Letters
Forum on dangers of cyberspace planned

Parents in close-knit towns like Metuchen are scrambling to understand a host of moral, ethical, legal and technical questions raised by the explosion of globally-wired social networks.

If kids, for example, get their pictures taken with a camera phone, and the pictures end up on a sexually provocative Web site without their consent, how do we get their pictures removed? Will they stay in cyberspace forever? Can we sue if the site leaves kids vulnerable to sexual predators?

To be sure, today's digital revolution is breathtaking. At the touch of a send button, children from Metuchen to Manila, aspiring musicians, writers, artists, geeks, math freaks, or simply kids looking for friends, are finding kindred spirits around the world at an astounding rate. It's already changing the way the media and entertainment do business: The Arctic Monkeys, the latest English music phenom, racked up record debut album sales bigger than The Beatles, all because of a huge following on the Internet.

But if the children of "The Brainy Boro" are any guide, this frontier comes with a dark side. With millions of strangers just a click away, local kids are sending pictures, e-mails, music, and personal information that make them vulnerable to the packs of sexual predators who troll the Internet. And that leaves parents in towns like Metuchen, where safety depends on community, with some tough questions:

How do we plug into this new universe?

How do we keep our kids safe from Internet predators?

Camera phones, text messaging, digital cameras, high-speed instant messaging, desktop editing, how do we teach our kids to use these without risking their own safety and the safety of their friends?

How do we alert other parents, particularly if we don't know them, if we see their kids engaging in sexually suggestive Internet activity that could make these minors vulnerable to predators?

Are there laws to limit what preteens and teenagers can post on the Internet?

How do we make our kids partners, not prisoners, in this new cyberworld?

Recent press reports indicate that Internet predators are having no trouble finding young prey. New York Times reporter Kurt Eichenwald, whose six-month investigation of online predators culminated in his Dec. 19, 2005, story, "Through his Webcam, a Boy Joins a Sordid Online World," reports how predators often work in packs, hunt for minors who post sexually inviting sites, and groom them with praise, attention and even gifts before seeking pornographic images or physical contact with them.

Parents in towns like Chatham and Summit recently have packed meeting rooms to hear county law enforcement officers talk about this latest cyberspace frontier.

Now, Metuchen-area parents have an opportunity: On Wednesday, March 29, at 7 p.m., an investigator from the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office will be at the Edgar Middle School Gymnasium to discuss "Internet Safety: The Dangers to Our Children and the Tools Every Parent Should Know to Prevent Them." The session is hosted by Edgar Middle School and its Parent-Teacher Organization.

For more information, call Edgar PTO President Brenda Redshaw at (732) 549-2227 or Edgar Principal Kathryn Glutz at (732) 321-8770.

Please join our neighbors so we can help make our kids safe not only at home but also in cyberspace.

Anne Newman

Metuchen

Civil marriage should apply to every couple equally

In response to the recent letter to the editor, "Freeholders are 'Advocating Redefinition of Family,' " (News Transcript, Feb. 15, 2006) I must politely disagree with the writer, John C. Hendrickson.

While you personally may not agree with the view that homosexual people should get equal rights, you cannot base civil laws on religious values. That is clearly wrong and goes against the separation of church and state.

Since marriage can either be a religious or civil ceremony, you do not have the ability, nor does the government, to rule that any religions can dictate the way for everyone, practicing or not. A civil ceremony is just that, not affiliated with religious moral codes.

I also have yet to hear any logical arguments as to how same-sex marriage would harm society. It has already been valid in Massachusetts for almost two years, as well as a few other countries, and there has been no apocalypse or breaking down of society.

You complain about not wanting to pay taxes to fund these domestic partnership benefits, but I have a question for you, Mr. Hendrickson. Why am I being made to pay my own hard-earned money to fund your benefits, when I cannot even get benefits of my own?

I guess priorities must be a little askew when paying out billions in taxes to build bombs and blow up people in foreign countries is fine, but law-abiding citizens getting equal treatment here in America is "evil."

Last, I will not allow myself to be treated as a second-class citizen, because of another person's morally-centric values. Especially when I am paying the same amount of my blood, sweat and tears into the government as everyone else.

Steven P. LeVine

Freehold Borough

Simple precautions will keep you pets safe

National Pet Theft Awareness Day is Feb. 14. Approximately 2 million companion animals are stolen each year. They are taken under false pretenses through "Free to Good Home" ads or abducted from their homes and yards. The animals are then sold to research facilities, dog-fighting rings, or puppy mills, where they are abused and often killed.

You can protect your companion animals by following these simple steps:

+ Keep your companion animals indoors, especially when you are not home.

+ Do not leave animals unattended in your yard.

+ Make sure your animal is not visible from the street.

+ Properly identify your animal with a microchip and/or tattoo, as well as a collar and tag.

+ Be aware of strangers in your neighborhood and report anything unusual.

+ Do not tie your companion animal outside a store and never leave unattended in a car.

+ Spayed/neutered animals are less likely to stray from home.

+ Keep up-to-date photos.

Shell Sullivan

vice president

Homeless Animal Lifeline

Plainfield

Reader blasts N.J. senators for yes votes on Patriot Act

Recently the U.S. Senate voted to extend the seriously misnamed Patriot Act. This act is a vicious attack on the Constitution in the name of fighting terrorism.

It makes a mockery of privacy and the First Amendment, and throws the Fourth Amendment out the window.

And, in a little bit of bipartisan dishonesty, the conference report (which is what was actually voted on today) includes a little piece NOT included in EITHER the original House or Senate versions. It makes it illegal to demonstrate at government-designated events. What happened to our right to "petition for redress of grievances.?"

Both Sens. Lautenberg and Menendez voted for this abomination. They are traitors to our Constitution, our country and the people of New Jersey whom they represent.

I will never vote for either of them, and I will actively campaign against them. Is there an honest Democrat out there who will run against Menendez in the primary? Please step forward. Your country needs you!

Stephen J Spiro

Metuchen

Small lifestyle changes can make a big difference

No matter how you feel about global warming and climate change, it's impossible to deny that the collective activities of billions of people have an impact on our planet. Tsunamis, hurricanes and more subtle changes in weather patterns are all signs that our environment is changing. Faced with a phenomenon of that epic scope, what can we personally do to improve things? After all, one person can't stop a hurricane, right?

Well, you don't have to sell everything you own and live in a cave like an ancient druid to make a difference. Small changes can produce big results!

The Union of Concerned Scientists estimates "the average American generates 20 tons of carbon dioxide every year - about the same amount as three new cars!" You can estimate your own, personal 'carbon footprint' - the amount of carbon dioxide your current lifestyle contributes to global warming through carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions.

You don't have to finish that biochemistry degree you've had on hold; use the Internet! You can find out where you stand by using any of several good online estimators, such as those at: www.go.ucsusa.org/calculator.html; www.yosemite.epa.gov/OAR/globalwarming.nsf/content/ResourceCenterToolsCalculators.html

By answering a few simple questions on topics such as the makeup of your family, driving habits and energy consumption (available on your energy bills), you can find out how much you contribute to greenhouse gas buildup. Better still, you can see how making a few small changes can dramatically reduce emissions with little sacrifice.

Small changes like replacing old mechanical thermostats with digital ones are no-brainers. With the rising cost of home-heating, controlling when the heat is on and off in your home will pay for that new thermostat in no time.

Or how about changing a light bulb? You can handle that, right? The Union of Concerned Scientists estimates carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by more than 90 billion pounds if every American family replaced just one incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent. That's the same as taking 7.5 million cars off the road!

Speaking of cars, if you are a two-or-more car family, be smart about how you use them - use the one that gets the worst mileage the least and combine your errands into as few trips as possible. And as the number and types of hybrid-engine vehicles rapidly expands, consider buying a hybrid when the time comes to replace your older car.

By saving energy and lowering pollution, these small steps can have a big impact on global climate change and even save you a few dollars! Take charge of your contribution to global climate change and the world we hand-off to the next few generations will be a better place!

You can learn a lot more (and get a bunch more emissions-reducing tips) at: www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/solutions/common-sense-on-climate-change-practical-solutions-to-global-warming.

And I hope you'll contact me at info@njconservation.org, or visit the New Jersey Conservation Foundation's Web site at www.njconservation.org, for more information about conserving New Jersey's precious land and natural resources.

Michele S. Byers

executive director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation