KID REPORT
December 9, 2002
Meeting the President
TFK Kid Reporter Ashley Williams meets President Bush as he signs a kids' bill into law
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Watch a video of Ashley and President Bush (requires RealOne Player)
You know how your parents are always telling you, "Be careful on the Internet!" and constantly asking you "Do you know who you are instant messaging?" The government has an idea to help. On Wednesday, December 4, President Bush signed a bill that proposed an Internet "safe zone" just for kids ages 12 and under. All website addresses that are a part of this zone will be www.(the address).kids.us.
 |  TFK Kid Reporter Ashley gets a personal tour of the Oval Office from President Bush. |
Meeting President Bush
I had the pleasure of going into the Oval Office and the Roosevelt Room to watch President Bush sign the bill. It was awesome being able to go into the Oval Office, and the President told me about his desk and his rug (that Laura Bush made!)
After the President signed the bill in the Roosevelt Room, he made a short speech about it. "We want to safe-guard children while they are using the computers," said the President. "This bill will make an Internet safe-zone that will be monitored for content and safety."
Getting Answers From Senator Dorgan
Why was this bill passed? I interviewed North Dakota Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan, who helped introduce the bill, for some answers. "The Internet is a wonderful educational place for children," said Senator Dorgan. "It also has some ugly features to it which are horribly inappropriate for children. It is our job to protect children from things that are inappropriate for them."
|  Ashley poses with Senator Dorgan after their interview. |
Many kids feel that instant messaging should be allowed on ".kids.us" but lawmakers disagree. "Instant messaging is very hard to control," said Senator Dorgan. Therefore it will not be available on .kids.us until it can be proven totally safe.
Another concern is that what is suitable for an older kid may not be suitable for a younger kid. Senator Dorgan responds: "Kids will be able to choose where they want to go." He said the new law allows a 7-year-old to go to a site that is geared for a 7-year-old, and a 12-year-old to go to site geared for a 12-year-old.
Meeting the President was exciting, yet I am also excited for the kids' Internet. "It will probably be a couple of years before we see the first sites of .kids.us.," said Senator Dorgan. Once the kids' Internet is complete, there may be fewer Internet questions from your parents!
