LOVE WORKS DAILY 01/16/07 - Danger In The Electronic Frontier

LOVE WORKS DAILY 01/16/07 - Danger In The Electronic Frontier

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INSPIRATIONAL MOMENT:(Great Thoughts By History's Inspired Thinking Men and Women)

Even before accomplishing enlightenment a person knows that everything attests to the existence of God. But these virtuous feelings of innocence disappear as he begins to mingle with corrupt society, because worldly affairs hinder him from swimming in the vast ocean of insight.
-Al-Ghazzali, "Ihya Ulum Id-Din"

TIM's BLOG (Random Thoughts and Tim's Daily World):

Hope all are well today. Tonya returns tonight after 8 daysaway and we look are looking forward to that muchly!
I didn't write todays LOVE WORKS, which is rare. Even morerare, I don't know who wrote it. But it was done sowell that I am going to include it because I could not have doneit better myself.
The fact is, as exciting as the internet is...is hasbecome a very dangerous place as well.
Of course I find this to be a sad thing. People should benice, they should be kind..they should all be good.
But they are not.
With only fragments of information, I could pinpoint yourexact home address and a map to you house.
I just did several internet searches on myself including onlysmall bits of information and was able to locate our home address onthe net.
I detest guns! Detest them. But because this information isso available and I am in the public forum enough to makeit more widespead.....I have a guard dog AND a shotgunthat will greet unwanted visitors. (I wouldn't hesitate toprotect my family, I am trained with firearms...butit would cause me grief beyound imagination to discharge itat a person.)
Makes me sad just thinking about it.
But it's the way of the world now...
Of course, we're changing that...right?!
Love to you!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: (Brand New and Classic Love Works Essays 2001-2007)
Thanks to Lisa for sending me this....
by Anonymous
After tossing her books on the sofa, she decided to grab a snack and get on-line . She logged on under her screen name ByAngel213. She checked her Buddy List and saw GoTo123 w as on. She sent him an instantmessage:
ByAngel213:Hi. I'm glad you are on! I thought someone was following me home today. It was really weird!
GoTo123:LOL You watch too much TV. Why would someone be following you? Don't you live in a safe neighborhood?
ByAngel213:Of course I do. LOL I guess it was my imagination cuz' I didn't see anybody when I looked out.
GoTo123:Unless you gave your name out on-line. You haven't done that have you?
ByAngel213:Of course not. I'm not stupid you know.
GoTo123:Did you have a softball game after school today?
ByAngel213:Yes and we won!!
GoTo123:That's great! Who did you play?
ByAngel213:We played the Hornets. LOL. Their uniforms are so gross! They look like bees. LOL
GoTo123:What is your team called?
ByAngel213:We are the Canton Cats. We have tiger paws on our uniforms. They are really cool.
GoTo123: Did you pitch?ByAngel213:No I play second base. I got to go. My homework has to be done before my parents get home. I don't want them mad at me. Bye!
GoTo123:Catch you later. Bye
Meanwhile......GoTo123 went to the member menu and began to search for her profile. When it came up, he highlighted it and printed it out. He took out a pen and began to write down what he knew about Angel so far.
Her name: ShannonBirthday: Jan. 3, 1985Age: 13State where she lived: North Carolina
Hobbies: softball, chorus, skating and going to the mall. Besides this information, he knew she lived in Canton because she had just told him. He knew she stayed by herself until 6:30 p.m. every afternoon until her parents came home from work. He knew she played softball on Thursday afternoons on the school team, and the team was named the Canton Cats. Her favorite number7 was printed on her jersey. He kne w she was in the eighth grade at the Canton Junior High School . She had told him all this in the conversations they had on- line. He had enough information to find hernow.
Shannon didn't tell her parents about the incident on the way home from the ballpark that day. She didn't want them to make a scene and stop her from walking home from the softball games. Parents were always overreacting and hers were the worst. It made her wish she was not an only child. Maybe if she had brothers and sisters, her parentswouldn't be so overprotective.
By Thursday, Shannon had forgotten about the footsteps following her.
Her game was in full swing when suddenly she felt someone staring at her. It was then that the memory came back. She glanced up from her second base position to see a man watching her closely.
He was leaning against the fence behind first base and he smiled when she looked at him. He didn't look scary and she quickly dismissed the sudden fear she had felt.
After the game, he sat on a bleacher while she talked to the coach. She noticed his smile once again as she walked past him. He nodded and she smiled back. He noticed her name on the back of her shirt. He knew he had found her.
Quietly, he walked a safe distance behind her. It was only a few blocks to Shannon 's home, and once he saw where she lived he quickly returned to the park to get his car.
Now he had to wait. He decided to get a bite to eat until the time came to go to Shannon 's house. He drove to a fast food restaurant and sat there until time to make his move.
Shannon was in her room later that evening when she heard voices in the living room.
"Shannon, come here," her father called. He sound ed upset and she couldn't imagine why. She went into the room to see the man from the ballpark sitting on the sofa.
"Sit down," her father began, "this man has just told us a most interesting story about you."
Shannon sat back. How could he tell her parents anything? She had never seen him before today!
"Do you know who I am, Shannon ?" the man asked.
"No," Shannon answered.
"I am a police officer and your online friend, GoTo123."
Shannon was stunned. "That's impossible! GoTo is a kid my age! He's 14. And he lives in Michigan !"
The man smiled. "I know I told you all that, but it wasn't true. You see, Shannon , there are people on-line who pretend to be kids; I was one of them. But while others do it to injure kids and hurt them, I belong to a group of parents who do it to protect kids from predators. I came here to find you to teach you how dangerous it is to talk to people on-line. You told me enough about yourself to make it easy for me to find you. You named the school you went to, the name of your ball team and the position you played. The number and name on your jerseyjust made finding you a breeze."
Shannon was stunned. "You mean you don't live in Michigan ?"
He laughed. "No, I live in Raleigh . It made you feel safe to think I was so far away, didn't it?"
She nodded.
"I had a friend whose daughter was like you. Only she wasn't as lucky. The guy found her and murdered her while she was home alone. Kids are taught not to tell anyone when they are alone, yet they do it all the time on-line. The wrong people trick you into giving out information a little here and there on-line. Before you know it, you have told them enough for them to find you without even realizing you have done it. I hope you've learned a lesson from this and won't do it again. Tell others about this so they will be safe too?"
"It's a promise!"
That night Shannon and her Dad and Mom all knelt down together and thanked God for protecting Shannon from what could have been a tragicsituation.

Love In Thought! Love In Word! Love In Action!
Love To You Today!

"May we endeavor today to increase our understanding and appreciation of what others have given and contributed to us. And develop constant, mindful consideration of how our thoughts and actions will BENIFICIALLYCONTRIBUTE to others"

The best to you today in discovering the answers to life's difficult questions!

A Final Thought:
Love is always the right thing to do. Even if it isn't the easiest thing to do.
May we have compassion for the struggles of others, wisdom to acknowledge our own, and courage to address them both every day.
Respectfully,Tim

This is a daily newsletter of LOVE WORKS DAILY:A collective of individuals of different beliefs andbackgrounds, dedicated to a better world by living LOVE in thought,word and action. Compassion. Wisdom. Courage.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Peace be with you.

(c)2007 T.Thomas Henry