CFC OKLAHOMA

If it were not a real threat to human and civil rights it could be a bestselling novel of the Orwellian style. Unfortunately this phenomenon has become all too real. 

Starting with the sex offender registry, governments around the world have begun to classify people and to register them like they were property. For most people the registering of sex offenders seemed like a good idea. The thought that a parent could look at an up-to-date list of all sex offenders in their area had an appeal to it.


 As time has passed and studies have proven the registry a failure in protecting anyone, there are now more registries being proposed. http://wapedia.mobi/en/Megan's_Law

One study had this to say: "Despite wide community support for these laws, there is little evidence to date, including this study, to support a claim that Megan's Law is effective in reducing either new first-time sex offenses or sexual re-offenses," http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02/study_finds_megans_law_fails_t_1.html

We are now at a point where many people are beginning to ask; “Where will it end?” The answer may warrant a closer look at the original intent of these laws. Were they ever about protecting children or were they merely a placebo for outraged parents?  The latter is more likely the truth. 

There have been countless studies by professionals in the area of sex offender issues that have pointed to better ways of handling sex offenses. The registry has proven to be the most expensive law enforcement tool in history and thus special interest groups such as GPS monitoring companies are cashing in on this failed policy.

Many politicians have cashed in on this by buying stock in these companies. Think of it, pass a law and then cash in by buying into the companies that will benefit from the law. Talk about insider trading! 

Yes the $ex Offender registry is all about money. But money is not the sum total of the registry. Another aspect of the registry comes in the form of hate. It has been said, “People need someone to hate.”
(http://mhutch.blogspot.com/2008/09/casey-anthony-case-proves-people-need.html)

Politicians use this hate for personal gain... votes.  Many of them spew hate when they speak in public and then again in the laws they propose. In return the public echoes this same hate and a vicious cycle begins. Much of this hate is based on misinformation that is spread by the media, politicians and hate groups.  One misunderstood issue regarding former sex offenders is recidivism. When there is a desire for a new law against former offenders the first thing you will hear is that former sex offenders will "always" reoffend. This is just not true.  “Sex offenders were less likely than non-sex offenders to be rearrested for any offense “ Anderson Cooper  http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2009/08/28/recidivism-rates-for-sex-offenders/

 NYS DPCA Research Bulletin: Sex Offender Assessment – Research on a sample of 917 sex offenders on probation across the U.S. in 17 states from 1986 to 1989 indicates that while under probation supervision, 11.7% were arrested for a non-sex offense during a three year follow-up period, and 4.5% were arrested for a new sex crime within 4 years (Meloy, 2005). Another study involving sex offender probationers revealed that after five years, 5.6% were arrested for a new sex offense (Krutschnitt, Uggen and Shelton, 2000). http://dpca.state.ny.us/pdfs/somgmtbulletinmay2007.pdf

What was the true intent behind the registry?  Many people have written and spoken on this subject but I suspect that human nature is a far better judge of this law.  Human nature dictates that a person will tend to take the path of least resistance. Bearing this in mind, when legislators were approached with the issues of sex offenses and they had no easy answers they opted to put the burden in the hands of parents and the public. In effect saying...we can’t protect you so you must do it yourself. This seemed to be the simplest answer at the time and it was what the people wanted, thus the politicians got votes. But does the public know what is best for them? Apparently not.

Given the evidence that the sex offender registry is a failure and better options exist why would there be a call to register more citizens?  Money and votes come to mind once again. Once a politician finds that the way to get votes is to trot out a hated group and pass laws against them, it is a hard cycle to turn around. And once they get a taste of money coming in from the laws they pass it is impossible to trust them.

Could you become a Registered Citizen?

This could be one of the most critical questions you will ever answer. It is a question that tugs at the founding document of our nation, the constitution. The thought of registering citizens and setting them apart as a wretched group was the basis for our founding fathers leaving England to settle in this country.  At that time basic human rights were being trampled on. This brought pain and despair to a whole class of people.

Today this kind of despair is occurring again, though for different reasons.  Still we need to consider the path we are going down. There is now legislation in many states that, if passed, will require registration for more groups of former offenders. 

How will you feel when a DUI/DWI you received many years past lands you as a registered citizen?  What if you had a drug offense 20 years ago? You have moved on and are living a good life as a law abiding citizen. Suddenly your life is changed forever by being put on a public registry. Remember these registries carry heavy burdens. You may have to move out of restricted zones and you will likely lose your job. You may have restrictions on your computer access and you may have to wear a GPS device for the rest of your life. And if you fail to comply with any of these regulations you will end up in prison.
How will you be affected when your name is placed on a public registry? Think about it….

Do you think that is impossible?  If you do, you should know that you are wrong. Each time a law has been passed against former sex offenders and your elected officials fight to make them constitutional, they are fighting against YOU.  Yes you! For one day when they pass laws that require everyone who has ever been convicted of any offence, to become a registered citizen, you too will be on a list, even if it is only for a speeding violation. Yes it could happen. 

The registering of citizens should frighten everyone in this country. Unfortunately it is not until it affects you personally that you will become concerned. By then it will be too late. But please know this, you have been warned. When you spread your hate for former sex offenders you are only hurting yourself and your children!

For your own good, ask your congressmen to pursue other measures regarding former sex offenders. Ask them to put the registry back in the hands of law enforcement where it belongs.

MWD Communication Director
SOSEN.org

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