| If It Saves One Child |
| By Shelly Stow |
| Published: 07/02/2012 Please do visit and read, including ALL thoughtful comments. |
Sherika61 on 07/05/2012:
AWESOME article. Here is a letter I wish would be sent to anyone and everyone maybe if they could see Life through the eyes of an Offenders child they might get it. Please feel free to copy and paste and send it to all!!!! ( This was written after listening to kids of all ages tell me what their lives are like now!) The Forgotten Children (Life as a Child of a Sex Offender) I would like to take the time to tell you what it is like to be a child of a Sex Offender. I wake up every day wondering how many signs may be on our front lawn. How many people are going to ride by our house and point and take pictures? How many people are going to watch every move we make today? How many times are people going to call the police because my parent has done something, which for an average person would be normal but because they know a Sex Offender lives here that activity with their child looks suspicious? How many more birthdays will be with just family because parents will not let their kids come to my party. How many parties will I not be invited to? How many more games will my parent not be allowed to watch me play? How many field trips will I not attend because it is too hard to listen to the whispers of the parents? Are we gonna have to move again because my parent cannot find a job to pay for rent? Are we gonna have to stay in the car again; because it is hard to find a place to live, because our government has decided we are Prohibited to live in Low Income Housing???? How many YEARS am I gonna have to watch my parent cry with frustration because they can’t provide even the simplest life for our family. Some kids can’t even have any contact with their parent!! Why is it everyone wants to Protect children but NO ONE thinks about me or kids in the same situation as me?? Can anyone answer that question??? Why do we not count? I was always taught to do the right thing and if you didn’t you would have to pay for it. I did not know that meant you would pay for the rest of your life. I did not know that people would treat you as an outcast forever!!!! The Bible says; you should forgive. The Constitution (which I learned in school) says we have rights, but it seems to me if your parent is a Sex Offender the Constitution DOES NOT APPLY. Otherwise how could they make laws that are Retroactive? Laws that continue punishing the person (and their family) forever. Prohibit us from living somewhere or prohibit us from free travel. Is the Constitution obsolete now??? I know everyone says these are not laws but civil regulations but in my mind regulations are the same thing as a law. They tell you what you can or can’t do and if you DO NOT follow them, you go back to prison!!! So, what is the difference between laws and regulations? I have also noticed that the same laws that punish my parent do not always punish others who have committed the same crime. Is that because they are public figures( Professional Athletes, Government Officials, sons of Well Known Advocates, or people who have tons of money) and society is ok with them committing the crimes????? (I watch the news, read newspapers and research stuff on the internet) This affects my life everyday so I must pay attention. I am hoping someday before it is too late that I too can have a normal life. Not always be a VICTIM of societies unfounded FEAR of all people labeled a Sex Offender. They are not all MONSTERS!!!!! Maybe if people looked into their own lives they would realize they too could be considered a Sex Offender for things they have done. Maybe even if these laws were in affect a long time ago you or someone in your family could be one!!! I cannot give you my real name as I fear it would put us in more danger, so I will give you a name for the life I wish I had. Thank You for listening, Living Free
Muffin on 07/02/2012:
[...Sic] I am crying as I read this. I was one of those children whose dad was on the registry, and I can't even begin to tell the torment we suffered, and, as this is a positive article, I won't. All I could think about, other than my own experiences, was those two little boys in Washington State whose dad (Gary Blanton) was murdered by some vigilante because he was on the registry. Now those children will grow up with no father. At least I had my dad with me, and he loved us so much, and the people who felt we all deserved to suffer and even die were never as damaging as having my father's and my mother's love were redeeming. Thank you for printing this article.
I would like to thank Ms. Stow, 'Sherika61' and 'Muffin' for their contributions. I want rightfully to live as the human being that I am. My children will never know what they lost, what was taken from them. One day when I feel I'm more 'free' to do so, I will write and blog on such things. ...Until I am able to share my children's story, and my story.....
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