I understand his reluctance. It is a tough place to be and the whole plight of SO's is very politicized because people are emotionally driven rather than educationally/logic driven.

Yeah, I know deenamom, just showing the 'election, re-election issue' for politicians. That's why they take the cowardly way out. So many times I've heard that, OFF RECORD, they admit the laws are crazy, and have gone way too far. However, they're unwilling to step up to the plate publicly and do the right thing, because it will derail their career climb. Least this guys 'honest' for his motives, or lack thereof...

Dave in the Philippines

The sex offender laws and the registry in this country will not change until the constituents of the politicians demand a change or when there is an important court decision that mandates change such as the one in Oklahoma this summer concerning the retroactivity of SORNA.

When the politicians realize that it is in their best interests to stop this madness, they will. Why? Because more than anything else, the politicians care more about getting re-elected than anything else. You can forget all this “wanting to serve their country” and “wanting to make a postitive” change nonsense that they keep talking about. They want to be re-elected because it is a relatively easy job, it gives them power, a nice salary, and a better retirement with full medical benefits than any of us could ever dream of. PERIOD.

I liken the sex offender movement to the civil rights movement in the 1960’s. At that time nobody in this country cared about the plight of the African Americans except the blacks and their families themselves, just as nobody cares about any of the problems sex offenders experience. The blacks complained about the Jim Crow laws, but hell, the general public did not want to hear it because, well, they were black and nobody cared. It is the same with sex offenders. The offenders themselves can complain all they want, but nobody cares about us except our families.

I lived during the Civil Rights movement. It was only when the white people of this country were persuaded through the marches in the street and through a great leader such a Martin Luther King that the Jim Crow laws were unjust that changes were made. Then reforms were instituted.

The sex offenders themselves, and by themselves, cannot affect a change. The CAN do things to EDUCATE other people---other citizens----to understand their plight with the hopes that enough people will see the unfairness of the laws and demand a change.

But it is the families---the families---of sex offenders that will be prominent when a change is made. When enough families have one of their family members labeled a sex offender, the tide will turn. When other people---other than the registrants themselves---ask for change and enough of them ask that politicians consider it a political risk NOT to do something, then change will come.

Our goal is to inform and EDUCATE all people so they can use that education to talk to others and created a wave that will lead to change. Both the registrants and the families must do this. The general public has to put pressure on the legislators.

Until then, barring a major court decision, there will be no changes.

All this foolishness about arming ourselves, demanding our rights through force, and somehow affecting a change by force is just stupid. It did not work for women’s rights, force did not work for the blacks, violence or force did not work for the gays, and it will not work for the sex offenders.

Education of the masses is the key.

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