Senate Bill # 1738 -- "The Protect Our Children Act"

I had a family member call me and urge me to do this, so...here goes. There is currently a bill in the senate that will be voted on, next week (Sept. 26th). It is Senate Bill #1738, "The PROTECT Our Children Act". This bill has to deal with extra funding to help those in law enforcement to catch more online child predators. This is a SERIOUS crime that is being committed ALL over the world; in our own homes, neighborhoods, towns, etc. Please read the following and contact your state senators and encourage them to vote YES on Senate Bill #1738. The below information gives you step-by-step directions on how to contact your senator, it is VERY easy and VERY quick to do! I chose not to use the "form letter" they posted, I just typed in a simple message, urging them to vote YES. --Before you read this next portion, I must say, I am normally not a big Oprah fan but... the information below was taken from the Oprah website (http://www.oprah.com/), which also contains: a TON of information on "Types of Children Sexual Predators Target & Prey Upon", "Signs Your Child Might Be at Risk Online", "How to Minimize Chances of an Online Predator Victimizing a Child", etc. The information she had on her site, is very informative and something ALL parents should read and put into practice!!! I know you think it might never happen to you or anyone you know, but chances are; it has already happened to someone you know, you just don't "know about it". PLEASE do your part in keeping "our" children safe, contact your state senators! Thanks : )


Help Pass Senate Bill 1738—The PROTECT Our Children Act

Hundreds of thousands of children are victims of sexual abuse each year. Due to the sheer lack of resources, law enforcement is unable to follow up on the majority of leads they have. The PROTECT Our Children Act will:

Authorize over $320 million over the next five years in desperately needed funding for law enforcement to investigate child exploitation.
Mandate that child rescue be a top priority for law enforcement receiving federal funding.
Allocate funds for high-tech computer software that can track down Internet predators.
Act Now! Your U.S. senators will be voting on the bill soon, so it is crucial you contact them immediately. Go to http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm to find contact information for the senators in your state. Search for your senator by name or state by clicking on the arrow from either drop down menu. Contact information is provided here. To send an e-mail, click on "Web Form" below his or her name, and e-mail your letter to make a difference! Call Your Senators If you choose to contact your senators by phone, be sure to tell them, "Vote yes on Senate Bill 1738—The PROTECT Our Children Act."Write to Your Senators If you choose to write a letter, fax, telegram or e-mail, you may use the following sample letter—and modify it how you see fit.

Dear Senator:
I know that you believe, like I do, that we must do everything possible to protect children from sexual predators. That is why I am asking for your help. Last year alone, U.S. law enforcement identified over 300,000 criminals who were trafficking in movies and pictures of young children being raped and tortured. Experts say that one in every three of these criminals has local child victims. Child pornography trafficking over the Internet has given us a trail of evidence that leads straight to their doorsteps, but the vast majority of these children will never be rescued because investigators are overwhelmed, outnumbered and underfunded. As your constituent, I urge you to do everything in your power to pass the PROTECT Our Children Act (S. 1738, Biden-Hatch). This bipartisan legislation passed the House 415-2, but it is now the victim of petty partisan politics. Now that we know where these children are and how to protect them, there is no excuse for the Senate to fail to take action this session. (Your name here)

Instructions for How to Copy and Paste the Letter To copy and paste the letter into your senator's web form at http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm, point your mouse arrow at the beginning of the text that you want to copy. Click your left mouse button and hold it down. While holding the left mouse button, drag your arrow to the end of the text that you want to copy. Release the button. The text should be highlighted. Place your mouse arrow over the highlighted text, click your right mouse button once and let go. A new menu should appear. Select Copy from the drop down menu. When you get to the message form field for your senator at http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm, point your arrow at the beginning of the message field that you want to copy your text to and right click with your mouse. Click Paste from this menu. Submit your form and help our children!