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.
December 30, 2010Last Day to Vote to Win $5,000 for NYRA!
NYRA President Jeffrey Nadel has been campaigning against his town's illegally enforced unconstitutional youth curfew for a few years now. He's met with city officials, organized rallies and protests, attended hearings, and filed suit in state and federal court. Before he did all that, he had to make sure he had the facts. Jeff used Findlaw.com to research the legalities of his case. At 17 years old, Jeffrey Nadel doesn't have a high school diploma but he so thoroughly learned the ins and outs of curfew law that his knowledge was complemented by journalists and even by the curfew-supporting Mayor of West Palm Beach.
Findlaw.com is currently running their "When Life Gets Legal" video contest. Check out Jeff's video and take a few seconds to vote for him. If we win, it will mean $5,000 for Youth Rights - which means more campaigns and more trained youth rights activists like Jeff. Vote for Jeff Here.
November 9, 2010NYRA's Supreme Court Rally a Great Success!
On November 2, NYRA members gathered on the steps of the US Supreme Court to speak out for free speech, opposition to video game censorship and support for lowering the voting age. On this day, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Schwarzenegger v. EMA. On trial was the right of the state to restrict the sale of video games based on age. November 2nd was also election day, a day in which youth were denied the right to vote based on age. NYRA was there also to support our amicus brief in the Schwarzenegger v. EMA case.
The rally was a great success, and tons of youth rights supporters turned out for it, even traveling from New York and Pennslyvania for the event. Our rally attracted great press in Time Magazine, Games Radar and 1up.com. NYRA members held signs that read "Live Free, Start Young", "Suffrage Not Censorship", "Free Speech is for All Ages" and "Been Playing Grand Theft Auto Since 2004, Still Haven't Stolen a Car". Check out some great pictures of the event on Facebook and Flickr.
NYRA board member Usiel Phoenix gave an inspiring speech at the rally. With cameras filming her every move, Usiel said, "As I speak, millions of American citizens are exercising their right to defend their political interests through the casting of a ballot. Not one of these people will be under the age of 18. Not one of these ballots will clearly reflect the interests of youth. On this day, 75 million American students, workers, and taxpayers, should they think of raising their voice to speak, will find that their tongues have been cut out and held in trust. If I could vote, I would vote against those who would betray the founding ideals of this country so deeply as to engage in needless censorship." Read the text of Phoenix's speech here.
It is important to recognize that youth, those who are affected by the ruling of this case, have not been allowed a vote towards electing those who appointed and confirmed the Justices ultimately making this decision.
We’re hoping for a large turnout at this rally, so as to make it known to both the Court and the nation that Americans of every age support the civil rights of youth. Please join us at 8:30 AM in Washington, D.C. on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court to show your support for youth rights. RSVP for the rally on Facebook! For more information, check out our blog’s coverage of the rally and some early press coverage.
Thanks to NYRA, DC's Mosquito is Silenced
A month and a half ago, NYRA-DC became aware of a Mosquito being installed at the Gallery Place Metro Stop. The Mosquito's manufacturer advertises it as a device that "disburses unwanted youth." The device has been common in Europe and is now being installed across the U.S. NYRA-DC members immediately sprang into action and several filed complaints with the DC Office of Human Rights. Within a few weeks, the device was taken down with no plans to put it back up. This is a huge victory for NYRA and a huge victory for youth who just want to use a popular metro station without being assaulted by sonic weapons. NYRA received a great deal of press coverage for our victory over this ageist Mosquito device.
What's Your Ah-Ha Moment?
NYRA staff receive e-mails all the time from people discovering the movement for the first time. Everyone seems to have very similar reactions, "Wow! I've supported youth rights for years, but thought I was the only one!" or "Something always seemed a bit off about how youth were treated, but I never thought of it much till I read your site, my eyes were totally opened!"
One way or another, everyone who supports the cause seems to have a story to tell about how they first got involved, or first realized the importance of this issue. At NYRA's Annual Meeting, several board members sat around at a DC pizza joint sharing stories of our own Youth Rights Ah-Ha Moments. Go here to hear our stories and experiences.
We want to hear yours! Please make a video of yourself telling the story of when you first discovered the youth rights movement, or when you first realized that young people were systematically discriminated against. Upload the video to YouTube and call it [Your Name]'s Youth Rights Ah-Ha Moment, then send us the link!
NYRA Presents the Youth Rights Progress award to Congressman George Miller
NYRA headed to Capitol Hill on October 13th and awarded Representative George Miller (D-CA) the Youth Rights Progress Award for his passage of H.R. 911 and his continued effort defending youth rights. H.R. 911 or the “Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2009” essentially requires residential programs/centers to disclose information related to standards and enforcement provisions in order to ensure safety of such a program. NYRA originally announced the recipient of this award during the National Youth Rights Association annual meeting. The campaign to pass this bill isn't over, Rep. Miller deserves a great deal of credit and praise for getting the bill passed through the House of Representatives, but now it is up to NYRA to get the bill through the Senate. We will be meeting with Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and discussing the H.R.911 bill and its continuation through the Senate.
August 24, 2010Schwarzenegger v. Gamers
Recently, a law was passed in California that banned the sale of all “violent” video games to individuals younger than 18. Now, the case of whether or not this law is constitutional is going before the United States Supreme Court. This is an important case, for it could end up setting the stage for alterations in how games look, how they are produced and who can play them. This law could be a catalyst that sparks stricter standards across the industry and could alter the First Amendment rights of young people in matters entirely unrelated to violent video games for decades to come.
NYRA is doing all we can to make sure the free speech of youth is protected. We are working with the ACLU and the National Coalition Against Censorship to write an Amicus brief to be submitted to the Supreme Court regarding this issue. Unlike the nine justices hearing this case and most lawyers on either side of the issue, NYRA staff and NYRA members have actually played video games. We are working to channel our combined expertise to help win this case, you can help!
NYRA is seeking testimonies from people who are familiar with video games and can explain their artistic, social and especially political assets. If we can prove that video games contain political speech, we very well may win this case. Please visit our blog and leave a comment about the political value of video games. The Internet is buzzing about NYRA's campaign, and we've already received 95 comments about this. This overwhelming response represents a total of one-third of all comments the NYRA blog has ever received. But we're not done yet! The more information we have, the better. Let your gamer friends know about us, too! We need to hear your thoughts as well as examples of specific games that are both political and violent. The more you have to say, the better!
Annual Meeting a Great Success
On the weekend of August 7th and 8th, NYRA members convened in the nation’s capital of Washington D.C. to attend the 2010 Annual Meeting, which was characterized by numerous presentations from movement activists both in and outside of NYRA, as well as strategic planning among members in attendance, and election of a new Board of Directors.
Nearly 100 ballots were cast in this year's election. NYRA members selected the following nine candidates to serve on our 2010-2011 board of directors: Jackie Ferro, Jenny Harkin, Nigel Jones, Alex Koroknay-Palicz, Hal Levy, Keith Mandell, Katrina Moncure, Jeffrey Nadel and Usiel Phoenix.
The audience of the annual meeting was expanded thanks to the blessings of Internet broadcast technology. After years of failed attempts, highly skilled NYRA technical staff (the web savvy folks down in Southeast Florida), were able to set up a live video feed of the proceedings for online viewers, who were also able to instantly post their thoughts in a live chat. The live stream and recorded content were invaluable in expanding the audience beyond the 40 people in Washington, DC to 233 total views online, watch here.
A New Year and a New Look for NYRA's Annual Report
This year has been a been one of much progress and growth for NYRA. Our greatest on record. NYRA’s Annual Report was released recently and NYRA members around the country are getting an update on last year's unprecedented progress. The Report covers all of last year's campaigns and projects as well as outreach efforts, an operations update and a financial report. Highlighted in the report is NYRA-SEFL's work against the West Palm Beach curfew law as well as the Zionsville Student Rights Union’s Sleep to Succeed program’s success in starting school later to benefit students.
New developments like National Youth Rights Day, our active opposition this year to attempts to increase restrictions on teen drivers and our record breaking fundraising totals are also featured. In addition to other successes related to the voting age, drinking age, curfews and other issues, the report also mentions some of the organization’s setbacks and other unfortunate events this year. Despite these disadvantages, though, 2009-2010 was the most explosive, high energy and accomplished year this organization has ever experienced.
There are many things that set us apart as an organization: we are one of the youngest non-profits in the country, we are pound-for-pound one of the most effective organizations in the country and we are also one of the most open and transparent non-profits in the country. Our annual report has detailed program and finance information you won't find in any other organization's annual report. It is definitely worth reading. Download the annual report here.
NYRA Announces First Ever NYRA Award Recipients
NYRA is pleased to announce the winners of our first annual NYRA Awards. This year we gave three separate awards: The Youth Rights Progress Award, The NYRA Achievement Award, and the Ageist of the Year Award. To learn about all the nominees go here.
The Youth Rights Progress Award was given to Congressman George Miller, for sponsoring and passing H.R. 911 to curb the use of torture in "behavior modification" schools, and H.R. 4247 to prevent harmful restraint and seclusion in schools. These two bills will save thousands of children from abuse each year by protecting their fundamental rights. NYRA has been in touch with the Congressman's Office who were pleased to learn of the victory. We hope to formally present the award soon. The NYRA Achievement Award was given to NYRA-Southeast Florida, for suing the city of West Palm Beach to overturn an unconstitutional curfew law. NYRA-SEFL, led by chapter president and NYRA's national president Jeffrey Nadel, effectively organized opposition to the curfew law and filed suit only when all amicable options were exhausted.
Finally, the Ageist of the Year Award was given to Pennsylvania's Lower Merion School District, for using tracking software and built-in webcams to spy on students using school-issued laptops. Hundreds of students were clandestinely recorded or photographed by the school while at home and in private. The Lower Merion School District lied to students and families about this capability while distributing over 2,000 laptops, initially even after being caught. Only when pictures of students' homes and stories about amused school administrators began to surface was the school district sued for unprecedented violations of wiretapping and computer fraud laws. Officials from the district declined to speak with us. NYRA was disturbed to learn, after awarding this award that federal prosecutors have refused to bring charges fearing a disruption to the school year. For more on that check out the news section below.
July 22, 2010DC Chapter Speaks Out at City Council Hearing
On July 10, members from NYRA-DC attended a youth hearing held by the DC City Council and brought important youth rights issues to the attention of the council and the city. NYRA-DC President Larry Pretlow II spoke to the council about reforming the Youth Advisory Council so that it would provide an effective, meaningful voice for the youth of DC. City staff were very impressed with the testimony and described it as very bold yet "a breath of fresh air". City officials present at the hearing pledged to work closely with the chapter on implementing these policy suggestions. Larry Pretlow's testimony can be read here.
NYRA-DC Treasurer, Usi Phoenix, testified in opposition to the DC curfew law, an issue the chapter has attracted some press on of late. Present at the hearing were Chairman Vincent Gray and Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr., two of the councilmembers who voted against a recent proposal to make the DC curfew law stricter for the summer. The chapter was pleased to hear Councilman Thomas reiterate his opposition to the curfew. NYRA-DC Director of Political Affairs and founder of the US Youth Chamber of Commerce, Connell Wise, spoke on the issue of lowering the voting age to the council. Wise laid out a solid case for lowering the voting age that sparked an interesting discussion on the issue both during and after the hearing. Watch all the NYRA-DC testimony at our YouTube page.
DC members, both those who did and didn't testify, spoke to other youth advocates present and discussed how they could work together. Several people were very interested in NYRA-DC. Also, NYRA-DC has filled out and notarized their paperwork for incorporation. Soon the form will be submitted and NYRA-DC will be an official non-profit corporation in Washington, DC. The chapter is off to a great start and is expected to accomplish great things. If you are in the DC area, please join the NYRA-DC Facebook page.
You are invited to NYRA’s 2010 Annual Meeting!
Who: You
What: 2010 NYRA Annual Meeting
When: August 7 & 8
Where: 1601 Connecticut Avenue, Washington, DC 20009
In less than a month, NYRA’s 2010 Annual Meeting will take place in Washington, DC. This is the event where dozens of the nation’s most active youth rights advocates will gather together to hone their skills, learn more about youth rights, and meet other NYRA supporters face to face.
The event is totally free! We have scheduled a full range of workshops and trainings for Annual Meeting attendees. “Non-Profit Tricks of the Trade Workshop”, “Guide to Emancipation”, “10 Rules for Dealing with Police”, “Fundraising Tips and Guidance” and “How to Start and Run Student Groups”, these are just a glimpse of the activities of the event. Breakfast will be provided on both days and all attendees are invited to a NYRA BBQ on Saturday night after the meeting. You can get more information here.
So come and join us for informative workshops, discussions, movies, meet with our own chapter leaders and members. It is a great chance to learn more about youth rights and how to help advance the youth rights movement. Bring a friend, and make new friends at the meeting. This has been an annual tradition since NYRA was founded, and each year the event gets bigger and better. Not only is the annual meeting an important chance to grow in your understanding of youth rights, build your skills and connect with other NYRA members, it is quite a lot of fun!
We need to know who's coming! If you are at all planning to attend, please RSVP here.
Vote in the 2010 Board of Directors Election
This year we have 14 candidates running for NYRA's 2010 Board of Directors, including seven incumbents. Our seven incumbents include Jackie Ferro, Alex Koroknay-Palicz, Hal Levy, Keith Mandell, Katrina Moncure, Stefan Muller, and Jeffrey Nadel. Challengers vying for a spot on the board include Lindsay Coley, Julian Gutierrez, Chris Hardy, Jenny Harkin, Max Harmony, Nigel Jones, and Usiel Phoenix.
The election began on July 7 and ends on August 7 at 3 pm. Voting will take place both online and at the annual meeting in Washington, DC. Only full NYRA members can vote, and anyone can be a full NYRA member. Just go here and pay $10 annual dues. What are you waiting for? You still have time to be a full member and vote! Also, if you are really having trouble coming up with $10 for dues, NYRA Secretary Katrina Moncure has offered to pay the dues of anyone who makes 50 posts in the NYRA forums by the end of the month. Please contact Katrina and let her know you are interested.
Bill To Curtail Residential Abuse Needs Help!
H.R. 911, known as the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Treatment Programs act, is a bill that could potentially protect thousands of abused kids, ensure that the abusers are punished... and is currently stalled in the Senate. First introduced on February 9, 2009, the bill is designed to revise the current system of behavior modification centers for youth. The bill passed in the House last year on Feb. 23 without amendment by a margin of 295-102-35. After a year and a half however, the Senate has not taken up the bill. It is up to us to put pressure on them to do so.
With a patchwork of state laws that have been ineffective at protecting young people, this bill is the best chance to put a stop to (or at least lessen) the terrible abuse that occurs in teen behavior modification camps. While it defies reason that these practices weren't already banned, the legislation would prohibit programs from physically, mentally, or sexually abusing children and prohibit them from denying youth essential food, water, clothing, shelter, or medical care. The bill would increase transparency for parents and make it harder for them to be lied to or deceived by programs claiming to offer treatment.
Crazy Ray's Subpoenaed
NYRA has been involved in an anti-discrimination campaign against Joe Duff of Crazy Ray's Junkyard in Maryland. Crazy Ray's has a policy, stated clearly on their website and at their store locations that they do not allow anyone under 18 to enter. In fact, at the Crazy Ray's website "You must be over 18 to enter, no children." is the first thing listed under "9 things every Crazy Ray's Customer Should Know." Mr. Duff has been informed repeatedly that this policy is a violation Maryland Article 49B which protects people from discrimination in public accommodations.
Despite being fully aware that he is violating the law, Mr. Duff persists and the policy continues to be enforced. Over a year ago, we filed a complaint with the Maryland Commission on Human Relations and that complaint has been slowly moving forward. Last month, after refusing to comply with requests from the Commission, Mr. Duff received a subpoena and is now legally required to justify his policies. NYRA staff members have brought the issue to the attention of Mr. Henry Ford, the executive director of the MCHR and we are in preliminary discussions about creating some sort of official public-private partnership with the commission in order to expedite these claims in the future. We are confident that our hard work and persistence will pay off and that the Crazy Ray's case will be a model for us to emulate for years to come.
June 18, 2010Sleep to Succeed Campaign a Success!
A multi-year effort to change the start time of Zionsville Community High School (ZCHS) in Indiana has finally ended, and ended the right way - in victory. The campaign began in March of 2009 when ZCHS student Erica Park presented research to her AP English class outlining the physical and psychological benefits of allowing students to sleep later and start school later. Like most high schools, their start time was created entirely by adults and the students affected by it (and hurt by it) had very little say. NYRA's chapter at the school, the Zionsville Student Rights Union (ZSRU), were determined to fix this problem and determined to have a say. Inspired by the research, ZSRU leaders Steve Ross and Abby Llorico organized a campaign to change their school's start time.
Chapter leaders met with the school administration, the school board, athletic directors, transportation boards and other stake holders about their Sleep to Succeed plan. All were impressed with the research and arguments put forward by ZSRU, but many obstacles stood in their way. Changing the start time affects bus schedules for elementary schools and middle schools in the district as well as schedules for all sports teams in their division. The chapter built up support for the change from the student body and from the teachers. The process was long and difficult, and after Steve Ross graduated, leadership of the chapter and the campaign fell to Abby Llorico who spearheaded efforts through all of the 2009-2010 school year. Finally, at a school board meeting this spring, the Zionsville school board voted unanimously in favor of pushing back the start time from 7:30 am to 8:15 am.
This is a tremendous victory for ZSRU and for youth rights advocates everywhere. ZSRU is once again leading the way in demonstrating that with the facts on our side and a huge amount of persistence anything can be accomplished. Zionsville Community High School is one of very few schools in the country to move their start time back and it happened entirely due to the efforts of NYRA's dedicated local chapter. This success story exemplifies all that is good about this movement. Young people were harmed by a system created exclusively by adults, and through their own hard work and ingenuity fixed that system to the benefit of all involved. If you are interested in putting together a similar campaign at your school, please check out the ZSRU website and contact them for more information about the campaign.
Hyundai's Anti-Youth Ad Campaign
Hyundai and major network executives felt no issue in authorizing the creation and broadcast of several commercials that depict scenes such as a messy and unorganized bedroom to the tune of The Sound of Music's "Sixteen Going on Seventeen," the point of which is this new wave of particularly troublesome teenage drivers will need especially safe cars to counter-balance their inclinations towards reckless driving. While the existence of one insulting commercial will not change perceptions one way or the other, the mass dissemination of certain images and stereotypes of youth throughout mainstream media outlets on a daily basis does influence and mold public opinion. These negative stereotypes lead to the creation of further restrictions, penalties and limitations on young people. In the case of Kyleigh's Law in NJ, perhaps even exposing young people to danger.
We therefore have a responsibility to urge the media, especially major broadcasters, to air and publish less offensive ageist caricatures and generalizations. The same goes for the root source of those images. NYRA members have begun a campaign targeting Hyundai for their negative ads about teens. When a company insults any other group in society, they suffer public backlash. It is therefore up to us to make ourselves heard about Hyundai's irresponsible and offensive ad campaign about teens. Several NYRA members have written letters to Hyundai to complain and several have gotten responses.
Hyundai's consumer affairs email address is [email protected]; please contact the auto company and express your sentiments about their demeaning advertisements. Please let us know in the forums if you've contacted them and if they've responded. We can't let them insult youth without consequences!
NYRA Fights Kyleigh's Law and STAND UP Act
Kyleigh’s Law took effect in New Jersey last month. It requires provisional drivers under 21 to display a red sticker on their license plate. Although it is claimed that the Law is intended to help police enforce restrictions on young drivers that limit the hours they can drive and the number of passengers in their cars, NYRA and a lot of parents and students believe that the decal provision makes younger drivers easy targets.
NYRA has been a vocal opponent of Kyleigh’s Law since it took effect and has received substantial press for encouraging New Jersey drivers to protest Kyleigh’s Law. A small group of parents and teen drivers gathered on May 13th to protest Kyleigh' Law. Lawmakers who originally supported the bill are rethinking their decisions. The three state lawmakers - State Sen. Steve Oroho and Assembly members Alison Littell McHose and Gary Chiusano - who represent the Hamilton-area 14th District have all proposed legislation to repeal the “red scarlet” decal requirement of Kyleigh’s Law. State Senator Sean T. Kean, R-Monmouth, has co-sponsored a bill to repeal the decal portion of the law.
The new local chapter, NYRA-Central Jersey, which was created last month specifically to fight for the overturn of the decal requirement, is organizing protests against the law. See the news roundup below for all the coverage of NYRA's involvement with Kyleigh's Law.
Following on the heels of this bad law in NJ, the US Congress is debating a new bill - the STAND UP Act (The Safe Teen and Novice Driver Uniform Protection Act) which was recently introduced in the Senate. Under this bill, people who are under 18 are not eligible for an unrestricted, full license. Sadly, the whole process follows the same pattern as the the passage of Kyleigh's Law. No one, other than us, has actually considered the potential negative consequences of these new restrictions. New Jersey's legislature has already made a mistake by passing Kyleigh's Law and now they're scrambling to fix that mistake before it's too late. It is disconcerting to see lawmakers continue to make the same mistakes when it comes to issues of youth rights.
Please contact your Senators and Congressmen and let them know you think that those considering passage of the STAND UP Act should sit down and reconsider.
Annual Meeting & Election News
The 2010 Annual Meeting has been moved to Washington, DC. With less than two months to go till the annual meeting the NYRA Board of Directors decided that Washington, DC was the more affordable and convenient option for the meeting this year. We apologize for any disruption this may have caused to anyone's travel plans, but are confident this will be the best annual meeting yet. Further details will be released next week with information on the meeting and a form to RSVP. Please start making travel plans now!
We are also pleased to announce the 14 candidates running for NYRA's 2010 Board of Directors.
1. Jeffrey Nadel (incumbent)
2. Jackie Ferro (incumbent)
3. Alex Koroknay-Palicz (incumbent)
4. Keith Mandell (incumbent)
5. Hal Levy (incumbent)
6. Katrina Moncure (incumbent)
7. Stefan Muller (incumbent)
8. Jenny Harkin
9. Max Harmony
10. Nigel Jones
11. Chris Hardy
12. Usiel Phoenix
13. Julian Gutierrez
14. Lindsay Coley
May 21, 2010Kyleigh's Law puts the Bullseye on Youth
Kyleigh’s Law, which went into effect on May 1, 2010, adds additional requirements to New Jersey’s Graduated Driver’s License program. The most controversial of these new requirements is that any driver who is under the age of 21 and holds a driver’s permit or probationary license is required to buy a pair of red decals and
display them on the top left corners of their front and rear license plates. The rationale behind this, according to proponents of the law, is that the decals help law enforcement to ensure that GDL holders are following the legal restrictions placed on them (such as curfew laws and passenger limits).
However, the law has created a controversy. For one thing, it could lead to police profiling. Also, the safety of the young drivers under this law has been questioned. A similar law was passed in Florida in the ‘90s (requiring those with a rental vehicle to have indicators on their license plates) and it lead to the murders of nine people. There is a fear that the Kyleigh’s Law decals will identify young, solitary drivers and make them easy targets for people with malicious intentions.
NYRA has been a vocal opponent of Kyleigh’s Law and has gained a substantial amount of press for encouraging New Jersey drivers to protest Kyleigh’s Law. It is illegal for a driver who falls under the requirements of the law to not display the decal; however, there are no limits as to who can buy the decals (or how many). If drivers voluntarily choose to display the decals, the decals would be rendered useless as a way to identify young drivers.
NYRA was out in front on this issue, we were the first organized group to oppose this law. Now, dozens of lawmakers who originally supported the bill are rethinking their support - some have introduced amendments to overturn the decal requirement. We are also pleased to announce the creation of a new local chapter, NYRA-Central Jersey which was created specifically to fight for the overturn of the decal requirement. Chapter founder and president, Bernadette Calderone, is organizing protests against the law. We are currently working with other local leaders working to form additional NYRA chapters in the state. Stay tuned for more developments.
NYRA Fights Bill to Raise Driving Age Nationally
In the midst of an active fight in New Jersey over Kyleigh's Law, the US Senate is looking into imposing national driver's license standards through the STAND UP ACT. This law, introduced in the Senate by Sens. Gillibrand, Dodd, and Klobuchar would effectively raise the age to get a driver's permit to 16 and a full driver's license to 18 in every state. Before 18, drivers would have passenger restrictions, a driving curfew and a ban on all use of cell phones while driving. The supporters of this bill claim it is in step with the direction the nation is going, however the vast majority of states are not on board with the requirements in this bill. In fact this law would raise the age for a learner’s permit in 41 states and raise the age for a full license in 32 states.
As with Kyleigh's Law, NYRA has been actively speaking out against this new bill. Unlike Kyleigh's Law, we can hopefully defeat this bill now, before it passes. NYRA representatives have been sought for comment by USA Today, Politico, Fox 29 WTFX in Philadelphia and NBC KARE 11 News in Minneapolis. The Detroit Free Press has printed an op-ed written by NYRA Executive Director, Alex Koroknay-Palicz opposing new restrictions in Michigan's graduated driver's license.
Vermont Senate Approved Resolution for Relieving Drinking Age Penalty
The Vermont Senate has passed a resolution asking the federal government to drop its threat of penalties for states that want to lower their drinking age. The resolution states that the minimum drinking age should be left to state discretion and cites several reasons why 18 would be a more appropriate minimum age.
Congress was urged to create a waiver from the federal transportation funding penalties for states that would like to explore policy alternatives to the 21 year-old drinking age. Vermonters have been debating lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18. According to the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, all states are required to raise their minimum purchase and public possession of alcohol age to 21. States that do not comply face a reduction in highway funds under the Federal Highway Aid Act. By passing this resolution, Vermont hopes to gain more flexibility when it comes to how they deal with the drinking age.
The resolution concludes, “The Senate of the State of Vermont urges Congress to authorize the states to address the problems associated with underage consumption of alcohol by obtaining waivers from federal law to avoid triggering federal funding penalties.”
It is a big win for youth rights advocates as this is the first time since 1984 that something like this has been passed. The resolution represents a milestone in the nationwide movement to rethink 21-year-old drinking age. Still, the resolution is just the first step in the long process. Choose Responsibility did wonderful work in helping to pass this legislation.
April 26, 2010The First Annual National Youth Rights Day was a Success!
We are pleased to have received a number of sponsoring member organizations for our first celebration of National Youth Rights Day, as well as future annual events to come, 16 groups altogether. The most successful and prominent live event occurred at our headquarters in Washington D.C. The local celebration featured a Prohibition Party, held at Stetson’s famous bar on April 14th. The event attracted more than 30 people and we successfully raised $300, including all raffle ticket sales and donations.
Because of the discriminatory drinking age, President Jeffrey Nadel was unable to join us at the event but he managed to make a speech via video G-chat. During his five-minute speech, Jeff stressed the injustice of regarding young people “as chattel, as individuals incapable of thinking for themselves, defending themselves, or making decisions for themselves.”
“We have created a tradition. Like Father’s Day and Mother’s Day, there is now one day, set aside from the vast calendar, to commemorate young people, to acknowledge my generation,” said Jeff.
At the end of his speech, Jeff persuaded everyone to close their eyes and try to remember what it was like to be young so that one would not “forget the experience of youth”. Afterwards, Jeff stayed for a discussion with guests and exchanged their thoughts on youth rights.
But DC's event wasn't the only thing happening on National Youth Rights Day, newly formed NYRA-Austin: Peeps 4 Change hit the streets to get the word out. Chapter members went downtown till the early morning passing out flyers, talking to people about youth rights and even singing about youth rights through the streets. Chapter members made and wore NYRA t-shirts and had a wonderful time promoting the cause.
NYRA board member Jackie Ferro and NYRA-Nanuet: Teen Suffrage Organization marked National Youth Rights Day by having members wear blue to school. It was a small demonstration of solidarity with the cause of youth rights that many were able to easily participate in, over 50 students participated. Linsday Coley wrote an op-ed about NYRD that got published in the Daily Collegian. Many members around the country also participated in their own ways. If you did something, please let us know! Send us an e-mail with the story of your NYRD activity!
Welcome Aboard NYRA-Austin Peeps4Change!
NYRA is pleased to welcome our newest chapter, NYRA-Austin: Peeps 4 Change.
Based in Texas, this chapter is NYRA's first chapter led by a mother-son team. Co-founders Shanda & Dalton Scott intend for the chapter to work to ensure students get fair treatment and a free and appropriate public education in Williamson County, Texas. One of the reasons the Scott’s became interested in youth rights is due to an ongoing battle with the Round Rock Independent School District to get Dalton the services he needs and have his rights respected in school.
“Over the last few years my son has been harassed, threatened, and driven out of school. He wants to learn but the school refuses to teach him. We hope that this chapter can shine some light onto the abuses and neglect that is occurring in our schools. Once young people and families start seeing a glimmer of hope they will come out and speak out alongside us.” said Shanda Scott.
The chapter is also hoping to use the current flap over new textbook standards in Texas to highlight the lack of youth voice in the process. If the voting age were lowered and young people were involved then perhaps their education wouldn't be a political football for adult decision makers to fight over. Check out the chapter's press release and Facebook page for more information.
The Board Election is Coming, Are You Ready?
NYRA’s annual Board of Directors election is quickly approaching, with the 2010 NYRA annual meeting in Boca Raton, Florida soon to be upon us. More details about the annual meeting will be announced soon, but please start making plans now to attend. The event is your best time to meet fellow NYRA members face-to-face, so come down to Florida on August 7th & 8th. The election starts July 7 and only dues paying members can vote or run for the board. Interested parties should ensure that they fulfill the eligibility requirement, which is paid membership for the year that they intend to serve, which only costs ten dollars. Please pay your dues here.
Not sure what it means to be a board member? Not sure what it takes? NYRA has a nine person board of directors who are elected each year by the NYRA membership. The board is responsible for attending monthly meetings, setting all official policy for the organization, providing oversight over all campaigns and decisions the organization makes, personally assisting with the organization's fundraising, and pitching in to help out wherever needed. Candidates should be passionate about youth rights, have time available to commit to the position, and devoted to doing what it takes to help this organization succeed.
To run for the board you must declare your intent to run by June 1. Voting begins July 7 and ends August 7 in Florida. If you would like to run for the Board, all you have to do is send an e-mail stating your intention to do so.
March 22, 2010NYRA Supports Lawsuit Against New York City Police Department
NYRA has offered its full support to the New York Civil Liberties Union’s (NYCLU) suit against New York City’s school safety officers over excessive force and wrongful arrests of students. The lawsuit documents numerous incidents in which students engaged in non-criminal conduct were handcuffed, arrested and physically assaulted by police personnel at school. The police confront and arrest students over minor disciplinary infractions such as talking back, being late for class or having a cell phone in school.
For example, an 11-year-old student was arrested, handcuffed, and taken to the police station for an offense as minor as doodling on her desk in erasable ink. Another girl, 13, was grabbed by the arm, handcuffed, thrown down, and pinned to the ground for telling a school safety officer (SSO) she’d prefer to wait for her mother instead of two adult strangers who threatened her.
“Students should not be afraid to go to school,” said Alex Koroknay-Palicz, executive director of the National Youth Rights Association, “yet every day we hear of new stories where police and school officials make schools a hostile, punitive place to be.”
NYRA believes the reforms the NYCLU lawsuit is seeking will go a long way toward limiting the worst abuse committed by SSOs in New York City, but adult-led lawsuits can only do so much. Until students themselves are empowered to make real decisions about their schools, their communities and their futures, they will continue to face abuse and oppression in schools. NYRA members across the country deal with harsh treatment in their schools and are working to lead the effort to reform education in this country to be more responsive to the needs and desires of students. Local chapters have overcome great opposition to make real, substantive change to schools.
“Schools exist for the benefit of students, yet the individuals most affected by the policies, practices and structure of schools have the least say in crafting them.” said Jeffrey Nadel, NYRA president and founder of NYRA-Southeast Florida. “Instead of teaching us, schools often better prepare us for lives as felons instead of citizens.”
Chance to Win Money in Razoo's March Goodness
NYRA is competing in the Razoo NIT. A March Madness themed online fundraising contest for small nonprofits. In order to compete, charities must have an operating budget below $250,000. Due to the level of competition and our great online support this is a great opportunity for us to win some money to help cover our operating costs. There is $5,000 in prize money available for this contest.
The Endless Crazy Ray's Campaign
NYRA is deeply invested in addressing real-life instances of discrimination. For more than a year, NYRA staff has been involved in pursuing a discrimination complaint against Crazy Ray's Autoparts, a small chain of autosalvage yards located in Maryland. The complaint stems from a policy that prohibits the entry of persons under 18 into the yards. That policy is both at odds with NYRA's stance against business discrimination based on age and with age discrimination laws in the state of Maryland. Though our complaint was submitted in early February of 2009 to the Maryland Commission on Human Relations (MCHR), the numerous difficulties and obstacles that executive director Alex Koroknay-Palicz and direct of development and operations David Moss have encountered while merely attempting to follow up on the matter are evidence of the lack of seriousness and respect that "anti-discrimination" groups have for age-related complaints, this exclusion itself being a form of discrimination.
To quickly summarize the chain of events that's occurred, after initial contact with Crazy Ray's staff in October of 2008 in which they were informed of the legal violation that the prohibition constituted, our executive director again contacted them in January of 2009 to press the issue more, since they had not abandoned the policy and did not seem concerned that they were and are breaking the law. A week after warning Crazy Ray's employees that he would take the complaint to the state if the policy were not dropped, Koroknay-Palicz submitted a report to the aforementioned MCHR on February 5, 2009. In March, NYRA member Conor Nugent was denied entry at a Crazy Ray's location and became a part of the complaint. After months of hearing little from them (during which our staff was informed that we'd been referred to a mediation process, with no apparent success), our contact admitted that nothing had been heard from Crazy Ray's, meaning that the time for mediation was over and
the time for formal investigation of the illegal conduct beginning.
The next MCHR staff member assigned to our complaint began by expressing doubt that age discrimination was actually illegal and implying that it was hardly objectionable for retailers to be interested in banning people under 18 from entering their stores. Our agenda was questioned, our motives were doubted, and we were told "that's not how things work." Through diligence, and the ability to remain calm while being yelled at on the phone, we eventually got our case transfered to a case worker who is actually interested in ending discrimination. We now expect resolution within a few days. A case that was looking more and more like a dead end and a victory for ageism will soon be resolved after a year and a half struggle. Stay tuned next month for the final chapter in the Crazy Ray's saga.
February 22, 2010NYRA Joins Coalition Against School Paddling The Coalition Against School Paddling filed discrimination complaints with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office on February 6, 2010, for Civil Rights against the state departments of education in the twenty states where corporal punishment is permitted. The twenty states that permit corporal punishment in schools are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming.
The complaint was filed under the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act (also known as Title IX), based on the disproportionate damaging impact corporal punishment has on girls versus boys. The law prohibits sex discrimination in any education program receiving federal funding. The coalition anticipates this complaint will arouse a thorough examination by school officials and by the public on the practice of physical punishment in U.S. schools, as well as ultimately providing a legal basis for its prohibition.
Alex Koroknay-Palicz, Executive Director of the National Youth Rights Association, asserts, “There is no more basic right than to be free from violence; physical punishment of adults is not permissible, young people should expect no less.”
#16tovote on the 16th a success!
Last month NYRA board member, Katrina Moncure announced plans to organize an awareness campaign for lowering the voting age. Named #16tovote on the 16th, the campaign had its first even on the 16th of February. Youth rights supporters are encouraged to "tweet" about lowering the voting age on Twitter and include the hashtag #16tovote. For those familiar with Twitter, hashtags allow users to create trends on Twitter and link up their tweets with others on a common theme or subject. Users posted voting age related stats, links to NYRA publications about lowering the voting age, news stories on the subject, and their own thoughts and feelings about voting. In total there were approximately 70 tweets sent out on the 16th as part of the campaign.
Campaign organizer Katrina Moncure described the first #16tovote on the 16th event as a great success that surpassed all her expectations. The campaign will continue again on March 16, all NYRA members and supporters are urged to participate! This time members are encouraged to write blogs, make videos, and generate more voting age content to promote through Twitter. Stop by the forum to help organize the event on March 16.
Alex Koroknay-Palicz's Op-Ed Appears in the HuffingtonPost
When the new International Civil Rights Center and Museum recently opened their doors in Greensboro, NC they didn't open them to everybody. NYRA's executive director quickly realized what museum curators and planners could not -- it's wrong for a museum whose mission is to highlight the horrors of segregation to promote segregation. The museum believes it is protecting young people by banning them from a brutal section of the exhibit, but young people themselves were victims of that racist brutality and their memory and actions deserve to be remembered. Read his Op-Ed here.
Your Youth Rights Stories
Recently, we sent out an email looking for your youth rights stories. The President of our board of directors, Jeffrey Nadel, shared the story of his fight against West Palm Beach and their youth curfew law. Your stories have begun to come in and we have enjoyed reading them. We look forward to receiving more of your stories as the year goes on.
"At my school, we have very harsh rules regarding identification cards. We are told to wear them constantly, because drug dealers were at our school one day dealing drugs to students. Essentially, they were telling us that these IDs keep drugs out of our school, and lower the rate of rules broken at our school. It is mildly upsetting to see certain students filling up the detention room because they forget their ID card, rather than other students who got into trouble for more serious infractions. It has only created more problems for the school.
What has happened since then is increased penalties on students who forget their IDs. When it was first enacted in 2004 at my school, we'd get a detention if we forgot our ID multiple times. Now, if we forget it more than 4 times per semester, we face suspension or expulsion...simply because we are either forgetful or wish not to wear a degrading lanyard and badge, which makes us feel like cattle. I, myself, found a way to beat the system and put a picture of my school ID on a t-shirt. It is the only way I know how to beat the system. "
~ Scott Yeager
"I can buy cigarettes but I can't buy a beer? Srsly?"
~ Nathalie M.
"When I was 12, I went to the library, where someone was holding a discussion for one of my favorite books (and inspiration for the novel I'm writing right now), Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I was pretty much the only teen there. The others? Senior citizens. And instead of discrimination, people were impressed by my input and me. I forgot what we discussed - something about how modern society represents the society in the book. But yes, I impressed and even made friends with the leader of the discussion. My mom was even getting comments like, "Your daughter will go far in life." And I believe I will."
~ Alyssa P.
To share your youth rights story (it can be anything, from a video, to a letter, to a poem) please contact us.
NYRA
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1101 15th St., NW
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Suite 200
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Washington, DC
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20005
Care about youth voice?
Join us at the Supreme Court to defend free speech, video games and democracy.
The event is totally free! We have scheduled a full range of workshops and trainings for Annual Meeting attendees. “Non-Profit Tricks of the Trade Workshop”, “Guide to Emancipation”, “10 Rules for Dealing with Police”, “Fundraising Tips and Guidance” and “How to Start and Run Student Groups”, these are just a glimpse of the activities of the event. Breakfast will be provided on both days and all attendees are invited to a NYRA BBQ on Saturday night after the meeting. 
Like most high schools, their start time was created entirely by adults and the students affected by it (and hurt by it) had very little say. NYRA's chapter at the school, the 
display them on the top left corners of their front and rear license plates. The rationale behind this, according to proponents of the law, is that the decals help law enforcement to ensure that GDL holders are following the legal restrictions placed on them (such as curfew laws and passenger limits).
Based in Texas, this chapter is NYRA's first chapter led by a mother-son team. Co-founders Shanda & Dalton Scott intend for the chapter to work to ensure students get fair treatment and a free and appropriate public education in Williamson County, Texas. One of the reasons the Scott’s became interested in youth rights is due to an ongoing battle with the Round Rock Independent School District to get Dalton the services he needs and have his rights respected in school.
for Civil Rights against the state departments of education in the twenty states where corporal punishment is permitted. The twenty states that permit corporal punishment in schools are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming.