I became a grandmother for the first time a week ago. It’s a moment I have been looking forward to, and planning for, many years. Who knew it would take place during a global pandemic and less than a week after the death of George Floyd?
Although I am the founder, past President and current Executive Director of the Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL), I was uncertain how I would feel about the issue of civil rights for registrants and their families after I became a grandmother. Now that I am a grandmother, I am no longer uncertain.
In fact, I am very certain that I don’t want my grandchild to grow up in a society that continues to punish for a lifetime those convicted of a sex offense. I don’t want my grandchild or any grandchild to worry that they or someone they love will appear on a registry.
We all know because empirical data show that registries are ineffective. They do not protect children or adults from sexual abuse because at least 95 percent of those who commit sexual abuse are not on a registry.
Also, registries punish the individuals who are listed on them. Registries lead to unemployment or underemployment. They lead to substandard housing or homelessness. They break up families.
Registries can and sometimes do lead to vigilante violence. And as a result of that vigilantism, registrants are stabbed and shot or their homes are burned to the ground.
Registrants also face violence from government officials, including police officers and parole officers. This violence takes many forms including a registrant who was thrown to the ground and placed in a choke hold during annual registration because he dared to ask a question.
This must stop! Registries are the equivalent of a chokehold that always injures and can result in death.
What can be done? We can start with adopting the slogan, Take Your Knee Off of My Neck. We can continue by taking that message to the media, to state capitols and to the U.S. Capitol.
This must be done in order to end the tyranny of the Registry, a punishment that does not fit the crime. Any crime. That is because after an individual pays his debt to society through incarceration, probation, parole and/or other methods, his civil rights must be restored. All of them. And he should neve be required to appear on a registry that makes him a target of violence by either vigilantes or government officials.
Instead, of putting a knee on a registrant’s neck, society should take a knee and sincerely apologize for all of the harm that more than a million individuals and their families have endured because of registries.
Congratulations Janice. And thank you for all your hard work. It means so much to so many.
When the protection instinct is motivated by love instead of fear, we get angels of justice like Janice. Thank you so much! But where fear predominates, technocracy continues to roll out new invasive ID technologies, and we should be vigilant to protect the privacy we have. In my opinion, being banned from Social Media is a blessing and anyone entertaining desire to participate is not paying attention to the the tech trends of the times.
Clearview AI, for example
https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/security/a30613488/clearview-ai-app/
is actively scraping imagery across all internet platforms and may soon release an app which will allow the user to take a quick snap shot of your face in public and instantly find out everything about you on the fly.
I have always despised social media but our mugshot can also be scraped from many other websites who have published our faces in order to associate mugshots with past criminal convictions. For those residing in California who want to purge your database file in Clearview AI, there is a solution. You can contact them and request removal of your file, and because of California law, they will comply.
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/5dmkyq/heres-the-file-clearview-ai-has-been-keeping-on-me-and-probably-on-you-too
It’s also a small way we can work to reduce predator Vigilanteism.
First off, congratulations! That is wonderful news. The rest of your writing is so spot on!
Wow! Being a grandma has changed you even more than ever to fight for injustice. Not that you didn’t before but yes! Yes! take your knee off my neck is very appropriate. I love it. We need to get out and speak out, all of us. Thank you gutsy grandma.
“Take your knee off my neck” How strange a sentence. I’m really supprised at you all on here”Will Allen seems to want to come out with his guns ablazen, USA seems to dislike much of this NAZI ordeal, Love and peace just wants to be left alone and many more are so upset that they don’t even know the status quo for life. Not to mention Tim in WI has some data theory that its man database against machine. Isn’t the bible a database witten down for everyone. So where does that leave divine truth as compaired to civil justice or moral understnnding and ethics.
Here I come back on here with a biblical view and I’m sure I’ve been met with opposition or does justice and true value’s start at home or is understanding of all this offender ordeal abit crass. Do we all reap what we sow or sow what we reap? Does anyone wonder why Cain killed Abel or should we wonder why governments do choke holds on another or even induce these registry ordeals. So who’s vainety is who’s.
Sure playing with dynomite one can get blown up. Is the registry out of porportation or is man out of proportation. Who is just as guilty in this choke hold knee type method via this computer one way system. Even going to a convention today one has to sign a disclaimer that they take all the risks. After sex treatment classes they want you to sign a disclaminer that you knew you were talking to a teenage person. Who is over abusing on whos’ liberty or did the bible set it up that way or what is Jesus all about.
Does love thy neighbor say its ok to lie, its ok to defend or even abuse if its for a just cause wether demeaning or not as long as justice is served or who sways to the music today or is justice starting to see the light when mankind can’t. Even understand their own methods or do we all have character defects both men and women and even justice systems.
@ LPH Their ya go I could be wrong on everything. And I’m so glad that nobody tells me what to do. And I’m so glad one can open the eyes of the blind or who leads a horse to water or Jack ass or they learn how to speak. I’m glad that the generation today would rather take some man-made computer over the creator. If thats telling you about America than who’s pinning you down with who’s knee. God would never do that. And yes LPH God could blow you and me away with a blast of his nostril.
Who created you young man, speak if you know who ate the fotbiden fruit, who has a plan for you and everybody else on here. Who is love today. Who freed the slaves. Who was lead in the wilderness to understand more or to seek or were they ready to except their fate. Who penned Solomon’s wisdom to be inspired by all. Has not a greater than Solomon came. So who is the first Adam and the last or is the first last and the last first. Who inspires you to seek true justice, wisdom and true understanding or do we all have knowledge of that. Speak of forever hold your peace.
Who formed you in the womb. I’m sure you get the point or are we all still in jail in our own vain conceits. Sure view’s and viewpoints are good LPH, but blind faith can never hold a candle to God and his Commandments. One wonders if man is his worst enemy or is he still blind, or who puts on a false facade and gives callous or false opportunities. LPH you talk just like my sister when we talk on the phone course I try her on everything no matter how mad one gets love covers a multude of sins or should we all say those without sin cast the first stone or should we keep on sinning.
What I’m trying to say LPH is that the bible can be as complex as one makes it. Does not the bible says: my yoke is easy and my burden light. Would God or man say to one: I see you have a few hundred porno pictures on your computer of say say kiddy porn. In man’s views that can becones one’s downfall but how did it get to that stage.
It was the enticement first and formost the lead to this. This type of come down and meet up with this person. So who is leading who. Is the blind to follow the blind. Now if the blind follow the blind they both fall in a ditch or pit. So who is enticing to lead one into a ditch. Sure we should leave it alone or should we speak up about it. Would we have known about this black guy if someone didn’t have a video recording this ordeal. Now its wide open to the public. And yes that could make anyone mad and taking a life is still taking a life. So who took away your conscious or many on here.
Does not God forgive us of our transgressions when we ask in faith and repent. Remember when I first came on here I talked about Chance and his video. And yes we should forgive 7 times 70 if we ask and yes a good king settles thir debts, One wonders how many are entangled up in this registry ordeal. See grace and truth is a loving relationship.
Sure the commandments are still the same but in the old testament they were a sin type until the coming of Jesus to fullfil the law. Many of those old testament people wouldnt’ of known sin was still abounding until grace came to set them free. Paul wouldn’t of known sin until grace abound and truth was the way
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Sure many times one can’t always understand this registry ordeal but I’m sure we can all understand breaking the commandments so where is faith today in some USA watered down way of ensnaring others by these tactics. A true man of God wouldn’t give an opportunity such as this much less entice or provoke one or who is taking who’s taser and than being shot in the back.
Hope that makes sense to some and yes knowing and asking Jesus into your heart is good yes repentance is good if one ask for this calling or what is the Blood of Jesus all about. Guess authorities don’t know how to forgive tresspasses and debt today in many ways.