Series 2558: Constituent Correspondence, 2000-2003
36078
From: "SHIPLEY, R. MM1" <SHIPLEYR@stennis.navy.mil> To: 'Dsiegelman@governor.state.al.us' CC: 'azgov@azgov.state.az.us'; 'gov.pataki@chamber.state.ny.us'; 'governor.taft@das.state.oh.us'; 'governorkeating@email.com'; 'fl_governor@eog.state.fl.us'; 'governor@gov.state.ak.us'; 'tony_knowles@gov.state.ak.us'; 'gov@gov.state.hi.us'; 'governor@gov.state.id.us'; 'governor@gov.state.md.us'; 'rigov@gov.state.ri.us'; 'sdgov@gov.state.sd.us'; 'graydavis@governor.ca.gov'; Governor Musgrove; 'governor@governor.state.wv.us'; 'governor.locke@governor.wa.gov'; 'governor@govoepp.state.sc.us'; 'general.office@igov.state.ia.us'; 'governor@ink.org'; 'governor@mail.state.ky.us'; 'constit@mail.state.mo.us'; 'mogov@mail.state.mo.us'; 'dsundquist@mail.state.tn.us'; 'wisgov@mail.state.wi.us'; 'Mjohanns@notes.state.ne.us'; 'governor@oklaosf.state.ok.us'; 'governor.rowland@po.state.ct.us'; 'mike.huckabee@state.ar.us'; 'governorowens@state.co.us'; 'ssnyder@state.de.us'; 'governor@state.il.us'; 'fobannon@state.in.us'; 'governor@state.me.us'; 'governor@state.mn.us'; 'governor@state.nd.us'; 'governor@state.pa.us'; 'governor@state.ut.us'; 'governor@state.wv.us'; 'governor@state.wy.us' Created: 5/8/2000 4:22 AM Subject: <----- Please help these children Message: > -----Original Message----- > From: BaddTeddy@aol.com [SMTP:BaddTeddy@aol.com] > Sent: Sunday, May 07, 2000 6:25 AM > To: undisclosed-recipients; @ior.navy.mil > Subject: <----- Please help these children > > > > Please share this with every person you know > Please feel free to personalize, modify or shorten this letter > Editors feel free to change this letter in any way or to rewrite it as > your > own > > > The following letter is by far the hardest thing I have ever had to write > in > my life. Not because it deals with a sad subject; indeed, there is a > realistic chance for happiness at the end of this rainbow. No, this > letter > is hard to write because I feel a responsibility to thousands of missing > children and their parents in writing it. Simply, I know that if all of > you > read this letter and did what we ask, there is a real chance we can save > thousands of children. This may be the best chance that any of these kids > will ever have to return home, to live safely and happily ever after. The > > pressure comes in knowing that if I write this letter wrong, I may have > ruined a chance for these children. I have barely slept for a week. I > think > about these children and my responsibility to them day and night. I have > started this letter dozens of times, but each time I felt something was > missing. That magical something that would make you, the person reading > this > right now, believe that you could be an important part of creating a > miracle that > would bring home thousands of missing children. > > Finally, in a moment of desperation, I asked a friend for advice. She > said, > "Simply speak from your heart. Tell people the whole story, show them > what > you are feeling inside, then explain the facts, and they will believe." > With > that said, what follows is a letter from my heart, showing how you, not > someone else, can help bring home thousands of missing children. I have > done > my best. I hope it is good enough. Next week in Washington, I will be > speaking to a hundred parents of missing children and I want to be able to > > offer them something some of them don't have right now. I want to be able > to > offer them hope and a reason to smile. The rest is now up to "you." > > My name is Steven Nunnally, but most of you know me as BaddTeddy. You > > most likely know that I try to help fight for missing children. What you > may > not know is the pain and the joy that comes with this. For nearly four > years, I have been working on a plan that will completely change the > missing > children's laws in the United States (and hopefully, people in other > countries will follow our example). Many of you know I have been doing > this > for a long time, but I have never told anyone the whole story. It is > simply > too painful (although it had a happy ending). Let's just say that I loved > someone, and I understand the pain that parents of missing children have > to > endure day after day, because I held in my arms the woman that I loved > after > she attempted suicide because her own children were missing. The kids are > > back; however, it left me with not only an understanding about how the > parents feel, but also nightmares that maybe someday someone would give up > > and die because I wasn't there to help them fight. > > Three years ago with your help, I started a campaign to help bring home > missing children. Instead of taking the easy cases where the child had > only > been missing a day or two and would most likely have been found without > our > help within a week (85% of all missing children come home within a month), > I > took on the hardest cases. Those were the ones where children had been > missing months, years, or in one case, two children who had been kidnapped > > sixteen years ago. > > One thing I quickly discovered is that most people don't want to know > about > missing children. When a story about a missing child comes on TV, they > change > the channel. When they see a missing child in the newspaper, they turn the > > page. Most people simply don't want to know about it. I asked myself why > > would good people turn their backs on the children. Finally it dawned on > me > that nothing hurts more than seeing something as sad as a child being hurt > > and not being able to do anything about it. Basically, people would > prefer > to merely avoid seeing or hearing anything about missing children because > in > this way they can avoid feeling any pain. A few people have even written > to > the IRS complaining about pictures of missing children in their tax books > because it was too sad. So let me tell you right off the bat, unlike a TV > > show or a newspaper article about a missing child where you feel sad > because > you can't help (the major reason very few missing children are shown on TV > or > in national news - it lowers the profit margins), there is no need to feel > > that way about what you are about to read. It is sad that the child is > missing, but this letter is about how you can help them. Instead of > feeling > sad that you can't help, I want you to feel good about yourself for > helping > these kids. > > [Unable to display image] > > I knew the first step in changing the laws regarding missing children > would > be to get the support of the people of the Internet (you), the Editors > Associations (all of them have already agreed to support this effort for > the > kids), the parents of missing children and the missing children's > agencies. > In order to do that, we had to accomplish the impossible. We had to get > people from around the world, who had never met each other, who had never > been involved in missing children, to believe that they could make a > difference. We had to get them to do what was previously considered > impossible in order to convince people that it was indeed possible to do > the > impossible. In other words, if it wasn't for your help in the past, what I > am > proposing today would never have happened. This chance for the children > would simply never have existed. Today if there is any chance at all, it > is > because of all of you. > > Thanks to you, some missing children's cases that most people had never > heard > of, are now among the most famous in the world. So many of you cared > about > the children that you did the impossible. You sent so much mail to > America's > Most Wanted that you crashed their server for three weeks. Then you > forced a > national television program to air a show they had taped on missing > children > (I have met four of the people who were on that show) and then canceled. > Senators' offices actually complained about how much mail they get from > all > of you. You helped convince judges to give a kidnapper a stiffer sentence > > and to deny the kidnapper visitation. You managed to force foreign > governments to react; which indirectly resulted in some parents of missing > > children to get visitation with their children. You managed to convince a > > Senator to initiate the passage of the very first Senate Resolution for a > missing child. Indeed, thanks to you, that same Senator has introduced a > resolution asking for the first time that Saudi Arabia return one of > America's missing children. You have done all of this and much, much > more. > I feel that the most important thing you did was give the parents hope, a > reason to believe, and you convinced them and people around the world that > if > we work together, we can do the impossible. > > On May 13, 2000, I will be standing in front of parents of missing > children > from all over the world. I will be offering them hope in the form of a > plan > that I and many others have been working on for three years. This plan is > > simply the biggest change in the missing children's laws in US history. > If > you, the parents of missing children, and missing children's agencies > around > the world will work together, I believe that we can pass this new law and > as > a result, tens of thousands of children will be saved. > > Credibility is by far the most important factor here. By now, most of the > > parents and many of the agencies believe in you. Now I need you to > believe > me when I say that this will work. I want you to think back over the last > > three years. Have I ever sent out anything without checking it > thoroughly? > Have I ever sent one letter that I later had to retract as a mistake? To > my > knowledge I haven't. I realized that by far the most important thing in > getting the laws changed would be credibility. Instead of taking people's > > word for things, I always checked them out. I wore myself out making sure > everything was right, that there were no problems, etc. I have been > researching what I am about to propose for three years. I have talked to > hundred of parents of missing children over the last three years. I have > gone to Washington to attend their conferences. I have stood with them in > front of the White House. I have held them in my arms as they cried. I > have > felt their pain. During all of this, I kept looking for that one perfect > solution. Always searching for that one change in our laws that would > bring > home the most children. I have talked to people about hundreds of laws > that > they wanted to propose and while some were good, they simply weren't > enough. > We needed a major solution to the problem; something that could be applied > in > every state in the country rather than solely through the federal > government. > Most federal laws and programs are a failure when it comes to bringing > home > the children. We need state laws where people will feel that local > government is totally behind them, that those helping search for the > children > will take the child's disappearance personally. > > Last year while standing in front of the White House, I met a man who had > the > solution to the problem of missing children. This man was looking at all > the > parents who had gathered to light candles for their children. His whole > body > was shaking so badly he could barely stand. He was feeling the pain of > every > person there. We held him in our arms and he let out his own pain. John > Trout told me afterwards about his plan to help the children, but he was > frustrated because he didn't know how to get enough people together to put > > his plan into action. > > Vivian's Law, named after John's daughter who has been abducted not once, > but > twice, is based on something so simple. I am amazed that no one else ever > > thought of it. John spent seven months calling missing children's > agencies > inquiring into present laws that were effective, laws that were > ineffective > and, more importantly, what state was having the highest level of success > in > returning missing children. He had quite simply bypassed doing things the > > hard way and had asked the experts, "What State Has the Best Laws for > Missing > Children?" He told me the answer was almost always California. > > I did my own research, made calls to the missing children's agencies and I > > got the same result. The laws for missing children in most states are > almost > a waste of time. They do little or nothing to bring home missing children. > > However, California has a high success rate in bringing home their missing > > children, and even more importantly, in preventing abductions in the first > > place. What John proposed was simply taking the existing missing children > > laws from California, that are the best in the country, and then trying to > > get other states to adopt them. > > We tested the waters by asking all of you to see if we could get these > laws > passed In Florida. I am happy to announce that the Governor's office in > Florida liked what we presented. They have offered us a lot of advice in > helping to get it passed (we have to wait for the next government session > before we can introduce it for a vote). We learned a lot from the effort > in > Florida. And now, with your help, we are ready to start asking the > Governors > in all the states to support Vivian's Law. > > First, here is some information about the Candlelight Vigil For Missing > Children. Parents of missing children around the world consider May as > Missing Children's Month. May 25th is National Missing Children's Day. > Different missing children's organizations go to Washington and other > cities > to stand up for the children during May. This will be my third year going > to > Washington to the PARENT conference on missing children and to stand > outside > the White House for the Candlelight Vigil for Missing Children. The first > > year was emotionally devastating. Simply there was no support for the > parents. They were alone, and they were in tears. The second year people > from the Internet came out to support them and so did many members of the > media. For the first time the parents felt a spark of hope. On May 13th, > at > 9 am, I will be speaking to the PARENTS about our plans to help them, how > we > hope to turn that spark of hope into a roaring flame. > > I realize that most of you cannot come to the conference or the vigil, you > > will get a chance to help, but I would like to offer any of you that want > to > attend that chance one last time. Here is the information on the Candle > Light > Vigil in front of the White House and the PARENT conference which is open > to > everyone. > > PARENT Conference on Missing Children > Any of you please feel free to join us. > May 11-13, 2000 - 9 am to 5 pm > Hilton Hotel > 815 14TH ST NW > WASHINGTON DC 20005-3301 > > Candlelight Vigil For Missing Children > In Front of the White House > At Sunset on May 13 > > For Details you can call Suzanne Brawley (Suzywoo2) > at 1 (918) 384-3182 from 11 am to 11 pm > > <A > HREF="http://www.homestead.com/ForTheChildren/Candlelight2000.html">CANDLE > LIGHT 2000 ~ Join Us In DC</A> > http://www.homestead.com/ForTheChildren/Candlelight2000.html > > Note: Many of us will be going out together to eat before and after the > conference, etc. Feel free to join us. BaddTeddy will be staying at the > Hilton where the conference is located Thursday through Sunday,. Feel > free > to contact me (BaddTeddy) at the hotel (I don't know the room number yet) > or > before May 10 at 941-274-0507 or 941-849-3550. > > THE PLAN > > The plan to help the parents is very simple. At the conference, I will > speak > to the parents about the problem. Believe me, they all know what the > problems are. Then I will talk to them about John's solution. The law > calls > for the state to help take the financial burden off of the parents and let > > the state help finance more of the search. It calls for putting district > attorneys in the search (they find a lot of kids in California). It also > allows the district attorneys to help get warrants for the kidnappers much > > faster (delays in getting warrants is one of the biggest problems in > finding > missing children). Simply there are a lot of things it does that are > great. > I imagine there will be a lot of smiling faces. > > <A HREF="www.baddteddy.com/ribbonsofhope.htm">You can download a copy of > Vivians Law from the Ribbons of Hope page</A> > www.baddteddy.com/ribbonsofhope.htm > > I will be asking for volunteers from the parents. One parent or group of > parents of missing children from each state. The person will be the > sponsor > for Vivian's law in their home state. I will hand each of these > volunteers a > packet that contains a complete copy of Vivian's Law. The packet will > also > have sample letters that they can personalize and send to their governors > and > other state officials. There will also be a tutorial (you know I like to > write tutorials for just about everything) on how to approach government > officials, on the process they need to follow and how to get the law > passed. > Each of these parents (and others we recruit from other missing children's > > agencies, etc.) will be the leaders for their states. They will network > with > as many parents of missing children and supporters missing children in > their > state as possible to get media attention and the attention of government > officials. > > Then I will explain that we are already setting up a network for them in > California. This network will provide testimonials from missing children's > > agencies, parents who got their children back as a result of this law, law > > enforcement officers, etc. who have been involved in bringing kids home > because of the law. We even have several children who are safely home now > because of the law who have volunteered to speak about the law. > > Simply, the parents who take on sponsorship of Vivian's Law will have all > the > steps they need to follow and the information in their hands from the very > > beginning. We are trying to make this as easy as possible for them. > > I want you to imagine the looks on their faces when they hear what we are > doing and how they can be part of this. That there is a realistic plan > that > can help bring home thousands of missing children, and that they can be > part > of it. For the first time, at this vigil, in addition to the tears of > sadness, I also hope to see a gleam in their eyes, a gleam of hope. > > The final thing I will explain is that Vivian's Law is for the children. > That > it is open to "every parent of a missing child," that any missing > children's o > rganization or editor's group, etc. can participate. This isn't about > people > making a name for themselves; but rather this is about people working > together to change the world for the children. > > To be honest, I'm not sure if when I look into their eyes and see that > glimmer and a smile, whether I will break into the world's biggest grin, > or > simply break down and cry from the relief that we have done something to > make > their lives a little happier. > > [Unable to display image] > > Let's bring the children home > And take signs like this billboard down > > > HOW YOU CAN HELP > > The parents will be running campaigns for Vivian's Law in their home > states. > There will be a campaign in EVERY STATE (including yours). In addition > with > your help, we will be running a campaign for them on the Internet where we > > will be trying to overwhelm the governors with email, letters, faxes and > phone calls. At the end of May we will be publishing a list of the parent > > sponsors for each state and how you can contact them and support them in > your > state. This may indeed be the first major campaign where people on the > Internet tried to change the laws in all fifty states at the same by > running > both 50 local campaigns and one major national one at the same time. I do > > know, from talking to the parents and the missing children's agencies, > that > there has never been anything done before quite like this. This has the > possibility of becoming the biggest effort to help missing children in > history. We realistically expect that if even half the states adopt > Vivian's > Law, that over 10,000 children a year will be saved from the horror of > being > a missing child. Whether that happens is up to you. > > <A HREF="www.baddteddy.com/lettertogovernors.htm">Sample Letter To > Governors</ > A> > www.baddteddy.com/lettertogovernors.htm > > Feel free to write your own letter to the governors. We called all the > governors' offices and got their most current email addresses. We tested > the > links to make sure there were no mailer daemons. Also there is good news, > > the vast majority of the Governors don't have those annoying > auto-responders > that the Senators use. And we know for a fact that these emails get read > because I have sent to some of these addresses in the past and they called > me > back. So you can look at my sample letter for ideas, or simply say, "I > SUPPORT VIVIAN'S LAW" and ask them to call (me) Steven Nunnally at > 941-274-0507 for details. I will explain the proposed law to them and then > > put them in touch with the parent who is acting as Vivian's Law sponsor in > > their state. > > <A > HREF="mailto:(Dsiegelman@governor.state.al.us,governor@gov.state.ak.us,ton > y_kn > owles@gov.state.ak.us,azgov@azgov.state.az.us,mike.huckabee@state.ar.us,gr > ayda > vis@governor.ca.gov,governorowens@state.co.us,governor.rowland@po.state.ct > .us, > ssnyder@state.de.us,fl_governor@eog.state.fl.us,gov@gov.state.hi.us,govern > or@g > ov.state.id.us,governor@state.il.us,fobannon@state.in.us,general.office@ig > ov.s > tate.ia.us,governor@ink.org,governor@mail.state.ky.us,governor@state.me.us > ,gov > ernor@gov.state.md.us,governor@state.mn.us,governor@governor.state.ms.us,m > ogov > @mail.state.mo.us,constit@mail.state.mo.us,Mjohanns@notes.state.ne.us,gov. > pata > ki@chamber.state.ny.us,governor@state.nd.us,governor.taft@das.state.oh.us, > gove > rnor@oklaosf.state.ok.us,governorkeating@email.com,governor@state.pa.us,ri > gov@ > gov.state.ri.us,governor@govoepp.state.sc.us,sdgov@gov.state.sd.us,dsundqu > ist@ > mail.state.tn.us,governor@state.ut.us,governor.locke@governor.wa.gov,gover > nor@ > governor.state.wv.us,governor@state.wv.us,wisgov@mail.state.wi.us,governor > @sta > te.wy.us)?Subject= Please support Vivians Law (941-274-0507 Steve Nunnally > > for details)">Click here to email all governors at once about Vivian's > Law</A> > (A complete list is at the bottom of this letter. You can just > cut and paste them into the TO: part of an email.) > > Please ask EVERY ONLINE EDITOR to run this link for the entire month of > May > in their newsletters. Nothing would help the parents more than if we > completely overwhelmed all of the Governors' email boxes and it made it to > > the news! > > <A HREF="www.baddteddy.governor.htm">Governors - Email, Websites, Fax, > Phone > and Snail Mail</A> > www.baddteddy.governor.htm > > A few of the governors don't have direct email or you have to go to their > website to send email to them. We are asking that all of you go to the > webpage listed above, click the links for the governors who do not have > email > addresses and send email from their websites. I personally called and > verified every single phone number, fax number, email address, snail mail > address and website with the governors' offices, and then volunteers > tested > them. Please take a few minutes to call or write your Governor today. > > ADDITIONAL THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP > > This campaign is both national and local. So while there are things you > can > do online like emailing the governors, there are also many things you can > do > within in your local communities. Contact your local newspapers, TV, etc. > > This is about missing children in your neighborhood. Indeed, the children > you > are helping could be your own. Go to your state senators and > representatives > and ask them to sponsor Vivian's Law in your state. > > We cannot take donations, but you can ask newspapers to run free articles > about Vivian's Law. You can ask companies to make flyers for Vivian's Law > > that you can post in your neighborhood, at church, at local schools and > social events. You can ask local businesses to put up posters asking > people > to Support Vivian's Law. In other words, the best way you can help > protect > these children is to get involved with people in your local community and > ask > them to publicly support Vivian's Law. > > It's time we took our campaign offline and started talking to our friends, > > families and neighbors. I would especially like you to contact parents of > > missing children that might not have heard about Vivian'sLaw. Get them > involved in your state. Contact people from your local missing children's > > agencies and ask them to get involved. If enough of you help, we will > bring > home thousands of missing children. The real question is, will you help? > > > PLEASE MAKE GRAPHICS AND WEBSITES > FOR VIVIAN'S LAW > AND SEND THEM TO > > ladycare@webruler.com > <A > HREF="http://www.geocities.com/vivianslaw">http://www.geocities.com/vivian > s > law</A> > > DamselMB > <A > HREF="http://wonderfulmiracles.com/KOK/ViviansLawProject/index.html">http: > / > /wonderfulmiracles.com/KOK/ViviansLawProject/index.html</A> > > Clownin QT > <A > HREF="http://members.aol.com/faerywhispers/kokvivian.html">http://members. > a > ol.com/faerywhispers/kokvivian.html</A> > > IF YOU NEED CUSTOMS GRAGHICS OR POSTERS > <A HREF="mailto:Dollfin256@aol.com?Subject=I need help with grapghics for > Vivian's Law">Dollfin256</A>@aol.com > > We have a team of people who are willing to creat custom grapghics (for > email > and newsletters) or posters that you can print out and then take to local > printers to have printed. Simply write to the person listed above, tell > them > what you need, they will contact a group of volunteers and they will > contact > you for details and then do their best to create the graphic or poster > customized so you can use it to help the children > > THANK YOU > > Thank you very much for helping the children. I honestly believe that > this > is the best way to help bring home as many missing children as possible. > Remember the key to all of this is that Vivian's Law is based on a > California > law that is already bringing home thousands of missing children every > year. > Children that would still be missing if this law did not exist. That > there > is no one but you, me, and the rest of the people reading this letter that > > knows about this. It really is up to each of us to tell as many people as > > possible. For all the parents, I want to thank you for your help. My > personal thanks to all the members of LMU, Plymouth, Phoenix, Editors > Exchange, Harmony, United Editors, The List Connection, PARENT and all the > > other organizations that are working together to help give the parents of > missing children, a Ribbon of Hope. > > One final note I would like to make. If this all works later we can apply > > the same principles to changing the laws on child abuse, treatment of the > disabled, and much more. Can you imagine the happiness that will be > attained > if we all work together right here and now. It starts all today.....with > YOU. > > Huggs to all of you > > BaddTeddy > Steven W. Nunnally > 941-274-0507 (only after 10 am EST) > 941-849-3550 > Feel Free to give these numbers to reporters, government officials and > missing children's organizations > > Governors Email addresses from Link above. > Cut and paste this into the TO: part of your email > to write to all the governors about Vivians Law. > > (Dsiegelman@governor.state.al.us,governor@gov.state.ak.us,tony_knowles@gov > .sta > te.ak.us,azgov@azgov.state.az.us,mike.huckabee@state.ar.us,graydavis@gover > nor. > ca.gov,governorowens@state.co.us,governor.rowland@po.state.ct.us,ssnyder@s > tate > .de.us,fl_governor@eog.state.fl.us,gov@gov.state.hi.us,governor@gov.state. > id.u > s,governor@state.il.us,fobannon@state.in.us,general.office@igov.state.ia.u > s,go > vernor@ink.org,governor@mail.state.ky.us,governor@state.me.us,governor@gov > .sta > te.md.us,governor@state.mn.us,governor@governor.state.ms.us,mogov@mail.sta > te.m > o.us,constit@mail.state.mo.us,Mjohanns@notes.state.ne.us,gov.pataki@chambe > r.st > ate.ny.us,governor@state.nd.us,governor.taft@das.state.oh.us,governor@okla > osf. > state.ok.us,governorkeating@email.com,governor@state.pa.us,rigov@gov.state > .ri. > us,governor@govoepp.state.sc.us,sdgov@gov.state.sd.us,dsundquist@mail.stat > e.tn > .us,governor@state.ut.us,governor.locke@governor.wa.gov,governor@governor. > stat > e.wv.us,governor@state.wv.us,wisgov@mail.state.wi.us,governor@state.wy.us) > > > > RIBBONS OF HOPE > - Attachment Filename: C:\archives\governor\mail\Governor Musgrove\_attach\_----- Please help these children\Mime.822
Attachments
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