A prison without walls
Almost 30 years ago I committed a sex crime while living in a certain state, was caught, convicted and served the time I was sentenced to. Part of the sentence was 10 years probation after the time served in prison. I left that state when I was released and went to another state to begin my 10 years of probation. I served all that 10 years on probation and while I was on probation I met a woman, we fell in love and I got married. Soon we had children and I had several business going and we all were doing great in the community.
I had never again broken any laws.
When two of my children were in their early teens.. the state I was living in passed some new laws and long story made short, I was forced by threat of prison to register as a sex offender for my 1 crime decades ago.
As my family and I were very high profile in our city, everyone knew us.. respected us.. when the news hit, all the television stations, radio, news paper.. of my being a sex offender.. we had to leave town for a few weeks.. the media hounds kept coming to our home trying to do a video on me. I got that report from neighbors as we were not there.
Eventually we had to go home..
From that point on, we all felt we were under a microscope. Everywhere we went, as I had been all over the news for days, we could feel the eyes upon us. My children, over time lost all friends.. nobody wanted to be their friends as their dad was a sex offender. Nobody invited them to birthday parties, nobody wanted to spend the night with them any more, or invite them over to sleep over at there homes any more....the kids picked on them at school.. my kids became depressed and I can see their tears even now.
I lost a LOT of clients from my business.. oh they said they loved my work.. but simply could not be associated with a sex offender.. clients that loved my work and had for years...all gone.
Finally, after a few years of living like lepers.. I moved us to a state that said I did not have to register because the Constitution of that state stated forcing a person to register as a sex offender for a conviction decades ago, before there were any sex offender registry was ex post facto, retroactive law and prohibited by the United States and That State Constitution.
Now, we sold our 5 bedroom home which we were buying for $600.00 a month.. left everything we owned to come to a state which did not publicly humiliate my family.
After being in this state for 2 years.. feeling like Free Americans again.. having friends, getting a business going.. surviving.. even though we are now paying $1000.00 a month for an apartment.. we were beginning, after 2 years to feel like human beings again and not some bothersome animal...
All that changed last week. I received a registered letter from the school where my kids go.. it said they have found out that I am on the registry and I must now go by a bunch of new regulations as far as coming to the school for meetings with teachers, sports events.. plays, music and choir.. anytime I go to the school I have to get permission in advance from the Principle.
OMG, I am NOT on the registry. I find out that I am in the state where my conviction was 30 years ago.. but not here..
So, I guess the school is going to spread it around amongst themselves that I am on the registry... Here we go again.. soon my kids will have NO friends..
Nobody wants to be friends of kids who have a parent on the registry.
When will it ever end? Why can a murderer kill someone and do his or her time then in a few years get out and NOT be required to do all these things? If I had murdered someone I could go to that school any time I want and all would love me.
These laws are killing MY children.. and they must be killing thousands of other innocent children.
I thought these laws were created to PROTECT children?
Again, here we are.. under the microscope... I have NOT told my kids about this.. they do NOT know the principle sent me that letter... I do not have the heart to tell them.
I cannot tell them everyone at the school now sees them as lepers...
How can a school say you are a sex offender and ban you from normal activities for a three decades old crime.. and the state you live in does not label you as a sex offender?
Is that even legal?
How can I prevent that principle from spreading around about my past?
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