PARENTAL RESPONSE

MY NAME as author of the blog: Katherine Wilkins
TITLE OF MY BLOG : Children 4 Sale
NAME OF PERSON WITH WHOM I SHARED MY BLOG: Karen Ottenstein
RELATIONSHIP OF PERSON TO ME: Mother
DATE I SHARED MY BLOG: 10/09, 12/09, 2/24/10

COMMENTS  FROM RELATIVE WHO LISTENED TO MY EXPLANATION AND READ MY BLOG:


   Having reviewed this blog a number times over its evolution, I am impressed by Katherine's expanding knowledge on this difficult topic. I have learned from her writings. Additionally, the process itself is interesting. I am able to review an outline of the information gleaned from the source, then read Katherine's interpretation of this information, her feelings around the material and how it has effected her. As a parent, it is always intriguing to discover your child's feelings around her environment. 
   I am impressed by the variety of resources that were used. 
   I did have some difficulty in reading the notes where the writings and the background were both purple. I did like that the notes and responses were in different fonts.
   I am intrigued by Katherine's response to the recent article on the Baptists who were transporting Haitian children illegally. I do not know the source of the information (presumably the popular press), nor do I know the intent of the Baptists. NOne the less, the idea that the children were being abducted for nefarious purposes is pure speculation. I think that a critical eye is important when reading an article in the press. Regardless, I am glad that there was a current issue that touched upon this somewhat remote subject matter. For me, this article really brought this topic home for me. 
   Regarding the article on the 14 year old girl who put her nudity on MySpace for all to see, I wish that I had a clearer idea of how Katherine felt about this action. The article is entitled "a mistake", but this activity (social networking by computer) involves an area in which Katherine is intimately involved and I am not. Many of her thoughts around this activity are contrary to my own. I would have liked to better understand how this article effected her. 
   I appreciate Katherine sharing her work with me. I am happy that her sharing her work with an individual outside of the classroom is an important part of her education. I am honored to be a part of it. 

{13} A Silly Mistake- RESPONSE

This debate about adolescents has been controversial for years. This article is particularly interesting to me due to the fact that my school has been dealing with this issue quite a lot this year . The points that the maker (The Young Turks) of the video pointed out were new to me. Yet now that they have been explained they make a lot of sense. The most eye opening opinion to me was when the maker compared the case of a pictures of a young girl and an adolescent masturbating. This is something that many, including myself, would never think of, but they make sense. You may be curious why a topic on child porn is on a child sex trafficking blog. This is because child pornography is closely linked to physical sex with children. They are sisters, different in some ways, yet so close in issues.

{13} A Silly Mistake- NOTES

-there was a case where a fourteen year old girl put a picture of herself nude on Myspace

     >the debate arose whether or not she should be put down as a sex offender for the rest of her life

     >in the end she was given 6 months probation

          +many think this was even too drastic

     >the maker of the video believes: 

          +that the girl should have had to take the picture off the internet and have a conversation with her parents. That's what parents are for.

          +he compared this case to when an underage boy or girl masturbates, does this mean they are a child molester? No. So why is this any different?

          +this girl made a terrible mistake, but that doesn't mean she has to regret it for the rest of her life

          +her biggest punishment will be having to deal with it at school. No law discipline will ever match that

          +the law enforcers arrest people willy nilly to cover their butt. They would get in a lot more trouble if they didn't arrest someone they should of rather than if they arrest someone they shouldn't have.

-cases such as these continue to be a contriversy across the world

{12} Truley The Act of G-d? -RESPONSE

So far this has been the article that has effected me the most so far. To hear about a report (written on sex trafficking) just days ago, showed me the true life I am living in. I believe that regaurdless of "the Babtists" intentions they should be harshly penalized. If they were indeed taking the children to give them a better life, then why couldn't they just get the legal documents? Why was it all a big secret? Why were they taking children away from their parents? This is plainly nothing short of kidnapping in one of the largest degrees. To think how much Haiti and it's inhabitants are all ready going through at this time, this is certainly not making it any better. I cannot wait to hear these kidnappers conviction and disapline.

{12} Truley The Act of G-d? -NOTES

-10 US Baptists tried to take 33 children out of Haiti without permission

    >”they knew what they were doing wrong”

    >the Baptists say “G-d told them to”

    >these people now must get tried in the US because the judicial system was ruined by the resent earthquake in Haiti

    >the major question now is whether these people were acting in good faith (as they say) or as child traffickers

        +the only cold fact known on this is that they had no paper work or permission, and they knew it

        +however if they were indeed acting in good faith, then the courts may be more lenient

    >members of the church group from Idaho are insisting they were “only trying to rescue child victims of the quake” although “few had any experience in international charity”

    >they have yet to be charged

    >one of their lawyers has stated that they are being treated very poorly

    >the 33 children, ranging in age between 2 months and 12 years, were being sheltered in a temporary children’s home

        +one nine year old girl (crying) said that she, as most of the other children, were not orphans, they were told they were going on vacation and their parents would visit them

    >the government is estimating that the rise in celebrities adopting children from other countries (such as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) has made the trafficking of children seem lawful, celebrated, and glamorous

    >when asked a mother (44) of five said that many parents were giving some of their children away to foreigners to give them a better life. she said "I've been thinking how I will choose which one  I may give." she also stated "My only fear is that they would forget me."

    >due to the Haiti’s overwhelmed government they have halted all adoptions unless they were in process before the earthquake took place.

    >the government stated that since the earthquake “Sex trafficking has been rampant in Haiti.” due to this the Prime Minister Max Bellerive's personal authorization is now required for the departure of any child.

    >currently the kidnapped children are trying to be reunited with their family, so far only one child has