I have gone on the net and looked at the state's sex offender postings and found that we have 10 in our little area. Two are less than 5 miles away from us.

While I am all for the bracelets and electronic tracking, it is my understanding that not all offenders will be required to wear a bracelet - only those convicted after a certain date. This concerns me. I believe that local law enforcement should establish a special task force to take care of checking up on them as well. If they aren't at an address listed and they cannot find them, then a warrant for their arrest should be issued. Their picture should be posted in the post office and other public places to warn people. Their picture along with their charges should be faxed or hand-delivered to schools, public libraries, theaters, skating rinks, swimming pools and day care centers. Places where one would typically find children.

What I have done is taken this opportunity to have a "teaching" moment with my children. We have a secret word now. If someone comes and picks up my child, that person must tell my child the secret word. Also, I have a cell phone - she will call me when that person picks her up and lets me know even with the secret word. If that person does not know the secret word (even if she KNOWS this person), my daughter is to run to a public place and scream her head off or stay at school. I don't care if it embarrasses that person or anyone.

We keep our doors and windows locked. We can go to the courts online to find out about a person. But, no matter what we do or how prepared we are, this could happen to my child. I can only pray that it doesn't, and that we as society find ways to stop this.

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A blessed thing it is for any man or woman to have a friend, one human soul whom we can trust utterly, who knows the best and worst of us, and who loves us in spite of all our faults.