HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS QUIETLY PREVAIL
HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATES QUIETLY PREVAIL IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY
CLICK ON THE IMAGE ON THE RIGHT TO VIEW THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS ADDRESSING THE ISSUES >>>>>>>>>>>
On Saturday June 16th, five brave individuals from across America made a pilgrimage to Miami, Florida. Their goals were simple: to assist in finding shelter for a handful of local men who are legislatively mandated to live under a highway overpass as a result of Florida’s severe residency restrictions. The Florida Department of Corrections requires the men to remain under the bridge from 10 pm through 6 am, or face a violation of probation and return to jail.
The group’s second goal was to educate the public about the hidden truths, myths, and misinformation regarding registered sex offenders. To raise awareness about the true disingenuous nature of sex offender laws which are counterproductive to society and blatantly contrary to public safety. The group also carried the message of the hidden collateral damage being suffered by the family members of this group of former offenders, which all too often involves children.It was there, in Miami with the backdrop of the Holocaust Memorial, that keynote speakers and advocates made monumental change. Armed only with information, evidence, and research painstakingly compiled by many mental health experts, policy advisers, human rights and child victim advocates.
They were met with adversity, fear, apprehension and prejudice, but never wavered in their commitment. Courageously, they stood their ground and made their mark upon the world – advocating for hundreds of thousands across the country who seemingly have no voice – to say “WE ARE HERE and the persecution and injustice must end.”
The Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce had approved the use of a conference room for the group. At the 11th hour they were turned away by the Chamber.
Once again, they did not waiver. In unison the small band of speakers, reporters and supporters who were able to regroup and locate each other, made their way to the Julia Tuttle Causeway - the dreary, rat infested make-shift shelter of six former offenders and a mother supporting her youthful son that will not leave his side for fear of judicial or private injustices towards her family member.
This small, Hispanic, petite mother advocates in the only way left to her by our society: to be continually present and by her son's side to document any further injustices done to him by the system. Their daily struggle of simple existence is ever hampered by a system that requires great effort of all the bridge’s inhabitants. The things we as a society take so lightly (water, food, protective covering, and a proper place to take care of our bodily functions) are painstaking, arduous tasks for this group of people. All the ex-offenders and this mother must travel six miles over the bridge to get water and other supplies and carry it back under the bridge. Poverty erodes their lives and NO effort for support for re-entry appears to be present. The eldest resident, a 74 year old ex-offender, can no longer climb the steep, angled wall to get to the top platform of the bridge that provides the most protection from the elements. Instead this small and somewhat physically frail individual who speaks very little English maintains a tented platform in between two of the massive concrete pylons just off the water. This minimal shelter rests in the shadow of the million dollar residences of Biscayne Bay and Miami Beach and in the backdrop of the great towering skyscrapers of Miami Dade. The homelessness under this bridge is not by choice for these ex-offenders. The only one who has chosen this is the one courageous mother who will not leave her son. It is ironic to share, and an American disgrace to tell you, that not only has this ex-offender’s mother taken to his support in the only way currently possible to her in Miami Dade, but his father is an armed forces member dedicated to fighting for this country’s freedom - a freedom his son currently is so very obviously deprived of.
Through the efforts of these speakers and the many people who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to support them, what happened in Miami turned out to be a huge, albeit quiet, success.
The group achieved their goals. The men are getting out from under the bridge. Several groups and individuals have come forward to offer adequate shelter for these men and numerous others have climbed on board in the mission to better educate the public. They have heard the message that these advocates carried loud and clear. The momentum is growing, the seeds of change have been planted and the tree of knowledge is beginning to grow. There are more to these people than just the label that has been placed upon them and the world is going to know that.
Habitat for Offenders of Orlando (H4O) has offered all the men under the bridge over 62 years of age immediate housing. H4O Director, Don Flaunders, is actively seeking housing for the mother and her son on the available housing market of the central Florida area that would meet current regulations and restrictions. H4O has graciously offered to sponsor any member under the bridge who wishes to relocate and is waving all current administrative fees. SOhopeful International State Representative Barbara Spragg is actively seeking funding assistance for the ex-offenders relocations. Case management assistance will be provided for this re-entry effort to any ex-offenders who relocate. It is also anticipated that endorsers from Mathews 25 Ministry in Pinellas will be forthcoming with assistance towards this effort of re-entry support to ex-offenders.
Currently there is a pending complaint to the Miami ACLU and a commitment of assistance and support from the Central Florida ACLU concerning some legal issue(s) stemming from this event. In light of this development and to better protect ex-offenders, these issues cannot be further discussed at this time.
Lastly,
Terry Brown, who was on location in Miami last weekend, has said that he will be focusing his energies on the Hope4Tomorrow Foundation, acting independently of any group effort or endorsers. He stated that he will pursue those independent actions towards ex-offender issues and laws with his foundation and any further statements by Mr. Brown are solely that of his and his foundations.
Mr. Brown is not affiliated with, nor a member of, SOclear Media Inc. http://www.SOclear.org
By operationawarenes.com and Barbara S. - June 21, 2007
Read Below For The Press Release That Started It All:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AND DISSEMINATION
Phoenix, AZ May 17,2007: In the land of the free and the home of the brave, Americans from as far away as Oregon and Kansas convicted of a sex crime in their past will be heading for Miami, Florida next month. Their destination is the Julia Tuttle Causeway. Armed with sleeping bags and video cameras, the group will be peacefully protesting Miami’s policy of housing registered sex offenders under that bridge.
Due to the harsh residency restrictions in Miami, the entire city is virtually off limits to this group of former offenders.
Terry Brown of the Hope4Tomorrow Foundation announced Tuesday that he will be among the participants. Mr.Brown hopes to draw attention to Miami’s outrageous policy as well as to protest residency restrictions and other mechanisms which he maintains are counterproductive to public safety.
"This is a problem that is going to have to be addressed. If we drive these offenders so far underground or we can't supervise them because they become so transient, it's not making us safer." -Florida Corrections Department spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger
The protest is scheduled to begin on June 15, 2007. Anyone interested in joining in this cause is invited to contact Tom with Soclear.org.
Lawmakers and members of the media are also invited to attend and participate. For more information you can reach Tom at tomm@soclear.org.
Click on the links below for more info on Miami's housing policy for registered sex offenders:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/04/05/bridge.sex.offenders/index.html
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-04-06-miami-sex-offenders_N.htm?POE=NEWISVA
operationawareness.com
5/17/2007
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