Reps. Palmer, O'Neil, Accavitti, Acciavatti, Adamini, Bieda, Brandenburg, Caswell, Clack, Daniels, DeRossett, Ehardt, Farhat, Farrah, Garfield, Gieleghem, Gillard, Gleason, Hager, Hardman, Huizenga, Jamnick, Koetje, Kooiman, Law, McConico, Meyer, Middaugh, Minore, Pappageorge, Pastor, Rocca, Sak, Sheltrown, Shulman, Stakoe, Stewart, Tabor, Van Regenmorter, Vander Veen, Voorhees, Waters, Wojno, Woodward, Woronchak, Zelenko and Phillips offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 64.

            A resolution commemorating September 2003 as Children’s Internet Safety Month.

            Whereas, The Internet is one of the most effective tools available for purposes of education and research and gives children the means to make friends and freely communicate with peers and family anywhere in the world; and

            Whereas, It is vital to the well-being of children that the Internet offer them a wholesome environment to explore and that its capacity to deliver pornographic material to the innocent be responsibly monitored and effectively screened; and

            Whereas, Children are ill-equipped to cope with lurid Internet content and cyberpredators and are at risk in their own homes, schools, and libraries; and

            Whereas, Parents, religious and government leaders, educators, and rational-thinking people everywhere are concerned about children’s Internet safety, Web manipulation by the unscrupulous, and the rising tide of pornographic Web sites; and

            Whereas, Objectionable material, such as violent, obscene, or sexually explicit adult material may be received by a minor in an unsolicited form; and

            Whereas, It is imperative that Michigan parents, guardians, grandparents, teachers, and family members, along with churches, business and community leaders, and organizations, be alerted to the pervasiveness and danger of pornography on the Internet. Support of this public service initiative will improve the Internet culture within their own spheres of influence; and

            Whereas, The century of instant global communication holds great promise for achieving better understanding among people of the world. A broader resolve is heralded to protect the safety of children in order that the Internet not be perceived as an instrument of cunning, pornographic invitation to the young, but as evidence of profound respect for human dignity, creative inquiry, and commitment to excellence; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we hereby commemorate September 2003 as Children’s Internet Safety Month and express our support for efforts to protect our children against harmful Internet materials; and be it further

            Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to Governor Jennifer Granholm and Lieutenant Governor John Cherry.