01.28.06

Child Sexual Abuse Awareness

Posted in Blogroll at 20:26 by str8talk

I want to thank everyone who called the show. I wasn’t sure whether people would talk about this. I also want to thank Gus. He has lived his life with courage and strength.

A couple of callers had important points I wanted to pass along. One caller who had a long term relationship with a girl who was sexually abused and the abuse ended at the age of six noted when they started living together she suffered extreme bouts of depression. This pain never can be erased. It affects every aspect of a person. We need to incarcerate pedophiles forever. The goal must be to protect society’s most vulnerable population.

Another caller, an elementary school principal from a Buffalo Public School, said they make the mandatory reports and parent’s come after them. The end result is that nothing gets done. Children are not removed from dangerous homes. Sadly he is right. We have a mammoth bureaucracy in place that is employing adults! I spoke with a CPS worker here in Buffalo and “Taking a child away from a parent is so traumatic that it is a last resort; we really try to work with the parent”. This must stop! The ordinary citizen is the child’s only hope and we must begin to act.

Perhaps the most striking call was at the end of the program. He had found out that four of his children had been sexually abused by an older sibling that had moved back into the house. His advice is excellent and I am going to heed it. I think you should too. Sit down with your children and tell them that sometimes adults get children to do things that they shouldn’t do and it makes kids feel ashamed or guilty. Tell them that you will promise them two things: that you will forgive them for whatever they have done no matter what it is and that you will protect them from the person that did it no matter what it takes; they will never be hurt by that person again. He recommended missingchildren.com as a website that offers a pamphlet for law enforcement officials to use when interacting with a child who may have been abused. I am going to order one today and you should too.

The final thought I want to convey is to never ignore your gut instinct. If you think something is not right it probably isn’t. Make a call. You should also visit the CNN.com website and watch the story about an ordinary hero; Tracy Dean. This could be any of us. Know your children well enough to know when something has changed. Keep your eyes open in all of your activities and you may be able to rescue a child.

Please see my listing of important Keep All Children Safe Links:

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
MissingChildren.Com
National Sex Offender Alert Registry
NYS Child Abuse Hotline
KlaasKids Foundation
Shelly Schratz, Amherst Town Council
Megan’s Law Call for Action
America’s Most Wanted

01.23.06

“Alternative School” Opportunity Knocks Show

Posted in Blogroll at 01:43 by str8talk

The following is the letter sent to Heather Groll, Special Assistant to the Superintendent for Community Relations for the Buffalo School District.  It included the ideas callers had regarding an “Alternative School” being proposed for the Buffalo Public Schools:

Dear Heather,

            As promised the following is a list of the suggestions from my callers.  I have to tell you that we are all rooting for your students.  In order for Buffalo to make a comeback we need all of these bright, beautiful students to be a part of the economic prosperity that has been non-existent in this region.  The district should be proud of the three Lafayette High School students that were on my show. They were smart, articulate and had optimism for their future. They are a credit to their families and their school.

What should be part of an “Alternative School”?

  • Strong JROTC program which would be optional for students but recommended.
  • Intake testing in reading and Central Auditory Processing.
  • Testing for non-verbal learning disorders.
  • Vision testing.
  • Required conflict resolution training.
  • Sports & Music.
  • 4th grade start.
  • One on one tutoring.
  • After school activities.
  • Master Level Social Workers to coordinate parent/guardians, doctors, clergy, therapists and any other person that could assist in the child’s progress.
  • Parent/guardian intake interviews that should be done monthly.
  • Positive behavior modification training for all teachers so that punishment can be minimal.
  • Vocational training options.
  • A boot camp/shock camp for high school students who did not have early intervention.
  • Partner with companies that students can field trip to for observation of jobs in the community.

 What kind of teachers does this school need?

  • Military background for all administrators.  The point was made that we have many military coming back from Iraq that would be excellent.
  • Uniforms for teachers and students. One of the Lafayette girls remarked that kids will be targeted if they don’t have the latest fashion jeans.
  • Proven success in the classroom as far as scores on exams (State & Federal).
  • National searches for teachers with experience in special education and tough learners.
  • Year to year contracts; they can’t come back if their student and parent ratings are not passing.
  • No tenure.
  • Secure building with metal detectors.

I had great callers for this show. Many of them had backgrounds in the area they called about.  Everyone is concerned about the kids, their safety and ability to have the opportunity to succeed. No one wants the dangerous kids babysat at a cost to the taxpayers of over $15,000 per year. They need to be learning and taught by professionals who are trained and paid to teach.  We can either spend money on the troubled kids when they are young and hopefully save a few of them or we run the risk of housing them later at a cost of $30,000 per year in a jail.  One of the things I closed the show with is the fact that these kids are powerless.  Adults have the power; kids do not.  We, the adults need to fix this or their failure will be forever on our shoulders.

Tell Dr. Williams we support him and his efforts!

                                                                        Kathy Weppner

                                                                        StraightTalk

                                                                        WBEN-930-AM

01.14.06

Adult Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD) Show

Posted in Blogroll at 21:19 by str8talk

The best book I have read about adult ADD is entitled “Driven to Distraction” by Edward Hallowell.  I have heard him speak many times and he is very inspirational.  His book is anecdotal and once while I was driving to Syracuse reading it,  I got to the third or fourth profile and I knew I had this.  It was amazing to me that there was an explanation for what I had.  Having an explanation prevents you from beating yourself up when you arrive places late, on the wrong day, or, at the end of the party instead of at the beginning.  It is what makes me so spontaneous and allows me to be an extreme multi-tasker.  A person who is able to get a lot accomplished.  I never could have been successful without the diagnosis and MEDICINE!  You owe it to yourself, if you think you may have this, to get it checked out by a psychologist with experience in adult attention deficit disorder and try medicine.  There is a self test developed by Dr. Amen at: 

http://www.addresources.org/article_checklist.php

 I hope this show was helpful to you.

Action Needed/Sex Offenders

Posted in Blogroll at 20:54 by str8talk

Public Service Announcement 

On January 21, 2006 Megan’s Law is set to sunset.  If this happens 3600 level 1 and 2 sex offenders, who have been in the system for ten years will no longer have to register. Where will they go?  Who will they prey on?   Our Assembly leaders have let us down. All 212 Assembly members are up for re-election. Contact Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver today at speaker@assembly.state.ny.us and  Assembly Majority leader Paul Tokaz at tokaszp@assembly.state.ny.us, tell them you want your elected assembly leaders to vote in favor of extending Megan’s Law before the 21st also tell him you want stronger laws before the primary! We must join together to protect our children if the New York State Assembly will not.  If you would like more information and want to get involved to protect our children, contact Amherst Councilmember Shelly Schratz at sschratz@amherst.ny.us or call 631-7018.

Sheldon Silver: 518-455-3791

Paul Tokasz: 518-455-5921

01.07.06

Megan’s Law

Posted in Blogroll at 19:51 by str8talk

On January 21st  all level 2 & 3 sex offenders who have been in the system 10 years will no longer have to register! All level 3 sex offenders after 2009 can petition to be off the registry. We demand Sheldon Silver allow our elected officials to vote to at least extend Megans Law.

 e-mail the speaker Sheldon Silver at

 speaker@assembly.state.ny.us

Tell him Shelly from Amherst sent you! 

Please do this today!  If we are going to put predators out on the street don’t we have a right t know where some of them are?

21 Things you must believe to be a good Democrat

Posted in Blogroll at 19:45 by str8talk

1. You have to be against capital punishment, but support abortion on demand

2. You have to believe that businesses create oppression and governments create prosperity.

3. You have to believe that guns in the hands of law-abiding Americans are more of a threat than U.S.nuclear weapons technology in the hands of Chinese and North Korean communists.

4. You have to believe that there was no art before Federal funding.

5. You have to believe that global temperatures are less affected by cyclical documented changes in the earth’s climate and more affected by soccer moms driving SUV’s.

6. You have to believe that gender roles are artificial but being homosexual is natural.

7. You have to believe that the AIDS virus is spread by a lack of federal funding.

8. You have to believe that the same teacher who can’t teach 4th-graders how to read is somehow qualified to teach those same kids about sex.

9. You have to believe that hunters don’t care about nature, but loony activists who have never been outside of San Francisco do.

10. You have to believe that self-esteem is more important than actually doing something to earn it.

11. You have to believe that Mel Gibson spent $25 million of his own money to make The Passion Of The Christ for financial gain only.

12. You have to believe the NRA is bad because it supports certain parts of the Constitution, while the ACLU is good because it supports certain parts of the Constitution.

13. You have to believe that taxes are too low, but ATM fees are too high.

14. You have to believe that Margaret Sanger and Gloria Steinem are more important to American history than Thomas Jefferson, Gen. Robert E. Lee, and Thomas Edison.

15. You have to believe that standardized tests are racist, but racial quotas and set-asides are not.

16. You have to believe that Hillary Clinton is normal and is a very nice person.

17. You have to believe that the only reason socialism hasn’t worked anywhere it’s been tried is because the right people haven’t been in charge.

18. You have to believe conservatives telling the truth belong in jail, but a liar and a sex offender belonged in the White House.

19. You have to believe that homosexual parades displaying drag, transvestites, and bestiality should be constitutionally protected, and manger scenes at Christmas should be illegal.

20. You have to believe that illegal Democratic Party funding by then Chinese Government is somehow in the best interest to the United States.

21. You have to believe that this message is a part of a vast, right wing conspiracy.

01.06.06

Bill of Non-Rights

Posted in Blogroll at 01:09 by str8talk

THE BILL OF NON RIGHTS
The following has been attributed to State Representative Mitchell Aye from GA. This guy should run for President one day…
“We the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior, and secure the blessings of debt free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great-grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt ridden, delusional, and other liberal bed-wetters.
We hold these truths to be self evident: that a whole lot of people are confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim they require a Bill of NON-Rights.”

ARTICLE I: You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV, or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.
ARTICLE II: You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone — not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc.; but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.
ARTICLE III: You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful, do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.
ARTICLE IV: You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes.
ARTICLE V: You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we’re just not interested in public health care.
ARTICLE VI: You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don’t be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.
ARTICLE VII: You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don’t be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won’t have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure.
ARTICLE VIII: You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to have a job, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful.
ARTICLE IX: You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to PURSUE happiness, which by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.
ARTICLE X: This is an English speaking country. We don’t care where you are from, English is our language. Learn it or go back to wherever you came from! (lastly….) NOW..
ARTICLE XI: You do not have the right to change our country’s history or heritage. This country was founded on the belief in one true God. And yet, you are given the freedom to believe in any religion, any faith, or no faith at all; with no fear of persecution. The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST is part of our heritage and history, and if you are uncomfortable with it, TOUGH!!!!