Calling all advocates: We are bound for D.C.
Women Against the Registry (W.A.R.) is planning a three-day conference, lobby day, and vigil and bringing together advocates from across the country for a special three-day event March 5 – 7 in Washington DC. Entitled “Teamwork makes the DreamWork,” it seeks to bring all of us working against present sexual offense laws and policies together to meet each other, to learn, and to act. NARSOL board members David Garlock and Paul Shannon will be participating in the event.
Sunday, March 5 is an all-day conference, a day filled with an impressive array of professionals and advocates presenting and facilitating break-out groups. The final speaker for the day will be NARSOL board member David Garlock.
Monday will start with a unified panel discussion with representatives from NARSOL, W.A.R., and other advocacy groups. NARSOL board member and chair emeritus Paul Shannon will represent NARSOL. This will be followed by a Capitol Hill visit and training in preparation for visits to our members of Congress.
The main event during our time in D.C. after the conference is the vigil on March 7 near the U.S. Supreme Court to call attention to the 20th anniversary of the Smith v. Doe decision, which has significantly harmed and continues to harm registrants and their families. That decision was signed by one now retired and one current justice.
Conference reservation information is available at womenagainstregistry.org/ticket and hotel reservation information can be found at womenagainstregistry.org/hotel.
If this does present information to members of congress and the SCOTUS then I hope there are verified statistics of all the murders, violence, suicide and harm brought to families as a direct result of the registry. These people need to see the harm the registry does and the obvious ommission of any preventive actions resulting from its implementation.