Email to WSVN (local FOX affiliate)

The subject line on the email was "myspace.com story rebuttal"

Hello,

I saw a teaser on your upcoming program, and was dismayed by the heavy negative slant on this story.

I am a myspace user, as are most of my kids. While protection is good... awareness is better.
Meaning: there is no substitute for teaching your children the perils of this world prior to their having to encounter such things.
In a perfect world there would be no evil, but alas... there is... and turning a blind eye does not diminish its veracity.

When you seek to curtail your children's activities it leads to two things:
1. The child does not feel trusted and conversely finds it difficult to trust others, and
2. The feeling of "damned if I do, damned if I don't" will lead that same child (who might have been the most upstanding and honest child ever) to lie and hide things from parents.

I believe in allowing my children a sense of privacy, while keeping an eye (quietly) on their activities.
As a result, my children allow me into their world and know they can turn to me with any question no matter how oddball or off-the-wall it might seem.
Online, I allow them nearly complete freedom.

I don't allow my children to go wherever they want to and do whatever they please in the physical realm, but I do allow them that freedom online, because they are learning how to express themselves there. HOWEVER there are those red flags and negative instances which I won't belabor because WSVN has already done so in their segment on the subject.
I would say that anything hate-related should definitely be investigated - but then the apples don't fall far from the tree, do they?

I think it is important that you show the good side of myspace.com such as the Pay it Forward group and other positive groups designed to assist others and offer advice.
I created such a group myself in response to a perceived need. There is a balance.
For every loser, pervert or creep you find on myspace there is also an angel there, working to make this world a little kinder and friendlier.
Please don't forget that in the "dirty laundry" game.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you'll consider what I've said and make a sincere effort to look at "the flip side" of the situation your report covers.
I'd be glad to write the piece for ya, LOL

Sincerely,
Mrs. Lydia Shelley
Hollywood FL viewer

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