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Protecting children from porn takes awareness

BY JAMES KRAEMER
Most parents believe protecting their children from exposure to hard-core pornography is as simple as keeping kids out of adult sex shops, away from pedophiles, perhaps adding blocking software on the family's computer and keeping an eye on what their kids are doing.

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The same parents may not be aware that parental trust and authority can be circumvented from unexpected sources, by organizations once considered decent, honorable and cherished by our society.

An example of this comes from the American Library Association. The ALA is promoting the emancipation of children, that is giving kids the same right to access the same materials adults do, including hard-core pornography and R-Rated videos. The ALA believes that library policies and procedures which effectively deny minors equal access to all library resources available to other users violates the Library Bill of Rights.

Apparently to help enforce this position the ALA has gone as far as offer kids a youth activism link to "Peacefire," a web site that gives children immediate procedures on how to disable popular blocking software. This can lead kids to circumvent adult and parental authority to block children's' access to certain websites on their home computer, at their friends homes, as well as at school.

In some libraries parents are denied access to their child's reading record. According to ALA policies that's confidential and an alleged violation of your child's rights.

All too often kids are acquiring permission for their misbehavior from outside the control or awareness of the child's parents. Like so many other areas of life today, no longer can friendly advertisements, familiar brochures and warm reminiscing be considered adequate to assure your child's safety at the library.

This reality makes it more important than ever that parents keep themselves aware of what their kids are doing, what the environment is really like where they're doing things, and the behavior and motives of whoever they're doing things with. Not sure? Do a little extra checking just to make sure. (jk)

Note: Plese feel free to link to this page. If you would like to post this commentary at your web site or reprint it, you may do so - by simply letting us know at 2safeschools (Subject: ALA Commentary). Thanks, JK


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