State Sen. Lauren Book seeks restraining order to silence protester
As Broward State Sen. Lauren Book prepares for her annual walk to raise awareness about child sex abuse, she wants to make sure one of her harshest critics is nowhere near her.
On July 26, Sen. Book filed a petition in Broward Circuit Court seeking a restraining order against Derek Logue, a 40-year-old Ohio man convicted of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl in 2001. Logue today is an advocate for registered sex offenders.
You won’t find Sen. Book’s petition at the county courthouse. A clerk in the Broward court’s domestic violence division told a reporter it is confidential. The reason: Florida Statute 119 says that any documents that reveal the identity, address or phone numbers of a potential crime victim are exempt from Florida’s liberal public records law.
Florida Bulldog obtained a copy of her petition from Logue.
Sen. Book claims she fears for her and her family’s safety following physical threats Logue allegedly made against her online and in person during two public events in 2015 and 2016. In addition to seeking to bar Logue from showing up at her annual walk events, she wants to keep him from coming within 500 feet of her home and her offices.
But Broward Circuit Court Judge Michael G. Kaplan rejected Sen. Book’s request for a temporary restraining order on Aug. 9, noting there was insufficient evidence showing she was in immediate danger. A hearing on her request for a permanent restraining order is scheduled for Sept. 1.
Sen. Book declined comment, but her father, prominent Tallahassee lobbyist Ron Book, told Florida Bulldog Logue has been harassing him and his daughter for roughly four years. “We had ignored his harassment because we don’t believe he is terribly relevant,” Book said. “He has little credibility.”
However, Book said the last straw occurred on July 8, when Logue tweeted “I think I found the official Laura Ahearn/ Lauren Book theme song” next to a link to a YouTube video for a song titled, “You Are A C—,” by Australian singer and comedian Kat McSnatch. Ahearn is executive director of Parents for Megan’s Law, a New York-based advocacy group for victims of sex crimes.
Ugly lyrics
Among its provocative lyrics is this ugly line: “Why don’t you shut that scabby c— mouth before I f— up your face.” The crude video also features an image of a tombstone that reads, “R.I.P. Annoying C—.”
According to Ron Book and Sen. Book’s petition, officials from several New York law enforcement agencies advised that Logue’s tweet was a credible death threat. “We were advised to contact local law enforcement and take steps to make sure that the encounters we’ve had with Mr. Logue don’t happen again. When you cross the line and threaten to f—k up someone’s face followed by ‘R.I.P.,’ that is a credible threat,” said Ron Book.
Logue dismissed the Books’ accusations as “a load of hogwash.” He claims the petition is an attempt to stop him from exercising his First Amendment right to speak out against their lifelong campaign against registered sex offenders.
“It is easy to make me look like the bad guy because I am a registered citizen,” Logue told Florida Bulldog. “You may not like my choice of words. I do cuss and I do call people the C word. She is offended by it, but I don’t care. It’s protected free speech.”
He added, “She is simply trying to prevent me from raining on her little parade.”
Sen. Book is the founder and $135,000-a-year chief executive officer of Lauren’s Kids, a non-profit agency that has collected more than $10 million in grants from the Florida Legislature to fund an array of educational programs to convince victims and children advocates to report child sex crimes. However, the effectiveness of the programs have come under fire as Sen. Book has used Lauren’s Kids to elevate her public profile.
The Plantation Democrat, who was sexually abused as a teen by her former nanny, also makes an annual trek on foot from Key West to Tallahassee to raise awareness for child sex victims. This year’s walk is scheduled to begin on Sept. 9.
In her petition, Sen. Book claims that in 2015 Logue traveled to Tallahassee and organized a group of sex offenders in an attempt to disrupt the final mile of her annual walk. “The workers were warned in advance and they were able to keep the walk peaceful with the help of the Capitol Police, the Tallahassee Police Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement,” the petition says.
A year later, Logue traveled to New York City to attend a screening of the documentary Untouchable at the Tribeca Film Festival to harass Sen. Book during a question and answer session, the petition alleges. The Books are prominently featured in the movie about the impact of sex offender laws on individuals convicted of sex crimes.
“During the question and answer segment, he became unruly enough that his microphone was cut off and petitioner was surrounded by New York Police Department officers to protect her,” the petition states. Sen. Book claims she learned of Logue’s July 8 tweet after being contacted by an advocate for Parents of Megan’s Law who saw it and who filed a report with the New York field office of the FBI.
A rally planned for Miami
The petition also noted that Logue’s website OnceFallen.com and a Facebook page he is affiliated with is promoting a rally planned for Miami in September: “The coincidence is palpable.”
In his response to the petition and during an interview with Florida Bulldog, Logue said he has participated in and helped organize demonstrations across the country against sex offender registry laws and other legislation he believes discriminate against sex offenders who have done their time. He has also been interviewed on the topic by CNN, HLN and Russia Today, as well as local and regional news outlets, Logue said.
He said the 2015 demonstration in Tallahassee was peaceful even though Lauren’s Kids officials tried to report him for not registering with the state of Florida for the event. “I am free to travel anywhere in the United States of America,” Logue’s response states. “In fact, I made it a point to contact the Leon County Sheriff’s office to confirm that I would not need to register as a sex offender to visit for less than 48 hours to engage in a peaceful demonstration.”
Logue said he attended the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival because he had been interviewed for Untouchable, but the footage did not make into the documentary. He did make a brief appearance halfway through the film during scenes of the demonstration in Tallahassee. He said he only learned the Books were also in attendance when he arrived for the screening.
Logue said the documentary’s director David Feige asked him not to be too nasty to the Book family and he obliged. He denies disrupting the question and answer session. “I asked her why she preaches that sex offenders don’t deserve second chances when her father is also a convicted criminal that got second and third chances,” Logue said. “She made a snarky remark, I laughed and sat back down.”
On Sept. 21, 1995, Ron Book pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor charges and was fined $2,000 following a criminal investigation that found he violated state law by funneling more than $30,000 in illegal campaign contributions to at least a dozen county and state politicians.
Logue, who isn’t shy about owning up to his sex crime conviction, claims when he went to register in his home state in July, his registration officer told him someone claiming to be a state senator called to complain that he called her a c— and that she was offended by it. “I call a lot of people c—s,” Logue said. “I understand not everyone appreciates crude language. Yet, we elected a president that uses crude language and what not.”
Logue’s lawyer, Jamie Benjamin, did not respond to a phone message seeking comment. Sen. Book’s lawyer, Fort Lauderdale’s David Bogenschutz, said her role as a public official makes her a vulnerable target to threats of a violent nature.
“She and several law enforcement agencies believe [Logue’s behavior] crosses the line between what is protected by the First Amendment and threats that cause individuals to have legitimate concerns for themselves and their family members,” Bogenschutz said. “If it continues, and it has continued, we need the court’s intervention to draw the line for us.”
The Book’s know that Logue is not going to physically harm them. They are using their clout and position to get things the way they want them. Are they are afraid people might actually listen to Logue and other advocates? Yup – that is it in a nutshell.
Derek has protested in at least one place in New York where if he farted in public, the local cops would try to arrest him for violation of the Clean Air Act. He isn’t going to be a danger to anyone. 😉
Glad I didn’t have gas that day!
By the way, the hearing was postponed for a week because I had a transportation issue. So it will be Sept. 8th.
Hey Derek,
What is happening with your case in Suffolk County and what is happening with the Federal case?
This kind of behavior by a registered citizen hurts all our efforts to dismantle the registry and regain our constitutional rights.
Maybe he could have used a little more tact, butnthe essence of his approach is sound.
I do not agree…I feel that passivity is the kind of behavior that hurts all our efforts. Fighting someone who clearly perpetuates lies about it for profit is what will make change.
If we make it more difficult for politicians to use the registry as a propaganda tool then we are one step closer to our goal of dismantling this damn hateful hit list aka the sex offender registry.
I would like to join the growing list and call Broward State Sen. Lauren Book a cunt as well. I am exercising my 1st Amendment right and using the internet to do so. Two things she clearly HATES!
This explotive woman is not only a cunt but a bitch so I say that “cunty bitch” is most accurate of all. Yes, that is what she is alright.
Amen Jim!
That’s what I just posted for FAC as well.
As a public advocate in VA (not an arm chair warrior) some so-called advocates aren’t worth posting about and some news stories aren’t worth sharing.
Agreed!! This is total b/s and I am sorry Sen. Book is getting harassed. No one deserves that. She’s not evil, we’re not evil.
The research says FAC and Book both require for the same things to happen in order to get what both sides want. Since that’s the case we should start figuring how to build some bridges rather than constantly fighting against.
Not according to Senator Book. We are most certainly evil in her mind. How do you negotiate with someone who shows up at a homeless camp that she has created and wrings her hands and sobs camera about the appalling conditions? Hell, Reinhard Heydrich didn’t show up at Treblinka and bitch about how dirty the “showers” were. 😉
This is “EXACTLY” why I asked for someone who has a social account to copy and paste last weeks FAC email on a comment section of a news article. Sen Book crys on camera…..what a load of BS.
Expose the Books!!!! Maybe an article dedicated to the history of the Books starting with the JTB needs to be written and placed on this website. With enough shares (by good hatred people) we might create enough interest that a story can be written about what has happened to our guys in Dade.
Solicit an investigative journalist. This is the kind of story that will make a name for that individual. The story of what Ron Book and Lauren Book have done to us is a big seller!!
I’ve already started my friend, sent 3 emails, 1 to fox 13 got called back, talked with Craig Patrick, very nice man, and he already had it on his agenda, 1 to channel 8 they responded with an email, and the one in Tallahassee has not responded yet. So I’m trying to get the message out to the media. I’ll be sending out more tomorrow.
Awesome G.W.! If any would like to interview Gail, please let us know.
I do work on a blog that posts all the relevant info on the Books, and they’re claiming that blog is harassing them.
And Florida Bulldog has written a series of articles about the Books. S has the New Times. But the mainstream media hasn’t delved into the subject much. The Miami Herald used to be awesome about it they haven’t done much lately.
If someone from the mainstream media took the info from the Floridians for Freedom blog (since references are included), and made it into an article, they’d have a Pulitzer.
Calling someone a CU Next Tuesday is not a threat. In her case, it sounds like it’s the truth. Way to keep her off guard. Just keep it on the DL and remimd the judge you have a right to protest that which is oppressive. And watch yourself: If backed into a corner, this woman will bear her claws.
I agree with you Derek BUT, I do not agree with his language that he uses he would be more productive if he would clean his mouth out with a bar of soap…
Derek is correct! I also Think Lauren Book is a Fing C*+# as well as her criminal daddy Ron Book!
just because senator book was sexually abused as a teenager.
she should concentrate on her past abuser. but this is her job
where can you make 135.000.00 a year because you were
sexually abused. like rob book broke the law he has a job, home
and second chance. does it mean he will break the law again?.
I don’t know. and again does it mean that a ex-sex offender will offend again. I don’t know. we all know that this is big money until the truth is seen and understood rso will never have a chance to live a life of being free.
What exactly are Ms. Book’s qualifications? To command such a salary and hold state office? Other than being sexually abused by a domestic servant? Or having an influential father? I am puzzled…
FAC,
I’m really SHOCKED that you posted this article.
Yes even negative news articles should be shared and known but WHY this article?
Derek Logue is the worst example to hold up as someone fighting to reform the Sex Offender Registries and laws there is.
As a Advocacy Group I’ve respected for some time I’m very disappointed and I’ll tell you why.
Derek says in this article that Mr.Feige (Documentary Untouchable) had to ask him NOT to be nasty. Why? Because Derek IS nasty.
I do not like Lauren Book or Ron Book because of their hate-driven advocacy to increase RSO restriction, regulations and mandates but I would NEVER call either of them a derogatory name either to their face or behind their back. Let alone the worst word you can call a female and yet Derek takes pride in it. I thought FAC was run by mostly (if not all) women, do you support his words
Derek has also posted negatively about the Black Lives Matter movement in such a way that I came away believing he is a racist bigot. If he’s not then he should tone down his BLM rhetoric, if he is then anyone supporting his advocacy supports bigotry.
Derek has on television, in interviews and on his website minimized his actions/crime by not taking accountability. Not only that but a quote that I made in a local newspaper this past June about anyone who molests a baby deserves the full extent of the law angered Derek. What legitimate advocate who believes in protecting children while being directed by the data and proven processes could disagree with that? Derek did.
Derek is a hate-driven, bigoted, narcissist who attacks anyone who doesn’t agree with him.
There are many legitimate advocates trying to reform the overly broad laws, sentences and registries some of them I do not agree with 100% but I don’t feel they are doing damage to the reform effort whereas Derek is.
Derek is disgusting, rude, unprofessional, bigoted and is unrepentant for his past behavior.
This article does not elevate the reform effort but reinforces the public incorrect assumption that RSO’s are dangerous, a-holes.
Sorry, but that’s how I view it.
Mary, We appreciate and respect your comments. This is a re-post of an article and relevant to one aspect of the challenge here in Florida, so we featured it. If you read this week’s FAC Weekly Update (which should circulate today), you will see where we stand on this issue.
More than two years ago, when we were told about the Rally in Tally and were asked to help spread the word, we declined any participation. In fact, we posted this article: https://floridaactioncommittee.org/fac-is-not-affiliated-with-rally-in-tally-protest/ and circulated a similar message in an email to our members.
Our position was definitely not that we were against the organizer’s right to peacefully assemble and protest. Our position was that the timing and presentation would undermine the efforts we were trying to make in Tallahassee. There was an effective time and place and an ineffective time and place – and that was not it.
As an advocacy group, it is difficult to tell people to stand up and speak out and then on the other hand tell them not to. But being in Florida and understanding the politics here, we did not want to place our members in a position where the protesters would return to their states and we would be left to suffer the wrath of Ron Book.
The Rally in Tally did meet its objective of getting a lot of attention and exposure, unfortunately the way that attention was perceived by the public was as we worried it would be – very negative. Also, as we worried would be the case, the next year, when Lauren ran unopposed for Senator, she introduced a bunch of punitive nonsensical bills targeting registrants. One (which thankfully didn’t pass) sought to remove the parental rights of CP offenders no matter how long ago their offense.
Our purpose in re-posting this article was to let our members know what’s going on in our State. Many who follow Derek or OnceFallen will be glad to know the Judge didn’t grant the restraining order. It will also give people who are willing to speak out the comfort of knowing that they won’t get hit with a stalking charge for exercising their First Amendment right.
The reality is that Ron Book is the Kim Jong-un of Florida politics. Even the politicians know he’s a lunatic, but when someone’s got their finger on nuclear buttons, you don’t necessarily want to go around poking them.
Over the last 9 years the RSO’s I’ve heard from, met and lobbied with fall into 5 categories:
1- False allegation for a sex crime
2- Wrongful conviction for a sex crime
3- In an age appropriated relationship, no force but the action (sex, sodomy, sexting, communication, etc) was considered a crime.
4- Committed a sex crime, they admit it, they take accountability for their actions, they learned from it and they will never reoffend
5- Committed a sex crime, will NOT admit it, will NOT take accountability, they place blame on others, they have not learned from it and that places them in the population/group of most likely to reoffend in the future.
Derek is #5. He has placed blame everywhere but w/ himself and he’s made countless excuses.
BTW, Galen Baughman falls in #5 too and we all know where he is today after thinking he was the RSO Reform Movement savior. Not only did he make excuses but so did both of his parents.
So is Derek’s previous sex crime relevant when he calls himself an advocate to the media, to legislators and to the public even though he paid his debt to society years ago? Yes it is. Why? Because he has taken zero personal accountability, he continues to place blame elsewhere. He is a danger, especially to females. His anger is almost abusive. He calls Senator Book the C-Word and takes pride in it and in the last 24 hours he has called 2 separate female advocates the C-Word on Twitter (me being one).
His Twitter history w/ males isn’t angry, sexist, or offensively vulgar but w/ women it is.
For you men who think Derek’s use of the C-word is just dandy, what if he called your sister, your daughter, you mother or your wife the C-Word on his website, on his Twitter account and in a news article that actually is willing to print the word. This is the MOST offense word you can use when speaking of or to a female, I would hope you’d be outraged and you’d tell him not only to never say that word again, but to apologize to your sister, your daughter, your mother or your wife.
So why is Derek’s use of this term acceptable to you when it comes to Lauren Book, me or the other Registry advocate?
The character, the integrity and the voice of advocates who are either working towards reform or abolishment is extremely important.
For those who willing ignore his vulgarity towards women hoping he might advance the cause you are failing your moral obligation to advise him that if he can’t clean up his act he doesn’t speak for you or the movement.
Every point can be made professionally and respectfully and we should demand those who step up the lead do just that, but perhaps because of the behavior of our current President some folks are willing to throw respect out the window and let sexist, vulgar men bulldoze their way through.
Not me, especially when they are in the #5 bucket.
Derek’s use of any offensive, abusive or otherwise hateful language or terms is not acceptable to us when used against anyone. I pointed out that it would violate our Member Code of Conduct and any member who engaged in offensive/abusive conduct would be subject to removal from FAC.
Derek or any individual is free to do or say whatever they want in their own time and context and so long as it’s not as a member or representative of FAC, they can do back flips down the hall of the Capital till they are blue in the face for all we care.
To be clear; we condemn conduct that is offensive, abusive or hateful. It’s not acceptable from Derek, Ron Book, you or us.
While everyone is spending their time calling each other names and calling out other people’s offenses, we’ll be focusing on the cause.
Miss Mary,
Excellent synopsis on the classification of offenders. I’m not ready to judge Galen or Derek, but I would submit the following:
This is what so enrages those who suffer under these ex-post-facto punishments, bills of attainder, laws abridging contracts etc, etc.
Having said that, using offensive language in labeling a woman who professes to have been victimized only serves to re-enforce the public’s misguided opinion that we may all be lumped into one group and must be guarded against accordingly.
Regardless of Miss Book’s motives and means, using degrading language toward her or any other victim is counterproductive to the reality that a vast majority of offenders are in fact rehabilitated, and feel terrible that she or any other suffered as a victim regardless of her choices as to how she chooses to deal with that pain.
Self examination goes a long way towards being able to look past the “sins” of those who mistreat SO’s as a whole, and affords us an opportunity to oppose Constitutional violations in a respectful way, rather than in ways which reinforce the majority of the public’s disdain for us all.
I choose to remain above the Book’s hurtful rhetoric regardless of their motives behind it. I pray for her healing, and that she, her father, and all Americans realize that if the Constitution is reduced to one of convenience, it may one day become meaningless for all Americas.
Respectfully,
DW
Mary – your passion for the cause shows in your words and I thank you for that. However, I wonder about your very personal attacks with Derek. I agree with you that the use of the C word is extremely offensive to women. Yet, it is just a word. I also agree (to some extent) that right now the public and the media etc. expect RSOs to fall into a nice little box. I also hate hearing about an offender that has re-offended and when they are high profile it is worse. Yet, when one is an advocate for reform they must accept the good along with the bad – #5 on your chart should be no less than #1 or #3. When you put people in categories to predict what they will or will not do that is no different than what RSOs are subjected to everyday. In social movements, there has always been different types of protests and they serve different types of momentum – for instance, compare Dr. Martin Luther King with Malcolm X.
I do not know your history with Derek but your attacks seem very personal. I am sorry to say that whether you realize it or not to set him apart from deserving advocacy because of those personal feelings can diminish your credibility as well. Putting RSOs into “categories” is something they know all too well and is offensive also (to me anyway). I do not question your passion for advocacy or your methods in so far that you have experience but it does seem that your personal feelings to “slam” Derek have affected your outlook. Please do not misconstrue my words as advocacy for Derek’s methods – I know they have been questioned by many. I do not know him except for a few exchanges on other message forums (he knows me by a different “handle”) but what I do know is that he has been subjected to the same archaic laws as all the other RSOs. You talk a lot about taking responsibility for his crime and perhaps he never has but is that a pre-requisite in your mind for RSOs who deserve advocacy? How many times would be sufficient? 10,20, every time they speak?
You said … “For those who willing ignore his vulgarity towards women hoping he might advance the cause you are failing your moral obligation to advise him that if he can’t clean up his act he doesn’t speak for you or the movement.
Every point can be made professionally and respectfully and we should demand those who step up the lead do just that, but perhaps because of the behavior of our current President some folks are willing to throw respect out the window and let sexist, vulgar men bulldoze their way through.”
Who are we to demand that anyone do it our way based on our personal moral standards? Do you think King agreed with Malcolm X’s methods? You do not have to accept Derek into your fold but to continually discredit him in public only adds to the disgruntled and “negative perception” of RSO advocates. Especially when he is trying to get the truth out there and you publicly put him in a box that says he will probably re-offend. The protest at the last Book rally (last year) organized by Derek was peaceful and had no problems. Whether you condone Derek’s methods or not you should be appalled that the Book’s are or were trying to use their power to block his right to free speech.
I like what I read in the FAC weekly newsletter and I am sending positive thoughts for the meeting with Book.
Mary Davye Devoy,
If you truly believed the above what you wrote then why are you not publishing things about the Books? they get funding to help homelessness yet advocate the people arrested for sex crime have no right to live anywhere. they are still spreading false information about recidivism rates, stranger danger, etc…
So why are you not publicly speaking out about them if you truly believe what you just stated?
Derick is being the squeaky wheel in these unjust laws and that i commend!!!
Have you ever TALKED to Derek about his crime?
Mary…. Derek has a lot of good points, and yes he is an “in your face” kind of guy and does need to tone it down a bit. Politicians talk all around a subject and nobody knows what the heck they are talking about until a law comes out saying something derogatory. I would rather for someone to say how it really is, instead of maybe this or maybe that. I am also not a bigot or racist but I am seriously tired of hearing “black lives matter”. ALL LIVES MATTER, including ex sex offenders. She makes a lot of money by being a senator plus $135,000. on top of that from her “non profit” which profits her. The people I like least in this world are the one’s who profit from a tragedy. Yes, I am speaking of Lauren and Ron Book and also John Walsh.
Also, while I find some of Logue’s in your face crassness shocking sometimes I also admire him for being outspoken. The Book’s have used a bad time in their lives to profit in a big way. When they started becoming rich from their endeavors it stopped being about helping children. If they truly wanted to help children being abused they would offer education based on the truth – but they do not. They still spread the same old tired stranger danger myth. Laurens abuser was not a stranger and was not on the registry. So, the stranger danger education nor the registry would have prevented the abuse. Furthermore, over the top living restrictions would not have helped her – the abuser lived in Lauren’s home. I also have a not so popular take on what people say is Derek’s refusal to take responsibility for his crime. Here is my take on that – I do not know the facts of his crime but he has served his sentence and as far as I know has not re-offended. To continually apologize for what he did would serve no purpose. It does not change what happened and in my opinion only serves to continually serve the idea that one must atone for a mistake for the rest of their lives. For what? Does it help the victim? Probably not…does it elevate Derek in the public’s eyes? Perhaps some but his record of not re-offending should do that. I just think prefacing everything he speaks out about with atonement serves no purpose. I also respect FAC stance on the issues – I trust them and I know they have our best interest at heart.
To be absolutely clear, NOBODY within the FAC condones sexual abuse and we believe abusers, like anyone committing a crime, should receive appropriate punishment. We have to believe that Derek received just punishment for what he did and now, given the fact that he needs to function and live in the community, he should be given the opportunity to do so.
Nobody reading this has never done wrong. We have to accept that as human beings we are not infallible. However, after proper punishment, we need to be given the opportunity to redeem ourselves and function.
If laws are set up to make that impossible, laws that fail the goal of public safety and only serve as traps to re-incarcerate you, laws that make it impossible to find housing, employment, support your family, parent your children, worship or access the basic necessities of life, like running water or an outhouse along the railroad tracks where you are forced to live for eternity, what’s the point?
Derek’s crime cannot be thrown back in his face as a rebuttal to every valid point he makes. That’s not a debate on the merits of an argument. That would be like saying, “Karen, you can offer no valuable input in this discussion because you are a woman”
Our Member Code of Conduct, states;
” Dealing with Others – Members are required to treat other FAC Members, politicians, police, probation officers, treatment providers, members of the media as well as all third parties with whom FAC interacts, with respect, dignity, honesty and fairness.
Threatening, insubordinate, violent or obscene behavior by any Member will not be tolerated. Any conduct that encourages or permits an offensive or hostile environment will not be tolerated. Members are expected to communicate with candor, courtesy and respect.
Members must realize that Registered Citizens are already perceived in an unfavorable light and for that reason we must conduct ourselves in a manner that reflects the highest ethical standards and most professional conduct in order to strengthen the public’s perception.”
If Derek were a member of FAC or were representing FAC (which he is not), he’d likely be violating our Code of Conduct.
As an individual, he’s entitled to free speech and the right to assemble and while we might disagree with his tone or not participate in his rally, to not support his First Amendment rights would undermine everything we are fighting for.
Was my post misunderstood? I hope I did not offend…I was actually saying that I do not think Derek should have to constantly atone for his mistake (kind of like what FAC said?)
nope – sometimes a reply to one comment is intended to be read by all
I’ll give a politician as much respect as they give me…..which is “none”!!!!
Especially the Books. I woukd bet that the funds for her little charity aren’t quite being appropriated properly – they rarely are… So if complaints were lodged to just the right people, such affairs would have to be audited, I’m sure.
I’m writing this not as a reply but as an extensionas to what Karen ha stated.
The only people who argue that someone in this movement isn’t “accepting responsibility for one’s offense” are the Antis. If Valigator was still alive would be proud of anyone who believes that. God ol’ Val, you may find this hard to believe but she was a supporter of my efforts for years… well, until I offered support to FAC, that is. So long as I wasn’t in her back yard I was OK. But I digress.
What does that phrase really mean? The Antis meant that saying anything less than, “Oh yes, master, you’re right, I’m an uncontrollable pedophile and that we deserve to be registered/ homeless/ in prison/ beaten/dead” is not accepting responsibility. EVERY ONE OF YOU who advocate for reforming the registry is “not taking responsibility.” After all, the registry is punishment.
I don’t talk about my past because to discuss it is to be bound by it. You know why so many victim advocates become lifelong “victims”? Because they revisit it every time they choose to revisit the past. They choose to stay bound to it, and the groups encourage them to relive it. No one heals that way. Why open up a resolved issue? Should I go back and revisit my miserable childhood and be forced to relive every instance of abuse by my stepfather, or being mercilessly bullied at school, or abandoned by my mother in a hotel room and placed in foster care and abused there? I acknowledge these things happened but to what avail is it to relive all that, hm?
To discuss our offense constantly is to be bound by it. It also closes minds even more quickly than the words I say that offend you. You know why Jake Goldenflame was on Oprah? Because he was that guy willing to play patsy and say he was a “pedophile” and that he would reoffend. That’s what Oprah wants to hear. That’s not what we offer. We all get called idiots in message boards no matter how much evidence is on our side and how respectful you try to be. My life is getting too short to care. As far as I’m concerned, the issue of my victim isn’t a matter for society to intervene, but an issue between me and her. The state already rendered their verdict.
It is far worse when this movement will try to use this as an attack point on a fellow activist. That’s the kind of trash talk reserved for the Valigators of this world.
I’m on the registry and never committed a crime, so there is nothing for me to own up to. That said, if Derek Logue is going to be a face for this fight, maybe he should tone it down a bit. Do I believe Lauren Book is a CU Next Tuesday? Possibly. If she’s acting like one, she certainly deserves every word she gets, like it or not. However, maybe this movement of ours has come to the point of tact in that a PR firm may be needed, speechwriters, and some coaching. Derek seems to be on the right side of things, but being rough around the edges, he could use a little polish. And there is nothing wrong with that. A communications course, some coaching, some refinements and fine tuning, and Derek could be more dangerous to the established stonewalling position than he already is. Derek, with the right words and careful planning and attention to detail, You could shut this woman down without the negative attention of restraining orders and the like.
Ben – a PR firm would be lovely if we could afford one.
Consider this excerpt from FloridaWatchdog, “The payments by Lauren’s Kids to Sachs Media Group accounted for 28 percent of the charity’s $10.8 million in expenses,” “Millions of taxpayer dollars flowed through the nonprofit to Sachs Media as it both promoted Lauren’s Kids and cultivated Sen. Book’s public persona as a survivor of child sex abuse”
To match resources in a public relations war against someone that invests close to three million dollars a year into her PR isn’t going to happen, realistically, anytime soon.
We need to put our collective boots on the ground and do the work ourselves.
There should still be an air of professionalism from all fronts in this fight. Constant refinement is necessary so as to appear neither weak nor incompetent. I love the fact that so many are stepping up on this front, but our words need to be professional and concise without resorting to foul language or violence.
And Derek is being the PR voice. Realistically, He makes the noise our movement needs. He speaks his mind AND speaks out against the unconstitutionality of these laws. I give a rats A$$ if the Books (or any politician for that matter) are offended by what or how he says it. It’s said…….and that’s the point.
I may not like what another activist says or how they say it, but someone needs to speak out and Derek IS doing it.
Mary Devoy has bashed me for man things in the past 24 hours;
1. You called me a bigot and racist for my opposition to BLM because many of their protests are indeed violent and many of them chant racist remarks and pro-violent remarks. I happen to believe all lives matter, especially everyone who contacts me for assistance or support. I believe in helping ALL registered citizens, not just a select few. Mary, you aren’t advocating for everybody on the registry; you discriminate against some of us.
2. You called me a “narcissist” because I promote OnceFallen.com, well, every organization self-promotes. How else will people on the registry find the help they need? I do prison outreach, answer inquiries, research and create reports used by people, but no one in this movement does this for the props. This is often a thankless job; after all, people come to us to get help, but they often envision us as a magical place they’ll give them a job, house, and a legal dream team. Sadly, the best I can offer is an ear, some info off my site and referrals to people in their state if there’s a fellow activist/ support effort in that state. That’s not “narcissism,” but doing everything I can to make people aware there is help. That means I’m willing to do things many folks would reject doing, like daring to go on the Ashleigh Banfield show.
3. You complain I moderate my blogs. Really? You don’t even have a comment section. Besides, Blogspot has a spambot issue. I don’t want ads for boner pills or camgirls or diploma mills filling my comment sections. And yes, I do ferret out troll posts. No one wants to read the death threats I get on a regular basis, at any rate. We’ll save how you tried to get my Twitter account deleted for a different time, but suffice to say, you’re being hypocritical.
4. In regards to me language, well, I’ve never said I speak for anyone, not FAC, not you, not anyone in this movement, and thus I don’t feel I have to walk on eggshells like the groups that have resources to lose. But our movement is way too skittish. FAC, RSOL, and Cali RSOL denounced my protest two years ago, and even among those of us planning the event there was division over what to say. Whereas WAR brought an olive branch to extend… heck, an entire olive tree sapling, I brought a homeless person tent, commode chair and sign reminding passersby that the Books of the JTC camp. I didn’t like the olive branch and WAR hated the commode chair. And we obviously didn’t stand united. But did Lauren accept WAR’s gift? Nope. I’ve been called far worse than “the C word” even by fellow activists, so suck it up. The world isn’t going to change as a result of your microaggressions.
What i’m sick of is when certain people in this movement actively try to sabotage one’s work because you disagree with them, as you have tried to do. I’m not the one going down the other’s Twitter page demanding followers stop following a page, I simply don’t follow who I don’t like. But I’ve seen this play out over the years to way more folks than just me.
I tell everyone who calls me that there are many schools of thought and I offer them options. If you don’t like me, there’s other options. My support has rarely, IF EVER, come from within this “movement.” It comes from those who I’ve taken the time to help, finding information that some folks don’t bother to share with others. No one in their right mind joins an unpopular cause for trophies and statutes in their honor; maybe if we were players for the Book team, maybe we’d have a pothole-filled highway named after us too. This is about helping people, and yes, I’ve done it for longer than most. I’ve earned my stripes, as have many of those who’ve been here a while.
The bottom line is if you don’t like it, deal with it. This cause has survived far worse offenses than hurt feelings over semantics and language. I’ll continue to fight for abolishing the registry for ALL registered citizens and helping as many as I can in the process.
Yo, Derek
Did the “New York law enforcement agencies” that said that you were making “credible threats” happen to be located in Suffolk County? 😉
Why yes, and you can pretty much guess which agency was the one who made the claim.
I don’t think that I really need to guess. 😀
Wow, what a comment section!
Derek: would I want to hang out with you on the weekend? No. I think you are a boor, crass and obnoxious.
Am I glad you are fighting for the “movement,” as you call it? Absolutely. For all the same reasons I would not want to spend my free time chatting with you, you draw attention to something that folks would rather not pay attention to, garner discussion in mainstream media for something that benefits everybody (and I really don’t believe that’s hyperbole) and will not shut up or be ignored.
Keep it up, dude. Don’t reoffend, don’t shut up, and please don’t call me.
Ha! That’s a funny, yet spot-on comment, Scott!
I moderate this forum to ensure that nothing obnoxious or hateful posts publicly (you’d be surprised how much spam and vigilantism we get), but also because it’s a reflection of our organization and I want to ensure it remains a useful resource for our community and presents our perspective in a comprehensible and professional way.
As much as I love that our readers are engaging so deeply (and, candidly the fact that so much original content improves our SEO ranking and exposure), at some point we need to break up the fighting and name calling and refocus on something productive.
I think both Mary and Derek’s posts clearly reflect the frustration that they are feeling (and we are all feeling) with the registry and having fought so hard for so long. We cannot allow each other to become the outlets of that frustration. Keep your eyes on the target and focus that energy there.
What Scott said about being glad Derek is fighting for the movement is right on. Often I’ll read the same old rhetoric and myths regurgitated in some news story and say, “why isn’t someone saying something?” I’ll check back to the post later and there’s a comment from Derek. You have to appreciate that!
LOL. Derek is not quite that bad. You should read up on some of the people that he has “gone after.” I have a problem with people who not only come after folks like me, but particularly ones who are a taxpayer funded “state actor” and try and use the legal system to silence someone like Derek.
That, Joe, is a point very well made. Go ahead and keep the gloves off Derek.
It feels at this point like we are fighting a war with bb guns against politicians lobbing nukes. Best of luck to all effected.
I’m sorry. But I wholeheartedly agree with Derek. If George Washington and the colonists sailed to Britain and tried to peacefully resolve their differences and express their grievances and win their battles in the halls of Parliament, they all would’ve been arrested on the spot, and hung from the rafters of Big Ben. We’re trying to win a battle by playing the other person’s game (manipulating politics and laws based on hysteria) and using their rules (laws they’ve created) to try and win battles and the war for ourselves based on Constitutional law which is ultimately based on a judge’s opinion and interpretation of it. And it takes lots of money to play their game, of which none of us have enough of. Are we winning battles here and there? Sure. Are we going to win the war?? Yet to be seen. If we do, it might take years, decades, or even centuries. Who knows. What I do know is that it only took the colonists 7 years to win their war with their methods (armed resistance after being fed up with putting up with Britain’s tyrrany). How long will it take you and I to get fed up with Florida, and the Feds tyranny over us???? But hey, if we can play their game and win, more power to us. Just my thoughts.
Demoralization, Destabilization, Insurgency, Normalization
The above is from an amazing 1985 interview with a “former KGB agent who was trained in subversion techniques. He explains the 4 basic steps to socially engineering entire generations into thinking and behaving the way those in power want them to. It’s shocking because our nation has been transformed in the exact same way, and followed the exact same steps.”
As for Florida registrants, these 4 steps have likewise been taken, by Florida Legislature and the ‘Books’, to ensure that this population stays “demoralized”, “destabilized”, and “insurgency” deserved while bringing “normalized” punishment.
I found the comment about Mr. Book doing this to assuage his guilt for irresponsibly outsourcing his child rearing duties interesting. With that said the fact that his daughter was molested over along period of time by a domestic servant aka “not a stranger” doesn’t make for a terribly convincing argument as to the inherent danger of most of these folks he is going after. It pretty much confirms what everyone already knows but conveniently ignores. Most offenses against children are perpetrate by people close to them or, at a minimum, known to them.
Great point! I wonder how the pant-pissing panderers would feel about a law mandating registry for all family members of a victim within the confines of a family relationship? Perhaps we could have a law passed for folks like Mr. BOOK The Parental Accountability Act. Same registry requirements and public notification? Perhaps Lauren should have to register as a victim since as one abused she is far more likely to victimize another? Not punishing victims here. Just a civil requirement to ensure the safety of children?
So how do you folks feel about people like Book and Ahearn using donor and, in some cases, taxpayer money to file frivolous lawsuits designed to silence their critics? How about eliciting false/misleading “testimony” from law enforcement in order to further these goals like they apparently did with the Suffolk County cops in the Book case? What are the odds that Ahearn and Book didn’t work on that together? Zero. LES than zero. These people try to shut folks up by filing lawsuits that they cannot win, but that doesn’t matter because they don’t have to win the case. They just have to “discourage’ their opponents by bankrupting them. And they do it with other people’s money or “contributions in kind” like the free legal representation they get in New York. Does anyone know who paid the filing fees for Senator Book? Who is paying her lawyer and if they are not being paid, why not? People like the Books and Ahearn built this system, so it is easy for them to game it.