And this new partnership, I believe, is likely to have similar dramatic effects. I'm also pleased to announce a cybertips line - in effect, a 911 number for the Internet. This number will work like an emergency hot line or a crimestoppers tip line, and will take reports on illegal Internet activity related to child pornography and predation. This project is sponsored by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, with a sizeable grant from the Department of Justice. Together, these new initiatives will make a significant difference in the ability of parents and law enforcement to work together to keep our children safe on the Internet.
Most parents quickly learn the value of letting children explore.
Small children can learn much more from emptying a cupboard of pots and pans onto the floor than they could ever learn by direct instruction. Weight, balance, sound, texture, touch, temperature - there is no human being competent to teach a child all those lessons. They're just too vast and varied. Therefore, sometimes the best teaching is to encourage exploring. So, just as a parent covers electrical outlets when a baby is crawling around and locks medicine cabinets to protect children against poisoning, and cushions the hard corners of coffee tables to make a home safe for a child to explore, we must also help parents anticipate and block dangerous places on the Internet to make it safe for a child to explore.