Member Submission: Halloween Letter to Senators
One of our Members chose to use his time on “Halloween House Arrest” productively. As he sat in his home with the porch lights off, he composed a letter to his Senators. He was kind enough to share it with us.
October 31, 2021
Dear Senator ____________,
I am writing today specifically because once again our Government has determined it is proper for the valuable resources of Law Enforcement to waste tax-payer money for no perceivable benefit.
Every Halloween a contingent of Sheriff’s Deputies are tasked to make home visits to people on the Sex Offender Registry. It makes no difference what that person’s status in our society is, somehow there is the belief that making sure no “offenders” are luring children to their homes with candy will alleviate offenses against children.
The regulations registered persons are subject to are difficult enough. No outside lights or Halloween decorations are permitted. For one night, either registrants have to hibernate in their homes, or perhaps leave altogether to avoid unreasonable contact with Law Enforcement.
As I am sure you are aware, the overwhelming majority of sexual offenses against children are perpetrated by relatives or friends, not some random person. The very existence of the registry is counter-productive to the safety of our community. Our laws often force people into homelessness, thus having the “potential” risks increased by having people become homeless.
When an ex-offender has fulfilled all their court ordered obligations, they should be able to re-join society without the constant fear of being harassed. The required in-person appearance multiple times per year, just to sign a piece of paper is a terrible burden on those without the means to have reliable transportation. Why cannot all information be supplied online, instead of the laborious process that exists now? Again, this is a waste of precious state funds at the time they are needed the most for programs that actually benefit people.
When our legislature voted to create a path for ex-felons to have rights restored, sex offenders were left out. Why should someone who committed a violent felony or was convicted in a DUI that resulted in death or injury be allowed to become a “regular” citizen of Florida and registered persons are not. The evidence has shown that recidivism among registrants is among the lowest of all categories of offenses.
The Florida Action Committee will gladly provide you with all the statistics and research that shows the virtually non-existent “frighteningly high rate of re-offense” which does not actually exist.
Senator your office provided a tremendous amount of assistance to our community. You have been a vital resource for information regarding the Covid pandemic. I understand it is not easy to tackle this sensitive topic, however, as John F. Kennedy wrote in “Profiles of Courage”: ““A man( or woman) does what he/she must — in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers, and pressures — and that is the basis of all human morality.”
I wish you great success in your future endeavors.
Sincerely,
Wow!! Can I use this to mass email my Senators and Representative’s? Well done Brother 👍👍
That was the intent. It’s a good idea. Perhaps next year we should organize a letter writing campaign.
I would hope that every member of FAC write their own letter, or use mine and send to as many state legislators as possible.
While this may fall on deaf ears today, there is the hope that tomorrow will be the tipping point.
Why wait til next year!? We should do it on a constant basis. Not one, nor two, but all of us on the registry; friends and families also. We as members of FAC, NARSOL, C.A.G.E. and any other organizations that stand for any freedom or right should fill their emails and mail boxes with truth, facts and wisdom that se to be without. The world outside our doors is chanting: “Let’s Go Brandon”! We can do as much in aspects to the injustices being done to us! God bless us all and the time is now, not next year. By that time pile upon pile of new restraints will be piled on us and thus our right to even speak could be taken away! “God did not give us a spirit of fear, but that of power and love and a sound mind”! 2 Timothy 1:7.
We should also let them know how the registry promotes violence, hatred, harassment and various other firms of negativity towards those on the registry. Not just to the person’s, but to their friends and families. I am sure their attitudes would be that of: “They deserve it and they brought it upon themselves”! Yet, the friends and families do not deserve such turmoil. As neither do the person’s on the registry. Being punished over and over and over, does not two wrongs make a right. Only in due time when they or one or their loved ones are forced into such criminal justice, will they understand? No, because political strings will be pulled and at last, a safety net will be there catch them as they fall. The beauty of power and money.
Perhaps a Freedom of Information Act request can be made to obtain the cost that taxpayers bear for Halloween contacts of PFRs by LEOs
Uh, FAC began a letter-writing campaign two days ago. These guidelines are good ones:
https://floridaactioncommittee.org/weekly-update-2021-10-30-ref174/
I really wish letters like this would stop falling on deaf ears.
Excellent!!!!
Thank you for this excellent letter. Praying for it to be read and shared and acted upon by those in Power to change the insane registry laws. 🙏
Perhaps in the next iteration it should not go without mention that states without these Halloween laws do not have a scourge of sexual victimization on Halloween.
As an aside, I was glad to see that the probation department in our state finally gave up years of rounding up all probationers on SO probation on Halloween and have gone back to a traditional early curfew… much more dignity for those who are trying to transition back rather than being rounded up at a local jail or other controlled location for the evening. I am hoping the letter I wrote last year had some impact on that decision.
Now that the holiday is over, we can finally get back to some normalcy!
James
I am almost 60 years old. I have lived all over the U.S. I cannot honestly give you one example of someone being kidnapped or worse on Halloween. Not to say it has never happened, but something like that would be headline news. I tricker treated as a small boy and sometimes alone. Never had a single incident, even in rough neighborhoods.
The same goes for the razor blades or poison in candy. I have in fact seen one or two reports of that in ALL of my life, but #1 it was very rare, and #2 think all the hype of those stories gave sickos the idea in the first place.
And this can all fall back to the registry. Very few with a sex crime, after being caught, go on to commit another. The news makes it seem we are all just awaiting Halloween to feast on the crowds that would show up at our doors. I am under none of those restrictions, but I personally sanction myself. If I don’t go to the door, have the lights off and do not participate, no one can make a false claim. AND if they do, the camera has my back.
On a final note, the news is NOT anyone’s friend. They will take a story and twist it to their own satisfaction to have the sensation factor. Many times they have sworn to be gentle when interviewing someone to get “Their side of the story” but their words are twisted and or edited so badly that they end up looking like Charles Masons offspring. What is sad is most of them start their news casts saying something like “We strive to give the facts and the truth in reporting”. I just spit up a little in my mouth from disgust.
Cherrokeejack,
Same here. I’m 55 and it was rare to hear of an incident involving tampered candy, let alone hearing a report of a kid getting snatched up. It reminds me a few years ago when laser pointers were suddenly a big deal. The FAA and government were talking about them saying they could possibly be used to aim at pilot’s eyes. Suddenly a few weeks later there were reports from pilots about getting laser pointers shined in their eyes where previously there was NEVER ONE reported incident. The government creates boogeymen to instill fear.
Anyway, Halloween is over so I’m going to go back into hiding until next year when the kids are once again out on candy hunts with their parents in tow. Gotta keep the public believing that’s the only time of year we’re a danger after all.
Disgusted
Wouldn’t you know, right after I typed that, this came up on my news feed.
“Ohio police make ‘demented’ discovery inside trick-or-treat candy: ‘Take this seriously'”
since we are not allowed to put links on here, you can google it. Needles found in candy
Yes, I saw that. And what’s interesting about it is the fact that it couldn’t have been done by someone on the registry, since we’re not allowed to participate in Halloween. Kind of strange since we are the ones who are supposedly the danger.
Disgusted
depends on where you live. I have no restrictions on participating in halloween. I could hang up decorations, dress up, sit outside, hand out candy and have a party . I choose not to. And yeah doubt someone on the registry is putting razor blades, that person is just someone who is mentally f-ed up.
Last night was a first for me in Duval county. The officer drives in front of my house and shines his light on the front door so he can see the sign, Then he pulls in my drive way with said light still on my front door and gets out walks up to my door. Then goes back to his car and proceeds to sit there with the light on my door. So I decide to open my garage and go see what’s going on. I walked up to his car and asked if there was a problem he said no so I kindly asked him to leave my driveway. Then he goes back to park in front of my house for 10 minutes. The harassment is just not needed.
Very well written. Let us hope and pray that it does not fall on deaf ears.
“For the LORD gives wisdom, and from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.”
Proverbs 2:6
A great letter, well done!!! Bravo!!
Nice letter, even my wife and i sat home, all lights off, and watched some movies, keep the Ring Doorbell app on iPhone ready if someone rings doorbell…
Every year same thing, get a warning from police about it, an unwritten law in my city, no law in book, just suggesting…..
No one one came to entire condo, I didn’t expect anyone would with covid still around…
Great letter!!! A very productive use of time! Bravo to you!
Presumptive Justice, Defamation by intimidation such as if one pleads guilty to an offense than what is considered the lesser of the two evils. I’m sure the answer is found in the bible or are both guilty. Is much of this registry sound reasoning. Pretending and masquarding around to get some satisfication of intent. Who is playing the devils workshop. Who is controlling the factors that are false leading. Even esculating the offense is a bit out of character for those who are suppose to protect and serve in real time situations. So how does man serve today?
Those that say, I have come to know God and yet do not keep his commandments is a liar. While FAC talks about intent is the intent subjective or objective. Are both subjective and based on opinions which have no factual value as in much of this registry game. Sure letter writting is good if it gets results. One wonders if government are keeping commandments today. One neven wonders today who’s afraid of the big bad wolf.