[Sandy RozekAdmin]

What a wonderful thing the city of Tampa, in conjunction with Catholic Charities, is doing. Concern for the homeless during these days of stay-at-home
[See the full post at: This time “No sex offenders allowed” could equal a death sentence]

[Papajoe]

Wow! Selfish Catholic Charities, excuse me, are they not some of the biggest offenders. I am not judging just saying.

[Dustin]

Are we really surprised? It’s Florida, for crying out loud.

[JamieModerator]

Wow. But then again, why am I not surprised? I also know that there are a lot of places like recovery houses for people dealing with addiction issues that won’t allow RSOs, either. Nursing homes, too. When it comes to any kind of housing, seems there is always that once clause, “no sex offenders”.

[Old Offender]

The result of narrow-minded thinking fed by the feeding frenzy of the media. Sad indeed. Doesn’t the Catholic Church understand Jesus associated with the outcasts of his society? “As you have done it to the least of these, you have done it unto me”

[JamieModerator]

@Old Offender, seems when its comes to RSOs, Christianity seems to have a rather “selective memory” or they think there are exceptions to the rule. “Yeah, Jesus said that, BUT…”

[CharlieModerator]

@ Jamie and several others that have posted on that topic today: when we get riled up about an injustice, one that we can point our fingers at easily such as this, it’s too easy too prone to the same hyperbole and anger that’s being dealt out to those of us affected by the registry. It is not “Christianity” that makes these people’s decisions wrong. Nor is it Christianity that’s the problem. It is individuals acting inappropriately with in there positional authority to act. I’m as appalled that a church or church sponsored organization would act in such a discriminating way as the rest of you. But frankly the hyperbolic attack on Christianity as a group is as disgusting to as when society attacks registered citizens as a group. I think we should be aware of what we do collectively and individually that puts us into a place of hypocrisy ourselves. I absolutely reject the Catholic charities’ and city of Tampa’s decision to exclude registered citizens. But I’m just as angry about the idea that some of our collective and marginalize group would submit to such groupthink and attack a religious faith rather than identify the behavior of the individuals that are actually individually responsible for the decision to perpetrate this heinous act of ostracizing registered citizens just because that’s how they have been conditioned to respond. As a moderator I try very hard do not abuse my ability to censor people’s thoughts and comments. But I also think that as a moderator part of my responsibility is to point out when the conversation turns towards the same type of hyperbolic rage against an identifiable group, lumping them all into the samecategory of evil persons based on oned own belief or non-belief in a religious faith. Let’s not act like the people that harm us.

[Andrew Eisenhauer]

I wonder. What would Jesus do??

[Ben]

This is the “Christianity” of today: “Jesus commands us to help the least of these and show compassion and grace…..buuuut….. Jesus never said nothin’ ’bout them sex’shul offenders, so don’t you do nothin’ for them! They’re goin’ ta HYELL!!!”

The Christian Sliding Scale of Grace continues. Any church that tells you, “We don’t want ‘perfect’ people in our church!” is LYING to you.

[Barre Flynn]

I attend a Catholic Church in Brooklyn. They have been gracious to me. It is hard to believe they would do this. It would be interesting to find out if this was prompted by insurance reasons or Government funding. The Catholic church has to protect itself against further lawsuits. The Protestant churches are worse than the Catholics on that. None the less it is very hurtful and discriminatory. Florida has turned out to be an awful state to live in. What comes around will eventually go around.

[Barre Flynn]

Oddly enough Jesus did not have to worry about getting sued, and even though he was righteous in every way, we still found a reason to crucify him. So what do you expect will happen to those who were not righteous. Thank God his mercies are new every morning.

[Edward Sanders]

Please don’t forget, it was the Catholic Church,that allowed so many of it’s priests to sexally abuse so many children. They tried to cover it up… Maybe, they are not keepers of the Lord’s word or teachings!!!

[Perry]

Okay. Well, I’ve got to re-post my response again I guess. Here’s the Latest Version. When too many people end up dying down there in Florida, it will be too late for Catholic Charities or any other Entity, to consider Having Mercy on Homeless S.O.’s. I feel for those of Us having to struggle to Survive down there, because We Can’t Win either way. We’ll get blamed no matter what, when that begins to happen!

[totally against public registry]

Even in the face of a major crisis, this kind of crap still happens. It’s a real shame

[Dan C]

That’s horrible, if I ever questioned my faith as a Catholic i am right now. People on the registry are people too. Im absolutely disgusted. And ashamed….I’m actually embarrassed

[Maestro]

Maybe now is the time for everyone with a sex conviction, including women, children, sexting teens, Romeos & Juliets, teens who got caught doing it in the backseat, adults who got caught in public, those who urinated on the side of the highway, etc to finally congregate and storm Washington and show the “great nation” of the USA that stands so firm on its “Christian values” who the faces of sex offenders are. Those faces aren’t all about the horrific crime that happened to Megan Kanka and many of the things that the lawmakers decided to include as “sex offenses” should not be considered “sex offenses”.

I understand we’re not a popular bunch, but something has finally got to give. Even for those who are no longer required to register in their home states but are burdened with having to register in other states in their “great nation”.

[Facts should matter]

So much for that “we’re all in this together” feel-good Corona slogan that the celebrities and newscasters tout! Don’t believe that garbage for a second! They don’t CARE about US.

Spite work like this shunning only adds to the stigma and demonization that goes along with the label.

Also, GOD is not fixing this.So stop quoting bible passages. Love is not the solution either. You can’t cure people’s innate fear, ignorance and hatred towards us.

[Donna]

This action and all others occurring on a daily basis with be noted when the time comes to prove the registry is punitive. Actions such as this could actually work in our favor in the future.

[Ed C]

Maestro, you may ultimately be right. It took the Stonewall Riots in New York city to ignite the gay rights movement. There are direct parallels with the SO conundrum. Many people were tear-gassed and clubbed on Selma’s Edmund Pettus bridge. I’m old enough to remember Stonewall and Dr. M.L. King. We may have a dream, but only activism changes law. Do something!!

Veritas.

[Jason C]

I agree with Maestro. The reason nothing is happening is because there are not enough of us storming the legislative halls and politicians that keep the myth alive that RSOs are the naughty recidivists that the US Supreme Court justice relied on so many years ago. Even in the face of science, no one seems to care about how we get treated or if we just die along the sides of the roads. Doesn’t make a difference if it is a Catholic organization or a self help organization, the government has scared them so much that if they help anyone that has a sex offense in the past, the government will shun them too. Definitely modern day Scarlet Letter, but until we get together and march as one, the Scarlet Letter will continue.
I’m just curious to see, with the states dealing with crippling finances, how they will justify the millions they pour into keeping up with RSOs, and the manpower to run the ludicrous and silly rules and regulations they have enacted under the false pretenses of protecting society.

[Ed C]

I am a Catholic and wrote the diocese a scathing email this morning. I am incensed that they claim to be Christians. If I get any response at all, it will probably be some limp assertion that it was a Tampa city requirement. I told them I would never contribute to Catholic Charities again.

Donna, you are right that this is one more bit of evidence of punishment. The damned able thing is that most courts simply lean on whether the legislature intended registries as punishment. Of course they would never admit that. Fortunately, some courts are considering whether cumulatively these collateral consequences amount to punishment. As an out-of-state viewer, Florida could end up being the test case. I think Millard v Rankin is still languishing at the 10th Circuit.

[Kirk Kubik]

All this Talk about the excluders. What are any of us doing about the problem. We could easily set up a camp for homeless people’s and include all people. Too much talk. Not enough action. Do is the key word. Quit bitchin’ and Do something.

[Chris Elliott]

Unfortunately, I would question if the Catholic church is seeking to receive funding from the government or if they are already receiving the funding which would explain why they are not allowing RSO’s. The last farm bill was specific not allowing RSO to qualify for food stamps. The church will not sacrifice their funding for a RSO. Society is willing to allow sick RSO to wonder the streets continuing the spread of a virus or any illness hoping the SO will die and in their mindset “problem solved.”
We have many organizations spread across this country that fight each legislating session preventing some really horrible bills against the RSO and the many family members and in many cases there are attorneys that give their heart and soul for the RSO fighting against the states for rights.
Our magnificent government has accomplished many things preventing the RSO from obtaining a second chance even though all politicians speak of second chances, employment, safe housing due to restrictions, nutrition, funding for higher education, and during the many hurricanes, tornado’s, freezing cold spells and crisis like this virus the RSO has always been left out with no regard to life, liberty and the persuit of happiness.

[Kevin Fuller]

This “city” is being funded by the City of Tampa.

I’m sure that Catholic Charities would change their tune if the City of Tampa started asking a lot of reasonable questions.

City of Tampa is where the pressure needs to go. They have the leverage.

Catholic Church obviously isn’t a Christian inspired organization so they aren’t going to change their tune.

[The Outspoken Offender]

I’m sitting here reading this article and my stomach is literally turning. I guess I wouldn’t be worthy of being a resident of this homeless camp since I have a sex offender conviction from 13 years ago. I didn’t even have to finish the article before I knew it was taking place in FLORIDA.
I will be doing a YouTube video on this article soon. That’s how pissed off I am.

[Gene Simring]

I am 100% supportive of rational sexual offense laws. Do the crime, do your time and that should be the end of it.

However, I can see the login in this decision. Given the public hysteria regarding sex offenders and ex-sex offenders, families and children living in tents are more susceptible to harm than people
living in houses. People on the register should avoid circumstances that may put them in the spotlight.

Let’s face it, like it or not, at the moment we are second class citizens.

[WC_TN]

Too many just want to keep their heads down, their mouths shut, their faces hid, and let others take the risks so they can reap the benefits.

[Christopher Reina]

This country’s jails and prisons are fully prepared to let the coronavirus spread like wildfire through those institutions because they know social distancing is nearly impossible, solutions would be difficult, and why spend resources on people the public doesn’t really care about? So of course it’s going to be bad for those of us, the absolute lowest on society’s totem pole, on the outside who are vulnerable. The public, institutions and government will not change their tune until they are forced to legally. I wish we could just flood the courts with lawsuits.

[Jim]

Just shows what a piece of Shit the United States of America is and the people living here are. The people here are Arrogant, nasty, despicable, selfish, and think they are better than everyone but themselves. This virus is welcome here and hopefully shreds through these nasty people making these laws, and the people backing these laws and rules. Its called KARMA! and I am watching and enjoying the show. I have been beaten down by these people and lawmakers for 30 years with no relief in sight. I posted a post a while ago that said I was waiting for the KARMA. Well here it is BIT#HES!!!!!!!!!! A toast to the law making A$$HOLES of the sex offender registry. I hope everyone that has made, contributed to and enforced the abusive sex offender laws in this country Suffers. The sad part is that their suffering should only last 14 weeks to a month. NOT 30 YEARS like I have been suffering. So lets look forward to a SECOND round of KARMA. Hopefully the second round will only effect the Lawmakers Corrupt Politicians prosecutors judges and other government officials that pride on taking peoples rights away at will!! This Is My Rant! Jim

[mut]

“criminal.” yes! trafficking, servitude and kidnapping are the same but on different scales and if a targets death occurs the penalty is usually very harsh.

[rpsabq@live.com]

The pervasive sexual abuse of tens of thousands of children all over the world for past 50 years, the cover ups by the church and billions spent in lawsuits….. that didn’t do it for ya but the turning away of sex offenders at a shelter in Tampa – now they’ve gone too far?

[Gerard]

The hypocrisy is unreal. Think of all the priests who SHOULD be on the RSO list, but are not. They forgive that and house them, but don’t want the heterogeneous list of people on the list to stay. This is why I haven’t been to Catholic church since I was in my teens.

[Lori OK VOICES]

I am outraged over this. These are the behaviours I not only can’t comprehend but make me furious and want to do more, if only I was rich… Homeless persons entail all genres of humanity. Segregate if need be to be in compliance with any registry requirements, but at least make a place for all. This illness is specific and higher risk homeless (over 65) should probably be segregated for common sense sake. I have a real problem with determining who is or is not worthy of medical care or housing based on any status. A human is a human.

[Jerald Torkelson]

Sandy, you bring up very compelling and true concerns about homeless registraints but I might add that non homeless registraints as well. But just mentioning this on Narsol where mostly all registraints read, but expand your comments and dissatisfaction to other news venues where the general public can read and maybe voice their dissatisfaction with the way fellow human beings are treated irregardless of past offenses. I wonder how many drug traffickers or murderers are given permission.

[Mac]

When I was a soldier in Vietnam I discovered how much of a cluster **** the whole war was from the top to the bottom. Prejudice ran ramped All Vietnamese were considered the enemies. We labeled them Gooks, killed the innocent. We also had prejudice and discrimination amount our own troops. And why did this all occur? Politics, power at the highest level led to corruption and over up. And, although I do not believe in trickledown economy, I do believe that is what happened back then. Power, hate, corruption, coverups, trickledown.

So here is the analogy, the same thing happens to SO. If the power tells a lie often and long enough it becomes the truth. The average human does not care how bad we are treated, we are ostracized from society. Like returning Vietnam Soldiers we were called baby killers.

Should we all revolt, go to Washington or Local government, no. They all know what they did.

Many of us are older or sill on probation. Many have extra money. Many have illnesses, on daily medication.

We have great organizations fighting for us, support them so they can support us.

Stay inside! Stay healthy!

[WC_TN]

Sandy, are you going to write up an Op-Ed to send to the news media in Tampa? Why can’t a separate facility be set up outside restricted areas just for homeless registrants? That would take care of the “safety issues”. This just proves the unbridled rancor and animus behind these laws. They figure this is the perfect way to get rid of them. Let the virus claim them and problem solved in their eyes.

Any judge who would do legal contortions and gymnastics to let this kind of travesty stand isn’t worth the robes they wear. I am so angry over this I could scream. This shows you how sorry people can actually be. It really does.

[CharlieModerator]

If memory serves me correct, when registered citizens tried to set up their own tent city or place to live outside of the exclusion zones and having been exiled from society in Florida, the state move rapidly to try to shut it down. I imagine it if a similar tent city was set up for homeless registrants to shelter them from the coronavirus, the community would become outraged and shut that down. The term sex offender has become an excuse for being angry and marginalize or ostracize register citizens as a result of group think. This is the same type of anti social conditioning the Nazis used to ostracize “undesirables.”
If the city of Tampa is actually helping to fund Catholic charities then it’s probable that a lawsuit could be brought. That might have more of an impact.

Storming the government as some suggest would just in rage the sheep that have been trained to hate this government-approved group of undesirable human beings.

[Sandy RozekAdmin]

WC, this article is my op-ed. I sent it to Florida media. It has not been printed. I am not holding my breath.

[David V C]

The Registrants Inalienable Rights:
Death, Restraint, and Relentless Unhappiness.

[Ree Bebetu]

Hypocrites ! ! ! But keep in mind that what goes around, comes around. And Karma is a bitch ! ! !

[Sandy RozekAdmin]

Gene, I don’t believe children and families will be in the tents. The facility consists of 100 tents, and the article says that up to 100 homeless individuals can be sheltered there. It appears clear it is one person per tent.

[SupportOurConstitution]

Charlie is correct, I believe.

We simply cannot think or act the way these people are thinking and acting towards us.

“Stoop to there level.” as it is called.

We need a place to vent our frustrations, of which I am very grateful to these forums, but when we have vented, we must remain calm, disciplined, and clear when we speak and act regarding the registry needing eradicated based on the empiracl data that supports that eradication.

Society is emotional.

And at this time the pandemic has brought that emotion to unprecedented heights.

For everyone.

Once again, emotion is why most of us comitted our crime…and that is also why the registry, which is also illegal, exists.

We must control our outbursts when we are in the “activist” role.

We must speak calmly, look, and sound rational.. which indicates to people that we are sane..when we represent our stance in this fight to our authorities and people of government.

Uncontrolled emotional responses on our parts… in their ears…equals “We make the right laws against them.”

Last thought, I believe Donna is right.

As NARSOL is doing, we need to tabulate all of these atrocities that these organizations are doing to the RC and present the list to those who need to know about the atrocities…when the time comes.

[Tim in WI]

In case readers here missed it there were five Catholics on SCOTUS in 2003. 03 being the year that court determined human lifetime subservience to benevolent government machine database was constitutional behavior in a REPUBLIC! In truth, a law that renders a human disposition\existence less than the machine not only shitcans liberty but trashes societal flexibility and mobility too

That court, headed by Judge Rehnquist, is responsible for both acknowledging the language as “ex post text” and destructive obfuscation of intent based on mere pretext of the Act contained in it’s preamble.

The plain intent of both the label ” sexual offender” and the electronic registry and associated infrastructure is to enable the people’s desire to impose affirmative disabilities, restrictions and restraint upon citizens after the completion of sentence. Clearly it always was. Having stated that, I will relieve that court from any responsibility for having written the law contained in the Wetterling Act, but they did put the death nail to the republic by upholding it. All five voted to ignore the plain text, and the enslavement of man to database began with applause.

[Svejk]

Here’s what let’s do: NARSOL, on official letterhead, file a complaint with the Pope as well as the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Human Rights).  Obviously, there is no authority inside the US that’s going to lift a finger or say anything besides “meh.”
Give them all the bad publicity they can handle. It’s the only way to end this, short of a real boogaloo. The rest of us who might be Catholic should email the pope as well (via the Vatican website at http://www.vatican.va/vatical/en.html).
Let’s not just cluck our teeth at these habitual criminal oafs, let’s actually cause them some embarrassment!
Viribus unitas!
Svejk

[Not a SO]

Face it ladies and gentlemen, RSOs are today what “Lepers” were in Jesus’s day. In addition, being on a state’s SO registry is akin to being “Cursed” with a Voodoo spell by a Haitian “Witch Doctor”! In either case, nobody wants you around. Oh, a peripheral question for anyone that has answer, Megan’s Law, Adam Welsh Act, etc., laws passed passed in the wake of these particular crimes, would it be fair to say that in applying these laws to everyone with a sex related case, that the government is making you pay a crime committed by someone else? Me personally, I never met Adam Welsh or Megan Lanka, wouldn’t know either of them if I ran into them on street somewhere. So why does anyone who can make that same claim subject to the pure hate, vengeance and persecution that comes with being on registry? Anyone care to comment?

[Susan Sinclair]

In case anyone ever doubts the motives behind fighting against the sex offender registry, or any registry, maybe this will make them think twice:

This time “No sex offenders allowed” could equal a death sentence

As Martin Luther King, Jr., once said, “What affects one directly affects all indirectly.”

Pass it on.

#HumanFirst, #LabelsDisable

[Tom x]

I called the Archdioceses of Tampa. When I stated my request re individuals I was put into a message machine. As usual Catholic institutions are not supportive of anyone on the Registry. Apparently “Catholicism” does not extend to all Catholics, Christians or anyone on the list. The Church does not want to hear scientific data as regards the minimal risk that the vast percentage of Registrants pose. Catholic Charities in my State are the same. They simply hang up the phone when I call to request help for an individual on the registry in finding shelter, work or any other help. I can understand the sensitivity that the Catholic Church has due to issues that have been within the Church.

I urge all who read this to call the Archdioceses of Tampa and your local Arch Bishop to ask them why not help registrants. And encourage them that Catholicism and Christianity ought to be extended to all people in need.

Obviously I am a Catholic and a Registrant.

[Tim Moore]

Nothing new here. Scripture has nothing to do with it The Catholic authority (not the lay people) have for centuries been concerned about their public perception over moral purity, at least among their own ranks. They will hide abusers in their ranks not because they approve of abuse, they don’t, but because they are worried their authority will be harmed by exposing offenders and what the harm that follows will do to the organization. On the other hand, they have been for centuries enthusiastic about roasting, physically or socially, those of the common folks to signal virtue, ie adulters, interfaith and interracial marriage. In this way they are no different than the other patriarchal structures of Western culture. Today it’s registrants, next generation it may be some other disfavored group.

[TS]

I would like to add to what @Charlie said and remind people the Lord gives us free will; therefore, Catholic Charities has free will to act as they see fit but will answer for it one way or another to the Lord when it opposes his teachings through which Christ taught. I don’t believe even confessing it to a Priest, et al, will absolve them of the sin they commit through their free will so they can continue it. They should stand up for those forced to register because they are too God’s children still. The City and its employees will face the same.

My legal question is this: How is this any different than a hurricane shelter (in principle) FLA jurisdictions use and will use later this year possibly? People forced to register will be shut out of those shelters again, as we have seen and has been noted on this website, and could shelter only in the local pokey if they want out of the inclement weather. In a state of emergency, such as this time is, gathering homeless to protect them and society to ensure less possible transmission of the virus is admirable, but to exclude people is another because the virus does not care who it infects.

[Joan Christianson]

I am the mother of an SO and I am treated like it was my fault my son made the wrong choices…so I get blamed yelled at sworn etc. People are cruel and mean and usually scared and uninformed and maybe feeling guilty as well. I will go live in the woods before my son are told no you cant stay here because of him. How about we all focus on the really big elephant in the room…offenders(BTW prisoners get toilet paper, told my son to start writing me letters on it) He has 21 rolls in his cell. The elephant of corona virus and what to do is showing a lot of just how selfish and self centered we can all be…how about we all calm down and check on each other with out asking for a criminal background check…viruses do not distinguish between the righteous and the screw ups and neither does God.

[Phil]

Stop arguing over the “RULES” of the registry.

We need to ban together and fight to end such a scheme from ever happening again.

Argue with empirical data, research publications & case law. There is absolutely no truth behind why the scheme was enacted and no truth behind any and all subsequent amendments to the original.

It only ends when the registry scheme is fought head on with the truth.

But NARSOL has NO intentions of doing so.

[WC_TN]

This is the email i sent to Catholic Charities just a few minutes ago:

I am wanting to voice concern and extreme disappointment with Catholic Charities.

You opened a facility for the homeless of Tampa to shelter in place and maintain personal hygiene, but in a vicious and cruel twist, you have categorically turned away the entire population of homeless individuals listed on the sex offender registry. It bothers me because you’re supposed to be a reflection of Christ and His values and compassion and yet you’re summarily excluding an entire segment of the homeless who of all people are the most helpless to improve their lot in life because the laws have left them with absolutely no options whatsoever. Their record in combination with the byzantine system of restrictions placed on them by law has forced them into chronic homelessness and unemployment. Christ ate with publicans and sinners. He healed a Samaritan woman. Jesus did not withhold his compassion from anyone and yet your organization has turned its back on the whole of Tampa, FLA’s homeless registered citizens.

I wonder if this exclusion of Tampa’s homeless registered citizens is a policy of your doing or did the city of Tampa threaten to withhold funding if you didn’t exclude homeless registrants? I also would like to know why your organization hasn’t made any plans to establish a facility they can use and remain compliant with the law? The indifference being shown these people who have virtually no one to stand up for them and defend THEIR RIGHTS IS gravely disturbing to me. It’s as if you and everyone else would love for the virus to claim their lives so that society wouldn’t even have to be bothered with them any longer. I’m also wondering if the Catholic Church’s own history of child sexual abuse is causing your organization to shun this population over what the public outlash would be once it was found out a Catholic charity was helping homeless people listed on the sex offender registry.

These men and women are human beings whom Jesus Christ shed His blood for the same as everyone else and each soul is priceless in God’s eyes. Your organization needs to reexamine its course of action in Tampa and show the love to Christ to a population society has shunned and turned its back on.

I hope to hear from you and your thoughts on the points I’ve raised. You need to spend much time in prayer considering this issue.

Respectfully,

[David V C]

NARSOL HAS been fighting with the truth and has occasionally won!
The problem is not truth, but those who refuse to hear it, or are afraid of it.
Truth will not win if it is refused no matter how much truth you give.
People do NOT have to accept truth, and many Judges have overlooked the truth for money and/ or popularity.
When wicked people surround righteous judges, lawmakers, police, etc., justice goes forth perverted.
Unfortunately, it happens all the time-every day.

[Jarrett Vann]

It may not be the places fault, the county, state or city may have rules and regulations that make it so that SO can’t go to places like that. Often group type homes can only have so many SO’s in them. It is even very difficult to find halfway houses for SO’s to go too. Be fore blaming them, it should be checked to see if the area allows SO’s or not.

[David V C]

@ Jarret Fann
I would remind you of two facts:
1) The path of least resistance not only makes rivers crooked, but also the hearts of men and women.
2) Those who stand for nothing will often fall for anything.
The Church, as it is called, is NOT to take world values when it comes to life or sin.
Remember, the woman caught in adultery.
The (Roman) catholic church is just as at fault as the lawmakers or world for upholding such an order,
the same as if you or I refuse one of them in our house.
‘Life’ goes far beyond any law or statute that would shut someone out.
I am quite sure if it was your son, daughter, father, or mother you would allow them in regardless of what the law said or you truly have no regard for life above the law and put the law above life.

[Maestro]

Sandy (hello again, btw),

I’m curious to know if in all the research you and NARSOL do, have you ever attempted to look into how things were BEFORE the registry and all the restrictions it came with?
For example- We all know there were sex “crimes” long before what happened to Megan Kanka. I put “crimes” in quotes because some things should not be considered a crime and a threat to the public’s safety. When I was a late teen and early 20’s until I moved out of my parents’ house at age 23, the ONLY place to get it on with a girlfriend was in the backseat of each other’s cars. Lots of people have done that back in the 80’s and before. My ex and I got caught by a cop that pulled up behind our parked car and got on his loud speaker and said “Get dressed and get moving”. That was all. But in today’s society, we would BOTH have been arrested and BOTH ended up on the registry. How is what we did a “threat” to anyone’s friggin precious safety? How do we include things like that or teenagers sexting or urinating behind a bush to be threatening the safety of people?

So I’d be curious to know what probation was like for people with sexual convictions before the enactment of Megan’s Law and before all these ridiculous restrictions. I’m sure you’ll find that homeless shelters had sex offenders in them. I’m sure you’ll find that people with sex offenses lived near parks, were allowed to walk their dog in the park and were able to go shopping at a mall or catch a movie.
So where did all this hysteria come from within the lawmakers’ minds?

These are the types of arguments that need to be brought up in the fight against the registry. And with documentation of a study showing that nothing was any different without the restrictions.
We’ve had the registry now for some 25 yrs. but sex offenses didn’t just start out of the blue only 25 yrs ago. This is a valid point that needs to be made.
And I hope NARSOL and maybe FAC can get that point made ASAP.

Thank you,
Maestro (who is no longer on the registry but will forever be considered a sex offender if I become homeless or apply for a business loan.)

[Tim]

Typical Christianity. Some may counter my 2-word blanket statement by stating not all Christians approve of the reprehensible banishment we see in Florida; their counter-statements are accurate. Yet, where are most voices belonging to those wearing the “I am a Christian” mantle when banishments of this nature are enacted? Do I hear crickets?

How many times have we heard of the Bible guiding the hearts and minds (assuming they have a mind) of legislators as they take the oath of office? What religious mantle do the vast majority of legislators wear, the same legislators who draft the Draconian laws which assail registrants like you and me? What religious mantle do most law enforcement official hide behind as they thrust their Nazi jackboots upon our necks when enforcing Draconian measures? Dare I say the mantles are “Christian?”

Whenever a person states “I am a Christian,” I have to grin and reply with “thanks for the warning.” I shall take my leave by referring to the sage wisdom of Thomas Jefferson: “Christianity is the most perverted system that ever shown on man.”

[Sandy RozekAdmin]

Hi, Maestro; yes, I do bring up that point whenever possible although I admit I have very little in the way of studies to back it up. The best I have is this, a study done in NY in the early 40’s giving stats for sex crime issues from 1930 into the early 40’s. https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=3248&context=jclc (p. 324, half way down). The most salient points, in light of comparison to today, are these: “Most sex crimes are by first offenders. . . Sex crime is not habitual behavior for the great majority of convicted sex offenders. . . only 7% were again arrested on the same charge during the period from 1930 to 1941.” And of course, those who committed these offenses were living, largely unknown, throughout the communities.

I have had little to no luck finding anything else meaningful. The reasons are probably twofold: studies as we know them were not done to the extent that they are today and, as you have pointed out, the frenzied focus on sexual crime was absent before the few horrific events in the late 80’s and early 90’s that resulted in the registry and the plethora of restrictions prevalent today. It was very common for girls in their upper teens to date and marry men in their 20’s. Gay relationships were viewed very differently, with the focus being on the same-sex aspect rather than the difference in age, if there was one, aspect.
Thank you for asking about this. I’ll renew my efforts to find earlier studies addressing the issue.

[Maestro]

Sandy,
Thanks for the reply. My coin just dropped after I posted my comment and it just dawned on me that I had a friend who’s girlfriend’s dad was imprisoned in the 1980’s for about 5 yrs for molesting 2 of his early teenage nieces. He would buy them stuff for them to keep quiet. They finally exposed him when he denied buying them tickets to a concert.
I had gotten close with my friend’s GF’s family, including the dad before he was outed. When he was released from prison, he moved in with his oldest daughter (the one my friend was engaged to by that time) and as I remember, he was not restricted on where he could live and from being around his younger daughters. He and I even hung out at a stripper club about a month after his release.
I don’t remember him mentioning anything about parole or probation, so he may have done his full prison term. But their apartment was near a school and a park and there was no registry yet.
I lost touch with them as the years went on and lost all touch by the time the registry was enacted but I’m sure he was retroactively added to it.
I believe he has since passed away.
But the point being – he served his time and moved on with his life. No restrictions about where he can and cannot live and no restrictions about being around other kids other than his victims. What the hell happened? How did we go from that to this?

Incest and underage legal age teens with adults can always be illegal. But those types of issues are just not the same as the psychopath who raped and killed Megan Kanka. So therefore, I don’t see a good enough reason to put people like my friend’s former father-in-law on the registry.
If there needs to be a registry to satisfy people like the Kanka’s, then leave it for the absolute worst type of offender. And since the legal age changes from one state to another, as long as there is no blatant rape, no bribery, no drugs or alcohol involved to impair the younger person, then those types of crimes should not be something to be considered “threats” to anyone’s precious safety. And that’s just how I feel about it.
But when you or I try to explain what we mean, we’re told that we are “minimizing” the offense.
No, because I didn’t say it can’t still be an illegal act. It’s just not the same as what happened to the little children who got laws named after them.

[Maestro]

I noticed a typo and no one caught it so I’ll correct it-

It CAN still be an illegal act but not one that should require sex offender registry.

I don’t want to send out the wrong message from a typo.

[William]

This is the same people that move priest from one place to the next to cover-up the sexual miss doings. If they want to be Hippocrates then they will be judged on it the day the die. Sex Offenders needs are the same as anyone else and they are the first to say charity for “all”. I guess for “all” is the people who they like only.

[Mike]

Hello Sandy, the studies that your in search of i believe i have. I have 1 study on Recidivism that our government did in 1944. I have 2 studies done in 1991 & 1994. The last two studies also tells that our government has been doing studies every since 1991 and all of the studies except the 1991 shows below 5%. The 1991 shows 9.4%. Every study from 1992 to 2019 show below 5%, and our government are either doing the studies and/or having them done (paying for ) by Dr an groups they trust. I also have the newspaper article that came out right after Megan Kanka’s murder which shows that everyone on that block knew that offender lived there including Megan’s parents except two people didnt know, plus there was two other SO’s living with him. Plus i have studies about four or five studies every state in the US did all below 5%. I have more studies an articles if you want copies of them. Oh and the first couple of studies i mentioned in the beginning came from our governments own website. I think the government knows there wrong from the beginning but now they can’t admit it because it would be hundred thousands of lawsuits. I have tons of info on all of this but i have not found anything on what the real reason they did this, except for money. I say we create an website so that all on the list to donate money to help homeless SO’s, maybe buy property for homeless SO’s. I think all SO’s should play the lottery and use the money to help change things, i know i will.
Thanks

[Janna]

That just infuriates me – I really wish I had the means to set up a homeless facility just like that and make it strictly for registrants. No other homeless people allowed! What would they say to that? I REALLY wish I could do that.

[Jim]

Great news!! Looks like the Virus is ripping through the Florida shit hole! KARMA at its finest!!! Just relax, watch and Enjoy the destruction!

[Mike]

Hello, this is somewhat off topic but does anyone know why a registered sex offender cant go on the registry an look them self up or anyone else? I have searched the internet every way possible but i can’t find what there reasoning is that they can’t. It can’t have anything to do with public saftey at least not in a normal logical thinking.
Thanks

[Sandy RozekAdmin]

Mike, if you could email links to the things you speak of to communications@narsol.org, that would be great. I imagine I have some of them already, but I can’t be sure without seeing them.

[Tim]

Jim,

I must confess to owning a slight grin after reading your post; we hold similar thoughts on the matter. 🙂

[Philip]

Charlie, thank you for this post and well said! It’s not the fault of the religion (Christianity, in this case), but the fault of fallen people, maybe even especially fallen Christians, who fail to grasp the precepts of the faith.

Our part is to focus on the beliefs and actions of individuals, not a wholesale condemnation of the faith they hold. Just because a person doesn’t “get it,” doesn’t what they don’t “get” is wrong.

[Tim]

Mike,

Are you saying a registrant cannot utilize various S.O. registries to look at their public file, or the file of other registrants? I am not sure where you may live or anything else related to your statement, but as a registrant, I have no trouble doing this my friend, no matter where the online search is initiated. I network with many registrants; several of them use the registries in this manner.

I have performed this task in the states of Texas, Georgia, Utah, Ohio and several other states during my travels over a nine-year period. Not only do I look at my file from time to time, but have searched for prison buddies I knew within the Orwellian confines of the Texas DOC (TDCJ); each search yielded their status on the registry and home address. There was and is no wizardry involved.

Take care……………….

[T & S]

Good Samaritan test: fail
Hypocrite test: fail
Christian test: fail
———————————–
Overall score: 3 fails/0 pass

[RIFF RAFF]

This decision to ban RSO’s from these homeless encampments is fear based, the fear is about the decision makers thoughts of what will people think of me if I allow RSO’s into the encampment’s. What will happen to me if I allow RSO’s in? What will happen to me if a RSO offends in this encampment?
It is the same every where concerning all decisions in regard’s to RSO’s. Judge’s, what will happen to me if I go lightly on this SO? What will people think of me? What will happen to me if this SO reoffends? Same goes for the supposed treatment center’s’.’civil commitment’ jails, what will happen to us if we let him go? What backlash will we endure? What will people think of us? What happens if he reoffends?
Fear goes all the way to the Supreme court. What will happen to us if we rule the sex offender registry punitive? What backlash will we endure? What will people think?
I could go on and on with all the decisions in various places concerning the SO’s of our time and all decisions are fear based on what will happen to them.
Nothing will change and the sex registry and all that come’s with it will remain until the Supreme court rule’s the sex offender registry punitive. Sure, we will see more frivolous victory’s and then more laws being enacted.
RIFF RAFF

[Maestro]

“ This decision to ban RSO’s from these homeless encampments is fear based, the fear is about the decision makers thoughts of what will people think of me if I allow RSO’s into the encampment’s. What will happen to me if I allow RSO’s in? What will happen to me if a RSO offends in this encampment?”

Yes, but RIFF RAFF, where was all this “fear” prior to the inception of the SOR? A point I would keep arguing if I were an attorney fighting against the registry.

[CharlieModerator]

Another reason that organizations such as Catholic charities and other Church organizations bans registered sex offenders from participating has to do with pressure from their insurance companies. If you look online, AGFinancial posted a guidance document that tells churches what their risk is. They make a couple of statements. The first one is reassuring. It says “that a church has not been held liable for unknowingly allowing a registered sex offender to attend services.” They they continued then to scare people. They say that there is no need to background check every church member. But only those who are in high positions or we will be working with children. But they advise that they should become aware that they have a sex offender in the church, this then places them at high risk of a minor being harmed as well as exposure lawsuits. And they offer two solutions. One is to prohibit all offenders from coming to church at all. The second is to have some rather draconian protocol set to manage a registered person once their presence becomes known.
The bottom line is this, and I worked in churches so I know, that the fear is not so much of someone getting hurt or even the reputation of the church for allowing a registered person to attend, it’s the fear of lawsuits and the fear of losing their insurance coverage. There is huge pressure from the insurance companies to make sure that nobody was a conviction of any type of sexual or immoral behavior is present in the church if it all possible.
While I personally believe that a church that looks to the insurance company to give them advice on how they should minister or invite people into their building is wrongly focused, I also know that we America’s are a litigious society that there’s not much hope that they’re going to change their minds. Despite the fact that registered individuals do not go around attacking strangers, it seems facts don’t matter.
Prior to the institution of sex offender registries, those of us who were in church leadership or organizations working with children would routinely background check and investigate anyone who wanted to work with kids or being a position of trust with minors as a matter of due diligence. But we didn’t worry about the rest of the congregation cuz nobody was going to hands their kids off to a total stranger.
The sad thing is that the people they do hand their children off to, who they think they know, are the ones who would be most likely to molest them. Not the one who has been convicted is on the registry.
I am not a lawyer so I don’t know how to fight such stupidity. But if the churches are afraid of being sued, and insurance companies are threatening to remove their insurance or to not cover them in such an event, then I don’t see any way that a church is going to err on the side of chance. And that makes us vulnerable to discrimination regardless of whether the church agrees with it or not. This is why I don’t think it’s a matter of religious affiliation so much as it’s a matter of our society and its focus on litigation whenever the opportunity arises.

[Alexander C. Miles]

Nothing – since there never was any Jesus: he was invented at the Council of Nicea A.D. 300.
The Catholic Church openly admits to this fact.

[Sandy RozekAdmin]

We have allowed, to some extent, religious discussion on this post because the nature of the incident lends itself to speculation about hypocrisy and the actual faith of those who identify as Christians. But we are not going to have a debate over whether Jesus of Nazareth was real or not. Don’t even try.

[Will Allen]

@Charlie:

I expect you are correct. A big problem is that Nanny Big Government (NBG) has made this hit list of “potentially dangerous people”. Therefore, any organization, company, etc. that doesn’t pay attention to the list, is in danger of extra lawsuits and damages. Churches are in danger of extra liability. Companies are. Everyone is. Not because there is any actual, sensible, extra danger in actual reality. But instead just because NBG has a hit list.

I’ve heard directly from numerous lawyers that they recommend to their business clients that they simply do not hire People Forced to Register (PFR). Not because of any danger of crime, but because of danger to business (e.g. reputation) and from lawsuits. Just having a PFR on the payroll can affect lawsuits not even related to the person.

So as often is the case, there is no real problem except for government. They are the problem.

What if all churches in the country had their members sign “waivers” acknowledging that there are certain dangers in all churches, organizations, companies, etc., and that the member was responsible for protecting him/herself and family? It should state that the member will never leave their children alone unless there are at least 2 supervising adults. Things like that.

You would certainly think such a waiver would be very important in a homeless camp. It would just have to say something like the camp is a public place and they are not able to fully screen everyone who might be there. They will try but you use the camp at your own risk.

In the state where I live, we use something like that for housing rental contracts. Our contracts say something similar to, “We don’t care about NBG’s hit list and don’t use it, but if you care, here is their website _______.” We have had people “discover” PFRs later, move out, and ask for their security deposits. We keep the security deposits and tell them to get lost or we’ll sue them for the duration of their rental contract. Very effective and we earn more that way than we would if they just fulfilled their contracts. As an added bonus, it makes me feel good.

[Mike]

@Tim
When you go online and in your search for the registry and you see it in the list of sites from that search. It states before you even click on the website that no registered sex offender enter the registry and theres penilties for do so and will be identified by there IP address and/or internet identifier. From my understanding it doesn’t matter what state you live in because i read this also on the Doj’s website , which i believe is federal, so if i were you i would get in writing from the federal government and your state in writing that says your allowed or your not before going on the registries website. It’s better to be safe than sorry. I’ve requested this information from both with no response. I believe it has to be either a federal or state law saying a registered sex offender cannot go on said sites in order for you to be arrested. I’ve heard this early on and when the registry website comes up in a search and before you enter the website it states registered sex offender cannot enter and there are penilties if you do.

[Donna]

What reason is there for not allowing the person themself to look up their information? Have not heard this before or seen any such thing written on the site. Can someone please clarify this because vagueness is just not an option.

[Tim]

If EVERYONE would rise up, March and say enough is enough… I’m in… Who else is ?

[Author]

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