From RSOL to NARSOL, but why?
By Robin . . . By now, many of you should have noticed (and a great many of you have been told), that RSOL is now NARSOL. But what exactly does that mean?
First, nothing is going to happen to RSOL’s vision or mission. And nothing will change about our stated goals or assertions. Everything RSOL is doing–or has already done–will continue along as usual. The ONLY thing that has changed is the name.
For years, RSOL’s board of directors struggled over the fact that the words “sex offender” were included in our corporate name. Like many of you, we are sensitive about using the term and preferred a more appropriate nomenclature. Registrants or registered citizens are standard usage now unless it’s absolutely necessary to revert to “sex offenders” to ensure the broader public understands the reference.
In early Fall of 2016, RSOL’s board of directors decided to move the corporation out of California. This was strictly a business decision having mostly to do with the burdensome regulatory requirements of being a California corporation. However, this move presented a convenient opportunity to change the corporate name. The board seized the opportunity and began deliberating on a new name.
We felt that whatever name we arrived at should retain the familiar letters R-S-O-L, but we also wanted to jettison the words “sex offender.” So began the process of arriving at a new name that would represent the full scope of all the areas of advocacy in which we are involved as an organization. After several proposals were circulated and discussed, National Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws (or NARSOL, for short) was the prevailing choice. It’s a longer name than what it replaces, but we’re growing more comfortable with it each and every day. We hope you’ll do the same. As time goes by, here’s hoping that it will eventually be as common and comfortable to say NAR-SOL as it has been to say RSOL.
Until the new name rolls off your tongue as easily and conveniently as the old, don’t worry. We’ll continue to respond to RSOL. But you’ll pardon us, we hope, if we politely remind you to “please call us NARSOL.”
Often we see comments from people who refer to themselves as “Sex Offenders” . From here on, if we see something like that we should kindly correct that person.
Some of us may have been convicted of a sex offense in the past and we may be forced to register on the sex offender registry, but we are not “sex offenders” as in people who will continue to offend.
We need to change our mind set, so lets begin making a habit out of referring to ourselves or others forced to register as “registrants” and explain that we have been convicted of a sex crime in our past, but make it clear that does not define who we are today.
Amen, Fred. Well put!
Exactly, Fred. I find it curiously funny how when someone has has abused drugs or alcohol, they are referred to as “recovering” or “former” abuser. But we are forever “sex offenders” in the eyes of the public, even if we have a 1 time offense, not an addiction to sexually offending. Our society is so hypocritical it’s sickening.
I do the same by using the word underage instead of ‘child’ when there is an obvious difference. A matter of symantics, and not to diminish, but an important distinction, especially where a 17 year old and 8 year old victim are concerned – in my opinion.
I was going to post the same thing….the term sex offender is a misnomer. Whether this term was popularized by the media and the government with the implication that these people are currently offending is up for judgement. Based on the past neither the media nor the government have done us many favors.
Thanks for the explanation!
I HATE the term “sex offender” and am glad there is an effort to avoid using these misleading and maligning words, Registered Citizen works for me…but still sends a chill down my spine.
Registered Citizen is a great term for someone on the registry it helps to point out the unconstitutionality of the registry as all citizens are not registered it is a violation of equal protections/rights for anyone to be. The only problem I can think of with the new terminology is it will be a while before regular folks know who you are talking about. Registered voters? Car registration? It does not describe what kind of registration it is. Don’t get me wrong I would rather it not I just think it will make it harder for us to get our point across when talking about our selves if they do not know who we are and that is the people known as ” Sex Offenders” I would recommend the combination of both until it takes hold in the PC world but don’t be surprised if the PC people reject it and what a hipocrisy that would be.
I like “Witch-hunted detainees” better.
“Registered citizen” still sounds too militant and scary.
Tenn. Is being sued ,I wanted in on it because of my case and said I had a winner but don’t have the money
If a real outrage. A person can kill someone and after serving 15-live they can get out and go on with their lives. But on the flip side, someone labeled as “sex offender” has to not only carry the burden of being labeled their entire life, but also unfair and not justifiable tier increases as well as longer registration periods. Not everyone onMegans Law is looking to reoffend. Some of us, like myself either did something stupid, were somewhere we should not have been, or were unaware they were actually Comitting a crime(underage).