My Mailbox

This page exists because such wonderful content exists in my electronic exchanges with others, and while this page is largely written by others and I do not necessarily agree with everything presented, I feel that it is important for these most oppressed people to have a place to be heard that isn't some unknown Web forum, where they may speak anonymously without fear of retribution or discovery, and express their opinions and their plight to the world for all to see. I also feel that critics who write to me should have their discussions archived publicly so that others will be able to learn from the errors in their logic, or sheer lack of logic at all.

Addresses are not presented to respect the privacy of the original author...names, however, aren't my problem. Please note that some people have been known to send me mail which talks to me as if I am a sex offender myself. They are misled by the name of the site, perhaps. My status is irrelevant to the facts, so we do not discuss my criminal record or the lack thereof at all on this site or any other site, but some writers still make the faulty assumption that the site name says something about the site owner. Hint for the confused: to "offend" does not necessarily mean criminally offend, but also to offend outside of legal measures. An "offender" would thus be "one who offends." If I have offended you, GOOD! You needed it! Now, on to the letters.

Jody Hagar wrote:
Are you kidding me???????????

Nope.

Most if not all crimes are a matter of public record so why shouldn't the same be for these sick people.

Crime is a matter of public record, but current address and other personal information is NOT a matter of public record. Also, not everyone on a Registry is a "sick person." Google "Genarlow Wilson" for more info.

If making their information public prevents one child from being molested, raped, killed, etc, IT'S WORTH IT!

Then let's disseminate the same information about you, along with the results of a state-mandated sexual arousal test that examines your level of arousal when exposed to different and varied forms of sexually suggestive material. After all, if violating the privacy and Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms and inalienable human rights of hundreds of thousands of people will save just one child's life, then it's worth it, right?

Instead of spewing all this venom why not come up with valid solutions to what you deem as a problem, instead of wasting time.

I have. You didn't read my site very well. You seem to have responded from reading very little of my site and auto-tagging me as a defender of child molesters. On that you are dead wrong, and if you want solutions, read more before writing this kind of hateful message to me on a knee-jerk assumption. Remember, "assuming makes an ASS out of U and ME."

No matter what we as a community do, there will always be someone who is unhappy.

True, you can't satisfy everyone, and why should you? However, compromising fundamental rights and beliefs on which this nation was founded solely for the purpose of boosting *perceived* security, as well as passing laws that run counter to the findings in numerous studies performed by highly authoritative sources in criminal corrections which actually DECREASE REAL SECURITY is unacceptable, regardless of the circumstances. There's a reason that sex offender laws are often referred to as "feel-good legislation."

Sadly, the decline of human morality will only lead to more of these crimes along with the increase in homicides, fraud, property crimes, violent domestics (which I don't see you complaining about any of those). So, I can only assume you are one of these sick people.

Morality is in the eye of the beholder, but I won't open that can of worms with you because you're clearly upset enough without breaking out a full-blown discussion on libertarian philosophy. The truth, my friend, is that the number of new sexual offenses per 100,000 (or whatever other unit you choose) have been on the decline since well before the first sex offender registration law was passed, and have continued to do so. Registration has not increased that decline with enough significance to measure; its success rides on the coattails of a trend that has been going on since I was a youth. The only reason that you are perceiving more crime now than ever is due to the Internet's connecting together of people, bringing every single homicide, rape, or domestic abuse case in the world straight to the fingertips of both you and the media. Also, it's good for ratings and it's a definite plus to any politician that exploits your fears caused by the perception changes to gain your vote.

I don't comment on homicide, fraud, property crimes, etc. because that's not the cause I've taken up. I can't discuss one thing and discuss it well if I am trying to hit on every other criminal subject to keep people like you from being able to sneer at me over my choice of discussion topics. Your statement is irrelevant.

As for assuming that I am a member of some group of "sick people," we've covered the assumption aspect already, and you can think what you want to think, but the harsh reality is that who I am doesn't change how true or false my words are. This is a typical reaction, and I get it all the time. Attack the person speaking rather than his talking points to win the argument. It's called a "straw man fallacy" and it won't work.

If you choose to write me back, at least read my ENTIRE SITE before you do so. You must understand all that I have written before you can hope to argue against it, and if you have valid arguments against anything I say, I'll gladly examine them and change my position accordingly.

Best wishes,
TAO

Jody Hagar wrote to me a second time as if Jody Hagar had not seen my site or corresponded with me before, and got Jody Hagar's ass handed to Jody Hagar. I think this person is either begging to be proven wrong or has no reason for holding their opinions other than blind, pointless hatred for that which they actively choose to not understand.

"2senseworth" said: "Good article on the dangers of SO reg. A perspective people should read."

"andreea" said: "First of all let me introduce myself ,I m 22 and european ,I ve made a friend online who s from the USA and is a sex offender the things he tell me are unbelivable ,starting with the stupid theraphy,stupid homeworks and so on.The problem i m having is that he has a health condition that doesn t allow him to do anything a normal person would do without having his oxygen tank next to him but that doesn t seem to mind the douzine ppl that are payed just to watch him.He lives in Arizona which from what i read has the worse treatment a sex offender could get starting with the polygraph test and ending with the penile plethysmagraph anyway the bottom line is that your website gives him hope and I m happy that someone is finally saying something about it,I loved your website keep up the good work...oh and i have a suggestion to make if I may the colors are very annoying they kind of mess up ur eyes. ps:sry about any spelling mistakes"

Hey! Thanks for such a quick and thorough answer to my "Definitions" question.
Yes, I realize that word usage changes through time and common practice. For another example, the words, "Lewd and Lascivious" pre-date the Constituion and are most likely derived from the Bible. However, although Society would not like the label, the words now describe SOCIETY as a whole. Therefore some sexual activity is now a Societal "norm".
But, rather than pursue the entire topic, I would like to narrow the scope to that which applies to my immediate concern.
Getting back to the word, "Molest". The legal definition uses the word, "forceful".
In my son's case, he has had to stand before the court and plead "no contest" to two charges, both of which carry the legal definition of, "molest, or "forceful".
By accepting the terminology, he is actually perjuring himself before the court, as his activity was VERY consensual. The girl's statement and his own are in agreement on this fact.
There was no "force" involved.
Anyone in this same position has to lie about their acivity in order to meet the definition of the charge.
THIS IS SO WRONG!!!
I could go even further. To me it seems, there is also the fact of "self-incrimination". You are being forced to plead to something which is an indictment against you, even though you are pleading to a lie. This is the mind-boggling part for me.
Consensual sex is not forceful sex!

If one of our missions through our groups is getting laws changed, it seems to me this is the one which needs changing the most. How many court cases would not even see the light of day if more common sense and less semantics were applied to the laws?

Please, add your brain to mine and see if we can come up with an answer. At the moment, my son's entire life hangs on some mental clarity here.

Thanks for your participation in our groups. You are very valuable!
Anita

"Anthony" said: Hi, I was happy to run across your site while hoping to find job assistance for myself. I am a sex offender in Florida and have been since 03'. I spent 3 years in federal prison and 3 years probation for my crime of trying to solicit a minor for sex (thru her guardian-cop). I never spoke with the child and it was entirely 3rd party discussion but, none the less, i did go to meet. It is so hard to find people who will think logically about all this hysteria and be an active parent to their children. I see with all the legislation that parents are looking for the government to safe guard their children from all forms of "bad" so they may go about their own blinded lives and not have to worry about raising the child correctly. I am bitter as you can tell. I am married with a hopeful little one on the way. I worry for his/her safety and bullying that may occur because of my mistake. Its been very hard to find employment since release. I actually had a 2 year stint with a grocery store whom I disclosed all information to and found the Store director to be sympathetic to my plight and she gave me the job which I turned into Asst manager, with honors on the way to management training. All that changed when out of nowhere one day my "new" director received a notice from the corporate office including a "customer complaint" letter about me. The customer was searching the Offender Registry and found my picture and that prompted her to write.It stated how "disgusted" she was with the store to employ such a horrible person as I and she "feared" for her children's safety and would "never" shop there again. Well, it was very quick....they sent me home till they figured out the outcome of the situation.(THERE WAS NO SITUATION!!). It only took a few hours to get the call that I was "terminated". I was up front to the company to begin with( was on my application), associates knew, and was even one of the tops of my management class I even kept away from any "minors" in the store and NONE were under my command. I now have to drive an hour to get to a job(childhood friend) just for some employment. I am looking to enroll to further my education and get a career but, knowing I would only have the cash for one shot, I am afraid of getting the experience for a job that may not hire me anyway. Your site and ideas need to be shared with ignorant people. I have almost given up living due to the blanket of hostility and displeasure my mistake has caused. My goal is to provide for my wife and future family and it seems I cant even work fast food to get there. I thought prison was the punishment...not prison AND anything else we can come up with. Is there anyone out there with a strong/loud enough voice to get thru to these retarded politicians??!! I will continue to read your site and put it in my favorites. If you know of other "sympathetic" agencies in Florida, please reply. Keep up the good work!!

More from "Anthony:" Hi, I saw your website and applaud you in your thoughts and intelligence. I have learned to deal with my restrictions here in Florida but, worry about the National registry guidelines regarding public listing of employers. That specifically targets employers who give us a chance by over zealous ignorants and allows them to call in the media or harassment of employers to make it not worth the employers effort to employ us. I noticed that you have no news or postings in quite some time. Why the delay? This whole registry seems to enable parents who dont have the time to deal with their kid's lives to allow law enforcement and government to babysit! Parents do not have to use good judgment or responsibility anymore. What is the reason for an offender to even try anymore? I have had thoughts of telling my wife and family that they should leave me rather than have to be punished or burdened by my mistake 5 years ago. I never thought new laws could be created and heaped on people wh o have already served "punishment". I am getting annoyed now so, i better go. Thanks for the website and hope to hear some good news in the future.

"Pete" said: I am an RSO in the state of Florida. My "crime" was having sex with an escort advertising on the internet. Little did I know that this escort was only 14. By the time that she was caught, she had seen over a dozen men. I ended up doing a year in county jail, 2 years of house arrest, and am now in my 5th year of probation. This girl was not held responsible for anything that she did, even though she made money as an escort.

I recently moved into a new neighborhood that is gated. My picture has been posted in all public places including the clubhouse, pool area, and office. They don't bother posting the facts of my case, just the offenses that I was charged with. Luckily, I explained to my neighbors what had happened, and they all couldn't believe that I had to register as a sex offender.

Down here in Florida it's a joke. There are guys on the registry because they pissed in public. It's time that our legislators, both local and national, take a close look at all of these rules and regulations that are hampering sex offenders like me whose only real offense was soliciting an escort.

I like your website. Keep up the good work.

I read in the paper today that the "To Catch a Predator" guys who were arrested in Murphy, TX had their charges dropped because there was no way that the prosecutors could prove that the chat logs were authentic. That's going to stir up all of the others from other states who were "entrapped" by Perverted Justice. I hope that everyone from Perverted Justice gets their asses sued.

Thanks,
Pete

More from "Pete" after I replied: They were able to trace my IP address, and the girl was able to pick me out of a picture lineup. Also, this girl kept numbers and notes.

The part that sucks about this the most is that I think that I can get off of the registry. The problem is that I can't find an attorney who would do it "pro bono". I thought about contacting the ACLU, but that would probably be a waste of time. I would file a motion and represent myself, but I did that a couple of times to have my probation terminated, and because the bitch prosecutor that I had put up a stink, I was denied both times. Although, the judge took me off of sex offender probation and placed me on administrative probation. I don't have to report to any PO's.....just keep my nose clean. Now I'm afraid to even drive in fear that I may be stopped for something stupid and my probation would be revoked.

I hate this shit....

Thanks for your website. I check it out daily now. Laws need to be changed. Unfortunately, I've lost my voting rights, so I have no voice.

Peter

"Betsy" said: Hi Angry. I'd be pissed off if I were you too. No, I AM pissed off...

My husband is a registered sex offender. I'm wondering if you have any advice as far as who I can contact to speak up for sex offenders and their families? Specifically, these bullshit registries and websites.

We lived in NE up until about a year ago. I moved to IA, my husband moved to PA for work. He registered as soon as he moved there but he failed to tell NE he was leaving. NE was notified by PA that he'd registered there (which is how they found out he was no longer in NE) but instead of removing him from the NE website, they listed Bill as absconded and issued a warrant for his arrest. That right there shows a huge flaw in the system - it's not about protecting potential victims at that point. Now it's about their "right" to fuck with the scumbag predator because the law allows it.

Tonight the leading story on every local station was how the Omaha Police Association mailed out a flier as a piece of political propaganda against two mayoral candidates and one side of the flier had 12 pics of absconded sex offenders. My husbands pic is on there and was featured prominently in the story. The story also mentioned how 5 of the 12 listed were easily found - because they are currently serving time.

This story and these websites don’t help anyone, they don't hurt the offenders but they DO constantly victimize the families of these men. I'm sick of it. I'm sitting here trying to figure out who I would need to contact to force NE to update their site and I realize I don't have a clue. Who stands up for sex offenders? Nobody! That's political suicide. But what about the families of these men? Who stands up for me? Somebody fucking well should. And that's when I thought of you - maybe you'd know.

So, any suggestions? Are there any advocates for sex offenders in the world? If anyone knows I figure it's got to be you.

Thanks in advance,

Betsy

My reply: Betsy, in all honesty, you are your own best advocate. No one can represent the "unintended" victims of sex offender registries better than yourself. What you need is to check out some books at your local library or bookstore about marketing and publicity. The number one problem with the victims of sex offender laws is that they are never heard--mostly because they never choose to speak. Tell reporters and writers at all your local newspapers, TV, and radio stations about your story. You're practically doing their job for them. Nothing brings ratings into the news more than stuff that makes people go "holy shit, this actually HAPPENS?!" Every bad thing that has happened to you and yours because of registration immediately becomes a weapon.

Ask questions such as "what crime did I commit?" and "how can anyone justify saying that MY family, which hasn't done anything wrong to anyone, should be completely torn apart because of a technicality in the law?"

Get angrier: the reason that registration wasn't knocked down by the Supreme Court was this: "it's not a punishment, it's a regulatory law, so the Constitutional rights against ex post facto laws (laws that increase punishment but are enacted AFTER the act or conviction) doesn't apply." How many politicians can you count that have previously said "we need these tougher laws to punish predators" about these "regulatory" practices?

Do some more research and take your knowledge straight to the press. Become the opposite of Megan Kanka, who would destroy your family with a law while falsely claiming that her family would have been saved by the same law.

In short, go fuck 'em up. Sitting on your hands bitching is the easiest way to get nowhere.

"All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing."

Also check out Peter McWilliams's book "Ain't Nobody's Business If You Do" on www.mcwilliams.com for free. It's an excellent read.

"Bill Smith" said: Since there is so much stigma attached, it should be in the Real Estate disclosures to the buyers and renters that a home has been in such a database for the last 20 years.

1. Chester The Child Molester might have moved on and not updated his address.

2. Even if Chester is gone and the database entry is cleared, the stigma will be remembered. Do you think gossiping neighbors will reliably check the current status of a property before telling sordid tales about its occupants? That kids on Halloween night who are bagging up their TP will double check?

The new owner/renter could be attacked, the property (and any vehicle parked on the property) is likely to be vandalized, possibly even burned. Heck, even nearby homes that are the same color could be at risk when these 'vigilantes' can't remember the address, but do remember the color of the house and its approximate location.

Pushing this legislation would highlight some of the dangers the existing laws pose, and scare the crap out of every property owner in the jurisdiction that is affected. It will create a blossom of lawsuits about properties sold without such notification in the past as well, as awareness of the probable source of repeated vandalism on certain properties is raised.

Let's face it, people who own rental properties, as well as typical home-owners do NOT want one more disclosure to research. Here are your solid and upstanding (non-demonized) victims of the law that will end up on your side.

"Brandy" said: Dear Angry Offender,
My name is Brandy and Iam married to a "Registered Sex Offender" we have been married for almost 4 years and we have a beautiful 18 month old girl and CPS has stepped in and has removed our daughter from the home, she has been gone for over 3 months now we have 1hour visitation of her on Tuesdays once a week. My husband is no longer on probation or on parole any where, he has satisfied all of his requirements sex counseling etc. and now only has to continue to register where he resides. There are to our knowledge no laws, rules, statutes or limitations on weather or not he can reside with his daughter. My question to you is this, to your knowledge are there any laws, statutes, rules, or regulations restricting a registered sex offender from residing in a home with his biological child, or any thing any where that states that said sex offender can't be left alone with said biological child. We are trying our best to fight this corrupt system and have our daughter returned home to us. The fact that my husband is a registered sex offender is the only reason that theses people have taken our daughter. There was no abuse, neither sexual or physical and no medical conditions, Clean up kept home. No other reason except that this child was with a registered sex offender. I don't know if you have addressed this issue in the past or not but maybe it is something you may want to consider for future discussions. Children across this nation our being ripped out of good caring homes only based upon the parents past decisions something needs to be done. Like I said I have done tons of research concerning this matter and can find absolutely no where that says once a sex offender has served his / her sentence that even then that that person can not be around children, raise a child or even be left alone with a child. Please help in anyway that you can. If you have any information that you think may be helpful in any way please let me know this is a major issue and needs to be addressed. Basically the way I see it if the government is going to allow these people from child services to step in and remove our children then the may as well say once you have been convicted of a sex offense then you that person has no right to have a happy healthy loving family and you will never know the greatness of being a mother, father, parent which might I also add is your GOD given Inherited rights as a living human being. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your time and consideration on this matter.
Brandy

(Name withheld) sent me the following: http://triedbyconscience.blogspot.com/2008/09/travel-is-it-right.html


I must state, without equivocation, that historically the right to leave is one that is of such breadth, such depth, and such power that any man that would remove it must be considered the ultimate tyrant.

With all of the laws attempting to banish offenders, why then this law attempting to keep them stationary?

I have thought about this, and am troubled about it. I've debated it heavily in my own mind and conscience, and have come up with one answer only.

It can only be to bind and rivet upon us the chains of the United States Government, and to maintain those chains in true slavery.

If a man is so debased as to accept such laws, without question, he will be bound by them, no matter how remote they seem. They seek to prevent an exodus when the laws take full hold, an exodus that would bring recognition to the abuse of human rights in our country.

Likewise to the post above, the following is, and remains true: If they propose to limit any man to the status of an object, and exercise the rights and priviliges of ownership in any way, shape, or form, the man is a slave.

I discussed this in detail in the following paper.

What is extortion? Extortion is, simply, a form of abuse that causes a person to act involuntarily by coercion. Coercion is the use of physical, emotional, or economic force to fulfill a goal.

One must admit, that government, by nature, and laws are coercive. Any and all acts, written by the government, must have a stick. The carrot is optional, and only for those enacting the law anyway.

If one is to define extortion as enforcement of a status against the will of the person upon which the status is being enforced, without the due process of law and judgment under the Common Law system of the Judiciary, including that necessary wall against the abuse that is called the 'Jury', can one claim that any act that seeks to 'regulate' but enforces such regulation with prison sentences is anything but extortion?

If there is a registry, that forces the payment of a fee to be on the registry, that removes the rights and privileges of the offenders, removes the ability of those registrants to travel, to seek gainful employment, to seek and establish residency and removes the rights associated with citizenry in the United States, or any part thereof, then further enforces, by writ, the establishment of that registry as being a registrant of monsters, and to be a civil registry, without the protections of that criminal code... can it be anything but extortion?

So it is with the Sex Offender Registry. They claim the act is non punitive, that it is regulatory and only serves to protect the public, but how does it do so? Are we any safer, or any more aware of the problems? Is it not true that those who are most dangerous will find a way, registry or not, to do as they please? If a man chooses to break the law... how can the same law be said to have prevented crime?

No, our system is something quite different than that. Our agreement, by the Constitution, was that all men were innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. A man could not be tried for a crime which he might commit, but for one that he was in the act of committing, or in conspiracy to commit. It was not good enough to have a suspicion of a crime, one had to have reasonable suspicion, upon probable cause to issue the warrant to search for evidence of that crime.

But when the government chooses not to follow its own law, what then? If they can come and search any building, any vehicle, any property at any time, upon reasonable suspicion rather than upon probable cause, have we not lost a great deal? Are we not all guilty until proven innocent, when the burden of proof goes to the person, rather than to the state?

If this is not extortion, please elucidate! Is it not extortion to use the regulation to control the movements of others? Is it not extortion to threaten fines, imprisonment, and humiliation for not cooperating with the registry? Is it not extortion to create a situation in which one cannot leave their home without asking the government for permission?

Is it not extortion to, under the threat of fines, fees, or prison time, disallow them use of the public parks for which they pay their tax money? Is it not extortion to deny them the right to leave their homes, the right to leave the country and sell those homes to find gainful employ elsewhere?

No.. it is not extortion at this point. Extortion goes simply to the requirement of the commission of an act. This goes far beyond that, into asserting control over a person under color of law, and reducing him to a vassal of the organization that created the registry. Is, however, vassalage enough? The vassal had the right to supplicate his lord for relief of the conditions.... no, this goes beyond vassalage, as well, into flat-out slavery.

The Adam Walsh act goes into a realm of attainder that creates not just restrictions, but outright ownership of the citizens under it under the rule of law. The persons are not free to go out of the state, to go out of the country, on pain of prison time, without complying with that registration. If they have ever traveled in interstate trade (upon an interstate highway or by any other means) they fall under the regulation. They no longer have any right, under the Act, to choose their own homes, to purchase property of their choice, to work at the places of their choice, and are punished, not as a single person for his own acts, but by further restrictions when other registrants or non registrants cause problems. They also no longer would appear to have the right in some states to disaster relief, to education, and in some states to vote. In the most restrictive states, even the right to family is denied.

Is this not the very definition of ownership? If one is forced to be unable to live anywhere but where the registry says, cannot have a family but in the proscribed manner of the registry, subject to revocation on the whim of the registry, cannot have a home that cannot be taken under the registry, cannot own any property that cannot be searched at any time, cannot speak out in public forums, cannot work in public places, that they seek to restrict their travels upon public transportation, that they restrict from parks, homes, neighborhoods, and cities... if they can choose if you go to prison for life, not for what you do, but for what you might do... is this not the very meaning of being a slave?

Are not the threat of imprisonment for noncompliance with a 'civil code' extortion, under that definition? However, slavery via extortion goes beyond this. It is the imposition of ownership by a person or entity, upon another individual human being. That ownership can be by threats or process of law, or by violence. But it restricts the very rights of the person, restricts living arrangements, family arrangements, the ability to exercise the duties of a free citizen, under penalty or duress. It exercises full and complete control over the lives, facilities, and often the family of the person under duress.

Slavery controls and limits all avenues of expression save that approved by the owner. It prevents, limits, and prohibits free exercise of religion save where it would help the control. It limits or prohibits travel without a writ from the owner. It removes the ability for free choice in conception, in the disposition of goods and services, and ultimately, removes, completely, the concept of property owned by the enslaved individual.

So.. we have the laws limiting where we can travel, writs from our masters, who 'know better than us' what is good for us and the society. We have laws limiting where we can live, where we can work, laws that can take away that work, and that living arrangement at any time, that are arbitrary, capricious, and under the control of the government that placed us under them... that can be morphed at any time and we are required to either follow along, or go to prison and follow along when we leave.

In some states the children can be taken from offenders, spouses driven away by legal requirements, the travel through the town, on public thoroughfares is prohibited. Travel on public transportation is proposed to be limited, disaster services segregated.

They propose to limit our online communication or negate it.

Ultimately are they not asserting their ownership over us? Ultimately are they not providing the very things listed in the civil rights cases on slavery? They require us to work, pay taxes, but we can't go to the park that our taxes pay for. They require us to live as they choose, under the guise of protecting the society. They propose mandatory castration, segregation, and removal of human rights.

At what point does it become slavery?

And by what right does our government enslave us?

Government rules, and must rule by the consent of the governed. When that consent is removed, the only power it has is that of an arm severed from the body. Segregation is not the answer. It never has been. The Bible may say 'if thine eye offends thee, pluck it out', but this as well is not conducive to the story of the good Samaritan, nor of the stories of the Prodigal Son.

Severing part of the society only serves to continue the hurt to society. That severance was designed to be for a time, judged, with the sole power of a jury, to be commensurate with the hurt originally done to that society.

At that point, no man could add to it, nor remove from it. No judge, no magistrate, no sheriff could try the man again for the same crime.

What we have devolved to, however, is a world where 'punishment' is the norm, and evolving punishment has been decided to be 'all right'. It is no different than the bully on the playground, being larger than the other kids, deciding to 'punish' someone, and the punished complying with the demands... then the bully deciding it's insufficient punishment and humiliation, and demanding more.

Any time that the legislature can decide that something needs further restrictions, and punishments, on any registry, and can change the rules of the registry, without notification, warning, or any choice in the matter or judicial review... they have devolved into something quite different than a government.

They have devolved into petty tyrants seeking power at any cost... and now the cost is that of our bodies, our hearts, our minds, our families, our very society and freedoms.

It is one thing for a jury, with full view of the facts presented, both for and against a case to judge for punishment, it is quite another to by writ do so, without review of crime, mitigating factors, and aggravating factors.

This is the nature of the prohibition against ex-post-facto legislation, and further, the wider prohibition against attainder. Attainder, or legislative taint, is not simply an archaic rule that nobody needs anymore. It is nothing less than the legislature deciding that the judicial punishment was insufficient, and thus further restrictions must be emplaced.

For it to continue, we must remain silent however.. we must not be able to leave, must not be able to travel, must not be able to speak out against it, and must remain cowed and subservient, groveling at the feet of the legislators who are using our bodies to pave the road to Hell with their 'Good Intentions'.

My apologies for the vitriol, but there is no room in any democratic republic for the rule of law to apply more strongly to any person than any other. There is no provision to legislate to a targeted class, of any kind, for such was absolutely prohibited in the original agreement.

"Congress can pass no law that does not equally bind itself and its friends, and the whole of society." Federalist papers. Read them. Understand them. Look back in time at what you've had stolen from you.

We have equal protection under the law, under the Fourteenth Amendment. Under the thirteenth, no man can have ownership or possession over another man, nor exert control over the other, by threats of force, fine, or imprisonment, save by the due process of the jury, commitant with the right and duty to try both the facts of the case, and the rule of law itself.

Thus has it been since Bushell and Throckmorton, reinforced by Zenger, which was in the minds, and on the tongues of the Founding Fathers. Likewise, the remembrance of Valley Forge, and the actions of the British in seizing lands by attainder, and execution by attainder, was remembered, and the role of the jury in enforcing the rights of the people via that juristic nullification was well-thought-out.

Is it any wonder that they seek to control the jury again? That by writ the judge can hold an innocent verdict to be inadequate, and try the jurists for contempt of court for finding a man innocent against such a judge's opinions? This was the very heart of the Zenger and Throckmorton trials, and that of Bushell.

Have we backslid so far as to be amongst Cromwell, or even King John, prior to the Magna Carta?

Have we forgotten our duties to that society, and that government, in the search for release from personal responsibility?

For that is what ultimately must be enforced.. personal responsibility for one's own actions, enforced from within. This is recovery. This is redemption. It is not enough to forsake an act. It is more imperative to change one's own self so the act is no longer possible. It is understanding, compassion, and respect for the rights, duties and privileges of others.

When these fail, then it is the role of the courts to enforce the rights of the society, versus the offender, and the separation is made. The separation is the punishment. It is not for punishment, for what society could not admit the hurt to society by severing part of itself?

And is not part of the curing of that hurt, on the end of the sentence, the reintegration of that severed part, the reestablishment of health and circulation within society?

There is argument made that because sexual offenses are against a child, and the child will 'never recover', that it is just and good to continue punishment and revilement against an offender forever. Cannot, however, this argument be made for anything? If we assume the topic of this argument, how much more culpable is a drunk driver who has struck another car? The lives cannot be restored. How much more culpable an engineer whose design failed, causing death or disfigurement? How much is eternal culpability worth?

In the same vein, how culpable are the very legislators for the legislation they propose? If it saves one child, they cry, is it not worth it? Meanwhile, economic policies poison our waters, darken our lands. They make food, medicine, and education itself out of reach for many of those same children they claim to save. It creates more and more a burden of debt upon each child before even they can have a legal choice about the decisions made in their behalf. The fuel prices rise, food becomes more and more adulterated with materials that may not be safe, their vehicles last less time, their homes made out of cheaper and weaker materials. The forests dwindle due to lack of stewardship, the borders become less and less secure... yet still they sit and linger upon what they can do to registered offenders.

What scapegoat is better after all? Who will speak for them? Who will reach out and risk their own security for those so reviled? And if they can attract the attention upon these scapegoats, cannot they continue their failed policies?

The federal reserve has failed. The loans that held up the economy since the 1930s have failed. The debt is more and more being called due, and our dollars buy less and less than they used to. How many persons will starve? How many will die in the coming depression? How many children will be lost, alone, or dying in a hovel then?

And even so, they call for restricting the rights of those very children, in order to 'protect' them. Meanwhile our police violate those in their care. The judges and magistrates show patterns of abuse and neglect. Our schools teach things only in passing and do not teach critical thought or investigative skills, or even the logic behind mathematics and chemistry.

And people are still caught up on 'offenders' as the government pounds down further debt upon them, fights wars overseas that cannot be 'won' and have no end point. Our votes count less and less as private interests take over their counting and collating, and renege upon their promises of security in the vote.

You want a crime against children that will affect them all their lives.. look at the lawmakers. Look at the lawyers. Look at all of those who would sign away their rights due to false statistics, and fearmongering. Look at those in power who seek to distract you. And look deep, look closely into what you ask for.

If you ask for protection and guidance... the Government is perfectly willing to give it to you. They'll bind and shackle upon you chains and rivet them to the wall. And they're perfectly willing to whip you into the direction they want you to go, for once you've given up the ability to make your own choices to that 'benevolent' government... how can you guarantee the hand with the whip will remain benevolent?

"Carline" said: I am engaged to the most wonderful man out there.......he is a fantastic father, and incredible partner..... I have 2 children....who he considers his children and they feel the same way......he would gladly give his life for these children...and I would not choose a step father for them that wouldn't.......problem is almost 10 years ago he did something stupid and irresponsible which he admits. Not with a child..and it wasn't a violent crime....but now we are finding out that we might not be able to stay together?!! I might have to take away the best father figure my children could possibly ever have?? ....and lose the love of my life....We don't know where to turn....he has had several professional evaluations to support the fact he is not a pedophile and not a threat to anyone.... as he has a daughter himself and never wanted there to be ANY question....but it doesn't prove to be enough....are there any suggestions or laws or anything protecting US?!?! As a mother my loyalty and first duty of protection is to my children but I can't imagine taking this man they call "Daddy" (who has so respectfully and deservedly) earned this title, out of their life. PLEASE HELP!

"Carol" said: I am sick of people looking at me like a monster and booting me off social networking sites because of my conviction. It happened over ten years ago. If the judge thought I was such a threat to society would he have allowed me to go home, after 2 years in jail, to my 13 year old son? NO! But he did allow it. After almost 9 years of therapy, thousands of dollars out of my own pocket, an abusive probation supervisor and laws out the ass, I am still having trouble finding decent jobs, living where I want to and people trusting me. It is especially humiliating when a neighbor from across the street will stand there and holler "sex offender, you're going back to jail!" when that person doesn't even know you, doesn't know what you've been through and doesn't even care. I've had numerous breakdowns, been on medication for bi-polar that makes me tired, gives me the shakes and hair loss, but nooooooo, do they care that there is no desire to reoffend? Oh, hell no! They just want to make your life as miserable as possible, no matter what. Do we see these same standards given to people who commit other crimes, such as theft, assault, even murder? No, just the sex offender, because obviously everyone truly believes that these people are the sickest members of society. Granted, it doesn't matter that I was an active, productive member of society for years, raised my children and was a very good mother, wife, sister, daughter. When I offended I fell off my pedestal and became the ugliest human in the eyes of most who knew me. Now I can't even go onto social networking sites to try to stay in contact with friends and relatives without them kicking me off. I am so, so sick of this life of condemnation. People think they are so much better than me when, in reality, they have much in their closets that just never came out. I know how you feel angry offender, believe me, I know.

"Charles" said: How the fuck does keeping someone from living 1000 feet from prevent any crime!
The most publicized abductions are from molesters RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET or RIGHT IN THE NEXT HOUSE!
WILL SOMEONE 1001 FEET AWAY NOT OFFEND???

Asshole lawmakers


In 2002, the Iowa legislature enacted a distance marker law prohibiting all people convicted of a sex crime from living within 2,000 feet of a school, daycare center or park. Many municipalities in the state passed local ordinances with similar prohibitions. The Iowa residency restriction law was challenged in a class-action suit by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which was granted a temporary restraining order by the U.S. District Court. In 2005, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Iowa statute in Doe v. Miller.† A federal district court later upheld Ohio’s Distance Marker legislation.38 In both cases, the courts unanimously concluded that residency restrictions are a form of civil regulation, not a form of punishment, because the statutes are intended to protect children and are rationally related to that goal.

In addition, the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court found in Doe v. Miller that the federal constitution does not include a "right to live where you choose." While the federal constitution does protect the right to travel from state to state–and perhaps includes the right to travel within a state Distance Marker–residency restrictions do not interfere with the right to travel. They do not discriminate between state residents and those from out-of-state, and they restrict only the ability to reside near a school, not the ability to enter the area near a school. Finally, the court concluded that residency restrictions do not offend the equal protection clause. They represent a rational legislative determination that excluding sex offenders from areas where children congregate will advance the state’s interest in protecting children.

Also from "Charles:" Public notification of offenders will never protect any child. The list of offenders that the police have will never protect any children. The ONLY thing it can do is produce an instant list of suspects AFTER the child is already abducted. Does a person living 1 foot outside the restricted area make anyone any safer? Do you think they wont go somewhere else? There are no laws anyway that say an offender cant enter a school. How does residentcy laws prevent anyone from doing anything? Will someone inside the area who lived there before the law started make any decision to offend or not just because of where their house is located. Anyone who urinated outside because of stupid judgement while intoxicated is subject to the same laws as a criminal who raped a 2 year old baby. These laws must end now. Laws must be enacted to seriously punish repeat and violent offenders, not people who have mooned a bus, dove in a lake nude, or streaked across a sports field.

"Chris" said: My story will blow you away. It blew away a reporter at ohios largest newspaper enough that he wrote an article IN DEFFENCE of a sex offender, something you don't see everyday.
I'm going to attatch the article (actual scan, I once attatched the web version and was called a liar, so you get the scan) The article was toned down a little from the initial drafts because it was to 'pro-offender' and there are a few errors (I was 22, i don't live in beckley, etc) and few things the article doesn't go into. Read the clipping first and then read the balance of this mail.

~The girl was 15, yes but she was almost 16, like weeks away.
~I was on a prescription for xanax at the time for an anxiety attack, it really did screw me up, not that I completely blame that but it was a contributing factor. Would I have done that xanax free? doubt it. Oh, i have never taken an rx drug like xanax (buspar,valium,etc) since then. A side note is my father had a rx for xanax for some kind of surgery and my step mother found him walking down the road in Charlotte after he took it....at 3am, in his PJs...doesn't remember a thing.
~I not only was called a baby raper by a cop, he did it in the hallway of my apartment building in cleveland, as in "we're hear to register the babt raper in your building" as he was knocking on my door and explaining himself to a neighbor.
~that rick bell has a standing offer from me. Anytime, anywhere.
~Ahhh, yes...WV. Here's where I can really gripe. Alright, i moved form Ohio to Beckley, WV(10/1999) and registered to the s/o law there. After a year there(9/2000) My new g/f and I moved south to a state that didn't have the registry requirements (atleast then) Prior to leaving I called the state police (the entity that maintains the registry) and told them all the info over over the phone. He was obviously filling out a form of sorts becuase of the questions being asked. When we were done he said he would forward this to whoever (don't remember) and i thought that was that. I went on my way. in 2005 i was traveling a lot with work and was passing through wv on my way somewhere. I get pulled over and told that I'm a wanted man for failing to register. In fact, I think my girlfriends mother (she lives in beckley and new we were passing through)set me up somehow, the cop said he recognized my car from the details in the warrant. Like 5 years later, he recognizes a 95 honda civic on I-77 as THAT car. He admitted i wasn't speeding, that he was pulling me over becuase of the warrant. When i first saw him he was in a speed trap position on the median and there was moderate traffic (labor day weekend) and i wasn't speeding or anything illegal. The guy must be friggin genius. Or tipped off.
Turns out the paperwork never made it from point A to Point B. And to make matters even more insane (and you won't believe this but i have the paperwork to back it up) they pulled some one else with my name out of an Ohio prison and convicted him on my charge. Yes, another person with my name but a different middle name was convicted. Now, I am 36 (now, 34 then), 5"7' and about 160#. This other guy was 6'1", 225# and 23. Aside form the physical differences the ssn, the dob etc. should have tipped them off. It's not like they didn't have pic of me in the file.
Well they convicted him and let him go sometime later(6 weeks i think). But they never vacated the conviction so when i got picked up I was at first, an escapee. Yep. Then they had all the paperwork screwed up, they had his face, my SSN and some DOB they pulled out of thin air (all used to convict this other guy). I sat in jail for 28 days (another error in the article) while they tried in vane to sort it out. they initially wanted a 100,000 bond which my 500/hr lawyer went crazy over. He got it down to 10,000 and i got out. Then the troubles really began. I lost my job because i dissapeared for a month, my girlfriend left me because she couldn't handle the fact that this could very well happen again. Oh and she took everything of value from our house at ther mothers chiding. (all told this whole fiasco cost me 34,000. Lost work, items etc.)

After several months of the prosecutor telling my attorney she would not settle for anything less than 5 years in prison (at one point she was going to take it to trial under a crazy legal provision that could have netted me 25 years) my attorney had enough and told her it's probation or the he's taking it to the box. She relented only after trying to slip in another condition that said i would have to do a year in prison,THEN a year probation. We got the removed (because what I signed form her office and what she brought to court were 2 totally different things....good try Ms. Keller). Conditions on my probation were in place to allow me to work, namely travel. It all sounded livable until i was told I had to live in WV through the proabtion (we had a family hunting cabin in northern part of state), I had to register, I had to drive all the way to beckley every 3 weeks to my p/o(160 miles....one way) and i had to submit travel plans in writing...3 weeks prior for approval. In what i do for a living i don't know where i'll be tommorow much less 3 weeks in advance.so i could not work and barely survived. During that period is when i found I was NEVER required to register in ohio in the first place. Let me make that clear, I WAS NEVER LEGALLY REQUIRED TO REGISTER IN OHIO EVEN THOUGH I WAS TOLD THAT NOT REGISTERING WAS A FELONY. And to top it off, heres the ultimate catch-22: the reason i had to register in WV after all this was because i did register in Ohio. The WV law (at the time, might have changed) stated something to the effect ' you must register in WV if you have ever registered elsewhere' not "if you have a legal requirement", only if you have ever registered, right or wrong.

I talked to some lawyers about suing ohio and all of them said I had a good case but none of them wanted to be on the side of a sex offender. Bad PR I guess. My lawyer in Beckley put it best, he said "Chris. next time kill the person, that way you'll be out in no time with out any registration requirement" Sick, but he's right.

I'm still kinda stuck here in WV, long off probation though. I'm with a new women who is great and understands things. But I ask you, you're angry... how do you think i feel. Is the web site "totally_pissed_off_homicidally_irate.com" available?

Chris

More from "Chris:" Want an angle? here's one I came up a few years ago as a way to turn 400,000 registered sex offenders fighting registration laws into an army of XXXX fighting registration laws
Try this: in 2005 there were over 1,200,000 DUI arrests and over 16,000 fatalities due to drunk dring. 39% of all fatal accidents involved alcohol. It is the number 1 killer of young people aged 12 to 18. Sex offenders don't make the top 10, probably not the top 100...I'd venture to say tornadoes or lightning strikes have higher teen boy counts, they don't make the list because maybe in the course of a year, nationwide MAYBE a half dozen people are killed by sex offenders. In fact (this is me going off on a tangent, but I researched this and it took some time) You are more likely to killed by a drunk driving sex offender and more likely to be raped by a person with a DUI in there history. Really, do the math, it's almost hilarious.
Any ways, my idea was if we as a country are REALLY concerned about saving the children we should register drunk drivers. I would feel safer knowing that that budweiser bob down the road was required to register, wouldn't you?(theres all sorts of great angles for that in itself)
The point is a law would never be passed requiring those with a DUI to register, even though statistically it makes sense. Those with DUI in their past (Hell GW and Dick(for brains) Cheney Both have one...or so in their past). Those people would stand in open revolt. They'd lobby, throw money at it etc.
But how could a court uphold one form of registry and not another. If public safety is truly the reason, then they would have no other choice, especially considering the recidivism rates of DUI offenders. Most sex offender laws were passed with out a single vote from the public, why couldn't a smart campaign, run by a smart person effectively bully congress into passing legislation. Even with out passing it, it would serve as a loud wake up call to the country that they might be next. At the very least, having 1.2 million (and that's just 2005) being compared to the RSO's would make a very uncomfortable and akward position for anyone trying to argue against DUI registries while arguing for sex offender registration- simply put they couldn't- the numbers just wouldn't add up in their arguements.
I just never had the time or the resources to start something like that but I still think it's the way to go. If someone could get the ball rolling, like a few thousand people standing on any state capitol steps, it would be enough to make local news, then maybe a heavy media push could make national news. It;s just getting the momentum going, once it starts moving it will roll on it's own. There's an automatic 400,000 signatures (if they can vote) to get a bill introduced, not mention the 100's of thousands signatures the RSO could get from friends and family. It's just a amtter of unifying us as a group. That's the key, getting us all on the same page, all doing the same thing, all working toward XYZ goal. Not whining like a bunch of fucking pussies, fighting like a bunch of wronged people. you say 600k, that's not a movement, that's a big fucking army. 600k people can make it all go away, if we all just worked together.
Before the country even knowes what hit them, they will be in the midst of a national debate, all created by some sneaky fucker in Ohio.
So you want to turn your future army of a few hundred thousand into and army of millions with support of all the alcohol companies, thats' how.

"TLH" said: Finally someone who is not afraid to fight for the rights of the offenders. These people are being ostersized with no regard at all of what the actual crime was, not only are they paying but so are their families. Our son is in a situation had consentual sex with minor girlfriend 12 years ago. He has since been married for 10 years and has 2 children. He falls under all the laws even the ones that have passed since paying his dues. He did get in trouble again but nothing at all realted but solely due to, just trying to make a living.
They currently reside with us, they were going to move this weekend and the place had previouly been approvedbut now the ordiance has changed in the wonderful state of Florida from 2000 ft to 2500 ft and have been told they cannot. His daughter is only 5 and starting to feel the effects.

I just don't know what to do, I don't mind at all gettting on my soapbox to whoever will listen.
My concern is not only for he and his family but the majority of offenders are in the same type of situation. Can you please give any insight as to where to begin, any organazations, who to write call etc.
I do believe he would have been more accepted in our narrow minded society today had he committed murder at least you pay your dues and carry on with a more normal life than an offender does.
I am not as articulate as you but I do appreciate the oppurtunity and what you are trying to do here. Thank you in advance, TLH in Florida

"Donald" said: Hi,
Just read your peice on "How You Are Being Manipulated" and it reminded me of a story Bill Moyers did back in the late 1980's or early 1990's called, I believe, " The Secret Government". You can find it on Youtube under Bill Moyers. There is a place in there where he takes about how our Government enlisted the help of the nephew of Sigmund Freud to help them find a way to brain wash large populations of peoples, usually in some South American Country, and manipulate them to destablize their own country through false beliefs and faulty idias. I believe that they are using the very same methods now against our own nation for their own ends, power, wealth, elitist socalism and of coarse because they can.

Hope you can keep up the great work. It is appreciated.

Sincerely, Donald

"Fair Game" said: If you wont want to hear my full story, please scroll down and at least look at my 3 solutions.

I remember a time when I looked at America as being a place of peace, understanding, love, forgiveness, and tolerance. A place where people understood that everyone has flaws and nobody is perfect; that we are all only human. Those were good times.

But now I see that in reality, it as a place of anger, intolerance, hatred, and bigotry. A place that will systematically do everything it possibly can to supress, persecute, and systematically kill-off anyone whom has made mistakes in their lives, regardless of their embarassment and remorse. It is a country of paranoia, whos citizens will gladly make the lives of others a living hell if it helps them deal with their own paranoid fears and sleep better at night.

The sex offender registration is a site that spreads a message of fear, hatred, intolerance, and bigotry.

This is a site that ensures that for some people, there is no such thing as a second chance in life.

This is a site that systematically ensures that:

- People's human right to privacy has been revoked
- People's equal opportunity for work has been revoked
- People's chances to ever be trusted again is revoked
- Peoples chances at ever finding love are taken away
- Peoples chances at making new friends are diminished
- People's chances at getting along with their neighbors ever again is removed
- People's ability to escape persecution is rendered impossible

Simply ignoring this problem wont make it go away. Turning the other cheek will not help.

As long as this website exists, people will continue to be systematically persecuted, hated, and destroyed, everywhere.

Clearly action is merited. We must fight. Here are my ideas:

PUBLIC PROTEST

We do indeed have the name and address of every registered sex offender. That gives us means to invite all of them to gather at the same place and time by mail invitation. Be sure to include the invitation list so all can be assured just how many are invited to come, and all can know that they will be among others who know and understand and do not judge.


INDIVIDUAL HARASSMENT

This is annother solution exploiting the offender database. We are harassed. Time and time again I keep on bumping into someone in the neighborhood whom, upon learning of someones criminal past, will go from door to door, place calls, make phone calls, and make sure everyone everywhere is aware of the private details of my life. Since they find the notion of our presence so discomforting, we'll let them know that we are going to do them a favor. We make sure that every rapist, pedophile and sex offender in the entire area knows who _they_ are, where they live, what they look like, where they work, what their living situation is, and whom they are suppressing in their neighborhood.


FAIR GAME:

Taking the individual harassment a step further, lets start a website that tracks the names and personal information about people who persecute us.

People who contribute and encourage its use, and continue to destroy our lives.

Let them have a taste of what it feels like to be systematically tracked, watched, and scrutinized, and persecuted every minute of their lives.

Lets show these suppressive bastards exactly what they are doing to others.

Lets organize, intellecualize, network, coordinate, and put an end to the nightmare that this country has brought into our lives.

"Fima" said: Hello,
I read your web site. I would like to send you some links to publications about my criminal case. I was forced to confess to the possession of internet digital pictures of porn in deleted clusters of my computer hard drive. My browser was hijacked while I was browsing the web. I was redirected to illegal sites against my will. Some illegal pictures were found on my hard drive, recovering in unallocated clusters, without dates of file creation/download.

I do not know how courts can widely press these charges on people to convict them, while the whole Internet is a mess. [Links not copied over for the writer's privacy. -TAO]

"JP" said: While the article is quite accurate, it points up the test that is presented daily to sex offenders themselves - the need to forgive. To forgive 1) state legislatures that pass new laws making registration requirements more difficult for convicted offenders, even when they have served their time already, 2) state police who monitor offenders and choose to judge with every comment, even when the offenders have already served their time, 3) state police who arrest offenders for failing to register, when the next required registration is in the the state police files, along with the one that USPS failed to deliver during the Christmas rush, 4) family members of the offender's spouse who are attorneys and "discover" a decade-old offense, choose to tell other family members, refuse further communication with the spouse and never once choose to discuss the matter with the offender, and 5) a country that fails to understand a) fairness in its approach to sentencing, b) the negative influence of online databases on citizens other than the offender, c) research regarding offender recidivism, and d) the huge law enforcement expense incurred for negligible positive return to society.

With a lifelong sentence imposed by governments, individuals, communities, the religious and those not so inclined, offenders have daily opportunities to practice forgiveness. The benefit?

Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Matthew 6:15
But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

For offenders who, unlike the majority of their judges, have had their character flaws viewed by the public, it's just another opportunity to develop a Christ-like character as we march toward eternity.

JP

"James" said: Dear Sir:
I am writing to thank you for your website. I cannot express to you how important your website is to the people in my life that do not know the truth.

I am a convicted sex-offender on lifetime probation in Arizona. I don't know how much you want to know about me, or even how much you care. But I would like to offer you any assistance I can provide. I would be more than happy to give you information on my probation, testing, or therapy, if you feel you can use it.

The biggest obstacle I have encountered in my post-conviction life is ignorance. People don't know what the penalties really are, what the restrictions really are, or what the treatment options really are. Anything I can do to help relieve that ignorance, I will...as long as it does not violate my probation, of course.

Again, thank you very much. You're website is a small light at the end of a VERY long tunnel. And you are much appreciated.

Sincerely,
James

(Unknown) said: I stumbled onto your site while doing research for my government research paper on Megan's Law. Your link about forgiveness immediately caught my eye; being a professed Christian myself, I couldn't help but look into it. I also read about your handing over your site maintenance, and I understand you may be busy and might not care to read this e-mail as it does not directly relate to the main topic of your site, but I'd like to say a word about your specific page on forgiveness. I have not truly gone through your site enough to have any reliable thought on your ideals, but from the contents of the page at hand, I understand you to be a thoughtful and concerned individual willing to take action in improving the world today, however small the forms may begin. From your little 'warning' about the page being offensive to Christians, I confess that I expected a page about how we should NOT forgive offenders. That said, I have to completely agree with your view about the oft-ignored importance of forgiveness - as I have often heard my pastor say, the greatest miracle in the Bible is Forgiveness.

Now what really made me write to you (in the middle of writing my paper DUE TOMORROW ) is what you said about the hypocrisy of Christians. This is not something new to me; as one who truly aspires to be a Christ-follower in America, I would have to be either profoundly ignorant or a major hypocrite myself to not notice such things going on. This is also not the first time I've heard of people being turned off from Christianity because of hypocrisy; some very close brothers to me have confessed this to me as well. More than anything, this truly saddens me and makes me disappointed in these so-called Christians, as well as in myself. And you're right - those who cannot forgive should not call themselves Christians - but as, once again, one of my pastors once said, that is what separates Christians from the Christ-followers. I think a factor that is being often ignored by non-Christians in rebuking hypocrites is that we are still human. Being a Christian does not mean we are sinless, but rather that we strive to sin less. The hypocrisy does not come from Christianity, but rather from who we are aside from Christianity - those who have not overcome their vices simply need to open their hearts a little more to the outpouring of love that God gives us. Yes, it's true, most Christians in America as they are today will probably go to Hell. It's not something that's confessed out loud very often, but this is what I believe.

(http://kr.youtube.com/watch?v=uuabITeO4l8 - a very long video of a sermon that I think puts things very nicely into perspective; I think he hits the crucial part near enough to the beginning, and I don't really expect you to watch the whole thing, if at all, as I myself haven't quite gotten around to watching it in its entirety)

All this to say, PLEASE don't let our failures, our dirtiness hinder your sight of the purity that Jesus provides. It truly breaks my heart to hear people say that they have turned away from their beliefs due to external reasons, especially if WE were the cause. I'm not a very social person, and I have to say that I never responded to anything online before, but I just had to e-mail you when I read your page. I often feel myself being pulled to those of higher understanding and morality, and I honestly believe that you'd make a strong brother in Christ(I shouldn't assume.... sister?). There is no way I could write out all my feelings and the TRUTH that I know about the sovereignty of God in an e-mail, but remember Jesus' words: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) And I am in no way implying that I am anything special as a follower of Christ(I had to look that verse up), but I can have peace in knowing that God is GOOD and that Jesus SAVES.

Here's to hoping you've got more patience and focus than me, because I'm not sure I'd be willing to read such a long e-mail myself.

Cheers, and hope I see you in Heaven.

Questions? Comments? E-mail the Offender and let him know what you think!

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