NARSOL: FL sheriff posts “blue & red house” map on Facebook, ignores threats to registrants
“I’m worried for my family,” he wrote. “Today the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office decided to put a picture of a map of all the houses where registered citizens live on its Facebook page. The comments that were allowed are absolutely disgusting.”
As I read the email, I could feel the fear that the writer was expressing. I’m the communications director for the National Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws – NARSOL — and I frequently get emails from all over the country from people required to register on sexual offense registries. This one came from DeSoto County, Florida and had an urgent tone. I located the Facebook page and found the comments that the Florida registrant referred to.
“Open season?” wrote someone named Josh and quickly had a response. “Where can we get tags?”
The response to that from the first writer is the most chilling of all. “They have their address on each location and they can’t own firearms so . . .”
Each of the comments is sprinkled liberally with hearts and thumbs-up memes, all indicative of approval. So in addition to the two men engaged in this exchange, there are a dozen or more like-minded individuals who expressed their approval of the rightness of hunting and killing fellow human beings who are helpless to defend themselves and their families because they are forbidden by law to own the means by which to do so.
While I don’t hardly post on here and when I do it seems it doesn’t meet the rating of FAC. Guess Facebook ratings are a bit more of a thumbs up or is Florida and all other states in bad shape with this registry with views and comments of others. Now I’m not about to jump on Florida Action Committee as we are all in this to press on for truth and justice and FAC can do what they want.
Sure myself as well as Cherokee bring a bit of gospel or Good News to others but at times it just seems to go in one ear and out the other for many. Yes the bible talks about fear no evil. It also talks about temptations and is a book of knowledge or is foresight better than hindsight… Say what? Oh yes and the bible is also about all types of issues and yes it does bring comfort to many. If one has a problem the bible has an answer.
Sure comments are good if they are constructive but a man has to know their limits or where are human rights today?
As a Registered Citizen I am incensed by things like the Sheriff’s Facebook post. We all deal with state & local ordinances and other issues like this one. We constantly read about people seeking mob justice for people that they find on the state or federal registry.
I am equally mad, incensed, pissed off by some of the comments that we, Registered Citizens, make in response. C’mon people, when we respond with absolutely asinine comments about dogs or baseball bats or black powder we are no better than the idiots that respond to the posts like the Desoto Sheriff’s posting.
If we EVER expect to see any change in our lives we CAN NOT live DOWN to the public’s perception or expectations.
The ONLY way we can beat them is to live above them.
Roger,
I can understand your anger at the sheriff, but I don’t comprehend your anger towards some of our comments. We have a right to live and to live in peace with our neighbors. We all have been judged by a court of law and have paid our debt to society, hence vigilantes have no right to threaten any of us with harm or death. Our sentences were imposed and served.
I want to live in peace and get along with everyone, but if someone threatens my life, or the lives of my family simply because I am on the registry, then you better believe that I will defend myself and my family to the full extent that the law allows, up to and including deadly force if someone confronts me with a weapon. That is my right.
I really don’t see comments about having a dog or some type of weapon available as asinine comments. Most people here cannot own any conventional weapons so they have to use what’s legally available to protect themselves. Hopefully no one here will ever find themselves in a bad situation, but if they do, then they gotta do what they gotta do.
Lets direct that anger towards the sheriff and others who would instigate harm to us by voicing our concerns to them. I’ve already been flooding his office phone line with calls and have asked friends to do the same.
Disgusted
Concerning “Up to what the law allows”? When it comes to my family, all bets, rules, laws etc. are off the table. There is “Nothing” I wouldn’t do to protect my family from a-holes who wish us harm. That includes getting sent back to prison or being killed myself. You just DONT mess with my family period!
I would hope that goes for anyone. Have you ever watched a bear, or any animal for that matter when something is trying to eat, harm, harass or get too close to their babies? I am Papa bear, Mama bear and Yogi bear all wrapped into one when it comes to the safety of those I love.
Cherokee Jack, here in Michigan, we have a “stand your ground” law, meaning we do not have to retreat if confronted by someone who would attempt to harm or kill us. Basically, if I am in my home and someone kicks down my door and brandishes a weapon, I can use deadly force to defend myself. It doesn’t mean I can beat his brains out with a baseball bat, because the law states one cannot go too far. So there is a very fine line that must not be crossed. Basically you can’t keep kicking a guy when he’s already down. That’s what I meant but “up to what the law allows”. One can fight back with deadly force to protect life, but not property.
I just hope to God I will never find myself in that kind of situation because I would rather not have to hurt anyone.
Disgusted,
You have a point but we can make our points publicly in a dignified way rather than simply rolling around in the mud which some people unfortunately have done.
It would be better if anyone who happens to fall across comment sections like that finds himself or herself thinking “Gee, those registrants and their supporters sound like really swell people, the kind of people I’d like to have over my house. The other lot sounds like a bunch of maniacs.”
You don’t need to disavow self-defense. It’s just not necessary to foam at the mouth when bringing it up.
Dennis
Have you had your house shot at? I have thrice.
Have you ever had your house broken into? I have once
Have you ever had your vehicle broken into and/or vandalized? I have more times than I can count and have stopped even calling the police.
Have you had your windows broken by kids who were told by their parents “That guy in that house is the boogey man, so stay away”. I have
I could go on and on but the public does not like us. Not because we have a record but for two things. The public registry and more recently nextdoor. The registry unless you are required to give notifications, is more passive. Nextdoor aggressively informs your neighbors of your presence and continues to on a regular basis.
These otherwise normal neighbors start forming groups to get rid of us, and before you know it, you cannot walk out your front door without being called a name, having a rock thrown at you, finding graffiti on house, car etc.
The more we accept that and not do anything about it, the more the mobs will burn us at the stake. I have a family to protect and I am darn well not going to back down until they do. My grandson has to go to a private school just so the kids at public school do not beat him up because he lives with an EX sex offender.
My charges are from 31 years ago. Give a guy a break. I have not been charged with a single thing before that day nor since. I have been off of probation for almost 20 years now. What more can I say?
Meanwhile there are break-ins in our neighborhood and they don’t rally together to stop that. But someone who has lived here longer than them and has done nothing to them gets bashed 24/7, 7 days a week on social media that I/we are banned from.
And yes, I have several neighbors who I am friends with. We do not sit around talking about my past, we help each other and are just that, neighborly neighbors.
You make a very good point, Dennis. I’m a very laid back, peaceful guy, but when confronted or threatened, I tend to go off the deep end and act before I think. I don’t like fighting, but will if I have no other options. I’d much rather avoid those kinds of situations if I can. There have been many circumstances where I look back and see I could have handled it in a different way. As they say, hind sight is always 20/20.
True, there are a lot of people not on the registry who probably read these forums, and if we want to be perceived as decent people, we need to rise above the slime and mud.
Reading stories like this really gets my goat. Even the most heinous offender does not deserve threats of harm from vigilantes because he already received his punishment from the court of law and no one has the right to add to it. I try to look at crimes as all being the same, and no one who breaks the law is better than someone else. Why should a registrant who had consensual relations with an under age girl be perceived as worse than someone who sold drugs to kids? Or someone who had too many drinks and got behind the wheel and severely injured or killed another driver?
We need to change the public’s opinions of us that we are not the Boogeyman lurking in the bushes waiting to snatch up their children.
As my handle states, I am just plain disgusted with all of it.
ROGER M
Please realize that everyone’s residences are quite different and diverse in so many ways!
Therefore, every one has the right to adopt a dog for security and love; and everyone else has the right to build their own defense mechanisms based on numerical codified statutory laws….
It, is, perhaps, about the delivery of their message that concerns you!…I would think that 99..9% of the people who respond on here would never hurt a soul, other than the squirrel that eats their cable/internet line!
Bon Appetite!
Roger
I respect you brother. Having said that, these creeps need to know that some of us do not just lay down and take it. I was bullied my entire life and one day, I stood up for myself when I was about 14 and literally knocked the teeth out of the bullies mouth. I cried all the way home but I can tell you, no one at school ever messed with me again.
And, I am a loving, peaceful man. I love God, Family and Country in that order. But each of us has to do what we have to do. All of my family members all the way back to the civil war have been in the military. I make no threats to anyone, just a warning to those who come after us. Basically, leave us alone and we will leave you alone. Come after us, and we ALL will regret it in some form or fashion.
For me I am neither a pacifist nor an aggressor. But I can be either depending on the situation. But most of the time, I am like Canada, I try and stay neutral. But even Canada if attacked, is not going to lay down and surrender.
Since the local sheriff is providing official government speech using Facebook, Facebook is now a news outlet providing official government communication and therefore, although I am not a lawyer, it appears you have the legal right to receive this official government communication.
I see FAC censorship is still active. Ty for once again not allowing one of my posts to this forum, why I don’t post anymore only browse. So I’m done here, good luck to everyone, I will be praying for you.
Your lighter fluid and match comment? We’ve been censoring everyone’s similar comments. This is not the forum for that.
You do censor political comments (that are in no way threatening), but only from one side.
I’m not complaining, but I also had a comment not get published. I’m not sure if it was inappropriate or not. It was simply stating it was legal for me to purchase a black powder pistol here in Michigan, and that I did so. It was not meant to advocate violence, just confirmation that we can own black powder rifles and pistols so long as they cannot be readily modified to fire a conventional round. Federal law does not classify a black powder pistol or rifle as a firearm, and Michigan allows felons to own them. Other states may not, so check your State’s laws.
If I violated any rules, I do apologize.
Disgusted
Black powder is neat but you better be a really good shot. You only get one chance.
Truth
Agree , I boxed and wrestled when in school and was offered scholarships to do it. Though decided not to pursue it further. If you lose your temper you will lose the fight.
DavidM…mine is a cap and ball revolver that holds 6 rounds, so only having one shot is not always true. Hopefully I will never have to use it. And true, being a good shot is important, along with safety.
Disgusted
I am getting no straight answers from attorneys about an ex-felon “Living” with someone who owns a gun. One said you do not own it so yes. Another told me you cannot live in the same house as someone who owns a gun because you can possibly get ahold of it.
Both told me they have defended people charged with possession of a firearm as a felon, even though they never touched the gun. Just being in the same household of someone with a gun, was considered a crime. Very confusing.
A few years ago I took a friend to the store. He was in my vehicle that I owned at the time, when we got out, his shirt snagged and I saw his concealed weapon. I never said anything to him but never offered him a ride again as, being in my car with a firearm made me vulnerable to arrest. The gun was in MY vehicle, albeit, in his possession.
There are so many traps and lose ended laws, it is a wonder every one of us has not been re-arrested.
Sentinel
I complained to FAC in the past because they were allowing death threats against us. They stated they allowed them for two reasons. No one was named individually, and secondly wanted people too see what threats we get.
Our post about weapons we could use to protect ourselves while not naming any person by name, merely stating “If we were attacked. And yet we get censored. Sort of hypocritical. Having said that, I won’t quit coming here over it but is very disturbing how it only applies to one side.
I don’t own or run the site so have little to no say on what they print or don’t print. And I am not ashamed to say how I would protect myself and my family at “ALL” cost. The other side is looking to kill us without even knowing us. Yet when they come for us, guess we are supposed to cower down? I think not. Not all of us on the registry are pacifist.
Sentinel…
Most of Us are filled with range and anger,,,,for example, in my conviction I do not have a real victim…it was made up!
I was sentenced to 10 yr SO probation and then I was technically violated—even more Outrage….then sent to Florida Prison….
We are all pissed off!…Trust Me….But, what I have finally realized is that there is only way to redress the madness!…Is to fight with a non-hatred mindset….rid the evilness and spit it out in your own sink….then fight with a better concentration!
seems trivial, but it may work for you!
…physically exercise if you are able and keep few friends!
Very well said. We have to be better than the ones spewing hateful, dehumanizing comments and advocating violence against us. Any false steps on our part only intensifies the vitriole.
Safety of myself in my home and my family is a primary concern I have. Once off probation in 2013 I called the sheriff in Volusia to find out options. I was able to own a paintball gun, and Airsoft. Ghost pepper paintballs are a thing. Luckily it’s not come to it yet. I encourage everyone to do due diligence, but also be safe.
It’s very dangerous to assume all registered citizens cannot or do not own firearms. If their charges were adjudicated, once they finish probation, they might have their rights back; and that includes firearm ownership.
A withhold of adjudication would not take away firearm or voting rights, but a restoration of civil rights would not. There is a separate category for restoration of civil rights with firearm.
Would-be assailants can safely assume that felony sex offenders have not had their gun rights restored by the state of Florida. That’s one reason the registry is a threat to public safety.
I’m not sure I read your reply correctly, both are “nots”.
According to my lawyer on the day of sentencing, if I successfully complete probation, my rights are restored. I am not a convicted felon, just a registered felon.
Of course I cannot buy any new firearms nor can I get my CWP for 4 years following completion of my probation.
That’s my understanding.
Probably won’t affect us since we are not a “protected class”, but we can dream right?
“Vice President Harris launches online harassment task force”.
https://www.aol.com/news/biden-administration-launch-online-harassment-122638297.html
That initiative is geared towards preventing LGBT youth suicides while that sheriff is attempting to do the exact opposite.
To: Facts
Yes I am aware my friend, I was just saying, everyone, every class, every type etc. of human has some sort of protections except us. Even when we are attacked, law enforcement just shrugs and says “You should have thought of that before acting out your perversions”.
In other words, a huge chunk of the population would celebrate if all of us were eliminated. And once that happens, some who applauded that, will commit a sex offense then see what it feels like being us.
31 years since my offense and yet I am not allowed to move on. This even though I have not had so much as a parking ticket since. And I know I am not alone. Yes a slim few do not learn their lesson and can’t control themselves, but not everyone is the same, even though we are ALL treated them same. Doesn’t matter if you looked at a photo once online or kidnapped 50 kids, they lump us all together.