Stature or Statute of limitations?

Cheyenne County District Judge Kristine Cecava now suggests he is mentally challenged which was her concern. How simple it would be if you just could click on enlarge picture and it would make him the right height or mental capacity.

But Joe Mangano, secretary of the National Organization of Short Statured Adults, agreed with the judge's assessment that Thompson would face dangers while in prison because of his height. "I'm assuming a short inmate would have a much more difficult time than a large inmate," said Mangano, who is 5 feet 4 inches tall. "It's good to see somebody looking out for someone who is a short person."

One question which seems to be ignored is what if the victim is a short person?

Reaction:

“Recently, a 5' 1" Nebraska man was given 10 years probation instead of jail time for sexually assaulting a child. The judge was concerned for the man's safety in prison. I am personally appalled at the judge's decision. I have great sympathy for short people, especially short children, who are treated badly. Short children face bullying that far exceeds their due. However, when a person steps over the line, in this case far over the line, my sympathy ends. For his heinous crime against a child, this man should be in prison.

I also serve as a trustee of the National Organization of Short Statured Adults (NOSSA). One of our trustees, Joe Mangano, was quoted as supporting the judge's decision. This is not an official position of NOSSA. While I don't believe Mr. Mangano ever intended to support a child molester, his statement to the press was imprudent and he has been removed from the organization. “

Steven B. Goldsmith
Editor, Short Persons Support

http://shortsupport.org/index.html

Clean up on aisle 5

Something else that doesn't add up is trying to reconcile the multiple statistics often quoted concerning missing children. The intent is not to question the contribution but merely to understand the effectiveness of the effort. Sometimes I feel like a dunce, sometimes I don't.

Wal-Mart and SAM’S Club

“As a part of our commitment to keeping kids safe, the Missing Children’s Network was formed through a partnership between Wal-Mart, SAM'S CLUB and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Wal-Mart's Missing Children's Network consists of a bulletin board in every Wal-Mart Store and SAM'S CLUB nationwide. Each bulletin board contains 17 posters of missing children, along with relevant personal information, and is updated monthly. The visibility of the Missing Children's Network bulletin boards and pictures featured on Wal-Mart Television Network permeates big cities and small towns in every corner of the country providing tremendous exposure .To date, photos of over 7,200 children have been displayed. 5,763 of these have been recovered and 143 recoveries resulted directly from one of our boards”.

http://www.missingkids.com

What Wal-Mart Does to Help Find Missing Children.
(See previous post) http://www.walmartfoundation.org

Simple math?

Partnership began in 1996 so it is now 10 years old.
Each bulletin board contains 17 posters updated monthly
To date, photos of over 7,200 children have been displayed

17 posters x 12 months = 204 postings/yr
(assumes new missing children posted each month)

204 postings/yr= 2,040 over ten years.

So is the 7,200 number understated or overstated? Are the updates more frequent?

Here or to go?

As I thought about the McDonald’s articles, it occurred to me McDonald’s are in most Wal-Mart stores (at least the ones I have shopped in). So you may be asking ...“What Wal-Mart Does to Help Find Missing Children.” Here is the answer.

http://www.walmartfacts.com/community/walmart-foundation.aspx#a1294

"...Since 1996, Wal-Mart has posted pictures of missing children in the lobbies of all of our facilities. The display boards have featured more than 7,104 children, more than 5,568 of whom have been recovered. From this number, 141 children have been recovered as a direct result of our bulletin boards.

It is a parent's worst nightmare. Yet, thousands of children are reported missing in the U.S. every day. In stores and clubs across the country, Wal-Mart and SAM'S CLUB are proud to be a part of bringing these children home. As a part of our commitment to keeping kids safe, the Missing Children’s Network was formed through a partnership between Wal-Mart, SAM'S CLUB and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). .."



Wouldn’t you think the number would be higher? Either the display boards would appear not to be as effective as they could be or the average Wal-Mart shopper is apathetic toward missing children or both.

100 million: The number of people who shop at Wal-Mart's 3400 American stores every week.

You deserve a break today....

Interesting story from Nashville, Tn concerning some local Fast Food restaurants. Should there be a policy or law requiring a background check? Most big box retailers will run them to make sure you haven't been convicted of theft.

NewsChannel 5 Investigates: Hiring Sex Offenders

McDonald’s reacts to NewsChannel 5’s investigation and pledges to strengthen its hiring practices to keep out sexual predators.

Read the company’s latest statement here

Part 1: Fast Food restaraunt Restaurants Hire Child Molesters, Sex Offenders
Part 2: Advocate Calls for Boycott, Sex Offender Says Fast Food restaraunt Knew
Part 3: Fast Food restaraunt Manager Molests Kids, Gets Promoted
Part 4: Fast Food restaraunt Misses Sex Offender's Troubled History
Part 5: Fast Food restaraunt Beefs Up Policies to Keep Out Predators

I wonder how tall his victims were?

May 25, 7:23 AM EDT
Judge: Man is too short for prison

Recently released Associated Press story concerning a sex offender in Sydney Nebraska.

Click on post title for full story

May 25th - National Missing Children's Day

Proclaimed National Missing Children’s Day by President Ronald Reagan in 1983, May 25th serves as an annual reminder to make child protection a national priority.

Please take a few minutes to view the currently missing children at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children site http://www.missingkids.com

Home Sweet Home

Does your home have a fenced yard? Do your doors have multiple locks? Do you have an alarm system? Do you have bars on the windows? Is there a neighborhood watch group? Do you live in a gated community? Is there a security guard? Just as each of these have a role in protecting you and your home, all of the myriad of child identification tools may assist in the recovery and identification of missing children.

When you evaluate which of the various missing child tools you should have, it often can becomevery confusing. Do you need a Child ID card, a Child ID Kit, and a Web based Registry for your children? Depending on the site you visit, each may present their offering as a competing solution. Are they really? Maybe it would be better to look at them as complementary rather then competing.

If you or your children do not travel, more then a few miles from home, then a Child ID Kit or card either cd, pc or paper based offering may serve your needs. If you are organized and can find things especially under extreme duress then they may make sense as well. Yes it will take time to upload the information for web based distribution, but as long as the information is readily available it can be retrieved.

However, do you travel even across town, where returning home would require time? Do you live in an area subject to natural disasters where an evacuation or property destruction may limit access? Have you moved to a new city or town, where every area is new to you or your family? If you answered yes to any of these, then a Web based Registry provides greater value as the information will be available to you under each of those circumstances. Since the first few minutes can significantly impact the recovery efforts, having the right tool available at the right time is critical.

Hurricane Center Predicts Calmer Season

By LAURA WIDES-MUNOZ, Associated Press Writer

MIAMI - A hectic, above-normal tropical storm season could produce between four and six major hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico this year, but conditions don't appear ripe for a repeat of 2005's record activity, the National Hurricane Center predicted Monday.

There will be up to 16 named storms, the center predicted, which would be significantly less than last year's record 27. Still, people in coastal regions should prepare for the possibility of major storms, said Max Mayfield, the National Hurricane Center director.

"One hurricane hitting where you live is enough to make it a bad season," Mayfield told reporters.

Last year, officials predicted 12 to 15 tropical storms, seven to nine of them becoming hurricanes, and three to five of those hurricanes being major, with winds of at least 111 mph.

But the season turned out to be much busier, breaking records that had stood since 1851. Last season there were 15 hurricanes, seven of which were Category 3 or higher.

In the center's detailed 2006 prediction report, meteorologists said water in the Atlantic is not as warm as it was at this stage in 2005. Warm water is a key fuel for hurricane development.

Also, it is not clear whether atmospheric conditions that helped produce the 2005 storms will repeat again this year, forecasters said. And, it appears that the Pacific Ocean water conditions known as El Nino and La Nina will not have any impact on the Atlantic hurricane season this year, forecasters said.

The Atlantic seasons were relatively mild from the 1970s through 1994. Since then, all but two years have been above normal. Experts say the world is in the midst of a 20-year-cycle that will continue to bring strong storms.

Between 1995 and 2005, the Atlantic season has averaged 15 named storms, just over eight named hurricanes and four major hurricanes, according to the National Hurricane Center. Before this latest above-normal cycle, from 1971 to 1994, there were an average of 8.5 named storms, five hurricanes and just over one major hurricane.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

June 1st...the start of hurricane season

It is now ten days until the start of hurricane season. Check out the NCMEC spring 2006 quarterly newsletter "The Front Line". The page 4 article, Safety Tips for Families in Hurricane Preparation, is very informative and provides some practical ideas for any natural disaster preparation plans.

"...Just as people secure their homes and belongings before a storm hits, NCMEC urges parents and guardians to take steps to protect their children and to keep their families together. To prepare for hurricane season and other natural disasters,
NCMEC recommends that:

1. families take storm warnings and evacuation orders seriously;

2. parents/guardians know where their children are;

3. families stay together;

4. families take photos with them if they are evacuated;

5. parents/guardians give children identification to
carry with them (name, date of birth, address, phone numbers); for children who are not able to speak for themselves, parents/guardians should consider writing children’s names, birthdates, parents’ names, home address, and telephone/cell number somewhere on the child’s body in indelible or permanent marker, which can be removed with rubbing alcohol after the emergency;

6. families take digital photos and email them to extended family members;

7. parents/guardians make photocopies of important documents and mail them to a friend or relative in a safe location; and

8. families create plans for what to do if they become
separated during an evacuation..."

For further information, please call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-THE-LOST or log onto our website at: www.missingkids.com.

Consider the value of having the information available to you wherever you are and whenever it is needed.

What Does NCMEC Recommend for...?

Are you aware of the difference between recovery and identification tools for missing children? Many parents or guardians would be suprised to learn they may have all the identification information available but without current photos with updated descriptions of their child, they may be delaying the recovery process.

The following is from the NCMEC spring 2005 newsletter "The Frontline".

"...It Is a good time to answer some of the questions we are often asked. In our continuing efforts to provide useful information to parents, guardians, and other family members, we’ve singled out some of the common areas of interest regarding a number of topics.

Photo Identification (ID). Families should have a current photograph of their children, and these photographs can often be obtained free-of-charge or for a nominal fee from a number of sources. Parents and guardians should make sure the photograph is a full-face shot, is in color, and captures the way their children really look. Photographs should be taken at least every six months and kept in a safe and readily accessible place. Not only should parents or guardians have a photograph of their children, they should also have a written description. The description should include hair color; eye color; weight; height; date of birth; and any other unique physical attributes such as eyeglasses, braces, or piercings.

Dentition. Dental X-rays, professional dental charting, and bite impressions (tooth prints)are all useful in making identifications but will in no way find a missing child. Parents and guardians should update dental charts every 2 years until children are 18. Dentition may last for many years and can withstand elements such as fire. Parents and guardians can have bite impressions made using Styrofoam® (egg cartons) but should have a person trained by dental professionals take the impression. Please check with your family dentist to determine if this service is offered. This sample should also be stored in a safe and readily accessible place.

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA). DNA is a key element of what families need to have on hand for their children’s identification and, like fingerprints, will not help find a missing child but is used to identify someone. DNA has become the “gold standard” for all identification matters. NCMEC strongly encourages parents and guardians to take a DNA sample of their children as a precautionary measure in case their children may one day become missing. No one should store DNA except parents and guardians.

Fingerprints. If fingerprints are to be used for identification, they should be taken by a trained professional to help ensure they are properly taken and recorded on a paper stock that will be usable for loading in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Crime Information Center’s computer if a child should become missing.All of these methods of identification can be taken and stored at little or no cost.Retailers, supermarket chains, and other companies often provide opportunities for parents and guardians to have one or more of these identification tools taken for their children. Only parents or guardians should store these items or test results of their children.

Medical Reports. Families should know where their children’s medical records are located. Medical records such as X-rays, permanent scars, blemishes, birthmarks, or broken bones can be helpful in identifying a recovered child. Ask your family doctor if those records can be easily accessed if needed.

Child Safety. Effective child-safety programs are ones children will enjoy and
understand and change children's behavior to help keep them safer. A fundamental premise of prevention education is that children with self-confidence, grounded in safety competence and high self-esteem, are less vulnerable targets for victimization..."

For more information about these and other
safety topics in specific situations, please contact
NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678)
or visit www.missingkids.com