|
||||
|
Posting #178 –RSOL of VA’s “Book Project” is a Great SuccessBy: RSOL of Virginia Virginia Supporters, As many of you know this past May we asked Dr. Richard Wright, author of Sex Offender Laws: Failed Polices, New Directions if he could get Springer Publishing to donate a copy of his book to every member of the U.S. Congress and Senate. Dr. Wright was pleased to hear of our request but the publishing house could not afford such a venture. To accomplish our goal on our own it would have been more than 550 books at a cost of more than $13,000.00. So we took some time to rethink our idea. We also needed to reach the Virginia Legislators, the new Governor and Attorney General as well as the members of the Virginia Crime Commission that would be approximately 147 more books. We believe that Dr. Wright’s book should be mandatory reading for every Legislator in America before another “Sex Offender” Bill is proposed and passed. Then the Phillip Garrido case broke in the news and the national media and talk shows were back at it, inflating the recidivism rates to 70, 80 and 90% and stating that EVERY Sex Offender has had 100 victims before they are ever caught for the first time. We knew that there’d be new even harsher legislation in our future totally based on myth, fear and hysteria instead of on fact. So we looked at high-profile reporters and talk show hosts and Legislators at both the State and Federal level on the critical committees that hear proposed “Sex Offender” Legislation. Back in Mid-September we advised you that we could not pay for 100 to 140 copies of Dr. Wright’s book on our own but if you helped by paying for one, two or three copies we would make up the difference plus cover the shipping if we could get pledges from you for at least 70% of our goal. Well, you all came through in a big way and we are proud to advise you that Phases 1 through 3 of the Book Project are complete, thanks to your assistance. Phase I- On November 30 we mailed a copy to: President Barack Obama Vice-President Joe Biden Attorney General Eric Holder Glenn Beck Bill O’Reilly John Stewart Anderson Cooper Nancy Grace David Gregory Bob Schieffer Steve Kroft On December 5 we mailed a copy to: David Fanning Bill Moyer Larry King Elizabeth Vargas Dr. Phil McGraw Phase II- On December 10 we hand-delivered a copy to every member of the U.S. Judiciary Committee: Trent Franks (AZ) http://www.house.gov/franks/ Then we hand-delivered a copy to: Eric Cantor (VA) http://cantor.house.gov/ Finally we delivered a book to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Senator Patrick Leahy (VT) http://leahy.senate.gov/ Unfortunately we did not have enough copies to give one to every member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. A week before our DC delivery day we contacted a Washington DC television reporter in hopes they’d cover our book delivery, but we never received a reply.
Phase III- On December 15 we hand-delivered a copy to every member of the Virginia Crime Commission: Senator Janet Howell (Co-Chair) district32@senate.virginia.gov (703) 709-8283 Executive Director The other four Commission members do not publically share their contact information, but they received a copy of the book. We completed the Book Project in Richmond at the General Assembly Building on January 14 along with of our 6 supporters and a grand-baby. Thank you so much for those of you who were able to make the trip. We hand-delivered a copy of Dr. Richard Wright’s book to the members of the two Virginia House Committee members and the one Senate Committee that decide to proceed or not with Sex Offender, Adam Walsh Act Compliance, Sexual Assault and Battery, Sexting and Civil Commitment Bills We all wore “I support RSOL of VA” stickers and were seen by MANY people. Numerous Administrative Assistants went out of their way to wish us well in our mission and to ask us questions. Five or six Senators and Delegates gave us 3 to 5 minutes to speak to them in their offices even though we did not have an appointment. After our deliveries John and I stayed in the building to "pop-in" on a few Legislators and to meet with a Delegate at 2:15 that lasted until 3:40. There was a strange turn of events later in the afternoon in regards to the 2 Marsden bills we are waiting to be filed tomorrow, but we think the issue has been solved and we will still get these two bills submitted. We will send out an e-mail to everyone once they are officially bills. We also think the two amendments to two current statutes that John and I asked Delegate Peace to submit two weeks ago and late yesterday he finally declined to assist us with could be picked up by one or two new Delegates John and I spoke with today, we'll know tomorrow. If they aren't the Delegate associated with "the strange turn of events" has stated they's submit both amendments next year for us and we believe they would. The receivers of the book were: House Courts of Justice CommitteeChairman: * = On Both House Committees
House Militia Police and Public Safety CommitteeChairman:
* On Both House Committees
Senate Courts of Justice Committee Chairman: VCC = On Virginia Crime Commission
Please take the time to write a letter, an e-mail or call these legislators and high-profile members of the media acknowledging that we gave them a copy of this very important book and that you hope as a citizen of our Commonwealth and of our country that they will take the time to read the book, before they consider passing or proposing one more Sex Offender, Sexting, Sexual Assault, Internet Chat or Civil Commitment law in our state and our nation. If they are a television host or reporter you could also recommend they interview Dr. Wright on their show. Thank you for your support and dedication to this project.
|
|||