Trick or Treat!

I’ve always loved the fall weather, and the month of October. Now that I am the mother of a person required to register, and an advocate for change to the sensationalist misinformation surrounding such persons, things that used to bring me joy don’t seem to work as well.

It seems this year, along with the stress of the last few for me and my family, october is not cooperating. I sit here on my computer, with a cold rain making a swampy mess of my backyard (the only place I go anymore), trying to feel inspired. I should feel pretty good with the New York Times article out, a video for FAC completed, and an interview on the Dr Phil show coming up, but I feel pretty ineffective. These stings continue to entrap innocent men as seen by the latest report out of

And the uncertainty of what lays ahead of Jace and myself hangs over our every waking moment. As if I’m carrying a heavy suitcase everywhere I go, just sapping all my strength.

This morning I woke and read my emails – including the NARSOL call to action. If I lived in a different state, my house would be listed on the Patch news page listing, discussed in this article, of where NOT to trick or treat. Here is a link to that article :

CALL TO ACTION: Patch continues printing names of persons on sex offense registries

So what do I do? I write an email of course, to these persons who refuse to bend to science, logic, humanity….

Dear Sirs and Madams;
I wanted to both praise, and lament, your choice of running Halloween maps showing the addresses of persons required to register. I want to work from a position that you are trying to help the general public stay safe instead of spreading irrational fear. Working to secure our children’s safety is commendable. 
Yet statistically, we know that there are no cases of children being abducted, or sexually abused, associated with trick or treating. We also know that many people required to register had no victim at all. What we do know is that the biggest danger to children on Halloween is to be hit by a car. And there is the scare from my youth, where some persons attempt to hurt children by putting foreign objects into candy. Both of these are real dangers, with actual cases and statistics to back up warranted precautions.
Perhaps we could have a map of those persons convicted of reckless child endangerment? Color code that with an overlay of persons convicted of a DUI – they might run out of candy and foolishly attempt to drive to the store for more. And especially a color code for the addresses of persons convicted of a hit and run. That would be a more accurate depiction of avoidable harm that could befall one’s children. 
Of course I do not advocate for such a map, anymore than I do a map of the home addresses of persons required to register. But I would prefer efforts spent on proven measures that actually do increase safety for children, and bring communities together to enjoy the holidays.
Respectfully,

Kathleen Hambrick

Please join me, NARSOL, FAC, and others and send a note to the PATCH. We don’t need false fears, we’ve already got COVID, the election, the loss of RBG, millions unemployed, an economy in the toilet, and more.

Let’s chose logic, science, compassion – WHILE STILL keeping our children safe.