Now, here's a sad story - it seems that a local child therapist, one who's been entrusted by families in distress, youth at risk, and society, may have been using his position as confidant and advocate, as a vehicle to sexually molest the very children he's supposed to be helping.

(Read the Newsday Report)

I'm not sure why this story is having the profound effect that it is  having on me, I think it perhaps has to do with the fact that I have 2 daughters and a niece that are of that age, and I (perhaps naively) believed that they were safe in our neighborhood... "not in the North Country!"

Or, thinking about it farther, it may be that if these allegations do turn out to be true - that if these children (who are in therapy because of other issues) have been sexually molested, by this "professional" within this particular field... one who's "there to help"... well, that there's a real chance that these children may ruined for life... and will probably never trust again, and have at the very have least lost their childhood.

I guess I can say "thank god it didn't happen to my kids" - but, you know... when you get right down to it, that's a pretty awful statement to make, because it's absolutely devoid of empathy and sympathy for those damaged children, and besides, now I realize that it could happen to my children, right here in the North Country.

I think I'll say a prayer for those kids tonight... can't hurt, right???

...And hope that the truth, and justice for the guilty (if guilty) can heal.