BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

By DAVID ROSEN It’s time for New York Governor David Paterson to sign the Safe Harbor Act for Exploited Children. The enabling bills have already passed both the state Assembly (A.5258-c) and Senate (S.3175-c), and now it is on the governor’s proverbial desk for passage. The act will end the widespread practice of arresting, prosecuting and incarcerating those 15-years and younger charged with prostitution. In addition, the Act requires the state to establish a variety of community-based services to help young people. These services include: “housing, diagnostic assessment, individual case management, medical services including substance abuse services, counseling and therapeutic services, educational services including life skills services and planning services to successfully transition residents back to the community.” This support is critical so that these children can reclaim their young lives. Traditionally, zealous police and prosecutors have used the fear of jail to not onl...

TWISTED USE OF INNOCENT PHOTOS It always boggles my mind how some pathological, sick people can take something innocent (photos in this case) and twist it into something bad or evil. Like how old lovers can make their exes look like "bunny boilers" the minute the ex asks for explanation, or take pictures or names of children and post them online along with the whereabouts of these innocents for pedophiles to try to pick them off. I hope California finds out who did this and locks them up where they can have "new relationships" with their own kind ! TEEN SWIMMERS' PHOTOS PUT ON GAY SITES Police investigating whether campus dispatcher photographed kids Several gay adult Web sites have posted photographs of teenage water polo players from several high schools in Southern California, a newspaper reported. Some of the pictures, of boys as young as 14, were displayed next to photos of nude young men and graphic sexual content, an Orange County Register investigation ...

SMELLS LIKE ISLAMOFASCIST TWEEN SPIRIT Today was a big "birthdayS" day. My kids became tweens. Something they have both been salivating over for a year now. They have had their first crushes ( one of them still does ) and now they are dealing with bullies, changing bodies and conflicting feelings. There's still some legal wrangling their father is doing with me so that is hard too. We are all doing our best to cope and I am pouring on the unconditional love, understanding and healthy boundaries. I am so deeply proud of them. They are so individual, sweet, empathic and smart. Both of them have a best friend that they talk with. Both have asked for cellphones (the answer is still NO this year). Despite her ADD, one of my children is really working hard at school this year. The other looks to be headed for honors classes, between her subscription to American Girl and peering out her new telescope into the heavens, she's productive and on the honor roll consiste...