BishopAccountability.org
	Walking across Oregon, Awareness for Child Sex Abuse KTVL September 1, 2008 http://www.ktvl.com/news/abuse_1187145___article.html/oregon_across.html A group is walking across the state to create awareness of child sex abuse in Oregon. The group started out Monday morning in Ashland, and is making it's way slowly along Highway 99 toward Portland. It started out with three Oregonians. They're survivors and supporters, walking to raise awareness of child sex abuse and gather support for victims. "In order to reach out, we need to do something big," said Virginia Jones, an organizer of Walk Across Oregon. They walked with bottles of water and bright yellow t-shirts, with hopes people will see them. "They'll honk and recognize us which a lot have its wonderful its support and it's something they'll talk about when they go home," said Randy Ellison, a walker from Ashland. They have extra t-shirts, and hope others will join them along the way. "Even if it's for five steps its fine. It took me 42 years to come to terms with my abuse," said Jones. They also want to build support for a bill that eliminates the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution of child sex abuse. It's a topic that hits close to home for Ellison. He says he was sexually abused by a minister at his church in Portland more than 40 years ago, when he was just a teenager. "By the time you can face it, by the time you realize its destroyed part of you, you're insides, by the time you realize it, the laws have run out. The statute of limitations lets those people go free," Ellison said. He's only going to walk with them for a few hours, but plans to meet them along the way later. He says what is happening here, won't change things overnight. "Steps being taken here will influence, some people, five 10, 100, even if it influences 10 to 15 people, you walk through 20 to 30 communities things start to change," he said. They say even though improvements have been made over the years, they say even sex abuse as a crime, is evolving. "It continues even though there's more awareness, better laws, and more knowledge," said Jones. "The fact is it still continues and there are new avenues of abuse never before, the Internet, and chatrooms." They also want to build support for a bill that eliminates the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution of child sex abuse. If they continue along their schedule, they will cross through Medford Tuesday and walk through Grants Pass on Thursday. From Grants Pass they will hop in a van where they'll get a ride into Canyonville, where they will continue their walk. The group is scheduled to arrive in Northern Oregon on September 26 and will hold several events in the Portland Area through September 29.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.