A year ago, we had to console our high school age daughter when the local band director was arrested while engaging in illegal sex acts (with another man) in a public park. Beyond belief stupid. Its not a gay thing, if he had met a guy at a hotel, nothing would've ever been exposed...It hurt the kids, the band, and the rest of the band staff...

Now today, I learn that our pediatrician has been arrested by federal ICE agents (Immigration & Customs Enforcement) for having 1700 child porn images on his home computer.

I am tired of people in leadership positions, who are involved with kids, making dreadfully bad decisions. Unthinkably careless, wreckless, you name it...I simply can't relate to these guys.

It sucks to be a child in this day and age. The world has become so small, so intense and so pressurized that many kids are way too stressed out for their own good. Not sure what could be done, 2 examples in a town of 20 thousand or so, isn't that bad I suppose, but it wasn't a garbage man or an accountant, it was 2 men who chose professions that effected kids lives.

Its a freakin disgrace...

[This message has been edited by Bill in Dayton (edited 10-25-2007).]

I understand, Bill. I worry about my granddaughter all the time. Children are so gullible, and the perves are out there in shockingly big numbers.

I think that availability of instant information brings this kind of activity to the forefront now, and, in years past, the same activity was less likely to garner as much attention. Such activity was denied, ignored or hidden by school, church and public leaders years ago. The internet obviously makes solicitation and sharing of exploitive material much easier and more common.

The good news is, reporting and the dealing of severe personal and legal consequences happens more often now, and the media has generally done a better job of reporting.

On the other end, there are daily, life affirming stories of great people doing great things for others.

Life is different. The hugs I used to share with students are gone. If I leave a classroom and a female wants to talk to me, I move the activity to the hall or do it on a walk back to the area where the dorms are and we're not isolated.

As an educator, you have to conduct yourself in such a way that there is no possibility of a question of the nature of the interaction between you and students. That means some of the trust and closeness is now gone, and that, while a sad sign of the times, is today's reality.

You're doing the right thing. You're aware of the dangers and are watching out for, protecting and supporting your child.

That's what great parents do.


All the best to you and family,


Russ

Hi Bill,

I agree with you Bill. I was fortunate to serve on the the County Grand Jury for 3 months in 2005-2006. We saw 5-6 cases a day, 3 times a week.

I was shocked and horrified at the intensity, frequency, and type of cases we were seeing in my OWN Community!!! I knew we had crime in our community from the local newspaper, but I got a chance to see up close what really happens that doesn't get reported and it is extremely scary.

We only saw one Child Pornography case which was brought up for indictment by the Office of Homeland Security. Most of the cases were drug related, drunk Driving, 2 rapes, 3 murders, 5 gun felonies, and several embezzlement, deadbeat contractors, and forgery.

All this in a sleep little bedroom county in the Hudson Valley area of New York.

It was scary seeing what was going on in my backyard, but I was very happy to be a part of the process to put these scumbags behind bars. In the end it was very gratifying!!!

Keep your chin up!
Al

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Al Giordano
http://www.arrangerworld.com


Tyros 2, Yamaha P-250, Korg Triton Extreme 76, Roland VK8-M, DW Collectors Series Drums, Roland SPD-S.

YOu ought to read the San Jose, California paper for a couple of days. We have over a million people here and I often wonder if most of them are crooks of some kind
We are soon gone from this place.
bebop

Al, I hear you .... Grand Jury is a rather UNfortunate experience because you see things that NEVER reach the local paper ... I served on GJ in Staten Island NY, pre 1964 and the opening of the Verrazano - Narrows Bridge which brought tens of thousands of new residents ... back when SI was a 'bedroom' community, with lots of active farms ... I was unpleasantly amazed at the crime in that little borough of NYC ... armed robberies and even murder cases that never made the news ... Today, it seems that everything hits the media, but the good thing is that we also learn that many of these people are arrested and indicted ... I'm just not sure what happens to them after that ...
t.

Hey T!

I hear what your saying. Now that S.I. is overcrowded, they are all coming up here to Southern New York state for the schools, security, and low income housing. However, all that is gone thanks to the migration!

I do now have a profound new respect for our law enforcement professionals. They are just not paid enough and they do a thankless job. It was an honor to serve with them and we made some great friends.

Al


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Al Giordano
http://www.arrangerworld.com


Tyros 2, Yamaha P-250, Korg Triton Extreme 76, Roland VK8-M, DW Collectors Series Drums, Roland SPD-S.

Today, I took my theater kids to the National Holocaust Memorial in Washington D.C. We're performing "The Diary OF Anne Frank" In a few weeks and we wanted to put some meaning behind the words of the script for the kids.

You want to talk about faith in people? I had 11 teenagers, fighting back tears, holding hands, huddled together in silence, touched by their own humanity as we walked passed the images and voices of those less fortunate. We drove 3 hours in 2 vans to get there, and the kids became as one. The "cooler" kids in the back seat were laughing and talking with the "shyer" kids stuck next to the teachers...playing guessing games, singing songs .... having a ball. That was the ride TO the Memorial. After leaving the horrifying images and sad stories of broken spirits, I watched 4 kids....holding each other's hands as we walked very quietly to the vans. They were more somber, but also touched in a positive way. Our actress in the role of Anne said to me “I think I will be able to put more meaning into my lines, now that I know more of the real story.” She held her tears back, but her eyes spoke volumes to me.

My heart was touched. My tear ducts were filled, and my soul was lifted by the courage and innocence of those millions of victims of this most horrible human shortcoming.

There is a room with hundreds of pairs of shoes, taken from the prisoners before they were executed. We walked through an actual railroad car that took innocent people to their deaths.....I felt their souls in the stale, still air of that car as we passed through. We looked at the luggage that they were told to leave behind ... all images that conjured up pictures of the humans attached to each story. The Holocaust is no longer a page from a history book for me. It is now a very real reminder, that we must cherish life at all cost, respect our fellow humans, and never, ever forget how much we are ALL THE SAME in this world.

We argue about keyboards and stereo. These people were starved, beaten and died because of where they were born. Everyone in the world needs to see this place, and be reminded that this behavior can NEVER BE REPEATED or worse even, tolerated. It is proof of how strong leadership in the wrong hands can ruin humanity. It is a dark moment in the history of mankind that should never be erased, and my hope for all is that we can draw strength from the survivors, their families, and their stories.

Anne Frank was just a young girl who told stories to her diary. Many other children, and their families, were not so lucky. Today, I have been blessed to be lucky enough to have spent the day in the company of 11 incredible teenagers whose lives are forever changed. It’s a start.

Thanks for sharing that, Dave...

Dave-the above is why we should all be grateful for what you do for these kids.

Thanks,


Russ

It's experiences like Dave's that MUST mobilize us into action. For Dave, it's cultivating children's minds. What can we do as individuals to make a positive impact on our families, communities, society? Can we?



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Al Giordano
http://www.arrangerworld.com


Tyros 2, Yamaha P-250, Korg Triton Extreme 76, Roland VK8-M, DW Collectors Series Drums, Roland SPD-S.