Lawmakers took action when they passed the Megan's Law amendment in both the Assembly and Senate. Thanks to our state lawmakers, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Assembly Prime Sponsor Steven Englebright, Senate Speaker Joe Bruno, Senate Prime Sponsor Dean Skelos and Governor George Pataki, parents and residents across New York will soon have their rights under Megan's Law restored. We should expect to see a drastic increase in the number of high-risk community notifications implemented throughout this and next year. We urge you to continue to use this information responsibly as misuse will only undermine the tremendous effort to bring this information to you in the first place. Our lawmakers sent a message to drunk drivers in New York that it is unacceptable to drive while intoxicated.
Newspapers freely publish the names and addresses of drunk drivers without concern.
However, if a convicted sex offender rapes a vulnerable child, defense attorney's, and even some police departments have vehemently argued that letting parents and residents know about their presence will compromise the sex offender's treatment. The shame and humiliation associated with a conviction of DWI does not measure up to the shame and humiliation associated with a grown man penetrating a little boy or girl, but that's the point. They should feel ashamed for what they have done. The nature of sex offenders is that they violate the personal boundaries of others in order to satisfy themselves and further rely upon fear to manipulate us so as to continue to get what they desire, irregardless of the everlasting damage they cause, irregardless of what is moral and despite laws that are in place to punish them. It is that very same nature that brings many convicted sex offenders and their defense attorney's ferociously fighting against Megan's Law's notifications into the same court system which convicted them of committing horrible crimes.