The signatories below agree with the following principles and encourage the legislators of Illinois and America to enact rational, fact based legislation in support of these principles. "Our society is greatly concerned about the safety and well being of our children. Protecting them from sexual predation is of the utmost importance. But it is now clear that the laws and policies that have been enacted to achieve this goal have had unintended and often profoundly damaging consequences. In particular, the lives of many young people have been ruined when they have been required to register as sexual offenders after engaging in sexual activity with a boyfriend or girlfriend reasonably close in age. Age of consent boundaries are vital to the well being of society and serve multiple purposes. They protect children from sexual predation and exploitation. They also act as a deterrent to teen sex and the negative consequences that go with it. We recognize the need for these boundaries. We also recognize that there are fundamental differences between pedophilia and sexual activity between teens two, three or four years apart in age. We believe that penalties imposed on teens violating these boundaries should be appropriate for the circumstance and the act. When violations involve non-coerced sexual activity between willing teens close in age, sexual offender registration and removal of offending teens from their homes, families and schools are seldom appropriate as such punishments are in many cases ruthlessly cruel and unusual, grossly excessive and socially counterproductive. We believe that legislation must be enacted to resolve this serious pattern of injustice and that it should be crafted in a manner that allows past injustices of this type to be rectified." To sign the petition please enter the information requested below. Your first name, last name, email address, phone number and zip code are required. We do not sell or otherwise use or divulge your information for any purpose other than the stated purpose of this petition. Your statement may be forwarded by email or other means to Illinois legislators and to other state and federal legislators. THANK YOU for participating. Please complete the form below.