NATION WIDE PETITION-ONE STRIKE YOU'RE OUT FOR SEX OFFENDERS!

[JessStar]

A NATION wide petition asking for a ONE STRIKE LAW for child sex offenders! As parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles, we need to take a minute and sign our names!! How can anyone disagree??

Put in your zip code at the beginning & it will pull up your representatives & emails are sent to them on your behalf!!


http://www.rallycongress.com/one-strike-for-sex-offenders/2961/go/

[Nut44x4]

I received a reply from Susan Collins US Senator/Maine

Dear Ms. xxxxxxx:

Thank you for contacting me to express your support for additional laws to protect children in our nation. I appreciate your taking the time to do so, and, like you, am saddened by the stories of Chelsea King and Amber Dubois.

The sexual assault of a child is an abomination and a horrible crime affecting the most vulnerable in our society. I believe the federal government must do all it can to protect our children. With this objective in mind, I supported the passage of the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to End the Exploitation of Children Today (PROTECT) Act, which was signed into law on April 30, 2003. The PROTECT Act establishes severe penalties for offenses against children. Provisions in the PROTECT Act include life imprisonment for offenders that have had prior conviction against minors, criminal history background checks for volunteer organizations, elimination of the statute of limitations for child abuse cases, and the prohibition of computer-generated child pornography - even where no real child is involved.

I also have been a strong supporter of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. This bill, which was signed by the President on July 27, 2006, establishes a national sex offender registry with uniform standards to enable child protective service officials in all 50 states to more effectively share information. The requirements for registration vary depending on the severity of the crimes, with lifetime registration required for the most serious offenders. It also imposes tough mandatory penalties for sexual offenses against children, including a life sentence for certain types of repeat sex offenders. Furthermore, this legislation establishes a national database that incorporates the use of DNA evidence collection and a pilot program that tracks convicted sex offenders using Global Positioning System technology.

According to the Department of Justice, released sex offenders are four times more likely to be arrested for another sex crime than non-sex offenders. In light of this fact, the new law also authorizes studies to evaluate the best practices for reducing recidivism and monitoring convicted sex offenders. Fully funding the programs authorized under this Act is an important step toward protecting our nation's youth from sexual predators.

Protecting children requires a multi-faceted approach. By working together with law enforcement officials, parents, and other caregivers, we will continue to make progress toward ensuring that children are safe and protected. 

Again, thank you for contacting me. Should federal legislation like the Dubois-King bill that you referenced in your letter be introduced, I will keep your views in mind. I will continue to support policies and legislation to protect our nation's children.

Sincerely,
 

Susan M. Collins
United States Senator

SMC: kng

[JessStar]

Interestingly, Nut, that's word for word the exact same response I received from Senator Casey.  It's nice to know that our Senators respond to our concerns over such an important piece of legislation with a mass-generated form letter.   

[JessStar]

Interestingly, Nut, that's word for word the exact same response I received from Senator Casey.  It's nice to know that our Senators respond to our concerns over such an important piece of legislation with a mass-generated form letter.   

Ooh no, I owe Mr. Casey an apology, I was obviously thinking about something else.  Here's the reply I received:

Dear XXXXXXXX:

Thank you for taking the time to contact me about the Dubois King Bill. I appreciate hearing from you about this issue.

This legislation has not yet been introduced in the Senate. Please be assured that should this bill be introduced, I will have your thoughts in mind.

Protecting and nurturing children and their families is one of my top priorities as a U.S. Senator. I have been a strong advocate for the safety of our children since my days in state government when, as Auditor General, I successfully urged Pennsylvania to adopt a stronger version of Megan's Law, requiring the registration of sex offenders.

In the 110th Congress I was proud to be a cosponsor of the Combating Child Exploitation Act, a bill to provide additional funding for law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute individuals exploiting children online. Law enforcement experts have the ability to find and track these individuals but not the resources required to prosecute them; this legislation closes that crucial gap. This important legislation passed the Senate as the Providing Resources, Officers, and Technology to Eradicate Cyber Threats to Our Children Act of 2008, shortened to the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008, and the bill became law on October 13, 2008.

Additionally, I signed a letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science circulated by Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mike Crapo requesting $30 million in fiscal year 2009 for Children's Advocacy Center programs authorized under the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990. Children's Advocacy Centers are a proven and community-based approach to serving victims of child sexual abuse, streamlining and coordinating these services so that children are not re-traumatized by the legal system. I have also consistently supported full funding for the Victims of Crime Act and the Violence Against Women Act, both of which provide funding for multiple services and treatment for child victims of crime.

Following on my state work, I have repeatedly urged funding at the national level for the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act (commonly referred to as the Adam Walsh Act), which creates additional federal requirements for the registration of sex offenders. The Adam Walsh Act became law in 2006, and is due to be reauthorized this year. Legislation has been introduced in the House to reauthorize the Adam Walsh Act, but this legislation has not reached the Senate yet.

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.

If you have access to the Internet, I encourage you to visit my web site, http://casey.senate.gov. I invite you to use this online office as a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania.

Sincerely,
Bob Casey
United States Senator

[Dihannah1]

I was just getting ready to sign it, but seeing you both got the same generic mass response, I now realize, they don't even read them.  Probably somebody in their offices, reading the emails, screening them and have a generic response for every issue brought up to send out on their behalf.  America is a great place,and wound't want to live anywher else. I thank God for our freedoms  but I see it going downhill quickly, so sad.  So much for "We the People".  It's US the Government, they don't care, just say what they think makes them look good..