Ethics Surveys – Resources by Business Ethics Speaker Chuck Gallagher

As a business ethics speaker I am often asked if there are any tools available to evaluate business ethics.  So, realizing that I can be a resource, I am providing four links below that might help.

Take the quizzes – look at the results and see how you measure up.

As always I would love to have your comments!

http://resources.monster.com/tools/quizzes/bizethics/

http://kenan.ethics.duke.edu/measureup/irb.php

http://www.thecro.com/node/467

http://gmj.gallup.com/content/107527/Evaluating-Your-Business-Ethics.aspx

Social Networking, Social Media, Social Web and Ethics – Are They Compatable? Ethics Speaker Chuck Gallagher Comments!

For a 51 year old former Sr. VP of Sales and Marketing, current business ethics speaker and fraud prevention consultant, I am finding web 2.0 and/or social media (or whatever title you give it) to be a vast open space for opportunity and/or disaster. And for those of us who are growing into this new frontier the pitfalls can be dramatic and costly.

One year ago I had no clue what web 2.0 was or meant. Frankly neither did most of my counterparts. Those of us in the Baby Boom generation just didn’t get it. As far as we were concerned sites like MySpace and Facebook were for kids. And, frankly, we didn’t have a clue what the fascination was all about. Just really seemed like a colossal waste of time. Either the “young” folks were texting – seemed like speed dial and a call was quicker – or they were writing in some unknown code that was designed to keep those of us with budding grey hair confused. And confused we were.

Then, for reasons I still don’t fathom, I began – like many others of my generation – to find some attraction to just what the fuss was all about. Viola…Baby Boomers connect and the world for us changes.

AMAZING FACTS:

According to site analytics reported on in compete.com for December 2008 the following amazing statistics are available:

Number of Unique Visitors:

Facebook 59,675,502

MySpace 59,544,152

LinkedIn 9,349,996

In all three cased the number of people visiting these sites increased for the month of December 2008 and increased for the year for both Facebook and LinkedIn.

IMPACT FOR ADULT SOCIAL MEDIA CONNECTIONS:

While the number of uses for MySpace (mostly high school and college aged users) has remained flat, the more adult related sites has skyrocketed. The number of unique visitors to LinkedIn over 2008 has increased 153.9% and unique visitors to Facebook has increased 85.7%. While there may be those who disagree, I submit that the great majority of the increased visitorship to these sites is coming from adult users that are beginning to learn how to tap into the value of social media connections.

The growth is incredible as I am seeing daily (yes daily) the number of people in the Baby Boom group who are beginning to figure out that they will be left behind if they don’t join the social media revolution. The message that one might share is instantaneous and the access to data is vast. The power for branding, marketing and media messaging is limited only by the narrowness of ones mind.

INTERCONNECTED – FOR BETTER OR WORSE:

First, let me say, you do have control over when and how you use these tools. That said, the reality is you are interconnected. For example I am working with a social media site called twitter. Now for those who twitter it makes perfect sense (I guess). For me, well…I’m trying to figure it out. But one thing I do know is that since my twitter postings are linked to my facebook account, every time I make a post to twitter my facebook is updated.

That interconnection can be a great benefit. But, it has to be one that is managed. As a baby boomer and professional speaker and consultant I quickly got the value of these social media site from a marketing and branding perspective. And, I promise for those who really get it, I’m no where close to truly maximizing the value that can be gained there.

Here’s an example of the power of social media at work. As I began writing this blog I posted a comment on twitter (which like Facebook and LinkedIn is growing exponentially). I stated that I was writing this article and would be open to suggestions. The request was posted on twitter – which linked to my facebook page. Just a moment ago I looked on my facebook page and has two responses, both of which were very helpful.

Here are their comments with some minor edits:

A professor from Texas writes: “Who owns my data?” Guess what – Facebook owns what you put on your profile. Not you. Take your page down? Doesn’t matter, they still have, and own, that information.

A professional speaker from Florida writes: I am amzaed how social media has taken off the way it has…. I do not like it when people think it is the perfect place to push their MLM or any other products or services.

Don’t get me wrong I think that MLMs are a great business to get into. But please first read the secret behind “Permission Marketing” as taught by Seth Godin. If you use this … (read More Strategy )it does work. I know I have people who write me and call me and I don’t really know them but they feel like I am there best friend. This is all done by “Permission Marketing” not by pushing yourself upon your friends list.

Also becareful what you post on someone’s “Wall” where everyone can read it. I will sometimes post something on their Wall and then follow-up with a direct private message to further explain the details or the private information. There are somethings you don’t want everyone to know without the permission of the other parties involved.

ETHICS, CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES:

Every choice has a consequence. Every time you call someone or write a note, you make a choice that has a consequence. Perhaps your call or note is received with joy and the consequence is deemed positive. Likewise, many in turbulent economic times are receiving calls or notes that result in the loss of jobs and – the consequence is much different.

The same applies to every entry or contact in a social media environment. I, for example, write about ethics and fraud – white collar crime mostly. I am aware that with the touch of the keyboard, I publish data that some find helpful and refreshing and others find offensive. Believe me I have heard from those who do find my work distasteful. In any event, I understand that the way we interact on the web is much different and substantially more powerful than what we have previously been accustomed.

So here are some questions (feel free to comment below – who knows where the dialogue will take us):

• If you use social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter for business promotion, are you concerned more about your privacy or the promotion of your business?
• If you had to choose between LinkedIn or Facebook – which site would you select and what motivates that selection?
• If you use Facebook, do you feel that it is ethical to look at the friends of your friends and request a connection to them?
• Would you rather expand your network of “friend” or “connections” or maintain your privacy?
• How do you feel social media networking is different than networking – say through a chamber of commerce event?

As times passes, like with anything, we will all learn and grow. Meanwhile, the issues of what, how and where to use social media and what is fondly called web 2.0 are unfolding.

One last comment before this entry is closed out… As I speak often to university students I find that they too have an amazement at this whole social media issue. This comment just came through on my facebook page. It is accurate and demonstrates just how we need to think about the balance between social, marketing and privacy. Here’s the comment:

Fascinating. I find the balance of being public and yet wanting privacy control a tight balance. Companies are using FB as an HR research/background tool.

Your comments are welcome…

Business Ethics and Tutorial Websites Like ‘studentoffortune.com’ – Really?

Just like clockwork every day I receive an e-mail from google listing the new content for a selected topic – “Business Ethics” – a topic I specialize in as a speaker. Most days there is something of interest – either a new article, headline or blog posting. But over the course of the past several weeks I have begun to see a new entry in this arena and I must say it caught me by surprise.

Read below – as this is copied from the goole alert that I received in early November 2008. After you read, I’ll offer some comments.

$50.00 – Research Paper Business Ethics
Research Paper Needed My topic will be Freddie Mac and the mortgage crisis, government bailout and the ethical impact this had on the nation. Research Paper Requirements 1) Length: 5 – 7 pages (Not including title page and reference …
Student of Fortune – Recent Questions – http://studentoffortune.com/

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Maybe it’s just me, but frankly I was amazed. It appeared that “studentoffortune.com” was a brokerage house for – what I would describe as – truly unethical practices. I was shocked. I knew that there were places on line where one might buy papers, etc. for school, but never thought that someone could advertise blatantly for homework “prostitution.”

Well I looked a bit further…and another entry that made the “google” list for business ethics. Hum…

$50.00 – Business Ethics
Has anyone taken a Business Ethics Class, I am totally lost. I do not know how to get the APA references the only reference the teacher wants us to use and I have a paper do. I go to the online library but is finding myself lost. …
Student of Fortune – Recent Questions – http://studentoffortune.com/

Wow…

Well maybe this wasn’t what I thought it was until I researched the site. As best I can tell it is promoted as on-line tutorial for money. O.K. I thought. But the idea of a tutorial is help – not someone doing it for them. So, tell me if I’m wrong, but look at this next one – cause what I see is someone buying a paper for $10.00.

$10.00 ECO205 Final Project: Industry Research Completion (Auto Industry)

• From Economics: General-Economics , Economics: Financial-Markets
• Due on Nov. 12, 2008
• Asked on Nov 09, 2008 at 11:51:52PM

Q:

Final Project: Industry Research Completion
· Resource: Appendix A
· Due Date: Day 7 [Individual] forum
· Write a 1,750- to 2,450-word paper in APA format that provides an economic profile of
the industry you have researched. In your paper, discuss how the following impact the
industry.
o Shifts and price elasticity of supply and demand
o Positive and negative externalities
o Wage inequality
o Monetary and fiscal policies
· Conclude your paper with final thoughts on:
o How the economy affects the success of your chosen industry
o Economic influences that can affect the industry in a negative way
· Post your paper as a Microsoft© Word attachment.

Attachments:
eco205_appendix_a[1].doc (41K)

Somehow…I see this bastardizing the whole concept of BUSINESS ETHICS.

Would love to have your comments…perhaps some of you see something different than what I see on the surface.

Bank of America – Taking Advantage of Youth – Is that Ethical?

As my fingers rest on the keys of this keyboard, I have heard from colleagues that I should avoid writing on this subject – as Bank of America – might elect to be a client and wouldn’t appreciate negative publicity. My question back to them was – as an ethics speaker and author – don’t I have a responsibility to speak the truth?

“Yes” was their reply “but at what peril?”

So…being honest I have debated for days whether to write or not. In the end…I have elected to as I feel that ethical choices – at times – may mean less money or less business – but in the end – doing the right thing will always pay off. If I am to discuss someone else’s ethics, I must stand behind mine.

THE STORY: My son, Alex, received his “check card” and bank account from deal ole dad (that would be me) sometime after he was 16 years old. Weekly I would place his allowance on it and tried to help him understand how to responsibly use this first intro into banking.

He kinda got the idea – in that he knew if he presented his card that if there were no funds it would not be accepted. Likewise, he knew that he could take the card to the ATM and check the balance anywhere. Simple – so he thought.

Quick Reality Check: What the bank shows as an available balance isn’t always THE available balance. You would think in this modern day of instant transactions that once you use the card the amount used would “immediately” be subtracted from your account. Most of us adults know – NOT SO. Young people don’t get that. Let me repeat – YOUNG PEOPLE DON’T GET THAT! They think that if you send a text (for example) and it arrives within seconds – then when you use your card the money is withdrawn in the same time. In their minds why would it not be?

Back to the story – So as Alex nears the end of his 17th year he overdraws his account. Seems that he didn’t know the balance in his account when he drove into the convenience store one weekend. He pumped gas and paid with his checkcard. A little later that day, he went to the Bank of America ATM and checked his balance. All seemed well. So he went to the movie, purchased some popcorn and a drink, later purchased a sandwich from Subway and got some gum from the convenience store. All purchases were made with his checkcard – against a balance he thought he had – afterall, the ATM told him his balance “after” he pumped his gas.

Adult readers know exactly where this is going. The gas purchase had not yet been removed from his account as it was done over the weekend…and all the other purchases exceeded the balance in his account. HE WAS OVERDRAWN.

Is that the ethical issue – Not a chance – that’s life. And at times life comes at you hard. For Alex the very real realization was that for each overdraft he owed $35. Yes – my son – you owe $35 for purchasing a $1.29 pack of gum. “That’s not right dad,” I remember him telling me. To which I replied, “Then take it up with the bank…you got yourself into this you can pay yourself out.”

HELP WITH AN INTERESTING TWIST: Up to this point the issue is my son screwed up. But, true to my suggestion he went to his local Bank of America branch to seek help. Oh, by this point he had turned 18.

He met with the Assistant Manager and told her his plight. She was kind in helping him (so it seemed) and “split the difference” on the overdraft charges – she forgave some and he paid the rest – then she suggested that he apply for a “STUDENT CREDIT CARD.” She told him that the credit card would provide him overdraft protection and keep him from having problems like he just had.

What do you think he did? He SIGNED UP! No questions asked…it just seemed like a good idea and (not knowing any better) he took her trusted advice. She did tell him that he would need to link it to his account when he got it. Reality check: Link it to an account when you’ve never had a card before doesn’t connect. That’s like telling a guy in his 20’s you need to have your PSA checked. They’ll look at you and say O.K., but not know what a PSA test is!

Reality Check: Likewise, she never told him that the suggestion she was offering was not “free.” Turns out that if the card is linked to the account it will advance funds to cover an overdraft (that’s what he was told). What he was not told was that there is a COST involved. Seems that Bank of America charges $10.00 per overdraft transfer. Hum…so let me get this straight – the $1.29 pack of gum which cost him $36.29 would now cost him $11.29. Great deal huh?

Back to the story… The card came in and he did exactly what he thought she told him to do. It said on the card – call this number to ACTIVATE your card. Well since it had been a week or so since he had been in the bank – he assumed that the instructions on the card were what she was talking about and so he did what he was told to do (or so he thought) and he activated the card.

BIG PROBLEM NOW: A month of so passes – no problems – then in July ’08 he overdrew his account again – and again it was the weekend nightmare. Minor purchases were made – 10 in fact – that each were overdrawn from his checkcard. POINT OF INTEREST: For any readers, if your children have checkcards – do they maintain a check register? My guess is NO! Most of them have never written a check in their lives and don’t connect with the “write it down and keep the balance” mentality of adults. The rest of this story – YOU GOT IT – HE WAS CHARGED $350.00 in overdraft fees.

He was devastated and I was furious. He went back to Bank of America and once again talked with the same Assist Manager who encouraged him to get the credit card (without full disclosure – that begs and ethical question). She told him that he was to “link” it. He thought by “activating it” he had. No…per this Assistant Manager it was his fault. There was nothing she could do to help him. Well, she could transfer the OVERDRAFT charges to his credit card and clear his checking account.

Faced with no acceptable option he elected to have the fees transferred over to his credit card. NOW LET ME GET THIS IN MY HEAD. A bank officer with Bank of America suggests a kid get a credit card to help with overdrafts. She doesn’t follow up to link the account of have it automatically link, she assumes that kids who have ZERO experience will know what to do. She doesn’t tell him that there are continued charges if he does overdraft. Oh, and she suggests the transfer of $350 of fees (profits to Bank of America) into a credit card where they will get MORE FEES. Sorry, but that just seems irresponsible, greedy and UNETHICAL.

THE REST OF THE STORY: It’s early October ’08 and my son is now in college. He and I visit another Bank of America branch seeking help for this situation. We met with another Assistant Manager who appeared to want to help. We shared the story and she was appalled. She said that anytime she suggested that a kid get a card – she would follow up to make sure the card was linked. That made sense to me.

With a Masters in Accounting – I understood the numbers. While I didn’t like the fact that my son was maneuvered into a credit card that still cost him should he overdraft his account, I accepted that fact.

So what would be a fair outcome? I suggested that if the card had been linked properly in the first place he would have been charged $10 for each overdraft incident or $100.00. He was charged instead $350.00. It would seem the fair, just and ethical response would be a $250.00 credit on his card. SIMPLE.

Nope…not so…you see there’s profit involved and which branch would “suck up” that loss? The branch in his college town called the branch in his home town. One Assistant Manager talked to the other Assistant Manager. At least the one in his home town told the truth – the facts are as I’ve stated. But she was unwilling to take the charge – afterall it would be charged against her branch. (And apparently Bank of American needs all the money it can earn from what ever source including unsuspecting young people). Of course, the Assistant Manager in his college town…well, she was sympathetic but unwilling to take the charge either – afterall she or her branch didn’t create the problem.

QUESTIONS: Does a bank have a responsibility to fully disclose all charges and possible pitfalls when suggesting to young people that they subscribe to a product of theirs?

Is it right to suggest to a young person that they should obtain a credit card for a specific purpose without first disclosing that there are fees for the application of that purpose?

Is Bank of America so motivated by profit at the branch level that they would elect to look past the obvious ethical choice in order to keep $250.00 profit from an 18 year old who knew no better?

Perhaps the last question: Am I the one off base here?

Oh…per the Bank of America Web Site related to their Code of Business Ethics the following is stated: The code, in effect, explains what we mean when we say one of our core values is “doing the right thing.” Somehow I can’t think that charging unsuspecting newly turned 18 year olds is “the right thing” – but perhaps I am off base?

Your comments are encouraged and welcome!

Message To My Son – Every Choice Has A Consequence! Hear My Voice Speak from A Painful Prison Experience!

Tonight this blog entry is very personal for me.  I have debated whether to write it and share.  It is easy to talk about other people’s issues and problems, it is even easy to talk about my own, but when they come home to you it often brings up pain that seems, at times, best supressed.

I spent time in Federal prision for stupid choices I made, now some 23 years ago.  As a speaker today, I share with audiences from coast to coast the valuable lessons I have learned from the consequences that followed the painful mistakes I have made.  I am not proud of my past.  I am not proud of having served time in Federal prison.  I am not proud of the shame and financial hardship I have brought on my family.  I am not proud that I was a poor husband and did not live up to my commitment to my wife.

A wise man, however, once told me, “You have made a serious mistake; however, YOU are not a mistake!”

Those words, spoken to me in a phone conversation in Boise, Idaho, saved my life.  It was then that I knew, whatever the consequences I must face for the actions I had made, if I could somehow teach my children and lead them to make better choices – it would be worth it.

Tonight one of my son’s shared with me quite innocently, that he had taken (stolen to be clear) something insignificant from a local store while a freshman in college.  Even as I write this I am having trouble coming to grips with the depth of emotion I feel.  The joy that we experienced just moments and hours earlier was shattered with this revelation.

Consciously I tried to pass it off as a simple college prank, a dumb choice.  I thought to myself, “Surely everyone has shoplifted once in their life.”  But in reality, no matter what I thougth or tried to think, there was no way to describe the depth of sadness I felt knowing that my child who I saw through innocent eyes, was marching down the same path that I walked some many years ago.  My heart ached.

As we parted tonight I needed time to collect my thoughts.  Here I was a motivational speaker – addressing groups on business ethics, on choices and consequences, and yet the greatest audience that I needed to address was my son!  Perhaps the greatest speech I will ever give will be to him.

While I can’t speak for you who read – if anyone will read this entry – but at times I can more powerfully speak after I have had time to write as writing to me brings clarity.  God knows I have to have clarity of message if I am to help my son learn from my mistakes.  Therefore the following is an e-mail I wrote to him, hoping that it will pave the way for a frank and loving discussion tomorrow.

It will be just you and I having lunch tomorrow.  I feel that we need some time together – just us two.

Tonight was a bit of a roller coaster for me.  I was so happy to see you.  You don’t have any clue just how special you are to me and how loved you are by me.  I may not say it enough or show it enough, but it doesn’t change the fact that the feeling is there.  Dinner was great as was the conversation.  It always is with you.

I know it was not intentional, but the bombshell you dropped on me that you would willingly steal something sent shock waves through me.  I may poke fun at my experience in prison, but it was a very real and painful experience.  I poke fun to mask the true pain and shame I feel from the choices I made.  And, yes, today I still pay the price for those choices.

In my wildest dreams I would never have thought that you would do (yes, I know it is not the magnitude of what I did), what I did – knowing the painful price we all paid.  I am sad, angry and disappointed.  I am disappointed that you would, either by desire or peer pressure, do something that (I assume) you know is wrong.  I believe that in your youthful stupidity, you have no clue the significance of taking that first innocent step.

What I did was wrong, but understand I didn’t start by stealing a bunch…it started by stealing a little and finding out that I didn’t get caught.  Whether you want to admit it – you have done the same thing.  There is no difference and there is no justification.  It takes three things to commit a fraud and you proved to me tonight that you, just like I, can use all three and that makes me deeply sad.

Tonight the joy I have with you as my child has turned to a deep concern for you as an adult.  Every choice has a consequence and you have yet to see or experience the consequence of your choice.  Do not follow in my footsteps.  I can hear you now saying to me, “Dad, I won’t.”  But your actions tell me that you are capable of doing just that and, trust me, prison as a result is not worth any stupid choice.

As your father, allow me to serve as example of what not to do.  If I can do that, then the painful consequences of my past choices will be worthwhile.

If there has ever been a time to listen to your dad – now is that time.  Please read these words more than once and know that my love for you doesn’t change.

See you tomorrow.

Dad

In our lives there are defining moments, this is one for him and me.  It is true, we all make mistakes, but we are not mistakes.  I pray that the words I share in love will be heard and understood.  I pray that he will get it.  There is power in numbers so those who read with compassion…join me in praying that this message finds willing ears in my son and, too, for all the others who hear in my presentations to youth nationwide.

MySpace Hoax Results in Indictment! Lori Drew Faces 20 Years In Prison

Two years after Megan Meier committed suicide Lori Drew, age 49, was indicted for her alleged role in Meier’s death.

In an earlier blog I wrote:

In 2006 a Missouri teenager hanged herself after being rejected by a 16 year old boy she met on MySpace. Well, at least that’s what she thought. The reality was the “16 year old boy” was really the mother of one of the girls former friends.

The motive? It seems the mother was allegedly trying to exact revenge on Meier, who had allegedly dissed her daughter. This sick, twisted and childish choice took and emotional toll on a young person who was emotionally vulnerable and cost her – her life!

The earlier blog is presented in full here.

According to a CNN report –

Drew faces up to 20 years in prison on charges of conspiracy and accessing protected computers to obtain information to inflict emotional distress.

The indictment, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, accuses Drew and others of registering on MySpace as “Josh Evans” and using the account to lure Meier into an an online romance.

Authorities have previously said that Drew set up the account to find out what Meier, who lived in her neighborhood, was saying about her daughter.

Lori Drew of O’Fallon, Missouri, was named in a four-count indictment returned this morning by a federal grand jury. The indictment charges one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization to obtain information to inflict emotional distress on the girl who,
because of juvenile privacy rules, is referred to in the indictment only as M.T.M.

After approximately four weeks of flirtatious communications between “Josh Evans” and M.T.M., Drew and her co-conspirators broke off the relationship. Within an hour, M.T.M. had hanged herself in her room. She died the next day. “This adult woman allegedly used the Internet to target a young teenage girl, with horrendous ramifications,” said United States Attorney Thomas P. O’Brien. “After a thorough investigation, we have charged Ms. Drew with criminally accessing MySpace and violating rules established to protect young, vulnerable people. Any adult who uses the Internet or a social gathering website to bully or harass another person, particularly a young teenage girl, needs to realize that their actions can have serious consequences.”

MYSPACE RULES: It seems that to become a member of MySpace, individuals are required to submit registration information – including name and date of birth – and have to agree to certain TOS that regulate their use of the website. Among other things, the MySpace TOS require prospective members to provide truthful and accurate registration information; to refrain from using any information obtained from MySpace services to harass, abuse, or harm other people; to refrain from soliciting personal information from anyone under 18; to refrain from promoting information that they know is false or misleading; and to refrain from posting photographs of other people without their consent. The indictment alleges that Drew and her coconspirators violated all of those provisions.

The indictment, while not a conviction, alleges that the defendant – Drew – did commit a crime. Characterized as “cyber-bullying” the actions that have not been disputed show a pattern of abuse and a clear violation of the terms of MySpace.

Ron Meier, Megan’s father, watched television newscasts announcing the indictment and was overcome with emotion

“It’s a a good day,” he said. “It’s an awesome feeling.”

He said now he expects the Drews to feel some of the pain and suffering “that I’m going to feel for the rest of my life, not having Megan here.”

COMMENTS:

Ron Meier’s comments are understandable. However, every choice has a consequence and healing can’t truly take place until the negative emotions are dealt with. Revenge, hatred, anger – whatever is felt may be justifiable on one hand. Yet, emotions that have a negative base will not move one forward. They are not the foundation for positive results.

As a speaker to youth and parents alike about social networking – mostly MySpace and Facebook, etc. – I have the opportunity to help folks understand how to effectively us the tools without becoming a victim of them.

The Meier’s have suffered a terrible loss – a senseless loss – yet, across the board there were more people involved in what took place than just Megan or Drew. As parents, if we want to protect our children, we must understand the playing field of social networking and help to monitor what is taking place and bring understanding and order to MySpace and other forms of internet communication. It is too easy to take on a role that can have a terrible consequence.

Every choice has a consequence. Lori Drew and others will soon be finding out the consequences of their actions. No – there is nothing that can be done to bring Megan back. However, the choices that are made now can bring meaning and value to her death.

For now, teen ethics speaker – Chuck Gallagher – signing off…

RELATED LINK

Read the indictment against Lori Drew

The Power of Giving – Jada Carlson, Hannah Montana and The Rest of the Story!

The other day I received a wonderful e-mail from an unexpected source – Jada Carlsons mother – Faith.

As a reminder and for a little background, many months back there was a story about a young girl in Garland, Texas who (with the help of her month) created a fictious story to win Hannah Montana tickets. When uncovered it took the news media by storm. As a teen ethics speaker through the Choices Foundation, I wrote a blog about the lesson that this young girls mother taught and the consequences that followed.

Soon after the story broke another that was 180 degrees opposite captured the attention of the media. This story was filled with love, compassion, giving and helped to restore faith that our youth can have ethics and morals – knowing that doing the right thing is the best and will produce positive results.

Faith’s e-mail stated the following:

Mr. Gallagher,

I just wanted to send you a quick thank you for highlighting Jada Carlsons gift and the concept to so many that giving does not have to have expectations in the least. I am Jada Carlsons mom Faith and she is the little girl that at 5 years old “gets it”.

I was not sure if you heard the back story but after givng the Miley Cyrus tickets to Gabby, Jada recieved 4 front row tickets to that concert, backstage passes and 3 hours on the tour bus eating lunch and sifting through all the tour bus treasures all gifts from the Miley Cyrus group that saw her deed on ShowBiz Tonight.

I, like yourself, understand life is not about getting ahead or how much money you make but about positive choices and more importantly making the choices to help others. Some people get it and some people do not but I hope your book coming out can help a few “Life has no purpose” individuals. I truely think we all have a calling and I like yourself have also published a book but by choice have not really publicly promoted it yet. If you have chance to peek at it the title is ” My Life My Story” on Dorrance Publishing”s website. 🙂 long story short I wanted to let you know that has you mentioned in your article the rewards were yet to come from Jada”s gift…What comes around came around and she was delighted to enjoy the concert from her front row seats.

Recently as she has begun to read (she is only 5 and in kindergarten) we have made it a choice to visit a local nursing home and “adopt a grandma” to read to on Fridays. This recently has been the next big “adventure” and she has met a very friendly elderly resident “Margaret Kamping with a K” Jada now calls her Grandma Kamping…they have only met 2x so far.

With hopes your success continues and again thank you for the pleasant article about Jada, we printed it and placed it with the photos from the concert. God Bless and keep up the great work.. as Oprah Whinfrey said The Universe can dream a bigger dream then you ever could imagine when you are of service to one another!

Well Faith…I know that you didn’t send this to me to be published, but I think others need to know the rest of the story about Jada and her giving perspective. It is true – if you plant the right seeds you will have an abundant harvest. Jada is living proof that you reap what you sow. I hope you forgive me for letting the world know about your story as well and the book you’ve written. For Faith’s book information click here.

My best to you both and as you have time drop me a line and let me know how Jada is doing. Perhaps she might find it in her heart to be a part of the Choices Foundation – an organization dedicated to helping youth understand the power of choice in their lives.

For any readers – your comments are welcome!

6 Dead in a Senseless Act of Violence at Northern Illinois University – What Provokes Such Anger?

As reported all over the news – both broadcast and internet – a lone gunman walked into a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University and wounded 18 people and killed 6 including himself.

According to CNN the shooting occurred shortly after 3 p.m. (4 p.m. ET) in Cole Hall. The class runs from 2 p.m. until 3:15 p.m., University President John Peters said.

“It started and it stopped very quickly,” said Police Chief Donald Grady. The gunman, whose identity has not been revealed publicly, was not a student at the NIU campus in DeKalb, west of Chicago, but “may have been a student somewhere else.”

Police do not have an apparent motive now, Grady said.

While at this moment little is know about the motive, as the days move forward and the investigation proceeds more will be revealed.

According to reports from cbs2chicago.com A viewer who e-mailed CBS 2 said that her brother was in the lecture hall where the shooting happened. “He says that the gunmen was a white male dressed in all black. He kicked the door in and opened fire. My brother dove under the desk, and popped his head up to see the gunmen was reloading. He grabbed his girlfriend’s hand and ran to the library where they been in lockdown since.”

Katie Wagner, a student who was inside the classroom, tells CBS 2 that there were 70 students inside room 101 at Cole Hall when the shooting happened. She said the gunman entered from a side door near the front of the lecture hall and started to fire shots.

Is it just me – with too much media access – or is there a pattern of anger today that is acted out in violent ways. We seems hear of unprovoked senseless acts of violence – much like the Virginia Tech University massacre of 33 people. It’s just amazing. This grabs the headlines today, but in reality it’s everywhere you turn.

In Oxnard, California a fifteen year old student was shot in the head by an unidentified 14 year old. Police have not alleged a motive for the shooting, but said there appeared to have been “bad blood” between the teens. Police said a handgun was used in the attack, which occurred with more than 20 other students in the room.

As a teen ethics speaker, (www.chuckgallagher.com) I often get the question from parents – where does the anger and violence come from?

As we struggle to make sense of the headlines we see weekly, the question that begs an answer – what makes kids these days more angry?

And more importantly, what can we do to stop the violence?

Your comments welcome!

Michael Vick – Keep The $20 Million Says The Judge!

Michael Vick must be sleeping a bit better now that a federal judge ruled that Vick can keep the nearly $20 million bonus he received from the Atlanta Falcons.

The Falcons sought to recover the bonuses after Vick pleaded guilty to federal charges in a dogfighting operation. The bonuses were paid from 2004 to 2007.

A special master ruled in October that the Falcons were entitled to recover the bonuses. The Falcons argued that Vick used proceeds from a contract he signed in 2004 to finance his illicit activities. But U.S. District Judge David Doty of Minneapolis ruled that the Falcons’ recovering the bonus money would violate the NFL collective bargaining agreement. The agreement does not allow signing bonuses to be forfeited for years a player has already performed.

Sentenced to 23 months in federal prison, Vick entered a minimum-security prison in Leavenworth, Kansas this past month.

Considering that Every Choice Has A Consequence, Vick is beginning to see the opposite side of that comment. Consequences are not necessarily bad – the are just consequences. Vick is suffering today as a result of the choices he made. However, he has the capacity to turn his life lessons into good for the people who would look up to him – perhaps that is beginning now as he sees a positive event or decision fall his way.

As a teen ethics speaker (www.chuckgallagher.com) and founder of the Choices Foundation, I hope that Vick learns from his incarceration and leaves prison a changed man.

Project Safe Childhood – Protecting Children for Sexual Predators – Comments by Teen Ethics Speaker Chuck Gallagher

A program in North Carolina is active in protecting children from sexual predators. Robert Martin Kutzer, age 32 from Leicester, North Carolina, was convicted of online enticement of a minor to engage in an unlawful sex act.

The jury found that Kutzer engaged in several online chat conversations with an undercover detective from the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office in a Yahoo! chat room. Evidence also showed that the defendant believed the detective to be a 14-year-old girl from Buncombe County. The jury heard evidence that Kutzer steered the online conversation to the topic of sex and that the defendant was responsible for injecting explicit and sexually graphic content into the online chat and that the defendant then arranged to meet this person whom he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. Robert Martin Kutzer was taken into custody by United States Marshals following the pronouncement of the verdict on Friday, January 25, 2007.

This federal prosecution was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.

The online enticement charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison. In July of 2006 the mandatory minimum penalty for this crime was increased from five to ten years via The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. There is no possibility of parole in the federal system.

There are many concerns in our environment today about social networking – something that adults don’t feel comfortable with in general. Sites such as MySpace and Facebook make it easy for teens to post and share personal information, pictures, and video, which change the environment for the predators to function.

Years back, for most adults with teenage children, we advised our kids to avoid talking to strangers. Frankly, the place(s) where predators sought their prey was limited to physical gathering spots for children and teens. Today, however, the pond is much different. Today, the predator is not limited to the physical location of the kids, they, instead, prey in the much larger pond of the internet. Unfortunately, adults don’t know how to monitor that environment and the kids feel safe at home with their social networking sites – assuming that most people are honest. Reality is that most kids are unsuspecting and vulnerable. Teenage girls are particularly at risk of online sexual exploitation. A recent study by University of New Hampshire researchers for National Center for Missing and Exploited Children found that of the approximately one in seven youth who received a sexual solicitation or approach over the Internet, 70 percent were girls.

As a teen ethics speaker (www.chuckgallagher.com) I address teens and young adults about the effects of the choices that they make. Every choice has a consequence. More importantly, however, I have recently begun a series of programs aimed at educating parents about social networking, the internet and how to help keep kids safe. For information contact me at www.chuckgallagher.com.

Project Safe Childhood Press Releases for January 2008:

• Missouri Man Sentenced to 30 Years on Federal Child Porn Charges
• Arizona Man Charged with Receiving Child Porn Through The Mail
• Connecticut Resident Enters Guilty Plea to Enticement of a Minor
• Dallas, TX Couple Sentenced to Lengthy Prison Term for Producing Child Porn
• Montana Man Sentenced for Possession of Child Porn
• Frisco, TX Teacher Sentenced to 10 Years for Child Porn
• Former Boy Scout Leader Pleads Guilty to Child Porn Related Activity

Comments or questions are welcome!