Posting #79 –Dear Virginia Gubernatorial Candidates, by Sandy

By:  Sandy
Date:  05/14/2009

Dear Candidate,

I noticed that in your campaign ads for governor, you are citing your pivotal role in the successful passage of Virginia's Megan's Law.

Recent studies conducted by the departments of justice in New York and New Jersey have shown that Megan's Law has no effect on either recidivism or child safety. Many of the provisions of Megan's Law, as well as Jessica's Law and the Adam Walsh Act, are based on myths and misconceptions about child safety and sexual assaults on children. These laws, however, do real harm to families, and represent a growing expense as Virginia and other states maintain ever growing registries of a population, the majority of which is unlikely to ever re-offend. Many legislators now admit these laws are highly problematical, but continue to vote for them because they want to be perceived as "tough on sex offenders." I am not impressed. I want to protect my children, as does any responsible parent, but punishing sex offenders is a very expensive and ineffective way to do that. Stigmatizing and isolating sex offenders makes no one safer.

I am a registered voter in the Commonwealth of Virginia. I am also the wife of a registered sex offender. I have seen Virginia's laws place ever greater restrictions on people who only want to go about their daily lives in peace. I have seen my husband and others suffer as they try to plan their lives only to have their plans overturned by some new law. My children and I have suffered. I know that the consensus of expert opinion as regards sex offenders is that "we need to watch some people smarter, not everybody longer." Nonetheless, Virginia, as have many other states, has now placed the vast majority of its sex offenders on what amounts to lifetime unsupervised probation. This is unacceptable.

As the body of evidence grows, more and more voters are starting to realize that legislators are more interested in getting votes than in passing responsible laws in this area. The tide of public opinion will turn and those who find themselves on the wrong side will be out of office.

We need sane and rational laws that both protect children and allow those who truly want to turn their lives around to do so. The hysteria, overblown rhetoric, and plain misinformation that characterizes so much of what our legislators at all levels say about this issue must come to an end.

I am watching, and will actively campaign against anyone who advocates that we continue on this ridiculous course of action. It's time for common sense, and I will vote for the candidate that displays it.

Sandy