I wager that you have no idea how many registered sexual offenders that you and your family come in contact with each day as you go about your normal activities. This past week in one day, two individual sexual offenders were within a few inches of me, talking to me as if they were normal human beings. I had no idea until someone clued me in. Today I visited the Tennessee Sexual Offender Registry of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation HERE. With an interactive map and easy search box, within minutes I found 18 registered sex offenders within a few miles of our home. I had no idea. And those are just the ones the TBI knows about. I'm almost afraid to think about the ones that have not been caught and prosecuted yet, who continue to harm women and children.
The crimes include SEXUAL BATTERY, STATUTORY RAPE, RAPE, CRIMINAL SEXUAL PENETRATION OF A MINOR, SOLICITATION CRIMINAL SEXUAL PENETRATION, ATTEMPT TO POSSESS CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, SEXUAL BATTERY BY AN AUTHORITY FIGURE, AGGRAVATED SEXUAL BATTERY, ATTEMPT TO COMMIT FELONY/SEX OFFENSE, SEXUAL ASSAULT IN FIRST DEGREE.
Like me, most of you believe in personal responsibility. So when confronted by individuals like these, we need to be prepared to defend ourselves. The person standing next to you at Wal-Mart, or the grocery store, or walking to your car in the parking lot. Be aware of your surroundings. Watch people. Know where the exits are, where the well-lit parking spaces are, know who your children are spending time with. Knowledge is power.
Go to the TBI site and check YOUR neighborhood for sexual offenders.
Also check out the free Independent Training course offered here.
DEB, THAT WOULD BE GREAT!! AND IF YOU EVER HAVE A HANKERING TO COME UP TO CANADA, MY DOOR IS WIDE OPEN LOTS OF ROOM , A FEW STEAKS IN THE FRIDGE AND A FEW COLD ONES TOO!!!! I,M NOT A DRINKER PER SE, BUT I LIKE A COLD BEER ON A HOT DAY. I DON,T KNOW IF THIS BUSTED UP OLD BODY WOULD MAKE IT ALL THE WAY DOWN THERE ON MY HOG................. HELL YES I COULD!!!!!!!! IT WOULD JUST TAKE ME A BIT LONGER.............
Posted by: PALADIN | November 24, 2007 at 11:04 PM
When I was a kid, our band used to play gigs at the Pine Ridge Club.......the same one on the Walking Tall movies.
Wonder we all didn't get killed or sumpin. Hey, we were kids. Indestructible, you know!
Actually, the Pine Ridge Club was not in McNairy County, but it was a pretty rough place.
Posted by: Grouch at Right Truth | November 22, 2007 at 08:23 PM
Paladin: That would be great. Maybe hubby and I could pop over to McNairy County and meet you.
Posted by: Debbie | November 22, 2007 at 07:41 PM
DEB, I,M GOING TO TRY AND MAKE THAT FESTIVAL NEXT YEAR DOWN IN MC NAIRY COUNTY.I THINK THE OL HOG NEEDS A GOOD RIDE. THEY HAVE A TENNESEEE WALKING HORSE SHOW IN HIS HONOR TOO. SOUNDS LIKE FUN.IT,S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I,VE BEEN IN ANY OF THE SOUTHERN STATES. I SPENT A YEAR IN FAYETTEVILLE N.C. WHEN I DID MY EXCHANGE TOUR WITH THE 82d BACK IN 86. SURE DID LIKE THE WEATHER DOWN THERE IN THE WINTER COMPARED TO HERE.
Posted by: PALADIN | November 22, 2007 at 05:57 PM
PALADIN: Of course I know about Buford Pusser. Actually my father was born in that county in Tennessee and some of his relatives actually knew Pusser. Walk tall and carry a big stick ( or maybe a GUN ).
Posted by: Debbie | November 21, 2007 at 08:44 PM
DEB,YOU NEED A LAWMAN IN YOUR COUNTY LIKE BUFORD PUSSER. REMEMBER HIM??? IF THERE WERE LAWMEN LIKE HIM AROUND TODAY , AND NO A.C.L.U. YOU WOULD,NT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THESE SEXUAL DEVIANTS. THATS QUITE THE FESTIVAL THEY HAVE DOWN IN SELMER IN HIS HONOR. HE WAS A HECK OF MAN AND A CRIMMINALS WORST NIGHTMARE. HE IS ONE MY HEROS.
Posted by: PALADIN | November 21, 2007 at 06:59 PM
Great to know... but people need to distinguish between predators and offenders and the varying degrees. There are cases where 2 young kids have had consensual sex, but because one might have been 18 and the other 15 the 18 year old is prosecuted and registered as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
A colleague of mine was prosecuted and jailed because he had sex with someone underage. This person was 17 and told this colleague that they were 18. The mother and *child* tried to bribe this colleague.. he refused, so they went to the police. Although he is in no way a predator or an offender, just terribly stupid for believing this kid was of age, he will suffer for the rest of his life.
Sad, all around. for the victims of true predators and those who slip through the cracks.
Posted by: Incognito | November 20, 2007 at 08:10 PM
Thanks friends for all the great information and comments. What shocked me was that one of the people had actually been in our home.
Posted by: Debbie | November 20, 2007 at 05:17 PM
Yes, it is an eye-opening experience to check out your own neighborhood for the first time, but something everyone should do. Here's another website that can be used across the country: http://www.familywatchdog.us/
Posted by: 2Cents | November 20, 2007 at 11:51 AM
I remember that story of that poor girl whose arms had been cut off, though I'd prefer to forget it. I also remember wishing at the time that someone would cut his arms off with a dull hacksaw blade.
There will always be pervs in the world, unfortunately and I agree with the comment that some declared sex offenders may be like the 19 year old. Like all other crimes, sex offenses can vary from alomst nothing to really horrible. I looked up the statistics on this stuff a long time back for a post and short of doing it all again, the basic deal is that sex offenders recidivism rate is actually a lot less than other violent offenders, like murderers and armed robbers. The problem is that sex crimes have such a deeper emotional impact than most other crimes that we register sex offenders but not other violent criminals. I personally think every one of them should be required to register. We let murderers, muggers and carjackers out of prison and once their parole time is up, they disappear, only to end up committing another heinous crime, but the expense of keeping track of them all is more than our state governments wants to pay.
So why not make the criminals pay for their own costs incurred in the registration process? It would be easy. They pay a set fee each time they register, just like we do for our cars license tags. If they fail to pay the fee it's a violation and they can be sent back to prison.
Sounds good to me.
Rasta
Posted by: Rastaman | November 20, 2007 at 11:47 AM
That's a great site to have, Debbie. I used to use the one in Utah and found out that someone I casually knew was on there too! We don't have the same thing here in Sydney. Pity.
Posted by: Aurora | November 20, 2007 at 05:59 AM
Good advice for any country, Thanks Debbie
Posted by: American Interests | November 20, 2007 at 05:41 AM
Not to belittle anyone's concerns, but I wonder if any of them are sex offenders because they were a nineteen-year-old guy with a seventeen-year-old girlfriend.
There are some real perverts out there, but I don't trust the government to protect us. Look at what we had in the White House for most of the 1990's.
Still, this is an important issue. There was that one guy who raped a girl, then cut her arms off! He should have been executed, instead he served his time, got out, went to Florida and attacked another victim, killing her this time. If they would have executed him for his particularly heinous crime the first time around, this other victim might still be alive.
The liberals ensure everything gets goofed up. They let scum like that go, but laws to protect society will get abused and someone who is basically innocent will have his life ruined.
Posted by: Yankee Doodle | November 20, 2007 at 05:23 AM
Very important post Deb!..thanks for sharing this vital info,.&.have a beautiful holiday full of hugs and pumpkin pie!:)
Posted by: Angel | November 19, 2007 at 11:14 PM