Fwd: 2026- A Milestone year

[Spike CO]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Derek Logue <iamthe...@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, Nov 3, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Subject: 2026- A Milestone year

Hello all,

For those of you who don't know me or know me well, last Friday was my birthday. I turned 49. (Yes indeed, I was born on Halloween.) Forty-nine isn't a number that sticks out, but should I live another full year, I reach a milestone year in my life. I will turn fifty, the big 5-0, half a century, etc.

We're kind of hardwired to celebrate or mourn past events in milestone years, and the longer it goes, the longer the space between milestone events. The difference between me turning 49 and turning 50 is 365 days but it is far more significant because I'll have been on this earth half a century by then. Our number system is a base-ten system and so anniversaries by decade just hits harder the older we get.

But for all of us who are on the public sex offense registry, those of us with loved ones on the registry, and those of us who are anti-registry activists regardless of whether or not we have someone we love on this list, 2026 is a milestone year as well. After all, three major pieces of federal legislation were all passed on years ending with the number six:

On May 17, 1996, Bill Clinton signed Megan's Law into law; 2026 will be the 30th anniversary.

On July 27, 2006, George W. Bush signed the Adam Walsh Act into law; 2026 will be the 20th anniversary.

On February 8, 2016, Barack Obama signed International Megan's Law into law; 2016 will be the 10th anniversary.

Each of these laws were major even ts in our lives as each of these bills have made our lives increasingly difficult. Megan's Law spread community notification to all 50 states; the Adam Walsh Act required children as young as 14 on the public registry and demanded states base tier levels on offense type. International Megan's Law placed registration requirements on travel and put marks of infamy on US passports.

We are, unfortunately, in a time of great fear. So far this year, a handful of states passed death penalty laws targeting persons convicted of sex offenses not involving murder. Local-level laws are making a comeback, at least in Florida. the Proud Boys caused the NARSOL conference to be delayed and moved, and it certainly seems like vigilante attacks against Registered Persons are on the rise.

I have said this before and I'll say it again, we need to devise a bold stragegy going forward. It is harder than ever to have our voices heard. I'd love to hear some ideas from people.

I was encouraged by PARSOL and their "Stuck in 1995" event last week. They get it!

https://parsol.org/parsol-launches-stuckin1995-with-pa-capitol-event/

That state's version of Megan's Law passed in 1995. And so they held a rally. And they used props to prove their point. I was o9nce criticized for creating similar events. But this is working. It is working for the No Kings rallies.

I have made many calls to action in the past. Many of you fear taking part in such events. I heard folks in the past cite safety concerns. My 2022-2023 survey of anti-registry activists found that was but one of many reasons so few attend calls to action. but it is also the fact that most of us are older, and many of us lack the funds to travel across the US to attend events, be they conferences or rallies or anything else.

I don't think there is any solitary solution for our plight. But I'd like to see a return to DC next year. BUT I don't want it to be another vigil at the steps of SCOTUS. It was not intended to become an annual event. After all, 2023 was 20 years after Smith v. Doe, so it was a landmark year. I think if we were to hold a call to action, we should gather and take our message elsewhere. We should try to meet legislators. We should rally at the front doors of the SMART Office and/or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. We should at least discuss plans to meet in DC sometime in 2026.

Please share your thoughts. Email me or call me at 513-238-2873

Nothing is etched in stone. But I see great potential. The No Kings rallies and the pushback against ICE is gaining traction. And they're doing with with gimmicks like inflatable costumes and by doing it despite the hate coming from the far right extremists.

Derek W. Logue of OnceFallen.com
Registered Citizen/ Civil Rights Advocate
#abolishtheregistry