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Blast From The Past
These archives are for all the various front page stories that you've come to expect on the NYRA page. If you miss a current story check back here, it'll be archived. Also for novelties sake scroll down and see what NYRA was up to months and years ago. It's interesting to see how far we've come.
July 18, 2008
U.S. House Passes Bill to Restrict Teen Torture 318-103
By an overwhelming majority vote of 318-103, on June 25 the U.S. House
of Representatives passed HR 6358 (previously HR 5876), the Stop Child
Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2008.
This watershed legislation will enact necessary reforms intended to
stop the abuse and torture of young people in behavior modification
facilities, or gulag schools, throughout the country. It will prohibit 
the all-too-common physical, sexual, or psychological abuse of teens
by facility staff. It will require that young people held in these
facilities have access to food, water, shelter, clothing, medical
care, and a telephone. It will restrict the use of physical
restraints, require inspections of residential treatment centers, and
more.
And it passed by greater than a three fourths majority, more than
veto-proof. This vital, common-sense bill garnered strong bipartisan
support, earning the votes of 229 Democrats and 89 Republicans.
Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle listened to the voices
of victims of behavior modification facilities and boot camps, and of
their constituents, including hundreds of NYRA members from across the
country who wrote and called their representatives and made their
views known.
But the fight for justice is not over yet. This long-overdue
legislation still does not yet have a sponsor in the Senate. The bill
must still pass the Senate before it can be sent to President Bush for
his signature. You can help by writing or calling your senators and
urging them to introduce the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs
for Teens Act of 2008 in the Senate. To find and write your senators, go here.
Voting is Under Way in the 2008 NYRA Election
It's finally time to cast your ballot for NYRA Board of Directors. The
2008 NYRA election began on July 3, and voting will continue until the
annual meeting on August 2. There are 12 strong candidates running for 
nine positions on the Board of Directors this year, and your vote is
more important than ever in determining the direction of the
organization for the coming year. In addition to the Board election,
there are also two changes to the NYRA bylaws on the ballot, along
with a change to our mission statement and, for the first time in six
years, an opportunity to pick NYRA's new slogan.
The only requirement for voting is a paid membership to NYRA (just $10
a year). If you're currently disenfranchised by the voting age of 18,
you can still vote in this election. There is plenty of information
available online about the candidates for the Board, as well as the
bylaw and mission statement changes and the new slogan possibilities.
Don't miss your opportunity to cast your ballot and influence the
direction of NYRA!
To read all about the candidates, the proposed changes to the bylaws
and mission statement, and the options for the new slogan, visit the election page. To ask the candidates questions about the issues or about the
direction in which they would take NYRA as a Board member, go to our election forum. To pay your member dues and gain full voting rights, please do so here.
NYRA's 10th Annual Meeting is Almost Here!
The time for NYRA's annual meeting is rapidly approaching; it's only
a few short weeks away! Every year, NYRA members and officials gather
in one place to help determine the direction of the organization over
the coming year and to chart a course forward for youth rights. Plus we'll be celebrating NYRA's 10th Anniversary with a cook-out at the Executive Director's house. This
year, the annual meeting will take place August 2-3 at NYRA's offices
in Washington, DC, our nation's capital. In the very city where a
chamber of 435 legislators overwhelmingly passed a major victory for
youth rights just a couple weeks ago, we youth rights activists will
meet to plan the next steps. Please join us, and make your voice
heard. Email us to RSVP.
NYRA-DC Takes Action Against Abusive Programs
On June 24, as the U.S. House of Representatives was debating the Stop
Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2008, which later
passed overwhelmingly, members of NYRA's District of Columbia chapter
attended a hearing before the DC City Council about the rampant abuses
in behavior modification facilities.
The City Council is considering Bill 17-0654, the Protection of Students with
Disabilities Amendment Act of 2008, which would prohibit the District
from sending young people to residential programs that use "aversive
methods" such as electric shock, food and water deprivation, forced
exercise, and more.
Several NYRA members testified before the Council, and the only person
offering testimony that day who knows what it is like to go through a
behavior modification program from personal experience was a NYRA
member. At NYRA, we believe strongly that the views of young people
who have been subjected to these programs need to be represented. We
encourage all members who are DC residents to contact the City Council
and tell them to support the Protection of Students with Disabilities
Amendment Act of 2008. Tell them why. It's time for government to
listen.
June 19, 2008
HR 5876 Before Congress to Stop Torture of Teens at Gulag Schools
Every day, young people are tortured or otherwise abused in "behavior modification facilities" or gulag schools, residential "treatment" facilities designed to set troubled and misbehaving teens on the straight and narrow. Young people at these facilities are beaten and subjected to other physical and sexual mistreatment. They are forced to exercise in the heat until they drop to the ground in exhaustion. They are forced to eat vomit or denied access to restrooms. They are physically restrained and left in isolation for hours or even days at a time. They are denied access to food and water. They are intentionally humiliated and subjected to brainwashing techniques designed to tear down their self-respect. And the operators of these facilities are not held accountable.
But that may be about to change.
Next week, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2008. This vital piece of legislation will enact several necessary reforms intended to stop the torture. It will prohibit gulag schools from abusing young people physically, sexually, or psychologically; require that residents have access to food, shelter, clothing, and medical care; restrict the use of physical restraints; require that young people have access to a telephone; require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to inspect these facilities at least once every two years; and more.
This is perhaps the most important piece of youth rights legislation in NYRA's history, and you can do something to help advance it. Even if you're currently disenfranchised by the voting age of 18, write to your representative in Congress and insist that he or she support this bill. Educate others about this important issue. You can even write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper expressing your support for the bill. Pass along NYRA's press release in favor of HR 5876.
We are finally within striking distance of the gulag schools. Let's make our voices heard.
Ralph Nader Comes Out in Support of the Youth Vote
In a bombshell article, presidential candidate Ralph Nader has come out strong in support of one of our most important goals: lowering the voting age to 16. Mr. Nader supported lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 during the Vietnam War, but he, like many other Americans young and old, doesn't want to stop there. Mr. Nader recognizes the worth of young people and their value to America, and, like us, is tired of seeing them disenfranchised by the 18 voting age. With his courageous stance for youth suffrage, Ralph Nader joins a growing list of public servants advocating a lower voting age, including Dennis Kucinich, Cynthia McKinney, and more. "Much has been made of the youth vote this year amid evidence that more young people are turning out to vote in the primaries than ever before," says Mr. Nader in the article. "Let's take it to the next step."
Election for NYRA Board of Directors Begins July 2
Time is running out to become a candidate for NYRA Board of Directors; the election begins next month. There are currently 12 candidates for nine available seats. All it takes to run is a paid membership to NYRA and a passionate dedication to youth rights. A seat on the Board of Directors is an excellent opportunity for youth rights activists to advance the cause. If you're interested in running for the board, please let us know as soon as possible. Only full NYRA members may vote in the election, sign up here and pay your member dues here. The campaigning has already begun! Meet the 2008 board candidates and ask them questions here.
New Chapter in the Sunshine State to Focus on Voting Age
Jeff Nadel is the young, eloquent founder of NYRA's newest chapter, NYRA-Boca Raton.  This chapter has just been approved in the last few weeks, but already looks very promising. Jeff has been talking with Alex Koroknay-Palicz, NYRA Executive Director, and together they have formed some exciting plans. The chapter has decided to use the summer as a planning period and then get things into full swing in the fall when they will begin recruiting members and pursuing goals actively.
Currently, the chapter's main aim will be lowering Florida's voting age to 16. A campaign for communication with Florida's legislators is currently in the works. Qhile still a new chapter, they have received impressive press coverage about their campaign to lower the voting age. Nadel and several other chapter members were featured on the local ABC news station, WPBF. Anyone in the South Florida area who would like to join the chapter or to help out should contact Jeff.
NYRA's Annual Meeting Approaching
NYRA's famous (or infamous) annual meeting is now less than two months away. The annual meeting is an opportunity to network with other NYRA members and youth rights supporters from across the country, plot the course of the organization over the year to come, and become actively involved in the cause. Participants will see informative presentations about a variety of topics (last year there were guest speakers from the ACLU, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, and others), discuss the direction of NYRA, learn and suggest ways to work towards real change for youth. Attendees will also be the first in the country to hear the NYRA election results. This year's annual meeting will be held August 2-3 at NYRA's offices in Washington, DC. E-mail us to let us know you're coming. Also pay attention to NYRA's election section of our forums.
May 7, 2008
Abuse at Gulag Facilities Exposed at Congressional Hearing
The U.S. Congressional Committee on Education and Labor got an earful on April 24: a day of evidence and testimony about the physical, sexual, and psychological abuse of young people at gulag schools, or behavior modification facilities, across the country,  and the deceptive marketing practices they use to ensnare the children of frustrated parents. After a year of congressional investigation, the chairman of the committee, Rep. George Miller, advocates federal laws that will regulate these facilities, requiring that staff be trained and parents be fully informed, and empowering the Department of Health and Human Services to inspect the programs. The committee heard not only from GAO investigators but also from victims of gulag schools, such as Jon Martin-Crawford, who testified, "The nightmares and psychological scars of being dragged from your home to a place in the middle of nowhere, restrained in blankets and duct tape, assaulted, verbally and physically... those scars and that trauma will never go away." Jon, as well as another program survivor who testified, Kathryn Whitehead, are both on the board of the Community Alliance For the Ethical Treatement of Youth, a NYRA ally. Among the attendees was NYRA executive director Alex Koroknay-Palicz.
The Government Accountability Office submitted two new reports on abuse and deceptive marketing at residential treatment centers: Death, Abuse and Deceptive Marketing and Oversight Gaps May Increase Risk to Youth Also, watch video from the hearing here.
Be sure to write your Congressperson and tell them to support H.R. 5876, the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2008. This is the biggest pro-youth rights bill in Congress in decades, if you've never written a letter to Congress before, please do so now.
Great Drinking Age News Coverage
NYRA has been making  a splash this past month with quite a few radio and TV appearances. Executive Director Alex Koroknay-Palicz appeared twice on television, once on Fox News and again on the Mike and Juliet Show, and President Stefan Muller was on the Sirius Satellite Radio show "Me and Vinnie. In separate shows, Koroknay-Palicz and NYRA-New Orleans President, Ashley Campbell were both interviewed on the Ed Clancy Show on WGSO 990 AM radio in New Orleans.
What sparked all this media attention? The movement in seven states to lower the drinking age. In Kentucky, Wisconsin, and South Carolina, the movement is meant only for members of the military. South Dakota, Missouri, Vermont, and Minnesota hope to lower the drinking age to 18 for everyone.
To see the NYRA TV spots, go here. To hear Campbell's radio appearance, go here. To listen to Stefan Muller's Sirius radio appearance, go here. To read Koroknay-Palicz quotes in the Duluth News Tribune, go here.
Also, NYRA's Blog, Age of Reason, has been heating up in recent days. Lots of great coverage for lowering the drinking age and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Also worth watching, during the Mike & Juliet Show, MADD's founder, Candy Lightner insulted American troops. Be sure to watch that clip and pass it on to others who may be interested to know what MADD's founder really thinks about young adults.
New York Politicians Push for Teen Representation
New York may soon take a big step towards equality for youth by lowering the age at which one can sit on community boards in New York City to 16. After a press conference on April 13 by the Future Voters of America announcing the initiative, legislation was introduced in both state and city governments to lower the age. In the state legislature, Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh and Senator Andrew Lanza are pushing for the change, and in the New York City Council, Councilwoman Gale Brewer is championing the cause. Brewer introduced a bill earlier that would have lowered the voting age to 16 for city elections.
Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer, a supporter of the proposal, himself was appointed to a community board when he was 16 years old. Lowering the age for representation to 16 would allow 16- and 17-year-olds greater civic participation in their communities. "[Young people] definitely can participate in the discussions about their community," Councilwoman Brewer told the New York Daily News. "I've seen them do it time and time again." Young people who care about their communities have friends in New York.
New U.S. Congresswoman Supports Lower Voting Age
At the same time that strides are being taken for youth rights in New York, progress towards a lower voting age is being made across the country, in California. In the state Assembly, Speaker-elect Karen Bass supports a lower voting age, and has been in contact with local youth rights activists, including NYRA Director Alex Hull-Richter, about the issue. Also, Congresswoman Jackie Speier, former California state senator, won a special election on April 8 to replace the late Congressman Tom Lantos in the U.S. House of Representatives. Speier is a youth rights supporter who advocates a lower voting age. During her time in the California state government, she filed legislation to lower the voting age in that state, and she was endorsed by NYRA-Berkeley when she ran for lieutenant governor.
Speier isn't the only advocate of youth suffrage in the U.S. Congress. Congresswoman Maxine Waters also wants the voting age lowered, and not only has Congressman and former Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich publicly advocated lowering the voting age, but it is rumored he may introduce federal legislation to do just that.
April 4, 2008
New Chapter in New Jersey Successfully Desegregates McDonald's
A recently formed NYRA chapter in New Jersey, NYRA-Bergen County, headed by high school junior Eric Kim, scored a victory in the fight against age discrimination by successfully desegregating a local McDonald's restaurant.  Late last year, the restaurant implemented and began enforcing a policy restricting one of their cash registers to customers 21 years old and older. This policy was ostensibly to serve adults faster during the lunch hour, but the segregation was enforced at all hours, and Eric and his new chapter saw it as ageist discrimination to be worked against. They responded with a concerted letter-writing campaign, followed by an in-person meeting with restaurant management. After this initial attempt didn't work, all it took was reminding the McDonald's management of New Jersey's laws against age discrimination to get them to change their policy.
On the heels of this victory, the chapter, with 15 active, dedicated members so far, is aiming for bigger and better things. Eric has a meeting with his town's mayor scheduled for this week to discuss the possibility of a youth representative on the city council, and to ask for the mayor's support for lowering the New Jersey voting age to 17. Eric is very optimistic about this meeting, saying that the mayor is "a nice guy, and he seems willing to discuss the issues." He's also in the process of scheduling a meeting with New Jersey state legislators to discuss drafting a bill to lower the voting age. Look for exciting developments out of New Jersey in the months to come.
Media Alerts - Great NYRA Coverage
 NYRA continues to tear up the airwaves. In the last few weeks NYRA representatives have appeared on radio shows in New Orleans and Pittsburgh, plus newspaper articles (see news section). On April 3rd, NYRA's Executive Director, Alex Koroknay-Palicz, appeared on Fox News Channel's "Fox Report with Shepard Smith discussing lowering the drinking age to 18. Also, Koroknay-Palicz will appear live on Fox's daily morning show, the Mike & Juliet Show, on Monday April 7. The show should air at 9 AM EST Monday morning. Be sure to tune in and listen to NYRA making arguments for lowering the drinking age on national tv.
New NYRA Chapter Opens in California
A new chapter out of California, NYRA Thacher, just held their first meeting on March 27. Sara Brody, who started the chapter, said only five people attended but a better turnout was expected for the next meeting. She thinks the meeting sparked the interest of the people who attended and that they will become more involved in the future. NYRA Thacher does not currently have a specific issue that it plans to focus on. A lot of talk was focused on gulag schools and on emancipation rights but those will not be the only concerns of the chapter.
Sara attends The Thacher School, a college prepatory boarding school, where she is a freshman. The Thacher administration gave her no trouble about forming the chapter and were facilitating it. Sara says she has always been interested in civil rights and when she was young her parents encouraged her to question unjust authority. She had previously campaigned for student rights but did not stumble upon NYRA until recently while researching the civil liberties of young people. She believes that "...NYRA is a great organization and I'm very excited to be a part of it."
Interns Wanted for Spring and Summer
NYRA is looking for interns to work in our national office in Washington, DC during the spring and summer. Interning at NYRA is a rewarding, fulfilling experience that provides an excellent opportunity to serve an important role in the campaign for youth rights, and to help bring about concrete change for young people.
Responsibilities include personally assisting individuals seeking to form local NYRA chapters, outreach to youth rights activists at high schools and universities across the country, fundraising, tabling at various events, conducting online research, assisting in the development and distribution of educational materials, helping to create and update chapter formation materials, and more.
Qualified applicants should have strong verbal and written communication skills, strong online research skills, and the ability to work efficiently and independently. Interested candidates should apply by sending us their résumés.
Youth Rights Meet-Up in NYC a Success; Next Meeting in April
NYRA New York City's Youth Rights Meet-Up was held on March 10, and youth  and student rights activists from both the NYC metro area and across the country attended, including key figures in NYRA's national office in Washington, DC and Brian Lombrowski of CAFETY. Thank you to all who attended; you helped make the Meet-Up a great success. NYRA NYC plans to hold these meetings on a regular basis, and they will be an excellent opportunity to network with other youth rights activists from around the NYC metro area and to work for real change for youth. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 14, at 5:15 P.M. All local NYRA members are strongly encouraged to attend. For more information, and to RSVP, visit here.
February 25, 2008
Money Bombs a Great Success. New Fundraising Record Set.
The last two months have seen an unprecedented surge in NYRA
fundraising. Because of your generosity you have put NYRA on pace for
a record fundraising year in 2008. NYRA participated in the Causes
Giving Challenge on Facebook that began on December 14 and lasted till
February 1. NYRA focused on two days, December 19 and January 16, to
hold "money bombs" in the hope of winning the contest's daily prize of
$1,000.  Despite an incredibly impressive drive on both days, we did
not win the daily prize on either day, nor did we win any of the
overall prizes in the contest. But we did shatter all fundraising
records this organization's history.
Between the two money bombs on Facebook, our annual year-end
fundraiser and two small grants we received, we raised a total of
$14,160 in the last two months! Over $5,000 of that total came from
individual members and supporters of the cause. This is absolutely
unprecedented. Last year we raised about $17,000 for the entire year.
To follow that with over $14,000 in just two months sends a very
strong message that youth rights is gaining in popularity and gaining
in strength.
Over 170 people gave to NYRA in the last two months. Our paid
membership is up to 190, the highest total in NYRA history. Thank you
to everyone who participated and thank you for continuing to grow this
organization. We're still small, but with your continued support we
are growing bigger and bigger every year!
Time to Rethink Age Restrictions - Op-Ed in NY Times
Wednesday the New York Times printed an op-ed written by Anya Kamenetz
entitled, "You're 16, You're Beautiful and You're a Voter". Kamenetz
makes the case that the voting age, drinking age, credit card
ownership and other age restrictions should be lowered to 16. She
also describes competency testing as a more flexible standard than
"increasingly inadequate" age restrictions. Kamenetz proposes adult
rights be granted gradually to individuals who are 16 or 17, as we
currently do with driving. The New York Times editorial page is an
important podium from which to promote greater youth rights and
skepticism of age restrictions. NYRA welcomes Kamenetz' support. The
profile of this movement continues to grow and our list of supporters
continues to expand.
Arizona Bill Proposes Lowering the Voting Age
Arizona has become the latest state to consider lowering the voting
age. State legislator Ed Ableser introduced a bill to amend the
Arizona State Constitution to lower the voting age to 16 state wide.
While only the minority party, there are signs that the Arizona
Democratic Party would support this bill that would legally
enfranchise Arizona's teens.
We are making progress. There was a time, when such a proposal in and
of itself would have been considered impossible. And there will be a
time when such a proposal will pass and become a reality. Those of you
who live in Arizona call up your state legislators and ask them to
support HCR 2010. The voting age is within grasp.
Do Graduated Driver's Licenses Work? Mike Males Says No
In a ground breaking study, author and sociologist Mike Males,
demonstrates that California's graduated driver's license (GDL) has
not, like its proponents claim, made driving safer in the state.
Males' study gives solid evidence to support the assertion made by
youth rights advocates for years that greater experience produces
better drivers, not age. Many studies have touted the effectiveness
of strict graduated drivers licensing laws, but this study showed an 8% increase in fatal accidents after the GDL law was passed.
This study, published in the National Safety Council's Journal of
Safety Research looked at the broad effects of the GDL law instead of
looking exclusively on the effects the law has had on teen drivers as
previous studies have done. Previous studies have shown GDL laws to
reduce fatal accidents among drivers under 18. This new study
confirms that fact but looks at how those drivers behave on the roads
after the GDL restrictions expire at age 18. The study shows that
drivers aged 18-21 who learned to drive under GDL experienced far more
fatal accidents than drivers who never had GDL. A full 24% increase
in fatal accidents among 18-year-old drivers. This increase more than
offset the lives saved among 16-year-olds.
This important study confirms the notion that GDLs do not produce
better drivers, they just deny useful experience to young drivers who
will experience a dangerous learning curve at 18 instead of 16 like
before.
New York City Meet-Up Planned for March
Youth rights supporters in the NYC metro area are encouraged to attend
a Meet-Up scheduled for March 10 at 5:15 PM. With many active members
in the area and several up and coming chapters, New York could be a
strong hub for the movement in the future. This Meet-Up will be a
great chance for youth rights supporters to sit down and discuss
strategy and plans for working together. In addition to local
activists, Freechild.org founder, and NYRA advisor Adam Fletcher plans
to attend. The Meet-Up will be held at the Whole Foods on the corner
of Houston and Bowery. All local NYRA members are strongly encouraged
to attend.
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