Open Letter to Charlie Rogers

An open letter to Charlie Rogers.

Hi honey.
I read your story and watched your interview when you told us about your being attacked by 3 masked men, men who stripped you, carved slurs into your flesh after tying you up, daubing grafitti in your basement and then trying to set fire to your house with you still in it.
My first reaction was how horrible.
I read your story and saw your interview yet, something was bothering me.
Not once during your story did you tell us about being attacked,abused, assaulted, instead the whole interview was you defending your story.
Yes, you told us it was a story, it wasn't an attack or assault.
You were more concerned with convincing us the veracity of what happened.
You told us you could understand how we could disbelieve you, victims of crime refuse to accept anyone could disbelieve what happened to them.
You even told us you yourself disbelieved your story.
If you can't believe it neither can we.

As i listened again i wondered why 3 men would attack a lesbian whereas men would more fear a homosexual male.
Maybe they were instead women, again though, i asked myself why would a woman feel threatened by a lesbian.
I then looked at your story more closely.
Why then would your attackers daub slurs in your basement where no one would see them, if they were sending a message to not only you but the gay community?
Why not on outside walls or in your living room?
Visitors would see it when they entered and you would still see it even after it had been covered over.
The image would be imprinted on your mind's eye.
Why daub slurs on a house they were going to burn down?
Nothing made sense.

I know and you know, that Charlie, for whatever reason, you are being deceptive.
There was no attack, there were no men, any injuries you got were self inflicted.
I don't see it as you setting out to deliberately fool the world, i see instead a woman, You, crying out for help.
I don't know if you are in a relationship currently, or if you were in a relationship that ended, perhaps badly.
Maybe it was because you weren't allowed to work with children, that someone complained about you and a job you wanted was denied you.
Maybe you felt wronged and decided to get back at those who wronged you.
I don't know what caused you to walk the path you chose with this story, i do know though it was because you were hurting.
You wanted help but no one came forward to offer it.
Being deceptive solves nothing, instead it leads to greater problems.

Claiming you were attacked was not the way to go about it.
You are an activist for the GLBT community, by saying what you have said you have not helped those you are working to support, instead, you have caused harm to that very same community.
When the truth comes out, and it will, as we both know, all you will have achieved is making it harder for those genuine victims of hate crimes to be believed.
This is something you don't want , neither do i.
I want the genuine victims of any hate crime to be able to speak and know they will be believed.
I want all hate crimes to end, i don't want to see distrust between people, neither do you.
As with anyone who cries wolf, in the end no one will believe them, and, when there truely is a problem their cries for help will be ignored.

Being an activist means you are a visible face of the cause you are supporting and speaking for.
Activists must always be truthful even if it is painful.
People look up to you to set an example, what kind of example are you setting to those who are coming to terms with their sexuality, who are plucking up the courage to stand up and announce they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans-gender.
Who wants to work with a liar.
Who would trust their children with a liar?
There would always be the fear that perhaps you could make an unfounded allegation against an innocent person or business.
I don't want that for you and i know you don't either.

You have a great many skills and talents which could be put to great use, it would be a shame if they were not fully utilised.

This is why now is the time to come clean.
Now is the time to be strong and admit the truth.
You are probably scared of the consequences, i know i would be.
We all are when we tell a lie and get caught out.

Telling the truth takes courage.
We, the public, are very forgiving when someone admits they lied and are sorry for what they did.
Remember how, when our parents caught us in a lie?
When we told the truth they didn't hate us, they still loved us.
When we lie we are letting down ourselves, our family and our friends.
They feel disappointed in our behavior.
We too are disappointed in ourselves as well.
It is not a nice feeling.

You will feel so much better in yourself when you tell the truth.
No more wondering what will happen when they find out rather than you telling them.
Your family and friends will still love you.
By telling the truth you will be setting a good example to others.
Honesty is always the best policy.
be the example that others look up to.

Telling the truth will be a scary thing to do, finding the courage to say the first few words daunting, yet once you start to speak it will get easier.
A burden will have been lifted from your shoulders.
You can look the world in the face and say I am not perfect, I made a mistake, i want to make amends.
There will be a small minority who will say nasty things, they do so regardless of the situation, they expect perfection from others when they themselves are imperfect.
They seek to cause division and anger, they want to cause distrust and hatred.
By telling the truth you show yourself to be above the pettiness, the hate, the distrust of those perceived to be different.

It takes a strong person to stand up and admit they were untruthful.
It takes a strong person to stand up and tell the truth.
You are this strong person.
Tell the truth, accept the consequences.
Turn something bad into something good.
Don't be afraid to say you need help, accept it when it is offered regardless of where the help comes from.
Once the truth is out there you can move on.
You will be proud of who you are, Charlie Rogers.

If the thought of telling the truth on your own is scary, i am sure you have many family and friends who will be by your side offering love and support.
Make them proud to know you by telling the truth.
Make yourself proud of who you are by telling the truth Charlie.

No one can force you to tell the truth, the truth though will come out sooner or later.
Better it comes out now from you, rather than down the line at the hands of another.
Charlie, you know you want to tell the truth, you want to feel good in yourself, proud of yourself.
Make today the day you do the right thing.
Not for us the public, not for your family and friends, do the right thing for yourself.

Kind regards

Hobnob

Hobnob,
I love to read things that you post, here and on the SA website. Sometimes (on SA), I disagree, but I ALWAYS appreciate the compassion and genuine concern you display. This letter to Charlie Rogers is so beautifully written, and so eloquently expresses your distaste for what she did, but your understanding of how hard it will be to come clean. You are so kind in the way you address her, and so sympathetic to the internal struggle she's no doubt experiencing. I hope there is a way for her to see this letter from you. If she felt all alone, she shouldn't after reading your compassionate response to her. Hopefully, this will compel her toward whatever truth has yet to be confessed, and she will be able to live her life with her head held high as an honest woman.

Thank you for this!

Arrest Warrant for Charlie Rogers
An alleged hate crime victim turned herself in to Lincoln Police late Tuesday morning after a warrant was issued for her arrest.

Early Tuesday morning, Lancaster County Attorney Joe Kelly filed a complaint of false reporting against 33 year-old Charlie Rogers.
Rogers' attorney, Brett McArthur, said his client is sticking to her original statement and maintains she was attacked. .Rogers plans to plead not guilty at her arraignment Tuesday afternoon
"This is a woman that went through one traumatic event and is now faced with going through another," said McArthur.
Rogers faces up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Rogers, a member of the LGBT community, told police three masked men broke into her home in the 1000 block of South 22nd Street between 1:30 and 4 a.m. Sunday July 22nd.
According to police reports, the suspects tied her up, carved anti-gay slurs into her skin and tried to light her house on fire. She reportedly crawled from her house, naked, bleeding and screaming for help.

News of the case prompted rallies and fundraisers for the alleged victim. The creator of a Facebook group called Vigil Against Violence with nearly 2,000 members posted the following message on the page.

"I feel it is important that we do not lose sight of our cause. This is not to say that I believe or disbelieve anything that has been stated thus far. The point of the matter is that there are still crimes of hate being committed all over the world. They will not be tolerated. When we gathered on the steps of the Capitol Building almost exactly a month ago, we made it clear that we are a community that supports and loves each other. The statement we made in lighting our candles is unwavering. This is not a time to turn against each other or start finger pointing. Quite the contrary. Now, more than ever, we need to stand together to say that no matter what, there is no room for hate in our world."

According to the arrest warrant, there was no apparent blood on the bedspread; even though Rogers reported she was rolled on to her stomach after she had been cut on her arms, abdomen, chest and front of her legs while being held down. Lab tests on the bed cover could not find any traces of blood.The arrest warrant says on July 17 gloves, zip ties and a knife were purchased at an Ace Hardware store where Rogers frequently shops. The clerk told police he is 51% sure it was Rogers who purchased the items.Lincoln police are holding a news conference at 2:30 p.m. to discuss the investigation.
Watch 10/11 News tonight for team coverage on this case.


Sad to say i was proven right this was a hoax, I wonder why she went down this route?
She told us in her interview
She is a person,
People are people and
Agendas are agendas, i wonder what her agenda was?
If it was to brig atttention to hate crimes against the GBLT community she succeeded but not for the reasons she wanted.
All she has succeeded in doing is making it harder for genuinie victims of hate crimes to come forward for fear of being disbelieved.

She has also succeeded in pretty much making herself unemployable in the areas she wanted to work in and with the groups of people she wanted to help.
Prospective employers will ask themselves if she can be trusted, what if she makes a claim of harrassment, threats or bias due to her sexuality?
The first and instinctive response will be she is being deceptive, there would be a need for compelling evidence to show she is telling the truth.

People would be reluctant to work with her for fear of being falsely accused.
Parents will be reluctant to let her work wit their child for fear she will either accuse the child of something or persuade the child to be deceptive.

People do not trust a liar and it will take a long time and a lot of work to gain the trust of her family, friends, co-workers and the public at large.

I think this was a hate crime, not in the way she claimed, rather, she hated herself.
Maybe she hates who she is, her sexuality, her worth not being appreciated.
She wasn't getting the attention she felt she deserved so came up with this story.

I hope she gets the help and support she needs, that her family and friends do not distance themselves which can only lead to more harm.
Rather, they come forward and support her through whatever happens, encourage her to tell the truth and accept the consequences and then support her as she makes decisions on how best to use the talents she has to the benefit not only of herself but others as well.

By telling the truth and accepting the consequences she will be setting an example, teaching the young that telling the truth is always the best option and by making amends.

I would suggest that all monies that were donated to her (currently being kept by her attorney) go to a worthwhile charity (and not used for her defence)

If she were to used the funds for her own benefit be it defence or expenses, she will do her case serious harm and those who donated to her may not donate next time to a genuine victim in need of help.

Money may not have been a motive nor was it requested, she will help her case if she donates to, say, a childrens charity.

I wish she had taken the first step and told LE she was being deceptive rather than have them put out a warrant for her arrest.

I hope she does the right thing and admits to everything, it will save time and money, it will show us she is prepared to accept the consequences.
Continuing to be deceptive, refusing to admit the truth only makes things worse for herself and the punishment may well be harsher than had she said i did it, i'm sorry, i throw myself on your mercy.

Hate-crime hoaxer a no-show for jail sentence
January 16, 2015 7:00 am  •  By Jonathan Edwards | Lincoln Journal Star

After failing probation, Charlie Rogers didn’t show up for her 90-day jail sentence Thursday.

Rogers, 36, was sentenced to a week in jail and two years’ probation in April 2013 for faking an anti-gay hate crime that stunned Lincoln and captured the country’s attention the summer before.

Read more:  http://journalstar.com/news/local/911/hate-crime-hoaxer-a-no-show-for-jail-sentence/article_57f6c114-ba61-5c35-9e6e-b2459dd5d76f.html

More jail time for hate-crime hoaxer for probation violation
May 15, 2015 2:15 pm  •  By Jonathan Edwards | Lincoln Journal Star

The woman who faked an anti-gay hate crime was sentenced Friday to 90 days in jail for violating probation, but she can apply to serve the time on house arrest.

Lancaster County Judge Thomas Fox sentenced Charlie Rogers Friday afternoon and gave her credit for seven days she served in jail in 2013.

...The probation officer told Rogers the volunteer work she’d been doing wouldn’t count toward the 250 hours of community service she’d been ordered to do.

Read more:  http://journalstar.com/news/local/911/more-jail-time-for-hate-crime-hoaxer-for-probation-violation/article_7bea0c4d-f7f7-5f15-b5d3-ccfc3f356117.html