Protecting our children

This is a blog post about a little girl I never knew, but whose story has affected me profoundly. I can't pinpoint the exact reason it has, I think it's a combination of several things.

This post, in part, is Somer's story. This post, in part, is an angry cry for justice for all murdered children everywhere.
One gorgeous last Oct. day, little 7 year old Somer Thompson was walking home from school with her twin brother and her older sister. It was reported in the news that there was a spat of some sort between the siblings and Somer ran off from the group. The others continued home. It was the last time little Somer was seen alive. Somehow, a predator got his hands on her in the few short blocks between where she left her siblings and her home. For two days the people of Orange Park, Fl. searched, prayed and held vigils for Somer. Her small body was found in a landfill about 25 miles from where I live. She had been abused and then thrown away. What kind of twisted person can do that?
There is a man who was picked up on child pornography charges that has been charged with Somer's murder. The police and investigators seemed to take their time to build the case, so maybe he is the guilty one and will pay for what he has done.
A few years ago, little 5 year old Christopher Barrios was going through the mobile home park where he lived and had been about a block from home visiting his grandmother. He was returning home when a family-a family mind you-dad, son and mom-of convicted sex offenders grabbed him. According to the news reports, he was tortured before he was killed. They put him in a trash bag and dumped him alongside the road where he was found several days later. The mom of the twisted family has gotten life without possibility of parole, while the other two have gotten the death penalty for their part in Christopher's death.
I am all for the death penalty in cases like this. If you do something like this to a defenseless child you should pay the ultimate price. Does it bring closure for the families? I doubt it. They can know that these monsters won't hurt anymore children ever again, but it won't replace the huge, gaping hole they will carry in their hearts forever.
We have to put a stop to this kind of crime against our children and we have to do it before there are more adorable faces on the news whose lives have been cut short way too soon. You can start by clicking on the link below and signing the petition for Somer's Law. This law is an amendment to Megan's Law. It will further increase the distance that convicted predators and child molesters can live in regards to schools and parks. (I will say that the man accused of Somer's murder had not ever been convicted of a crime related to a child.) Somer's Law will also change the issuing of an Amber Alert so it will take place within 30 mins. of a child going missing.
We need to lobby legislators for much tougher sentencing for people convicted of crimes against children. Personally, I resent my tax dollars being used to house these people and give them medical treatment that I can't afford, for the rest of their lives. I feel that if you abuse and kill a child under the age of 16, it should be an automatic death penalty. It's harsh, I know, and some will consider it cruel and unusual punishment, but what happens to our children when they are in the hands of these predators is also very cruel.
In closing this rather long winded post, I will tell you one of the reasons I am so passionate about this. In 1984, my 16 year old step daughter was murdered. Her body was found three weeks later in woods about a mile from where she was living with her mom. She and her mom had had an argument the night she disappeared, so the police considered her a runaway. Unless Karma has caught up with whoever killed her, that person is still walking the streets.
The killing of children has got to stop and it's up to us to stop it. If we don't protect our children, who will?
Please take a moment and sign the petition of Somer's Law.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Somers-Law
If you are worried about getting spammed by this site, you won't. I signed this petition about a week ago and the only thing Ihave gotten from them is an email acknowledging my sign up.

Justice for Somer-and all the other children

Somer Thompson was an adorable little girl and by all accounts, a sweetheart of a child. Taken from her family by some predator who should not be on the streets. This is becoming an all too common occurrence in our world and we need to do something to stop it. Here is a link to Somer's story if you aren't familiar with it. http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/10/23/crimesider/entry5414321.shtml

Before I go on with this, I need you to realize that when I speak of sex offenders, I don't mean over hormonal teenagers who got caught making bad choices with their girlfriends and end up on the registry because the girlfriends family pressed charges.

People who are considered serious sex offenders and sexual predators should not be out on the street. The law puts them there and as long as they don't live within a certain distance from a playground or a school, they can live their lives. If a predator is determined, do you really think a sign on a door on Halloween-No Candy Here-is going to stop them from preying on a child? Be real. If a predator is trolling for prey, he will troll until he finds what he is looking for.

I know the prison system is overcrowded. Let the white collar criminals out. I would much rather have a person who writes bad checks on the street than a child molester.

If you have children that you love in your life, be they kids, grandkids, nieces or nephews, start urging your legislators to enact new, much tougher laws to protect our communities from the people who prey on our children.

I don't know who killed Somer, but I would be willing to bet that there is some sort of "preying on children" history. If laws had been tougher, little Christopher Barrios would still be with his family about to enjoy Halloween and Christmas, so would Jessica Lundsford-and these are just the few names that I can remember from this area.

Christopher is in the process of getting justice for his death. The Edenfield father has been sentenced to death. The son could be when his trial comes around. Mama Edenfield won't get the death penalty-she cut a deal and told what her husband and son did. I think she is far from blameless, but she will probably spend the rest of her life in prison. Here is a link to Christopher's story.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Barrios_Jr.

Jessica Lundsford has gotten justice, too. Her abductor and murderer died in prison (from cancer) while waiting on the death penalty. Here is the link to her story.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Lunsford

These are awful stories to read, but if it's what it takes to motivate you to contact your Congressman and Senator, then good. These children should be remembered in legislation that would put a halt to to others ending up like they have.

Please go online, to your states Sex Offender Reigstry and see who is living near your home and your child's school. The results are broken down by the crime in most states, so you will know if it's just a kid who made his girlfriends parents mad or somebody you should seriously watch out for.

Now, go hug your kids and tell them you love them.