KIDS TRY RAISING AWARENESS

STUDENTS IN PHOENIX HELPING TO RAISE AWARENESS

April 6,2007

Glendale, AZ: This week a handful a Phoenix eighth graders took a stand to make a difference, possibly saving many youth from spending a lifetime as registered sex offenders.

Students at Desert Sky Middle School handed out fliers and posted them throughout the school in an effort to educate their fellow classmates of the dangers they face in an overzealous system mandated by Arizona legislators. VIEW THE FLIER FOLLOWING THIS ARTICLE.

The fliers were gleaned from a report made by a Maricopa County Juvenile Public Defender, whose name will not be released for fear of retaliation. As a side note, this public defender had no knowledge or involvement in the passing out of the fliers.

These students were outraged and angered, not to mention surprised by the information the fliers contained and rightfully so. Although the students that handed out the fliers have not been identified by school authorities, school officials took immediate steps to remove the fliers as quickly as possible. Many demanded to know "who" was responsible for disseminating the information.

One teacher was quoted as saying she "didn’t think the information was true." Unfortunately, it IS true and that was the point students were trying to drive home. Perhaps if enough students and parents were made aware of the facts contained in the flier more could be done to prevent youths being swept up in a system gone out of control. Effective changes made and young lives would not be needlessly destroyed.

We all have alot to learn from what these brave kids did to make a difference. Our hats off to them for their bravery and concern for their fellow students.

NOTE: SUCH LAWS ARE NOT EXCLUSIVE TO ARIZONA. SADLY, THESE LAWS AND THEIR TRAIL OF VICTIMS CAN BE FOUND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

BELOW IS THE FLIER HANDED OUT BY THE DESERT SKY MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS. READERS ARE URGED TO DISCUSS THESE ISSUES WITH THEIR CHILDREN AND PRINT OUT THEIR OWN FLIERS TO DISSEMINATE WHENEVER AND WHEREVER PERMITTED AND AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE. THE INFO CONTAINED BELOW CAN BE VERIFIED BY RESEARCHING HTTP://WWW.AZLEG.GOV  TITLE 13, CHAPTER 14 OF THE ARIZONA CRIMINAL CODE. THE CHILD'S LIFE YOU SAVE MIGHT JUST BE YOUR OWN.

WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW CAN COST YOU A LIFETIME OF MISERY 

The information below was provided by a member of the Maricopa County Juvenile Public Defender’s Office. 

• YOU HAVE FAR LESS TO FEAR FROM A STRANGER ON THE STREET THAN YOU DO FROM ARIZONA LAWS WHICH CRIMINALIZE YOUTHFUL SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS.
• AN INNOCENT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO EIGTH OR NINTH GRADERS, A 14 YEAR OLD, AND A 15 YEAR OLD, CAN RUIN THE LIFE OF ONE OF THEM FOREVER.
• ANY SEXUAL ACTIVITY BETWEEN A 15 YEAR OLD AND SOMEONE YOUNGER THAN 15 CAN RESULT IN CRIMINAL CHARGES OF CHILD MOLESTATION AND/OR CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE. YOU CAN GO TO PRISON FOR UP TO 25 YEARS AND SPEND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE AS A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER.
• YOU CAN BE QUESTIONED BY POLICE AT SCHOOL AND WITHOUT YOUR PARENTS KNOWLEDGE AND WITHOUT THEM BEING PRESENT.
• ANYTHING YOU SAY WILL BE USED AGAINST YOU.
• SOME YOUTHS ARE GIVEN PROBATION FOR LIFE INSTEAD OF JAIL TIME. THEY CANNOT LIVE WITH THEIR FAMILIES OR ANY OTHER CHILDREN INCLUDING BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
• YOU WILL BE FORBIDDEN TO BE AROUND ANYONE UNDER 18. NO BASKETBALL GAMES, SCHOOL DANCES, PROMS OR HANGING OUT WITH YOUR FRIENDS.
• IF YOU GO TO JAIL (JUVENILE HALL) UNTIL YOU ARE 18 AND THEN ON TO ADULT PRISON, YOU WILL FALL BEHIND IN SCHOOL AND NOT BE ALLOWED TO GRADUATE.
• AUTHORITIES WILL TAKE YOUR DNA SAMPLE, FINGERPRINTS, AND PHOTOGRAPH (MUGSHOT).
• AT AGE 18 YOU WILL BE SUBJECTED TO COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION. FLYERS WILL BE PASSED OUT WHEREVER YOU LIVE TELLING THE COMMUNITY YOU ARE A CHILD MOLESTER AND REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER.
• IN ARIZONA, THIS IS A LIFETIME REQUIREMENT. YOU WILL BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST IN THE MOST HORRIBLE OF WAYS. YOU WILL BE DENIED HOUSING, JOBS, AND SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
• ARIZONA LAW MAKES NO DISTINCTION BETWEEN CONSENSUAL ACTS OF TEENS AND A 30 YEAR OLD MAN THAT PREYS ON YOUNG CHILDREN.

NOTE: THIS ARTICLE IS BEING BLOGGED HERE: http://forums.fox.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=foxamw&msg=11684.1&&liaagc=y

ON THE AMERICA'S MOST WANTED WEBSITE, OF ALL PLACES. TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING! NOTE: YOU MUST, OF COURSE REGISTER WITH AMW TO VIEW THE POSTS. BUT HERE ARE A FEW EXCERPTS:

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From:  rodsmith3510   Apr-7 10:27 pm  To:  TMBrown2004  2 of 16    11684.2 in reply to 11684.1    LOL>.....i think it's a pretty good flyer that should be passed out in all schools. to think that the school moved heaven and earth to STOP this legal and truthful information out is scary.        Options  Reply

From:  Pdofilehater   Apr-7 10:28 pm  To:  TMBrown2004  3 of 16    11684.3 in reply to 11684.1    Out of the mouths of babes..... And a little child shall lead them...... Maybe it will take the children crying out to MAKE the adults listen? Even THEY know that this law is prefunctory and needs to be looked at in the hard light of truth to reveal it's flaws.      Options  Reply

From:  zelma31   Apr-8 10:53 am  To:  ALL  4 of 16    11684.4 in reply to 11684.3    Civics appears alive and well in the Arizona school system. Imagine the impact these kids will make when they all grow up and become attorneys?      Options  Reply

From:  craftygal5   Apr-8 12:42 pm  To:  zelma31 unread  5 of 16    11684.5 in reply to 11684.4    I haven't seen these effect up here in Canada, yet. We had had the "pleasure" of cyber bullying, which has become a very strong issue here. Whether it is seniors targeting there teachers or outspoken women on the web. Crafty      Options  Reply

From:  Pdofilehater   Apr-8 1:08 pm  To:  rodsmith3510  6 of 16    11684.6 in reply to 11684.2    I think their next step should be to take these flyers out andstick them all over town! On store bulletin boards, on poles, anyplace they can get them to stick!! This is suppressing the freedom of speech and these kids need to NOT give up!!      Options  Reply

From:  rodsmith3510   Apr-8 11:32 pm  To:  Pdofilehater  7 of 16    11684.7 in reply to 11684.6    good ideal but might get the expelled. there is a case before the US Supreme Court now over a teenager suspended because of a message he put up "Off School Property" but the principle saw it and suspended him.      Options  Reply

From:  Pdofilehater   Apr-9 12:19 am  To:  rodsmith3510  8 of 16    11684.8 in reply to 11684.7    A temporary suspension would be worth it if you believed in what you are doing to get this changed.      Options  Reply