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http://www.impeachbush.org/

This grassroots impeachment effort has launched a massive public education campaign through placement of the people’s call to impeach in major media outlets around the country.

This is a grassroots campaign that needs your help. The VoteToImpeach ad has appeared in full page ads in the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, the Boston Globe, as well as in other U.S. newspapers, with the help of people all around the country.

http://www.impeachbush.org/

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About the Author

freelance writer and information seeker
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Jerry Seper, of The Washington Times writes in Chertoff says illegal migration ‘threat’,the following excerpt:

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff yesterday said illegal immigration is a “severe and growing threat” and while it will take time to correct, the government has begun a campaign to secure America’s borders.

[emphasis added]

The government ‘has begun’ a campaign to secure America’s borders? Did the word just get to you people in your ivory towers that American’s are very unhappy with the current border security situation?

Your number one job, Mr. Chertoff, is to actually ensure homeland security. How did you intend to do that without actually working on securing the border? Why has it taken you this much time to begin working on a campain to secure America’s borders now?

The salary we as taxpayers pay you is not paid so you can just be a talking head. You are paid to provide a service to those of us who employ you. That service is to do something about the border situation, along with other facets of homeland security. However ‘practical’ or not it may be, that is your job.

“Illegal migration … undercuts the rule of law, it undermines our national security, and it imposes public safety and economic strains on our borders, states and communities,” Mr. Chertoff said in a speech during the American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) policy summit in Washington.

Yet, not long ago you stated that it would not be practical to deport all the illlegal aliens in this country. If it does all the stuff you just said it does, why would practicality matter? Wouldn’t you just want to work hard to fix the problem, all practicality aside?

In case Mr. Chertoff forgot his lines from last November, allow me to refresh his memory:

In defending President Bush’s so-called “guest worker” program for illegal aliens - which critics have dubbed an amnesty program - Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says it’s just not practical to deport the millions of foreigners in the country illegally.

“The cost of identifying all of those people and sending them back would be stupendous. It would be billions and billions of dollars,” Chertoff told Sean Hannity on the Fox News Channel program “Hannity & Colmes” last night. - World Net Daily November 15, 2005.

Mr. Chertoff, less than a month ago, you were supporting Bush’s plan to legalize those illegal aliens’ status; those same illegal aliens you just now stated, pose a “severe and growing threat” to national security. Were these illegal aliens not posing a “severe and growing threat” less than a month ago?

Quoting again from Mr. Seper’s article, we read the following:

“The reality is that this problem is 20 years in the making,” he said. “It’s going to take a little bit of time to dig ourselves out, but we are going to start digging ourselves out, and we have started in the last few months with some very aggressive planning and approaches to the issue of how to control border migration.”

Well, since the problem is 20 years in the making, why is the Bush Administration waiting until now, four years after being attacked by terrorists, to do something to fix the border? I would allow the Bush Administration to shift the blame on previous administrations if this was his first year as president, but this is his second term!

The American public deserves much better than this, Mr. Chertoff and Mr. President. Why is it that senior citizens in lawn chairs are able to do what you were unwilling to do, up until just a few months ago?

The time has past a long time ago for you to quit talking and actually start doing something. Quit playing lip service and quit putting up window dressing. This isn’t a political problem or something to trivialize to boost one side’s poll numbers. This is our sovereignty in question! Did it take you and President Bush this long to realize that?

Mr. Chertoff outlined what he called a three-pronged plan to get control of the border, including increasing the government’s ability to catch people who are illegally crossing into the United States, establishing a “robust” interior enforcement program, and creating a temporary guest-worker program to deal with illegals already in the country.

You still don’t get it, Mr. Chertoff! You just said that these illegal aliens put a strain on our nation, yet you still want to give them a guest worker status, which you say isn’t an amnesty.

An amnesty gives pardon to laws that are broken. Legalizing illegal entrants’ status does exactly that. If that is not amnesty, perhaps I need a Clinton dictionary!

Mr. Chertoff told the ALEC that more apprehensions and deportations would cut the strength of some of the sophisticated criminal groups that smuggle aliens and contraband into the country.

What do you intend to do as part of your plan in the event of an armed stand-off?

U.S. Border Patrol agents were backed down this week by armed men, dressed in what appeared to be Mexican military uniforms and carrying military weapons, who seized a captured dump truck filled with marijuana from the U.S. agents and dragged it across the border into Mexico with a bulldozer. - World Net Daily November 20, 2005.

What is your plan, Mr. Chertoff when, “armed med, dressed in what appeared to be Mexican military uniforms” disregard the sovereignty of our nation and threaten the lives of those Border Patrol Agents? What will be the American’s government plan when this happens again? Will you continue to ignore these armed invasions? Do they somehow pose less of a threat since it only happens along the border?

Quoting the Washington Times article again, we read:

He said the president’s proposed guest-worker program would make it possible for the government to channel foreign nationals into a legal regulated and temporary way to do work and then go home again.

How is that possible? The president’s proposal would grant legal status to those illegal aliens already here. Those who want to go through legal channels will have to wait their turn for those who have no right to legal status!

Look, Mr. Chertoff: either do something to secure our borders and solve illegal immigration or don’t. But don’t use political double-speak saying that illegal immigration hurts our nation and at the same time propose legalizing those same illegal aliens who hurt our nation! We are your stakeholders! Our security and way of life is at stake! Our country’s future is at stake!

If you are not prepared, willing, or able to do the job, step down and let someone else take your place! Perhaps one of those senior citizens in a lawn chair could do a better job.

2. Chertoff: Not ‘Practical’to Deport Illegal Aliens. World Net Daily 15 November 2005. http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=47415

3. Armed Standoff on Rio Grande. World Net Daily. 20 November 2005. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=47497

MEMORIAL DAY 2005

In 1776 the United States of America was born
Long ago on that bright July fourth morn
The Revolutionary War was being fought
It was freedom and liberty of forefathers sought

Many lives were lost in that great fight
Liberty was won and America became a light
That drew others to freedom on her shore
They came from England, Ireland, France and more

The civil war tore asunder our bountiful land
Brother fought brother, often hand to hand
Finally this war ended and our nation began to heal
The rifles, cannon and artillery were quiet and still

In The Indian wars and the Spanish-American conflict
Many were killed some by a gun some by a stick
World War I and World War II came to pass
Millions were killed, some in mass

Korea and Vietnam saw our nation at war again
When will all the conflicts and wars end
Desert Storm put our troops to the test
Victory was won and proved our troops were the best

Today the War on Terror is still going strong
Please pray for our troops all the day long
Many of our troops lie silent in the grave
They gave all for America, the home of the brave

I would like to thank the many women and men
Who gave their lives for our freedom, can I get an amen
We can worship the Lord in the good old US of A
I salute all our fallen heroes on this Memorial day

Copyright 2005 Irvin L. Rozier

About the Author

Author of My Walk with the Lord, www.selahbooks.com, preacher, retired military

I always have to remember to take a deep breath when examining the laws being proposed by our grand Legislature. I detest most of the new legislation on the table, but have to forgive our representatives in the House and Senate for it. After all, writing laws is what a Legislature does, and if they don’t write enough laws, it can begin to look like they’ve been loafing.

Call me strange, but I rather prefer a Legislature that goofs off and under produces new laws. I’m convinced we have enough of them already, and agree with Mark Twain, who famously said that no man’s life, liberty, or property is safe while the Legislature is in session.

Mainly, that is because no lawmaker wants to look like a slacker, especially so soon after an election. It’s bad form. As a result, we get some hideous proposals that I would chalk up as an effort to hide behind some broad good intention while looking meaningful, or at least busy.

House Bill 1508 is a textbook case as one such proposal.

Representative Vanessa Summers, an Indianapolis Democrat, has introduced legislation that would prohibit the use of cell phones, making exceptions for hands-free devices and for emergency use. The proposed fine for violations of the law would be up to $25.

The intent is to make our streets a little less hazardous. We have all groused at the idiot guilty of driving while in conversation that cut us off or made us miss a light, and we have cursed the driver and his cell phone. Summers’ proposal takes its cue from similar laws passed in New York and the District of Columbia. As everyone knows, these cities now have the safest streets in the world.

This law is rife with problems, from practical application to the higher concerns of individual liberty.

I know four friends, right off the top of my head, who would gladly pay up to $25, as a cost of doing business. They think this highly of each and every one of their calls. $25 is no kind of deterrent for these people.

What is emergency use? I define emergency use of a cell phone as a frantic call to a friend because I suddenly had two tickets offered to me for a Colts’ playoff game, and I have to accept within five minutes, or the tickets will be passed on to a co-worker. My wife defines it as having found a deal on furniture, and she’s on her way home so I can look at fabric swatches. I’m betting that this is not what the Representative has in mind. Some revisions will be in order.

But why just cell phones? If the real intent of the law is to eliminate distractions from our roadways, why not ban them all? Summers could justifiably expand the proposal to include a ban on smoking in the car, adjusting the radio or inserting a Britney Spears CD, eating fast food, scolding the rug rats in the backseat, talking with your spouse, shaving or applying makeup, doing the crossword puzzle, using a laptop computer, calling for on-screen directions to Starbucks, and rehearsing your excuse that explains your tardiness to the boss.

Could we really ban Britney Spears CDs? I digress.

Before the law is done with revisions, no common person will be able to read and understand it, and mainly, drivers will just continue to take their chances.

This begs the significant philosophical question: Why bother?

Isn’t it sufficient that citations can already be issued if the use of a cell phone is the cause of an accident? Why pile on? No harm, no foul: If the use of a cell phone isn’t endangering anyone in the moment, why penalize for the harm that was not caused?

Ah, the law is to be a deterrent, to eliminate the possibility of harm. But won’t it also become more than that? How much of a stretch is it to envision police pulling over drivers who endanger nobody on a deserted road at 11pm, but who are guilty of making a cell call, just so the officer can meet his monthly quota? Isn’t that a harm all its own?

Say, if the police pull a driver over to the side of the road, isn’t that the sort of distraction that could cause an accident? It should be banned!

Let’s hope this Bill dies in committee. If it passes, Summers will run for re-election in 2006 on the basis of having produced this wonderful law… and of having been suitably busy.

Mike Kole is chair of the Libertarian Party of Hamilton County (Noblesville) and candidate for Secretary of State (2006).

Libertarian Writers’ Bureau http://www.writersbureau.org

Question : I HAVE been on an 80 per cent vegetarian diet for about five years now. I take spirulina regularly. Two years ago my period started to become irregular. It came twice in a month for two consecutive months. The medication prescribed by the doctor only helped to relieve the symptoms for only a few months. Am I approaching menopause? I am 43.

Answer : AS you are a vegetarian, the risk of getting not enough vitamin B12 is there as this vitamin is mostly obtained from meat and animal products. But you are on the right track supplementing with spirulina. Your irregular periods seem to indicate menopause.

A woman would normally go through menopause between the ages of 45 and 55 due to reduced oestrogen and progesterone production by the ovaries. The age varies according to several factors. One of these is body weight. Overweight people tend to menopause later. Common symptoms of menopause include amenorrhoea (absence of period), irregular periods like you are having now, increased or decreased flow, hot flushes, heart palpitations, low libido, tingling, chills, nervousness, excitability, inability to concentrate, forgetfulness, depression, fatigue, irritability, insomnia, headaches, muscle and bone aches, and gastrointestinal disturbances. There may also be changes in frequency of urination, stress incontinence, unwanted hair and drying up of vaginal secretions and vaginitis. If menopause has been confirmed by a doctor, you may try taking a herbal supplement to help women cope with menopausal symptoms. This is a safer alternative than hormone replacement therapy. A good herbal supplement should contain black cohosh, dong quai, soya, red clover and sage.

Black cohosh is effective in treating perimenopausal symptoms and those arising from a lack of oestrogen and progesterone, such as hot flushes and night sweat. It is anti-inflammatory and may help to relieve menstrual cramps.
Dong quai, also known as ‘female ginseng’, helps to restore balance in a woman’s reproductive system by toning up the uterus, nourishing the blood and stimulating healthy circulation. Soya is high in isoflavones and is beneficial for menopause-related hot flushes, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer. Recent evidence shows that red clover helps improve heart health in menopausal women.

Sage is for digestive disorders associated with PMS and excessive perspiration especially at night.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

www.medical-explorer.com

There’s an excellent website online published by a Dr. Holden, a former Disability Determination Services medical consultant. I couldn’t help but comment on one of the good doctor’s recent writings in which he makes several suggestions for disability evaluation reform. To get right to the point, Dr. Holden’s reform ideas seem to strongly revolve around the notions of upgrading the salaries of disability examiners and instituting a better medical training regimen for these workhorses of the disability system.

Dr. Holden’s points are, to some extent, on target. For starters, disability examiners don’t get enough medical training. As a former examiner myself, I don’t mind saying that. And I seriously question the entire concept of SDM’s (”single decision maker” examiners who can slap decisions on cases without the input of their unit medical consultants—-how crazy is that? Examiners are NOT doctors).

Dr. Holden also questions the soundness of utilizing lawyers–who are now wearing the hats of federal administrative law judges–to adjudicate “medical evaluation cases”. Personally, I never really understood just why it is that an ALJ (someone with legal training, not medical training) is necessarily needed to preside over disability hearings. Judges are not medical professionals and disability hearings are not legal court proceedings in the strictest sense. In fact, this is exactly why non attorneys are allowed to represent claimants at such hearings.

I really have no major problem with any of Dr. Holden’s core assertions. However, I guess it’s true that we are all, to some extent, limited by our experiences and this holds true for MD’s as well.

While Holden’s suggestion for more indepth medical training for DDS examiners is a good one, his suggestions for overall reform miss the REAL PROBLEM (IMO - just my opinion) with DDS. What’s that problem?

Here it is: DQB, or the disability quality branch. As all examiners, reps, judges, and CRs know, a percentage of completed DDS files are sent off to this unit to see if all the i’s are dotted and all the t’s have been properly crossed. And, interestingly enough, more cases that were MARKED FOR APPROVAL come back reversed i.e. overturned than vice-versa.

When a case is returned from DDS, it’s like a black mark for the disability examiner because it directly implies that he or she flubbed up. It’s a black mark for the unit supervisor because the return came back to his or her unit. And it’s a black mark for the dds administrators because the more DQB returns you get, the worse it makes your agency look.

So, human nature being what it is, what is the outcome at all dds locations in the good old USA?

It means that supervisors tend to exert an iron grip over the examiners in their units. It also means that supervisors will always lean more toward denials rather than approvals. And…if a case is one of “those” cases that is right on the line, you can be sure that the disability examiner won’t stick his or her neck out because the likelihood is that the unit supervisor will have to talk to the examiner about his or her decision-making ability, (i.e. imply to them that they better get in line with the program and/or potentially find a new job).

Now, this may not have occurred to Dr. Holden because he was not an examiner. And it may not have occurred to most reps because they, too, were never examiners (though some examiners later went on to become attorneys or non attorney reps). And it certainly would not occur to an SSA CR because, for all intents and purposes, they know very little about the actual disability evaluation process, aside from the mechanics of taking claims and then processing them once DDS is finished with the medical evaluation.

Of course, I am not saying that we need to fill the spots currently occupied by ALJ’s with level 3 disability examiners or SSA Disability Case managers (that is, if they ever actually created such a DCM position). I’m not saying we should get rid of the SDM program (though it wouldn’t bother me), or dispense with quality review. But, I do think it’s pretty plain that external quality review has had an insidious effect on DDS claims processing—–with disability claimants coming out the clear loser.

So, what’s the alternative to DQB? In all candor, I don’t know. But, regarding such issues (disability system reform from a “structural perspective”) perhaps that’s something that the brighter heads in NADR and NOSSCR should ponder and make proposals toward.

The author of this article is Timothy Moore, who, in addition to being a former food stamp caseworker, medicaid caseworker and AFDC caseworker, is a former disability claims examiner. He publishes a helpful FAQ on the disability process at http://www.disabilitysecrets.com/questions.html

Despite their signature on the Biological Weapons Convention of 1975, it has been reported that China has the most advanced modern germ warfare arsenal in the world at Xian, Shaanxi province.

As proof, information obtained using the Freedom of Information Act shows that in 1997 Clinton administration officials approved supercomputer exports to a known Chinese germ warfare lab without an end use inspection. The computer was delivered to Jiatong University, Xian. The university is a known center for bioweapons research.

Furthermore, in April 2005, Deputy Director of China’s Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Cao Wuchun said “China is developing technology to resist possible bioterror attacks.” The science lab used to develop resistance to bioattack can be the same science lab to develop bioweapons.

In 2001, the U.S. State Department issued a report naming Sudan, North Korea, Iraq, and Iran as countries known to be developing dangerous biological weapons, but strangely, the Bush administration refused to put China on the list, saying “there may be some ‘friendly countries’ with biological weapons programs who would not be named.”

Given the reality of a Chinese bioweapon program, it is conceivable that a cell of young communist microbiologists, working within a weapons think tank, have proposed the following scenario to government officials:

Bird flu, or H5N1, is a readily available deadly pathogen. It is rapidly mutating into human-to-human transmission capability. Because bird flu is at the epidemic stage in southeast Asia, it would be completely transparent to the world if our labs were to release a concentrated form of this virus on our enemies, such as Taiwan. We could even retaliate against Japan for the 1940 bombing of China with plague-infected fleas.

By itself, the scenario above sounds far-fetched, until you recall a very similar scenario that featured SARS instead of bird flu. It’s been more than two years since the Chinese government lied about their knowledge of SARS and then finally confessed that SARS somehow “escaped” from a Chinese military lab, but we still don’t have a vaccine for SARS. Why? Because it was genetically engineered by Chinese scientists, making it very difficult to produce a vaccine.

The U.S. has been playing rather fast and loose with the BWC,too.

In 2001, New York Times journalists, Judith Miller and Stephen Engelberg, uncovered the Defense Intelligence Agency’s effort at the Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio, to genetically engineer a strain of vaccine-resistant anthrax, just to name one secret project. There are many others ongoing, so it is logical to assume that the U.S. is experimenting with H5N1 as a bioweapon, also.

In the first year of his administration, President Bush sent John Bolton to ambush the BWC, and put in its place a biological weapons treaty that would place the U.S. above question by any country.

With two superpowers considering H5N1 as a secret bioweapon, and no vaccine in sight, the earth’s population may suddenly find itself intentionally being thinned down. After all, the planet’s 6,446,131,400 billion people are pushing the limits of sustainability. The risk of getting caught in this thinning is very high. If H5N1 is unleashed as a weapon, or it reaches pandemic proportions on its own, it will be far more devasting than a nuclear attack.

John Hart is the author of “How to Protect Your Family Against the Coming Pandemic,” an ebook available in PDF at http://www.urgentebooks.com, and he is the editor of Daily Healthcast, a daily digest of important health stories, at http://www.dailyhealthcast.com

United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), one of the most powerful militant organizations operating in the northeast region is in the limelight again but this time for a better reason. Attempts to initiate talks with the center and the group are in progress. The group was established in 1979 by Paresh Baruah along with his associates. The group aims to establish a Sovereign Socialist Assam.

In the latest developments the renowned Assamese writer Indira Goswami met PM Manmohan Singh on November 19 to initiate talks with the proscribed group. This step is seen as a path breaking one however the end result is still awaited. In 45 minute long meeting with PM Indira Goswami appealed to the Prime Minister to initiate talks with the militant outfit. Goswami submitted a written appeal on behalf of the ULFA to the PM. ULFA has demanded that the sovereignty issue should be part of the talk process. On 22 November Mr.Singh made his stand clear in Guwahati that “If they shun violence, then I will invite them for talks but violence and talks cannot go on simultaneously”. Further stalking the process, on November 22 the ULFA chief Paresh Baruah said that “The comments made by the PM was not unexpected and not different from that made by his predecessors. It is evident that the Centre’s colonial policy will continue.”

The chances of peace in the two decade old insurgency torn state of Assam seems to very bleak, however Goswami’s attempt has laid the foundation stone for a process. Indira Goswami the recipient of the nations highest literary award the Jnanpith Award association with the ULFA started thirteen years ago when she was invited for attending a function in Northern Assam. Her famous novel “Mamore Dhora Tarowal”(The Rusted Sword) is selected as a must-read by the ULFA for its women cadres.

Prime Minister showed his appreciation for the literary marvel for taking the initiative to bring ULFA to the negotiation table with New Delhi. The letter from the Prime Ministers office to Indira Goswami says that ” the Prime Minister has a special interest for Assam and its people. He, therefore acknowledges the expression of desire by the ULFA for talks with the Government of India.” The letter also said that the Prime Minister welcomed the expressed desires of the ULFA leadership to hold talks with the government of India.

Manmohan Singh has said that he is willing to talk to any “disaffected” group in the country, provided it gave up the path of violence. As per NDTV reports on December 7 the PMO sources said that the “Prime Minister has made the government stand with regard to talks with insurgent outfits clear during his visit to the North-East and Jammu and Kashmir last month.

For reading the complete article
Go to : http://www.himalayanaffairs.org/articledetails.asp?id=128

www.himalayanaffairs.org

Freelance writer who writer who writes on social and political issues of Southasian countries:

Charity is perhaps the best feature of humanity. It is a perfect
way to support the downtrodden. There are many types of natural
and man-made evils in our society. So, there are variable causes
for which the blessed ones can and should donate. Unlike before,
nowadays there are numerous charitable institutions across the
globes that are working in different areas. The main aim of a
charitable organization is to help the people in need and work
for their development. For instance helping in the
rehabilitation of victims of natural disasters like famines,
tsunami, earthquakes etc., working for prisoners of war or any
oppressed community, child education, women upliftment and so
forth are some different tasks taken up by these organizations.
So, charitable organizations can variously be literary,
religious, scientific and so forth. These organizations largely
rely on government grants and the charities/ donations by the
well-to-do section of society in order to function or continue
with their respective social service. However, people may have
different motives behind donating money in these charitable
foundations. While there are those who contribute for the sake
of human welfare there are others who do it to earn recognition
and save tax. Tax wavier possibly is one of the foremost reasons
at the moment that instigates many affluent people,
multinational companies, and corporations to give money in these
institutions. However, those who donate for the purpose of
saving tax should keep in mind that every charity is not tax
deductible.

There are basically two types of non-profit organizations.

1. Charitable institutions that are exempted from paying taxes.

2. Institutions to which the donations made are tax-free. Such
organizations are registered under the 501 (c)(3) category of
the Internal Revenue Service. Once you make a donation to any
such organization, get a receipt made as evidence to assist you
in tax deduction.

But besides enlisted in the 501 (C)(3) category, several other
things about an organization should be considered before making
a donation.

• Check the annual report of the organization. Annual report
will brief you with the requisite crucial details such as
current work, situation, finances etc. of the organization.

• Also take into consideration the institutions aims and means
proposed to achieve them.

• Notice the amount of donations the charity receives annually
and its sources.

• In case of door- to- door solicitations, prior to parting off
with your money, try to wrinkle out the important details (the
name, full address, goals, licensing, tax deduction and so
forth) of the organization. If that person is unable to present
the details, he might be fake, trying to befool people.

Charities can be made in different forms. Giving cash is one
way; other ways include giving those items that the constitution
requires. For example if the charity is working for
rehabilitation of tsunami victims then facilitating it with
tents, food stuffs, clothing etc. will be an appropriate rather
wonderful charity. Generally people are under the illusion that
only large sum of money can be given as charity, but this is not
the case like. Donation can be as small as 10 or 20 dollars. The
amount does not actually make a difference, what actually
matters are your philanthropic feelings and desire to
contribute.

Edward R. Murrow is back in the nick of time, just when we need him the most.

“Good Night and Good Luck” is a feature film account of Murrow’s 1953 and 1954 “See It Now” broadcasts assailing Sen. Joseph McCarthy during the nation’s anti-Communist hysteria.

From the moment in a 1950 speech when McCarthy waved his infamous (and never-identified) “list of 205 Communists working in the State Department,” the senator exploited the country’s Cold War paranoia, relentlessly pursuing those he deemed Communist sympathizers. (San Fransico Chronicle, 10/8/05).

We are once again at this point, blacklisting the American known as the sexual offender. The collective “we” have allowed politicians to exploit our most vulnerable fear, the safety of our children, for personal political advantage. We are all responsible for allowing hysteria driven legislation, at the city, state, and federal level, to remain unchecked due to the manipulation of our emotional bonds to our children by politicians.

Journalists have not asked the hard-nosed questions and have not informed or educated the public about the relative ease of how one becomes an offender. This perpetuates the myth that all offenders are child molesters. The majority of offenders registered have been “convicted” of poor behavior choice offenses which involve no victim-teenage consensual sex, public urination, online “chat” with undercover police officers. Most charged persons lack adequate funding for a legal defense to fight such charges and deplete their personal funds at the median figure of $15,000. The resulting plea bargain is followed by automatic sexual offender registration as decreed by Florida Statute 943.0436 . Our politicians have even legislated judicial discretion, the power of a judge to impose a fair and just sentence. Registration is for life or 20 years, whatever comes first and permeates every aspect of the registrant’s life. I challenge journalists to stop editorializing about offenders and investigate the truth.

Politicians run unchecked with this issue, due to guaranteed press coverage and easy votes. Off the record, many politicians will admit their discomfort with these laws….but to do so publicly will result in political suicide. State Representative David Simmons of Longwood reflects this attitude quite blatantly with his recent comment regarding yet further proposed residency restriction proposals at the state level, “Who’s (going) to complain?” (Florida Today, 10/9/05). Although a group of Americans and their families are being blacklisted, banished, and segregated, our politicians will not come forward to their constitutuents with the truth.

The Palm Bay City Council was presented 10/6/05 with the most current data provided by the United States Department of Justice, which definitively determined in a 10,000 person study, the treated sex offender recidivism rate to be 5.3%.” Instead of tabling the issue for further research, the Council instead opted to schedule the proposed ordinances for second reading and public hearing 10/20/05. These ordinances will impact an offender’s ability to make a living and provide for family, which sets a dangerous unconstitutional precedent.

Voters have not demanded the truth from their elected representatives and have allowed politicians to legislate the safety of our children. Parents, that is your responsibility, not the federal government. Should your family endorse the registry, demand your politicians restructure the registry to reflect a tier level system of risk instead of “lumping” all offenders into one pot. Give them “permission” to revamp a law originally passed with only good intentions.

Should an offender live in your neighborhood, I challenge residents to educate yourself regarding the offense of your neighbor by obtaining a police report. The FDLE registry does not reflect the true nature of the conviction and is often, simply incorrect. Once educated with the real facts, only then are you and your family truly “notified” as the law originally intended.

As Edward R. Murrow indicated in his famous October 15, 1958 “Wires and Lights” speech regarding the duty of broadcast journalism to inform and educate the public,
“There is a great and perhaps decisive battle to be fought against ignorance, intolerance and indifference….We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty.” It is our duty to question authority because without scrutiny, authority remains unchecked and corrupt

Sharon Wilson is a free lance writer and a member of SOHopeful International.

http://www.sohopeful.org