Sexual predators, what you can do this week to stop them!
 

Hundreds of thousands of children are victims of sexual abuse each year. Due to the lack of resources, law enforcement is unable to follow up on the majority of leads they have. The Protect our Children Act can help amend this.
We have just another week before this goes in front of the senate for a vote. You can email your senator and help make a difference. Everything you need is on Oprahs website, links to your senators and even a sample letter of what to write. Please do this!!

http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahsh...tows_predators

and just because its on oprah its ALL true i suppose

oh sure!!

its probaly hundreds and not thousands

Who cares if its hundreds or thousands?! Even one child being a victim of sexual abuse is one too many!

When I clicked on the link, it said there was an error processing my request.

Clouds, what are you upset about?

So just what exactly are you saying? And......it's probably more like tens of thousands. Jess is right. Just one child is too many! Wake up.

I have corrected the link posted by the OP

please please please let's not see something like protecting children turn into negative comments.:(

whether or not one likes oprah, this is about the kids, not her

Yes, that link works! Thank you! Sorry I got touchy, its just one of those hot button issues with me.

I have to agree with Jess....one child is one too many...touchy subject with me also.Go to google and type in convicted molestors in your zip code area....You'll be amazed at how many are close to you!

true, one is too many, but hysteria is always created by oprah and im sick of it

http://www.freeourkids.com/

id like to see oprah cover this side of things, and yet she wont because oprah is a .... well i wont say it

IF oprah would cover these stories i might have more regard for her

I'm not a fan of Oprah either, but this isn't about her. This topic is much, much bigger and more important than Oprah.

More people need to report it - if they see abuse or violence happening to anyone - kids, elderly, spouse..
Looking the other way or ignoring it doesn't stop it:(

there are already laws protecting kids

cps screws up familys with sleezy foster families etc

read the fine print to "all these great new improved laws " before you tell congress to vote yes

maybe its a good law though

I think most women can tell a story of near and creepy and where you least expect. I had an Uncle (by marriage) who would give you a kiss and try to slip his tongue in. I was young but knew to keep my teeth clenched after that. My other aunt had her brother's kids after his death, she confronted him after one of the young teen girls told her something. I taught Emotionally disturbed kids, stories of Uncles, Fathers, cousins, brothers, baby-sitter husband. mom's guy - most really horrible stories. Not media generated hysteria, it's out there.

There is a simple solution to those who hate Oprah. Stop watching. Don't post to threads that you don't agree with and find those you do.

Some have to get used to fact that many like Oprah and the things she does to help others, even if it's not their cup of tea.

:grouphug: It's just a thread, not the gateway to Heaven. ;)

I am afraid to ask. Was your uncle named Frank? I had one of those too only he would try to go further. :(

One is too many. At least to me it was. I just wrote my senators, Durbin and Obama.

why do the stories of these kids have to be ignored with no "thanks for this"?

why is it people worship government so much and ignore the gross mistakes of government?

is it just too painful that we cant trust even our government?tax money for bureaucrats -cant do anything but waste our time and money?

an example off the page"14 year old girl taken away from mother, got pregnant in DCF custody while living on the streets as a runaway, no prenatal care given by DCF for expectant mother, infant dies. No legal representation available for the poor."

oh well, guess ill get back to my tv show

http://articles.latimes.com/2002/dec...n/na-missing18

103 Children in State Care Still Missing in Florida

By John-Thor Dahlburg
December 18, 2002 in print edition A-19

Despite nearly four months of searching, Florida authorities have not found 103 missing children who were in the care of the state’s Department of Children & Families, officials announced Tuesday.

Accentuating the positive, Gov. Jeb Bush and members of his administration stressed that most of the missing – 290 of 393 children – had been located because of the creation of regional, multi-agency “strike forces.” But child-care advocates said the statistic was no proof the state’s checkered record in child care, which was a major issue in Bush’s successful reelection battle last month, was now better.

“On the one hand, we’re bringing the forces of law enforcement, technology and four major state departments together because of concerns about 400 children,” said Jack Levine, president of the Center for Florida’s Children, a Tallahassee-based statewide advocacy organization. “Yeah, let’s do that, but what about the 40,000 other children who do not have the level of professional counseling and long-term quality care they should?”

After a scandal over the disappearance of a 5-year-old girl in state-supervised care rocked his administration, Bush ordered the Department of Children & Families and law enforcement agencies last August to cooperate in hunting for other missing children.

“The life of every youngster in our state is precious, and Operation SafeKids is indeed making a difference in the lives of Florida’s families,” Bush said Tuesday. “The partnership between DCF and the law enforcement community has been successful in locating missing kids and has helped to establish a system that will better protect the children in our state.”

Of the children not found, officials said 88 are still being sought by police, including Rilya Wilson, the little girl who was discovered to be missing from her foster home in the Miami area last May. It took DCF officials 15 months to realize she was gone.

Unlike Rilya, most of the missing are teenage runaways, or are believed to have been snatched by a noncustodial parent, DCF spokesman Owen Roach said. Fourteen others were minors when put in the agency’s care but have since turned 18. They are now being sought by police as adult missing persons, officials said.

One 17-year-old girl who had been placed in a juvenile intervention program, Melissa Karp, was apparently murdered. Her body was found in a canal in southwest Florida’s Collier County.



IF THIS DOESNT MAKE YOU ANGRY THEN ITS HOPELESS

I grew up a runaway coz the abuse of the streets was better than the abuse at home. Does kids like me not matter?

No offense but just asking coz nobody cared to look when I was a kid, they rather pretended it didn't really be happening.

No offense again but would folks rather still pretend that and argue about WHO puts the point forward than what the point is???? *tapes mouth and crawls back into hole* :(

Must agree >> it maybe gov. red tape ,, and who is the hurt / victim .... That said .. Children that have been suffocated or beaten and drugged are at risk to become victims of abuse at any rate equal to or more so than the child that is taken from a responsible / irresponsible ,,, parent /guardian .

Bottom line IMO ,, this thread has been bantered about for the purpose as in local agencies and there ineptness.

Please Take Care and rest >> for these are the kind of wars that are won 1 battle at a time ..

WMD.

why do you think i dont care about that either?

i never said abolish agencies run by state totally

i do think THEY ARENT BEING RUN WELL IN SOME STATES

GOOGLE OK BOYS RANCH WA STATE

you started it by making it about Oprah instead of about hurt and abused kids

Cloudz .. errrrrrrrrmmmmm Maybe open your own thread and ask admin to move your posts from here >> and On your way with your own discussion .

Take Care .

WMD.

abused kids don't matter ...just politics etc ...whatever!!!!

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....it hurts when abused kids don't matter!!!! :( :( :(

I understand this subject is very triggering to some members:( and I am just so sad to see it continue in argument when it REALLY should just be about whoever doing whatever they can to protect kids from anyone who is harming them

clouds, I understand you are trying to make a point about the fact that some govt agencies bear responsibility for not looking out for the kids at high risk etc but the point was made and it is enough now. You dont like Oprah and we get that message too.

and to other members...where I realize the high emotions...still no need for flaming or name calling.

PLEASE would anyone wanting to contact their senator's about this bill do so by whatever means they choose and please please please no more fighting here


:grouphug:

i'm sorry i am UK and can make no difference to help hurt kids in the US...but it hurts me when members here who are US see only politics and dislike for one particular person...and take away from the love and protection hurt and abused children deserve...sorry i get hurt by this subject being a former abused kid myself ...from a Highland community where no-one had the guts or care to step up to the plate to help... it hurts me to know folks still put politics or personal like/dislike against caring to keep kids safe. :(

((((kalamity_jane))))

it is ok...I understand you were very triggered:(

and yes, all that matters is doing whatever each of us can in whatever way, big or small, to try to keep kids safe.:grouphug:

i wish i could do more but don't know how except how to speak out ((((Chemar)))) ... how to do without offending folks??? :(:(:(

what do WE do?
 

I dont know what people want? Seems everyone looks to the government for everything. I think WE are the ones that should do something.

Before everyone slams me....I took in 3 boys that were abused by their parents and raised them as my own kids. It is very rewarding to do these things. Sure it takes some work, and a lot of sacrifice, but the rewards far out weigh the benefits of helping those in need. My oldest child then became the middle child. I talked to my children about how their lives would be changed, and they all agreed it was far better to help than to go on like nothing happens.

Sometimes I get myself in trouble trying to help those in need, but I just cant watch. I have to help if it is in my power to do so. When I learned about these troubled youth, the county social worker was telling me they had tried to place these kids, and no one was stepping up. These boys were going to be split up into other foster homes....no more were they going to be a family unit as they knew it.

We should try to do what ever we can to help in these situations. If it is writing our congress, or taking on one or more abused children. There are many ways to get involved even if it is just throwing our support towards those that can do more than we.

The kids I took on are brothers, and were sexually, mentally, and physically abused by their own mother and father. But now they have fairly well adjusted, and have their own small families. They are working and now they also are getting involved in helping abused children.

This makes my heart soar like a hawk! :D

As I said in another post.....we are the ones that have to make the changes. Until we all get on the same page, we will just see more of the same. :grouphug:

Respect to you ... the world needs more folks like you :Bawling: :grouphug:

Amen to this and a big huge thank you for caring for these boys. I suspect they are fine young men because of you. Wish there had been more people like you around when I was growing up. :hug: