In classiest act category, winners are Luke, OSU
By Sandy….part 3 of a 3-part series…..
“I’m sad to say I am not joining [the Beavers at the College World Series] because doing so would only create further distraction for my teammates, more turmoil for my family and given the high profile of the national championship, direct even more unwanted attention to an innocent young girl,” was part of Luke Heimlich’s statement released the 15th.
He continued, “I want to wish my teammates the best. I hope they understand this decision as my family and I continue to work through this together. My hope is to return to OSU next year as a student-athlete and continue to earn the trust of my community.
“For the past six years, I have done everything in my power to demonstrate that I am someone my family and my community can be proud of and show the one person who has suffered the most that I am committed to living a life of integrity. This situation has caused great pain to my family members over the years and I am devastated that they have to relive it all again so publicly.”
According to his coaches and instructors, Luke is excelling at his commitment to earn the trust and respect of his community.
In a statement released shortly after Luke’s was released, Ed Ray, president of Oregon State, backed the pitcher’s decision to extend his leave of absence and said he supported Heimlich continuing his education at Oregon State and rejoining the baseball team next season.
NARSOL and all who support the rights of those who have criminal pasts to demonstrate their rehabilitation and become productive citizens commend both Luke and the university for their actions throughout this entire situation.
We recognize that there will be members of the media, the sports community, and the general public who will continue in their condemnation of Luke and their insistence that, due to his behavior when he was a teenager, he is unfit to represent the school or the team. With their negativity toward Luke, they are telling the world that they prefer those who have committed crimes never to be rehabilitated. They are showing that they have a higher regard for their own self-righteous assessment of the situation than they do for what is best for a promising young athlete and an innocent young child and indeed for public safety and society as a whole.
They are showing a complete lack of the qualities for which Luke and Oregon State University have distinguished themselves: honor, dignity, class, and integrity.
This young man is displaying far more integrity and and grace than those who continue to condemn him, as well as causing additional pain to the innocent young girl, and both families involved. This “self-righteous” attitude that has gained such predominance will do far more harm to this nation than Luke Heimlich ever will. This young man absolutely deserves the opportunity to move forward with his life. What the Oregonian has stirred up is loathsome. There is nothing honorable, reasonable, or responsible about the manner in which Luke has been dealt with.
This is the point that “Punished for being alive” missed.
“Luke is excelling at his commitment to earn the trust and respect of his community.”
You see, but that’s just it! Being on the registry is NOT self-proving that you are a legitimate public safety liability! He has NOTHING to prove to anyone. Nor does he owe the public any explanation for his history. His past is not indicative of present or future behavior, actions or judgments.
He could have used this opportunity to call out the gross injustice that is Megan’s Law, but instead, he put his tail between his leg and made peace with his label.
He is going to regret this conciliatory concession speech in a couple years.
Very dispiriting and uninspiring oh him choosing not to make waves.
I agree with this comment 110% and you should try to find a contact for him where you can email this to him.
What’s he’s done is what he’s EXPECTED to do and what he figured he’d BETTER do for the news media – sugarcoat his true feelings about his shit life on the registry.
I’m sick of this! I went to a local newspaper when I was in my 3rd year of probation and I ripped the probation department AND the idea of the registry apart whether the readers liked it or not. Screw them!
They’re all against us until one of their own loved ones does something ….anything, that can land them on the registry.
And how did that work out for you? Did your locale paper even print your angry tirade? Did you help soften the image of registrants? Or did you just give them more evidence that we are violent demented people who can’t be trusted?
Spot on Fred. You can’t feed the stereotype that offenders don’t own up to their actions.
A big turning point in the civil rights movement was getting the general public to feel sympathy. Luke through his humble response and desire to be seen for who he is today has gotten some people to be sympathetic of him.
Nice try Fred, but you didn’t offend me, you just made me laugh because you’re angry that one of use registrants actually attempted to do something rather than come on a website forum and simply complain with other registrants. Wow! That helps, eh?
And yes, they DID print my article. And no, I wasn’t on a “tirade”, but you seem to be a bit twisted.
I have an idea….eenie, meenie, miney, moe…if you’re only going to attack my comments, you know where to go 🙂
Now then, as for my “tirade” in the local paper and helping to make us all look like violent, demented people who can’t be trusted, I explained to them that NO ONE KNOWS WHO MIGHT COMMIT A SEXUAL OFFENSE AND THAT A PERSON WITH NO CRIMINAL RECORD IS NO MORE TRUSTWORTHY THAN THOSE OF US WITH ONE. REMEMBER, THERE WAS A TIME IN OUR LIVES WHEN WE HAD NO CRIMINAL RECORD EITHER.
Does that make us look like violent, demented people? If so, oh well. Someone had to tell it like it is.
P.S. John Everyman, you think Fred is “spot on”? For what? Trying to attack my reply? Oh yeah. He’s spot on, alright. Typical keyboard warrior, he is.
You think I was trying to offend you? You think I am angry? You think I don’t do anything? A lot of assumptions there.
I am just going by your own words ” I ripped the probation department AND the idea of the registry apart whether the readers liked it or not. Screw them!”
That sounds like an angry tirade that doesn’t do anyone any favors. Luke made us look good. I hope you are doing the same.
Whenif OSU loses the series because one of their best hurlers was not p!aying the tone will change. The Oregonian will be partly responsible for its own demise.
No championship will mean less publicity for OSU baseball. The paper will be forced to print words concerning the schools losses in the series. So the Oregonian will have displayed sacrificing the long term advantages from winning the college world series for the short term advantages of yellow journalism.
We outsiders can only hope the public will recognize that difference and place the blame for the lack of a championship pedigree for OSU baseball on the Oregonian leadership!
What a selfish comment for you to make. I get it there are some here who have had to register and you know the pain Luke is going through but Luke doesn’t have public opinion on his side. Most people have thrown him under the bus. The fact he has handled this with class is what may one day get people to show compassion towards RSO.
If he blasted the law or was defiant he would feed into the stereotype that sex offenders never take ownership and never change that you and so many others are trying to fight.
You should be thanking Luke, not throwing him under the bus. Unlike you there are people who have sympathy for him which is better for the RSO community
Great comments there Jonny Everyman, and my hat is off to Fred as well. My heart aches for Luke Heimlich, and I am sorry for what he is having to endure so publicly. In my view this young man has excelled in the manner he has handled this whole affair. He is a perfect example of just how wrong the registry laws are. I appreciate his grace in accepting all that has transpired, and his courage to look forward to next year.
Jonny Everyman,
You and others need to stop living in the land of make believe that you think ANYONE of the people out there in this great big world are going to give a damn about sex offenders.
Who spiked your punch?
This is not ONLY a case of a person who committed a sexual offense, it’s a case of a MINOR who committed a sex offense. The very same group of people (the minors) that we’re so worried about “protecting”. Had he been sexual with an OLDER person, even by his own experimental consent, he’d be the victim, not the perpetrator. Funny, isn’t it?
And it’s about time SOMEONE speaks up and throws it in the face of the lawmakers AND society at large.
The day anyone’s kid gets caught up in a sexual offense be it touching or sexting, watch how fast those parents start crying to their attorneys “Not MY child! They’re just being kids and didn’t know any better. Do something!!!” They’re not going to give a damn about anyone “owning up” to the offense as much as they’re gonna beg for their kid to NOT be listed on the “pedophile list”, as so many refer to it.
This is also not about “owning up to” whatever it was we did. Some people have very serious offenses, others have petty offenses. Whatever the case, you’re shooting yourself in the foot by saying “why do we need to be branded for life” and out of the other side of your mouth you’re saying “we need to own up to our offenses”
Obviously society doesn’t care if we’ve owned up or not. The way the majority sees it – we never will own up.
So yeah, I’ll keep it real while you live in imaginary land that people are ever going to sympathize with us. Good luck with that.
“And it’s about time SOMEONE speaks up and throws it in the face of the lawmakers AND society at large.”
Because that is clearly working out well for you…
Nobody is disagreeing with your points. You are 100% correct about that. It’s your approach that needs work. Yes we need to raise awareness, educate and point out the unconstitutionality and harmful effects, but we need to do that with a level of maturity and thoughtfulness. If we only attack with harsh and angry words, they are just going to dig in and resist any change, while labeling us irrational and emotionally unstable on top of everything else.
I used to be just like you with my “call to arms” approach. I thought we could fill the streets with our pitchforks, and then they would listen. Eventually I learned that approach is not realistic and that we are seeing much better results when we display ourselves as the mature rational adults we are. We are taken much more seriously when we drop the angry tone and speak calmly. People are more likely to listen then.
Amen brother, some of these guys like to hear talk whether it makes any sense or not. Another word for them comes to mind.. delusional
Some of us are overlooking some important points. First, his life wasn’t “shit” before this media storm broke. He was doing what he wanted where he wanted and doing it well. It wasn’t until what the state intended to remain private became public that it all changed.
Secondly, there is no reason whatsoever, beginning with Luke’s own words, to believe that he was not guilty of harming his young relative. He should feel remorse, and it is to his credit that he does so. He is the one who feels he needs to make up for his behavior and earn respect. Those are his feelings. There is, again, no reason to believe he is not sincere.
It is most important to point out the law has no bold and endeering clause or stipulation that any ex offender must prove anything to the public! Period we the people do not have the right to conjure up a heavy burden of crap on the part of the victimizer to fulfill post prison! This is accumulated bs! It needs to stop! Ex offenders pay and are free to move on within society! Hello ! No extrA crap is suppose to be allowed! Hello! Is anyone getting this! Let’s face the truth of all sides of life’s stories and let’s move on with life as it should! No bias no grudges no bs extras no hyperbolic inflammatory public rhetoric! No stupid and regressive policies that take the law back to the bc time! Let’s wake up people! We are suppose to be an advanced civilized society that has seen and known to. E above eye for eye and understand how psychology, psychiatry and socially should be used to really help people in need!
I feel for Luke, I really do. He has to do what he feels is right for the one side of the coin. That’s the side that feels that anyone who commits this crime is useless for the rest of their life. Then he has to be subjected to the people on this forum that thinks every thing he does has to yell out that the registry is wrong, and that doing what is right for him is wrong for the community at large. Damn he is just a kid and has to make these decisions. I am in my 50’s and I think this would give me a nervous breakdown. Ok, I know it would give me a nervous breakdown, because I am just getting over one.
There comes a time when doing the right thing is wrong for someone else, and we can’t condemn the young man for deciding it is time to just be for himself, not anyone else.
I take my hat off to Luke and say “Job well done. If they don’t want to listen now, just keep doing what you’re doing, and maybe, just maybe, they will listen in the future”
Let’s not act like idiots about Luke’s situation no one gives him justice! Life is suppose to continue without fear of retaliation or continued punishment! This country is regressing! And we the people are letting all the victimhood culture get more than they should! If you are not helping Luke, you are cowards! Idle silly political talk does nothing important! Let’s get together and stop over-punishment! It is a crime regardless of what victims or authorities say!
Hats off to The state of Oregon . They’ve proved time and time again they are probably the only state that truly gives second chances