New Burr TV Ad Highlights Deborah Ross' Fight Against the NC Sex Offender Registry | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    Raleigh, NC     The Burr campaign today released its latest TV ad, "Kelly," that features Kelly Lowe, a disabled Marine Corps veteran and rape survivor, speaking out against Deborah Ross' fight against the creation of the North Carolina Sex Offender Registry. The ad will begin running immediately on statewide broadcast and cable.

    Ross, during her radical tenure at the helm of the ACLU, opposed two separate bills-one that simply created the sex offender registry and one that put it online-out of concern for the privacy of convicted sex offenders. "When they choose to rape, they don't get those rights back," Kelly says in the straight to camera address regarding Ross' actions.

    Ross' dangerous pattern of prioritizing the interests of convicted criminals over victims and the innocent raises serious questions about why she was willing to endanger the safety and well being of North Carolinians. Senator Burr has voted repeatedly to strengthen the sex offender registry throughout his entire career.

    Deborah Ross, In Her Own Words - Previously Unreported Comments

    · "'In some states there have been acts of vigilantism against the offender or against other people in the home because they don't know who the sex offender is,' North Carolina's American Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Deborah Ross said. 'That hurts innocent people.'" (Jennifer Moxley, "92 Who Have Sex Offense Convictions Live In Rowan," Salisbury Post, 10/15/00)

    · "'Two bad things happen for society through sex offender registry,' Ross said. 'First, when they don't want to register it kind of pushes them under ground and it makes them more violent. And that gives a false sense of security of who the people are that you should be aware of. It also keeps them from reintegrating the community and society. Psychological factors are they feel separated from society and this makes them feel more, kind of, isolated and unable to experience normal human interaction,' Ross said. 'Not everyone who is a sex offender is a serial offender,' she said." (Jennifer Moxley, "92 Who Have Sex Offense Convictions Live In Rowan," Salisbury Post, 10/15/00)

    · "'There are some weird things in our laws that make people sex offenders, including statutory rape situations, where it might be consensual, but because of the age it is a crime,' she said. 'People have the false impression that all sex offenders do it again and do it on repeated occasions, while the majority of sex offenders involves people within families,' she said." (Jennifer Moxley, "92 Who Have Sex Offense Convictions Live In Rowan," Salisbury Post, 10/15/00)

    Background:

    ROSS OPPOSED THE CREATION OF THE NORTH CAROLINA SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY

    RECORDS: In An August 1995 Memo, Ross Slammed The Creation Of A Sex Offender Registry In North Carolina, Saying "This Bill Would Make It Even Harder For People To Reintegrate Into Society And Start Over And Could Lead To Vigilantism." "SB 53 - Sex Offender Registration. This bill requires sex offenders, who have already served their time, to register with local authorities whenever they move to a new location. Any member of the public would have access to the sex offender list, complete with address. Despite the fact that this bill would make it even harder for people to reintegrate into society and start over and could lead to vigilantism, it passed both houses and is now law." (Deborah Ross, Memo To The Legislative Committee Of The ACLU-NC, 8/4/95)

    ROSS WAS OPPOSED TO PUTTING THE SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY ONLINE

    In 1997, Ross Was Opposed To An Online Sex Offender Registry In North Carolina Saying "It Will Have Unintended Consequences" And It Won't Protect Children. "People checking offender lists might be surprised by what they find, some skeptics predict. They might discover people they know - not strangers who threaten their children. And even though victims' names are supposed to remain private, those involving family members won't be too hard to figure out. 'It will have unintended consequences,' said Deborah Ross, director of the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina. 'It's another high-profile attempt to deal with the problem,' Ross added. 'The question is: Is this going to protect the kids?' Her answer: no. Ross said the state could do much more to protect children by improving treatment for sex offenders and by helping families at risk of sexual abuse." (Foon Rhee and Kathleen McClain, "Senate Broadens Sex Offender List," Charlotte Observer, 5/22/97)

    Ross Said "There Are Serious Concerns About What People Do With This Information" And Warned Of "Vigilantism." "At the same time, a registry this public could pose a threat to the idea of community itself. 'There are serious concerns about what people do with this information,' says Deborah Ross, director of the North Carolina affiliate of the ACLU. 'There's no oversight, and there's no specific rules about how to use it--that's where we will get into the problems of improper identification and vigilantism.'" (Austin Bunn, "Digitizing Megan's Law," The Village Voice, 4/21/98)

    Ross Said "One Would Hope That Law Enforcement Would Enforce The Law Against Vigilantes And Harassers Of Sex Offenders As Much As They Do Against Sex Offenders Themselves." "The passing of Megan's Law drew critical attention to the risks of violence against children, but online registries like North Carolina's walk a fine line between civic duty and 'exploiting paranoia,' says the ACLU's Ross. 'One would hope that law enforcement would enforce the law against vigilantes and harassers of sex offenders as much as they do against sex offenders themselves.' But with their past on public display, it's hard to believe these offenders will ever be granted the gift of privacy." (Austin Bunn, "Digitizing Megan's Law," The Village Voice, 4/21/98)

    Ross Said "It's Going To Be Interesting To See If Citizens Act Responsibly With The Information, And What Are The Repercussions Going To Be For Sex Offenders And Their Families." "'It's going to be interesting to see if citizens act responsibly with the information, and what are the repercussions going to be for sex offenders and their families,' said Deborah Ross, executive director of the N.C. American Civil Liberties Union." (Craig Jarvis, "Web Site Listing Sex Offenders Stays Busy," The News & Observer, 4/2/98)

    Ross Said "The Real Concern Is About People Who Have Committed Sex Offenses Within Their Families And What [Public Notification] Will Do To Their Families." "Ross of the ACLU says that about half of all sex offenses involve a domestic relationship and that public registry makes the rest of the family suffer even more for one person's offense. 'The real concern is about people who have committed sex offenses within their families and what [public notification] will do to their families,' she said." (Craig Jarvis, "Web Site Listing Sex Offenders Stays Busy," The News & Observer, 4/2/98)

• Contact: Jesse Hunt
•     jhunt@burrforsenate.com