PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release
Media Contact: David McCallister 813-778-1202 Email: floridasshe@gmail.com
SOUTHERN HERITAGE GROUP OBSERVES CRIME VICTIMS RIGHTS WEEK ESTABLISHES HOTLINE FOR SOUTHERN CRIME VICTIMS
African-American Southern Civil Rights Leader
Calls for Passage of Marsy’s Law Nationwide
Tallahassee - Save Southern Heritage observes National Crime Victim’s Rights Week ("NCVRW") by launching a Southern Crime Victims Assistance Hotline. President Trump proclaimed April 19 – 25, 2020 as National Crime Victim’s Rights Week re-confirming the commitment to assisting crime victims.
“We are using this opportunity to remind the public that if they or a deceased loved one were a victim of a crime, they have Rights under the Florida Constitution” said David McCallister, spokesman for Save Southern Heritage – Florida. Florida adopted the Crime Victims Bill of Rights also known as "Marshy's Law" through voter referendum in 2018. It has been adopted in 10 states and has been proposed in several others.
“The other 40 states need to adopt Marsy’s Law” said HK Edgerton. HK Edgerton, an internationally renowned Southern Civil Rights activist and past president of the Asheville, NC branch of the NAACP, has spoken frequently on the subject of Marsy’s Law, especially relating to Ft. Myers monument vandalism in 2019.
Recently, the Sons of Confederate Veterans in Ft. Myers, Florida used Marsy’s Law to advocate for justice in the case of vandalism of the Lee County namesake memorial.
“I am pleased that my Southern brethren, like the Sons in Ft. Myers who are victims of crime just because they are Southern, have a way to seek justice that has been denied in so many cases over the years” said Mr. Edgerton.
“Our people need a path to Justice - up until Marsy’s Law there has not been any justice for Southerners who are targeted by the Southern Poverty Law Center and others that incite crime against Southerners to advance their agenda” Edgerton added.
“As the hostility against our Southern history and heritage continues, we expect to see more victims of crime and we believe Marsy’s Law will help these victims seek justice” McCallister added. “That is why we have established a hotline for crime victims who believe they have been targeted because they are Southern in Florida”.
The hotline will provide information and resources to crime victims about Marsy’s law and legal resources to ensure Marsy’s Law rights are protected. More information: www.sshfl.org/marsy
President Ronald Reagan first proclaimed National Crime Victim’s Rights week in 1981 to “acknowledge the abuse and trauma that victims of crimes often experience, and to recognize the tireless work of dedicated advocates who have taken up the cause of supporting crime victims across our country.”
There are two key provisions of Marsy's Law: a shield and a sword. “The shield protects their identity and the sword is for meaningful inclusion at every step in the criminal process” McCallister said.
A video produced by the Office for Victims of Crimes highlights the emphasis on Rights and Justice for victims of crime:https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw2020/.
SAVE SOUTHERN HERITAGE Inc. is a not for profit corporation that educates & advocates on behalf of Southern Heritage & History. It was started in 2015 in response to the knee-jerk Anti-Southern institutionalized bullying and “Eracism” levied against the people of South Carolina by Governor Nikki Haley, after she broke all previous agreements about how South Carolina’s historical veterans and their symbols should be treated and respected. The Florida branch was activated in mid-January 2016, in response to three initiatives in the Florida Legislature that are part of a hate campaign led by Anti-American extremists, who refuse to respect the various cultures that make up the fabric of Florida’s society. Since that time, it has grown in membership and has been active in battles over American History and throughout Florida including the “We’ll Remember in November Campaign” that resulted in #heritagehater candidates to lose elections in Florida and others to win. More info: www.sshfl.org.
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