Community Galvanizes To Form Internet Safety Group

AMENIA — The Internet Access Safety Committee. The name is a mouthful, but the purpose is concise —to make the World Wide Web a safer place for children.

"I get very frustrated at other parents who won’t step up. There’s too much freedom and there are some parents who just turn a blind eye. It’s very difficult to be a parent, we all know that," said mother Becky Knapp. "It takes a community to raise a child, but sometimes it takes a community to raise a family."

Which is why, last Thursday night, a handful of parents met with Pastor Tom Marshall of the United Presbyterian Church to discuss Internet safety.

Although the turnout to the talk was smaller than anticipated, the brainstorming session led to the creation of the Internet Access Safety Committee (IASC). IASC’s mission is to inform as many people as possible about the dangers that are lurking on the Internet and to figure out ways to make it safer for children.

One such way, according to Marshall, is to require verifiable identification by those who use certain Internet sites. This would be especially useful as a way to curtail underage use of sites like MySpace, an interactive Web site that allows people to post information and photos of themselves and to contact, or be contacted by, other people logging onto the site. It has an age restriction of 14 that is easily evaded by young children. Other Web sites that should require verifiable identification, according to Marshall, are stores that sell alcohol online, often to minors.

"As a minister here I see my people, who have grandchildren, and they’re scared and don’t know what to do," he said. "But the consensus is we have to do something."

Carol Keenan-Kohl was present at Thursday’s discussion. She said she was surprised more people weren’t.

"Getting all of the moms together to start being on the same page and start getting a uniformed set of rules [is a good start]," she said. "This place should be packed to the rafters."

"The way this has escalated to make this the kind of society where we’re so isolated [is unfortunate]," Kim Capellaro said, adding that it’s sometimes hard to break down the barriers created by technology. "I just really believe we all need to partner up more."

"Circle the wagons — as things happen to our kids we see the arrows, our kids don’t," Marshall said. "It’s one of the metaphors that really works for me."

Despite the low turnout, Marshall rallied and said the group’s strength is in its numbers.

"It’s in our ability to get the message out," he said. "If other people feel the same way we feel [that’s helpful]. We have a passion to protect our children."

"The scary part is that they’re so far ahead of us electronically," said Terri Anello, director of Christian Connection Ministries. "Yet you see how vulnerable they are."

Marshall mentioned the two Amenia girls, one 11 and one 12, who recently went missing for a day and a half after they contacted a person they met on MySpace. The girls are back home now but there are two men facing charges in the case, ranging from predatory sexual assault against a child (which could hold a life sentence), to first degree rape (which could hold a 25-year sentence) to criminal facilitation in the second degree (which could hold up to a 15-year sentence).

"That was too close to home," Marshall said of the incident.

"What scares you most about the Internet?" he asked those at Thursday’s talk.

"It cuts you off from real space," answered Keenan-Kohl.

"It’s a communication tool subject to a lot of abuses," added Marshall. "And there are no secrets on the Web. It’s pretty scary stuff."

"I’m intimidated by the technology because I’m not as computer savvy as my girls are," answered Knapp.

"The question becomes, if our children have access, and others have access to our own kids, how safe are we?" asked Capellaro.

"The key is for us to mobilize. We have to come together to spread word to other communities," Marshall said. "There needs to be an understanding of what’s at stake and what power we have as individuals."

The pastor recommended that as many people as possible make as much noise as possible to urge Web sites like MySpace to put a family filtering system on their pages. He also suggested that the noise continue wherever it may be productive: with government, schools, churches, workplaces, friends and family.

"You have to put the discussion out there," he said. "And sometimes you have to shake the tree."

The Internet Access Safety Committee will meet again on Thursday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m., at the United Presbyterian Church on Route 22 in Amenia. All are encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Marshall at 845-373-9556.