Protect Our Children Act

I watched a powerful Oprah show today. It was about child pornography and predators. Her call to action revolves around the American Senate Bill #1738 - the Protect Our Children Act. There have been problems passing this act. Sometimes our rights to privacy must be superceded by what is moral. Internet Safety is a topic of concern to me, with a couple of articles to my credit. I have created a PPT to educate parents and teachers. I understand some of the issues.

What I cannot understand is this act. The purpose of the act is to invest millions in setting up law enforcement agencies. Oprah has put a call out to her constituents to pass this law. She cites the need for an infusion of dollars, as well as a tightening of the mandate and money for software to find predators. While her goals are laudable, I think them misplaced. She has the power to sway many people and broadcast important causes, but I wonder if this push for more money is the right one.

They key is empowering parents to prevent such abuses, and teaching those who work with children to be vigilant. The USA's National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is one place to start. Most predation is carried out by people familiar to the children. Also, children who are lured online fall in the small minority. Those who create child porn use their home computers and equipment. That said, there are means by which a parent can determine where a child has been on his or her computer. It is the right of a parent, indeed the obligation to supervise them. Checking the browser history will let you know the sites that are accessed. One must be vigilant.

Regarding this act, I think we must come to the determination that Internet Service Providers must be forced to cooperate with child protection agencies and stop the trading, and marketing of these illegal, immoral and unlawful products. People from around the world must take action. Those who worry about internet censorship and personal and human rights need to wake up. The impact of child pornography on the psyche of the nation is huge. The stress of this problem on the children, their families, law enforcement officers and society is preventable. Something needs to be done. The discussion needs to continue.