons inmates that use the CorrLinks email system (You can download the lastest ICoN at oncefallen.com/icon). 

First, it should come as no surprise that a number of SOs have experienced significant unemployment and housing problems. Almost half of respondents are unemployed, though some are retired or on welfare. Only 31% had a full time job (4 respondents had 2 jobs). Only 26% reported making over $30,000 last year, and 31.6% reported living below the federal poverty line. Almost half answered they have lost a job due to their status; 82% reported being denied work due to status; half reported harassment at work. About 37.7% experienced homelessness at some point (though only 3.4% of respondents were currently homeless at the time the survey was taken); amazingly, one-third owned their own home; 23% lived rent-free with a relative or through a program; about 40% rent an apartment, with 15% sharing living expenses; only one respondent is receiving government housing (achieved through a lawsuit). This is interesting because 78% of respondents reported having at least some college, with 50% holding a college degree. (Also of note on demographics, 55% of survey takers were ages 41-65 and 8% were 65+; only a third reported being married and living with spouse; only half has children; only 17% have minor children living with them.)

Despite so many college-educated SOs, respondents reported the jobs they held since their release are those most associated with low-pay and high stress – unskilled labor jobs (day labor, custodial, other manual labor), skilled labor (trades), restaurant jobs, manufacturing/ warehouse, and retail/sales jobs were the most common responses. Job types with a medium amount of reported jobs held by respondents were truck driving/ delivery, construction, and Customer Service (stores or call centers). I may be encouraging to know that a handful of individuals have held jobs in nearly every type of job category, including government, legal, non-profits, research, banking, and even the scientific categories, and 10% reported having incomes over $50,000 a year. Very few (almost 20% of those holding a job) reported working for a “franchise” business like McDonald’s or Walmart; twice as many reported being self-employed; another third worked for a small business; the rest either worked for a business run by a friend/ family member or worked as a contractor (that included day labor). Nearly half of these jobs did not conduct a background check, according to respondents. 

Because some SOs have certain computer-related restrictions, it was encouraging to know that “old-fashioned” ways of job hunting are still useful. Employment offices, networking, walk-ins, and want-ads were still utilized by over half of job-seekers. The bad news is that it took 28% of respondents over a year to find a new job, & about 20% have estimated having filled out over 100 applications before either landing a job or giving up. 

About 53.6% reported being on some kind of welfare program. The most common kind of public assistance used were food stamps/ SNAP (27%) and assistance from friends and family (29%); 13% used food and clothing charities,9% used other assistance programs like community action agencies or churches, and 8% were on disability/ SSI. Only 2% received any kind of housing/ rental assistance programs. 

It is important to point out that less than half of respondents identified themselves as members of any online SO activism groups, a third of the respondents were classified Tier 1/ “Low Risk,” a third were classified Tier 2 or higher, and another third were from states with no formal classification system. Many of the respondents were from FL, AL, AR, & OH. Since this was an online survey promoted primarily through SO activist & support groups, this may not completely reflect the true unemployment rates, since some are barred from the Internet per terms of supervision. 

The full study will yield results I think most of us suspected from the start. The short answer is that finding employment as a registered citizen is going to be a slog. It is difficult, but not impossible, to find work. Based on this study, it seems employed SOs are most likely to work a “dead end job” or be self-employed, making a low wage, and with a fair chance of harassment problems at work. Also, expect to fill out lots of applications and spend upwards of a year or more searching for a job. However, there is hope of having a better life even as a registered citizen. A notable minority of SOs have good jobs and own their own homes. If you cannot get a job, at least you can qualify for a number of assistance programs, with the notable exception of housing (SOs are banned from Sec8 IF the registration requirement is lifetime). Though this survey hasn’t discovered anything groundbreaking, the goal was to help you understand the job climate as an SO. It isn’t hopeless, but obviously harder.

PS: I wrote an article about one of my recent job experiences, which has been published on RSOL's supplementary project 'Tales From The Registry." Please check it out. 

http://talesfromtheregistry.org/?p=2085

Well, damn, Predator Panic didn't even make the top 10 fears in America...

So what did Americans fear the most in 2015?

They don't have a category for "registered sex offenders" but here are the stats for sex crime fears.

Rape by a stranger Crime 14.5
Rape by someone you know Crime 11.3
Talking to Stranger Daily Life 9.7

Read more here: https://blogs.chapman.edu/wilkinson/2015/10/13/americas-top-fears-2015/

The bottom line -- people fear our legislators more than the fear sex crimes. And with good reason...

Say THIS three times fast: My Poignantly Pugnacious Proclamation about the "P" word

Say THIS three times fast: My Poignantly Pugnacious Proclamation about the P word

Derek W. Logue

February 15, 2015

As I plod along at the prelude to my day, pandiculating and percolating the morning brew, I’ve been perpetually pissed while pondering the pathetically pedantic pontifications of pulpit-thumping pandering politicians (and Chris Smith in particular) in light of the perilous passage of “International Megan’s Law,” a perfunctory yet preposterous proposal that proliferated with pizzlos, pending the proofreading and passage by our President, probably poised to be penned in a public pageant. While the populace participates in pococurantism about the plight of people perceived to be “pedophiles,” perhaps the propriety of placing a pock on our passports should be probed. International Megan’s Law was promoted as a panacea for pedophiles procuring prohibited petting and procreation with prepubescents, a pulchritudinous pick for plugging their proposition for reelection. In palpability, by promoting the P word to pass this paedonymic law, this proposal is proportionately part poppycock, part paddy-donny, part phooey, and part piffle! This pernicious proposal is more panchreston than panacea. For the victim industry, this preposterous proposal produces posh, padding their pantagruelian pockets with Pactolian proceeds as the proletariats and the poor pay the price for our purblind perceptions of the paltry performance of presently prevalent preventative programs on the part of promoting public protection. The potential percussions of this proposal is picayune or piddling at best and pestilential at worst. IML is a pretext for the panoptic purging of protections procured by the passage of the US Constitution and a prerequisite for a totalitatian-controlled populace. 

If the person perusing my proclamation is perplexed or puggled by the preceding paragraph, perhaps a pithy play-by-play of the preceding paragraph is paramount. 

Simply put, I spent my morning angry that International Megan’s law passed legislation and will be signed into law. I witnessed both both Chris Smith and some media outlets are using the P word (pedophile) to promote IML to our ignorant American society. Yes, it seems most folks don’t give a damn about our rights because they blindly believe that this law will prevent “sex tourism” or ‘sex trafficking.  Maybe they should consider what these “unique identifiers” mean for everyone with a US passport. This is stupid. The law is meant to be a cure-all, but instead, makes a simplistic, catch-all law that is ineffective and will cost taxpayers a lot of money. 

But if there is one “P” word that perplexes and perturb anti-registry activists seem to be the word PROTEST. It is obviously easier to pay a legal pugilist to make this all go away, yet we seem panic-stricken at the thought of engaging in a public protest. Someone recently stated we should parch our PASSPORTS, but how many of you would willingly PARTICIPATE? 

Protesting is one P word our push to put an end to the public pillory should promote. 

The ARM’s “P” Words:

http://www.anti-registrymovement.org/arms-four-p-words.html

As far as where I found many of the other P words in this proclaimation, peruse this page

http://mentalfloss.com/article/74108/40-peculiar-p-words-pep-your-vocabulary

We need more of this in 2016

Bad News: HR 515 passed suspension of the rules. Prepare for the Kristallnacht next.

Well folks, it should come as no shock that despite our efforts, there was no objection to passing the Passport marks in HR 515. Now that this bill is passed, how long until we see the Kristallnacht?

I thank those who put forth an unprecedented effort to put a stop to this fascist law, but it appears our efforts fell on deaf ears. WE simply lack the resources to do anything at a national level. There should be thousands, nay, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of folks opposing HR 515. But no matter. I suppose the next step is in litigation (quite frankly, I have my doubts that will be effective).

So in my frustration and anger, I have targeted four Nazi representatives that spoke passionately to pass this fascist law --

Rep. Brendan Boyle

Rep. Chris Smith

Rep. Robert Pittenger

Rep. Ann Wagner

Rep. Brendan Boyle, Rep. Ann Wagner, Rep. Robert Pittenger, and most of all, Rep. Chris Smith, would make the Nazi regime proud. 'Murka has officially joined Nazi Germany by requiring a mark of infamy on the passports of an unpopular group. Quite frankly, everyone on the House floor should've been hanged as a traitor, but I'd settle for a public hanging of these four.

ACTION ALERT! International Megan's Law is due up for suspension of the rules 2/1/16 @ 6:30pm!

ACTION ALERT! If you have a passport, you have just one day to oppose International Megan's Law (HR 515). If passed, you WILL be required to turn in your passports and have a new one marked with a "unique identifier" marking you as a registered sex offender. I shouldn't even have to mention how heinous that provision will be for us. This is a FEDERAL law, NOT a state law.

Paul Rigney of the Registrant Travel Action Group (a subsidiary of Narional RSOL), urgently requests that everyone please help with the following:

1. Everyone, call and have others call The Speakers office THIS Monday morning. 202-225-600, 202-225-3031.

David: We need to tell them that they must not vote on H.R. 515 under RULES OF SUSPENSION because the bill received an amendment from the Senate that is SUBSTANTIVE and HISTORIC. (U.S. passports have never been branded with criminal convictions of citizens before)

I would like to see 500 phone calls. Please put this up on Affiliates websites. Lets leave hundreds of messages on 202-225-0600 for them to sort through Monday morning
(202) 225-0600
(202) 225-0600
(202) 225-0600
(202) 225-0600
(202) 225-0600
(202) 225-0600
(202) 225-0600

2. Spread Josh Graven’s petition that should go directly to their representative.

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/hr-515-international-megans-law

(This site will look up your Congressman for you! How convenient, right?)

3. Sign the Change.org petition at:

https://www.change.org/p/u-s-house-of-representatives-vote-against-hr-515

For those with Twitter accounts, tweet this , “Are you familiar with International Megan’s #Law, or IML? http://ow.ly/WITZv” sends to David Post’s article. Also, please TWEET the following image and message which can be found here (simply right-click and save the image to your hard drive and then insert it, along with the text message, into new Tweets):

https://twitter.com/IndividLiberty/status/691870334220423168

Also, you could help further by re-tweeting Tweets already sent to House members which have been sent from that Twitter account.

5. Continue to call and email congressional members.

Use the banner at the top of the screen.
__________________________________________________________________
Below is my letter to Congress. You can use it as a template if you want.

On 2/1/16, the CONTROVERSIAL International Megan's Law is up for "suspension of the rules." This must not pass! IML as written will place a "unique identifier" on the passports of ALL registered citizens and will establish a new bureaucracy for expanded government control.

International Megan’s Law is an attempt at imposing the American way of thinking on the rest of the world, an act of arrogance that will lead to disastrous results if implemented. IML will attempt to force other nations to create a registry and raise the age of consent to conform to the American standards. This is a blatant violation of international law and a show of contempt for the governments of all nations who do not maintain close ties to the US.

Victim industry advocates have tried to justify International Megan’s Law using anecdotal examples, assumptions, unsourced statistics and non sequiturs to attempt to justify this bad piece of legislation. In reality, various government agencies have reported they have found very few examples of actual sex tourism, and even fewer examples of sex tourism from a registered citizen. It is estimated only about 10 convictions a year occur from Americans engaging in sex tourism annually. The GAO, the US Dept. of Justice, ICE, and the now defunct NDIC have all stated they have found few, if any, examples of Americans traveling abroad specifically to engage in sex tourism or sex trafficking. Key researchers studying sex crimes have repeatedly warned their own research or the research of others have been misinterpreted or distorted by those trying to promote human sex trafficking as America’s next social panic.

International Megan’s Law will be a costly and ineffective measure. It will cost millions just to establish a new bureaucratic agency and to revise the passports of registered citizens. It will cost millions more to enforce the various proposed changes to passports proposed by Congress. Passport limits run afoul of international law, particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), by interfering with the free movement of citizens. The ICCPR was signed, ratified, and enforced by the US. In addition, 22 U.S. Code § 217a has been narrowly tailored to limit passports only to those registrants convicted in a court of law for sex tourism, thus nullifying the perceived need to pass IML passport provisions. As previously noted, very few cases of sex tourism/ trafficking are confirmed by government agencies, so the cost of investigating and prosecuting a mere handful of cases do not justify the need for a new bureaucracy, especially if the SMART office is passing IML notification provisions without the authorization of Congress.

The proposal to mark the passports of registered citizens is unprecedented in American history and is offensive enough that even mass media have made parallels between International Megan’s Law and Nazi law. In 1938, the Nazi government required all Jews to surrender their passports and have new passports issued with a scarlet “J” stamped on them. If IML passes, registered citizens will be forced to surrender their passports and have new passports issued with a “unique identifier” on them. In addition to the obvious parallel to Nazi law, this practice will obviously lead to travel impediments and denials of entry across the globe for all registrants regardless of offense. This mark of infamy could potentially lead to travel problems domestically as states struggle to fall into compliance with the so-called “REAL ID” system and thus requiring passports to fly within the boundaries of the US. Furthermore, IML could have an effect described as “humiliating” and “devastating” for individuals whose passports may be falsely marked as belonging to a registered citizen and would lead to costly litigation.

While certain provisions of IML imply that these provisions would be limited to “high risk/ interest” registrants, the harsh reality is this law will be applied to every registered citizen regardless of offense, even teens who engaged in consensual relations with other teens. The law is especially difficult for juveniles on the registry, who are assumed to be less likely to reoffend, more amenable to rehabilitation, and far less likely to become a “sex tourist.”

Finally, International Megan’s Law violates a number of constitutional safeguards, including the 1st (freedom of association) and 14th (Due process) Amendments, as well as the Ex Post Facto clause. In addition, protecting the reputation of American travels and their privacy is of great governmental interest, especially given the attitude of much of the world regarding American tourists. Unconsidered in this report was the potential chilling effect IML could have on ALL American tourists as the US gains a reputation for being a country full of “sex traffickers.” International Megan’s Law will ultimately do far more harm than good, not just in regard to registered citizens, but for the reputation of this nation as well.

For the full report and references for my assertions, go to http://www.oncefallen.com/internationalmeganslaw

Once Fallen's Christmas Wishlist

Hello all,

Whether or not you are religious (I know not all of us are), this is still the time of the year most of us spend time with family and share gifts with others. I'm not crazy about making requests, but I still have an operation to run, and even on Christmas day, I'll still be "on the clock." With that in mind, there are a few things I would like from my followers. I guess you could call it a Christmas wishlist. 

First and foremost, the plans for #OpGetSMART, the Anti-Registry Movement's Washington DC event on April 5-6, is pretty much set in stone. As with most projects, #OpGetSMART will only be successful if we invest money and manpower into this event. I want everyone willing to attend to come to DC, and if you can't, then consider donating to the event. Brochures and other props to be used for the event cost money, after all, and we also hope to help offset some of the costs of being in DC. If you want more information, including obtaining a copy of the Field Guide for the event, email me at iamthefallen1@yahoo.com. If you are attending the event, plan early because we are hosting the event during a peak time for DC traveling. 

Second, because December is a very slow time of the year, I'm extending the Job & Welfare Survey for another month. At this point, I've had 155 completed survey, but only 12 of those were completed this month. That's understandable, since the time between Thanksgiving and New Year's is extremely slow. Thus, i'm asking that you share this very important survey, which will help better advise folks on employment issues. Here is the link to the survey: https://eSurv.org?s=LMJONK_69a07f7b

In a little over a week, voting for the 2015 Shiitake Awards will begin. This is my favorite project so I hope that voter turnout will be good. 

That is a short list, but I never feel I ask for much. I feel 2015 was a year full of disappointments (not with the cause but with the social climate), as it seems the level of sex offender legislation increased over previous years, and with International Megan's Law, residency law battles in Wisconsin and NY state, the blowback against releasing illegally detained "patients" at the MN civil commitment centers, and Michigan looking to reinstate "child safety zones" all looming on the horizon, we need to step up our game in 2016. Who is with me?

Muslim and Sex Offender Panics: NIMBYism as the Common Bond

(Note: For those unfamiliar with the term, NIMBY is an acronym for "Not In My Back Yard.")

It has not yet two full weeks since the mass shooting in San Bernardino, and already there had been a spate of NIMBYism regarding people from Muslim-controlled countries. Even before the shooting, America was already in full NIMBY mode after the attacks on Paris. Because one of the Paris shooters was suspected of entering France posing as a Syrian refugee, a number of US states have vowed not to accept any Syrian refugees. Toupeed Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump has made waves with his vow to ban Muslims from the US, a move that has a lot of support among Republican voters. Even Trump's critics have openly expressed their fears of Muslims. 

Just look at this New York Times article on American fears about Muslims in the wake of the recent shooting. Beverly Swanburg, 73, from Milford, NH said, “We should not let any more in, any more immigrants from Mexico or Muslim... [They] went to the shooting range the day before. Somebody there should have looked at them as Muslims at a shooting range and paid a little more attention.” Darlene Linares, 19, a supporter of the Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders in San Bernardino,  added that her mother, who immigrated from El Salvador in 1995, was on board with Mr. Trump. “My mom actually agrees,” she said. “She thinks that Muslims are all the same.” Arleigh Clemens, 78, a retired construction worker from North Liberty, Iowa, used a mathematical analogy. “Let’s say you have a jar with 10,000 M&Ms, and only 10 of them are poisoned,” he said. “Would you eat them?” Our fears border on the absurd, as MSN reports that a growing number of Americans now fear "Jihad Brides," foreign-born brides who support the Islamic State group could marry Americans to come to the U.S. to carry out extremist missions.

These fearful Americans are also doing whatever they can to make Muslims in America as uncomfortable as possible. The NY Times reported one Muslim woman who shared her story of being harassed and insulted in a grocery store on Facebook had nearly 300 replies, some from other American Muslims on their experiences with bias — being called a “raghead” or a “Christian killer,” being almost run over, being told to go home, as if home were not here. Many offered solidarity and solace.

Perhaps the scariest response to Muslim Panic has been the presence of armed citizen groups like the  so-called "Three Percenters," armed "Patriots" that have been blamed for threats and vandalism against lawmakers, police and Muslims alike. An MSN article stated the following about these groups: "Followers appear to consist mainly of white, male, conservative gun owners who believe the nation has been pushed to a tipping point by socialists in government aiming to disarm them, strip their constitutional rights and take their property, according to groups that track anti-government movements." Their founder, a former militia member named Michael B. "Mike" Vanderboegh, stresses what he calls "armed civil disobedience." Ironically, people fearing their own loss of rights, particularly gun ownership rights, are quite content with trampling on the rights of others. (As an aside, I have yet to see any real push to take away the right to own firearms. Those folks complaining about gun rights are complaining about background checks and gun restrictions in government buildings and private businesses.)

In Mesa, AZ, similar acts of NIMBYism were conducted against that other group of which Americans tend to share an equally unhealthy fear-- sex offenders. In response to a halfway house for registered citizens opening up in the neighborhood, a group of about 50 white, middle class neighbors organized to attempt to chase them out of the neighborhood. In a news story for ABC 15, Mesa resident Chris Vogt stated, "We are going to make them as uncomfortable as possible." In the subsequent protest against the halfway house, one of the protesters trespassed on the property and started shouting at the reporter and the woman running the halfway house, shouting, Time to go!" When asked to leave the property, the old, white man with the Duck Dynasty beard angrily retorted, "Kiss my royal [unintelligible by I assume he said rectum]." The news report also added “We have verified a zoning violation for operation of a group care facility in a single family residence, without proper zoning entitlement,” said Darren Gerard with the county. Thus, the program is likely to be shut down before it even begins. 

I can't help but to notice the glaring similarities between these two forms of NIMBYism. In both instances, a series of isolated incidents have raised public fears to a level of absurdity matched only by the reactionary responses to this rare threat. People equate Muslim with "terrorist" just as people equate registered citizen with "pedophile." The typical response is various forms of NIMBYism. About 30 states, primarily in the Midwestern and Southern states, have declared they will do all they can to exclude Syrian Refugees from relocating to their states. About 30 states have some form of residency restriction laws, again concentrated in Midwestern and Southern states. We have illegally detained suspected terrorists indefinitely in offshore centers, while states like Minnesota have detained a number of convicted sex offenders who have served out their sentences but have been declared a threat to the public based on an arbitrary system. Protesters harass Muslims; protesters harass registered citizens. People have attacked Muslims and burn down Mosques; people have murdered registered citizens and have even burned down their homes. People want reduced civil rights for Muslim immigrants and visitors; people also push for reduced rights for registered citizens. Muslims and registered citizens alike are unwanted in many communities. Of course, we don't talk about Muslims being raped in prison with glee the way we do a sex offender.

In this country, "stereotypical kidnappings," the event we fear most and the event we use to justify these tough-on-sex-crime laws, are very rare events. In this country, "stereotypical terrorism" is an extremely rare event, and yet, the entirety of the latest Republican presidential debate focused on the "threat of terrorism." While we focus so much of our fears and public policies on these two extremely rare events, issues of greater importance, such as police brutality (far more Americans have been killed by cops than by terrorists and sex offenders combined), are not adequately being addressed. Problems do not get resolved by allowing fear to cloud judgment.

I know many of you are reluctant to make comparisons like this, but, to use a famous quote from the Star Wars movie, "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." But law-abiding and peaceful Muslims, folks labeled as "sex offenders," and a host of other unpopular groups in America have felt the effects of this philosophy. While the quote may have been uttered by a fictional character, the words are a harsh reality.

Muslims are taking to the streets to challenge the stereotypes and prejudices espoused by the American people. I hope registered citizens and their loved ones learn to do the same. On April 5 & 6, 2016, the Anti-Registry Movement will be at the steps of the US Supreme Court, the NCMEC, and the SMART Office to educate the public and politicians in an innovative way, and we invite you to join us. If you cannot, support the cause by donating to the upcoming #OpGetSMART. You can donate directly to Once Fallen through PayPal at iamthefallen1@yahoo.com or mail donations to Derek Logue, 8258 Monon Ave. #3, Cincinnati, OH 45216. (You don't have to specify it is for #OpGetSMART, as all donations I receive between now and April will be for the event.)

If we don't fight for ourselves, who will fight for us? 

ANNOUNCEMENT: Once Fallen DOES NOT Endorse, support, or promote ANY books by Shaun Webb

It is not often I make a public statement concerning an individual but I feel I must. Once Fallen has tried to promote individuals who write books or make videos or design websites and the like. Let's be honest, not everyone has the talent to write books or make videos or run websites. But I try to promote people even when their work does not appeal to me. 

Shaun Webb is a self-published author and has written a few books, including A Motion For Innocence, Behind the Brick, and Lost Youth: A True Story. Like most people who solicit me for possible inclusion of their books onto my website, I generally ask for a copy of their work to review. I have read all three of Shaun's books I mentioned, and while they were nothing worth writing home about, I offered a favorable review in return for the free books because I figured a few of you could overlook the lack of writing talent and support a fellow registrant in need. 

HOWEVER, recently Shaun became upset with me over a trifling issue, and because of his recent online behavior (aligning yourself with the likes of Valerie "Valigator" Parkhurst is not helping your cause), I rescinded my generous offer of a favorable review. Shaun has a history of harassing anyone who posts negative reviews, and has been banned from Goodreads numerous times. 

As of this moment, Once Fallen does not endorse, support or promote any of Shaun Webb's books. I would not have felt the need to state this publicly except for the fact he sent a nasty message stating he was going to continue to use my name and likeness to promote his books. DEREK LOGUE AND ONCE FALLEN DOES NOT ENDORSE, PROMOTE, OR SUPPORT THE WORKS OF SHAUN WEBB. 

If you see any favorable reports an any of Shaun Webb's books using the name Derek W. Logue (or any variation of my name), or as OnceFallen.com (or any variation of my organizational name), please send an email informing me of this development at iamthefallen1@yahoo.com

ADDENDUM: It seem Shaun Webb does not understand the concept of "Fair Use," but using one's name and likeness for commercial purposes does NOT fall under Fair Use. That is yet another example of his ineptitude in regards to legal issues. I expect nothing less from a guy who can't even understand the difference between "vial" (a glass container) and "vile" (people like Shaun and his friend Valigator).

Shaun Webb has been added to the AZ Unites anti-vigilante blog. Fellow activists, be warned, don't trust him. 

Derek's Day in DC

Chaaaaaaaaarge!

On Tuesday, 10/27 and Wednesday, 10/28, I went to Washington DC to scout locations for the upcoming operation known as Operation Get SMART, an event to be held the first week of April 2016 as well as shoot video for a couple of upcoming projects. (It was also a bit of an early birthday present for myself, a I turned 39 on October 31).

Since Dennis Sobin from the Safe Streets Arts Foundation offered a hand and has already posted a video of my trip online, I thought I would discuss my trip. My primary goal was to scout the locations of the April operation. The theme for the ad is calling in the Calvary and it is time we take chaaaarge on DC. After all, John Walsh and the legislators have declared war on registered citizens and their families long ago, and it is time we fight back. 

After talking with Dennis Sobin, we made plans to visit the US Senate offices, stating with my senator, Rob Portman, who was among the first to meet John Walsh as he is lobbying for more funding for the Adam Walsh Act. I, for one, have not tried lobbying in Washington so I figured I'd try to meet a senator or two. If Johnny can do it, I can at least give it a whirl. 

It was actually Dennis's idea that I wear the Calvary uniform (I rented it only to cut a promo for OpGetSMART), but it turned out to be a good idea, It certainly got attention, and it became a talking point to curious legislative aides in each of the 16 offices. Dennis decided to film the experience in hopes that my fellow activists will find the experience encouraging. Keep in mind this was a rather spur-of-the-moment decision so I had little preparation time. Dennis printed out some of those "Cost of the AWA" brochures from the SOSEN website for me and we rode to the Russell Senate Building to start with Sen. Portman. 

You can see Dennis's video here:

Senators are busy folks but their offices have secretaries or legislative aides manning the office at all times. With cameras rolling, I pitched my idea to abolish the AWA, or at least defund it, and offered a brochure. Everything seemed to be going smoothly until I reached the office of VA Senator Mark Warner. The staff there were a bit standoff-ish but I left my brochure and moved on to the next office. It was then we were approached by two Capitol Cops. They are like the Keystone Cops but they are at the Capitol, so lets call them the Kapitol Kops. 

So the Kapitol Kops stopped us because one of the guys in the Virginia Office apparently took offense to Sobin filming the meetings. After all, they asked him to leave and after they told him to stop filming, she stood outside the office while I talked to them. They must have been stalling me to get them there. These Kapitol Kops weren't the worst I've seen but I was very unimpressed with the black female cop. She asked me why I was there, and so I offered the same statement I was giving everyone that day, that I wanted the Adam Walsh Act repealed in favor of evidence-based laws. The female cop then made the snide remark "That'll  never happen," so I reminded her that if laws were always subject to popular opinion, slavery would never have been abolished. It seems she got the message. 

Dennis Sobin got the names of the Kapitol Kops and promised to contact the ACLU about it. Sobin left to attend other meetings so I stayed behind to continue my mission to visit the offices of US Senators and pass out brochures. 

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful as I visited the rest of the offices before I ran out of fliers. Aside from the Virginia office, everyone listened to my speech, took my brochure, and thanked me for stopping by. No one was rude to me, and they were all curious as to who this guy was entering their office in a civil war uniform. I saw both Alabama Senator offices, Ted Cruz's office, the North Dakota office (complete with bison head because they "love their Buffaloes"), and ending my day at the office of Mike Lee of Utah. There was a lone female secretary in the office so it was obvious the Senator wasn't available. But, it was my last brochure so I gave my usual speech. The secretary seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say, and instead of the usual three minute blurb, the conversation  lasted about half an hour, and i was asked a lot of good questions. I left that day feeling hopeful that if a few more of us took the time to do stuff like this,, we could make waves even in a place like Washington DC.

On April 5 and 6, 2016, I will be back in DC, and I hope a few more anti-registry activists will join me. You can join me as we demonstrate in front of the US Supreme Court, or you can spend the day walking the halls of the legislature like I did. Bring your own Union soldier costume-- it was a hit for me :)

-- A big assist came from Dennis Sobin of the Safe Streets arts Foundation AND the Idiots Registry.