Input needed by those who do not support Billy's Law and/or NamUs

[Maureen Reintjes-Peace4 Admin]

I posted this on a Facebook thread but thought maybe it was worth bringing to Peace4:

"That's what I'm trying to change in Kansas. That I be alerted when a person goes missing right away so that the information can be given to these families immediately, so they can get support and resource info immediately. Had a person such as myself been called in on say the baby Lisa case I could have stopped that circus before it got started. Over 500 missing in KS but because the KBI keeps the missing on lockdown I can't get to the families, I can't encourage them to input their loved one into the national repository, NamUs. No one knows their cases exist. That can change with Billy's Law. All cases would be required to be listed. How great would that be for all ethical organizations and trained advocates? We could get to the families that need help, we can get to the families that were told years ago to go home and sit quietly like good little children and let them know there is support and awareness available to them....give them hope for resolution."

My further thoughts: In the old days orgs and advocates and law enforcement thought they owned cases. This cut the families out of a lot of resources, a lot of chances for resolution. Even if you don't believe in a national repository, NamUs .... think about the families you serve. They shouldn't have to like I did go to multiple sites, ambulance chase down news articles, question if it is their loved one and try if possible look at dead bodies across the nation. It was like trying to find a needle in haystack. I ruined keyboards crying into them ... so frustrated. Now the families have NamUs but we need Billy's Law to pass so there is one site in the US that all missing and all unidentified persons are listed. This in no way negates what the ethical orgs and trained advocates are doing. Having all listed in one spot actually makes it easier for the law enforcement, for the families, for the orgs and for the trained advocates....what was once inaccessible to them will now be totally accessible from wherever they have an Internet connection. Billy's Law is not taking money away from orgs but it is providing money to train LE. We've already touched so many LE officers just in initial training....we have turned them around on how they deal with missing cases and how important the families are to THEIR loved one's cases. We need Billy's Law to pass to get more trained . We need Billy's Law for the families .... how can anyone be against that? I want to know. Come forward and list your reasons, maybe there is something I'm missing. Please you all know how to email me. You all know that I am a trusted person who does not betray confidences. I don't want to publicize names I just want to try and understand why you don't support NamUs and Billy's Law. Maybe, just maybe we can educate each other!!!!

[Maureen Reintjes-Peace4 Admin]

As of today, 1/20/12, not one person has responded to let me know why they don't support Billy's Law. My only take on that is there are people/orgs out there that know they are in the wrong not to stand up and support Billy's Law.  But the sad thing is I know for some they think NamUs is a threat, as if it's existence is going to tear down what they perceive as their kingdom.  To those people I say the following;

1)  You don't own these missing person cases, the families do.

2)  NamUs is not an organization but our National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.  It is a repository.  If you would like me to explain to you what a real database is as compared to a site listing missing person fliers, I'd be happy to do so.

3) NamUs is not in competition with the orgs. It is not out to destroy your self-perceived kingdoms. Just like NamUs is a tool for law enforcement, coroner and MEs to get their work done it is also a tool for orgs and advocates.  If anything NamUs enhances the work of orgs and advocates by making them aware of cases that they and the public would not have known otherwise existed. It is also a great tool for media.  Isn't that what an ethical org or advocate wants? Awareness and exposure for the missing not to mention access to cases?

It's sad I tried to open up the doors to determine if there was something I was missing but the silence pretty much tells me I'm not missing anything.

[Sara Huizenga]

"In the old days orgs and advocates and law enforcement thought they owned cases. This cut the families out of a lot of resources, a lot of chances for resolution. Even if you don't believe in a national repository, NamUs .... think about the families you serve. They shouldn't have to like I did go to multiple sites, ambulance chase down news articles, question if it is their loved one and try if possible look at dead bodies across the nation. It was like trying to find a needle in haystack. I ruined keyboards crying into them ... so frustrated. Now the families have NamUs but we need Billy's Law to pass so there is one site in the US that all missing and all unidentified persons are listed. This in no way negates what the ethical orgs and trained advocates are doing. Having all listed in one spot actually makes it easier for the law enforcement, for the families, for the orgs and for the trained advocates....what was once inaccessible to them will now be totally accessible from wherever they have an Internet connection. Billy's Law is not taking money away from orgs but it is providing money to train LE. We've already touched so many LE officers just in initial training....we have turned them around on how they deal with missing cases and how important the families are to THEIR loved one's cases. We need Billy's Law to pass to get more trained . We need Billy's Law for the families .... how can anyone be against that?" - Maureen Reintjes

To find out more about as well as how you can best support Billy's Law, The Help Find the Missing Act - please go to Peace4 the Missing at http://peace4missing.ning.com/