Online Chat
St. Johnsbury Middle School
March 23, 2000

Session Start: Thu Mar 23 11:22:50 2000

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[mallonr] Hi jennifer are you there

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[KrisI] hi rick

[mallonr] hi kris

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[JenniferN] Hi. I've only been checking here periodically and just realized you were back.

[mallonr] Teachers at this site are Kris Ingram & Mike Regan, Rick Mallon is tech Assistance

[JenniferN] Great. Are you going to be at 2 computers during the chat?

[mallonr] yes

[mallonr] We also have a video project set up so students can see a bigger screen

[mallonr] We have about thirty six students in our room.

[JenniferN] Wow. I nice big crowd.

[KrisI] hi

[mallonr] hi

[KrisI] yo nick wassap?

[mallonr] hello are you ready

[mallonr] hey sup

[KrisI] yeah whatever

[mallonr] ok

[KrisI] hi guys

[KrisI] this is actually morgan

[mallonr] hi this is nick

[KrisI] ford and stephen want to say hi

[KrisI] hi

[KrisI] hi

[mallonr] Jennifer, do you have a rough timeline for us?, rick

[Sen_Leahy] Hi, I just finished voting and am back in the office. How are you?

[KrisI] good

[mallonr] we're good

[KrisI] how are you?

[mallonr] i'm nick

[KrisI] i'm morgan

[mallonr] what were you voting on

[Sen_Leahy] Nick, Morgan and the others - any questions? I just finished voting on a crop insurance bill which included a Leahy amendment that will bring 128million dollars to farmers in the NorthEast

[mallonr] yes

[KrisI] stephie, jessica,louie,nick,and others wanted to know how long you've been senator? how did you prepare for this?

[mallonr] does it have something to do with milk prices

[Sen_Leahy] Stephie, Jessica, Louie and Nick I have been a Senator for 25 years. I was the youngest Senator ever elected from Vermont and am now the second longest serving - or will be at the end of my term.

[mallonr] stephie, morgan, margaret,andrea,melissa,kim r, kirby,want to know whats happening in the senate about the death penalty issue

[Sen_Leahy] There is no one type of preparation for being a Senator. I am a native Vermonter, a lawyer and a former prosecutor. I think the most important thing is to have a willingness to listien to the people you represent.

[Sen_Leahy] I apologize for typos but I do my own typing.

[KrisI] melissa, monica,heidi,etienne,tyler,jason,frank,nicole,jimmy and joan marie wanted to know what education did u have /do you need?

[mallonr] do you think people with the death penalty should have paroll

[mallonr] whta

[Sen_Leahy] Stephie, morgan, margaret andrea melissa kim and kirby we are working to make DNA evidence available to anyone charged with murder and other safeguards. This is because a large number of people condemmned to death are later found to be innocent.

[KrisI] how old were you when knew you wanted a life in politics?

[Sen_Leahy] melissa and others asked about education. I went to grade school and high school in Montpelier, got a college degree from St Michael's in Winoosk and a Juris Doctor law degree from Georgetown in Washington.

[KrisI] heather and hillary are interested in your opinion on the abortion issue. is the sebate considering this issue this year?

[mallonr] we are all interested in if you think someone should have to be born in the U.S to be president we have classmates who, although they were not born in america have grown up here

[Sen_Leahy] Kris I grew up in Montpelier so always saw the state Capitol, the government and all and I think I was always interested in politics. As I child I don't think I ever could have fully known I wopuld have the great privilege of representing Vermont in the US Senate.

[Sen_Leahy] Our COnstitution requires our President to be native born. I do not think this will change but someone who is not native born can serve in almost any other position. For example they can be a governor, Senator or like Madeleine Albright, Secy of State.

[KrisI] morgan is interested in what's being done to legalize controlled substances for medical reasons?

[Sen_Leahy] Kris the Senate always has a dozen votes or more on abortion. It really does not change a lot because Roe v Wade is the law of the land and abortion, with some restrictions, is legal in the US. There may be a vote on late term abortion which I do oppose.

[mallonr] i want to know what you thought st. j after seeing the result of the recent fires ? what will the government do for the store owners and residents effected? how can people help?

[Sen_Leahy] Mallonr I was shocked when i saw the damage in St J when I visited earlier this month. I have been working with a number of agencies in Washington and will do everything possible to help St J get money to aid in rebuilding.

[KrisI] morgan, melissa, hillary, and heather are interested on your opinion about vermonts same-sex Civil unions. is gay rights a national or state issue? is it a constitutional issue?

[Sen_Leahy] Kris the states'should have the right, thru their legislatures, to determine whether controlled substances could be used in a medical context. Some states like Arizona have already voted this way.

[mallonr] jessica and nathaniel want to know about your personal safety. as a public, how do you deal with all the people following you. (some of us saw all the media when you came to st. johnsbury after all the fires) do you need bodyguards ever have you ever been/ felt threatened?

[Sen_Leahy] The civil union law that our Vermont House of Reps just passed is , of course, a state issue as it should be. I do not know whether the State Senate will vote for the same law but, if they do, I believe it would be held to be constituional. The vote is one the men and women in Montpelier must decide and the Congress cannot tell them how to vote.

[KrisI] adam and jesse want to what you think about the skate park purposed for st j. Would there be aby federal funding for this kind of recration.

[Sen_Leahy] Jessica and Nathaniel - I never worry about my safety in my home state of Vermont. I have lived there all my life, I have been in law enforcement and the Senate and I always feel the safest at home. Sometimes when i travel in dangerous places like Kosovo I do have bodyguards.

[KrisI] we have a student from bosnia in the room have you ever been there

[Sen_Leahy] Adam and Jesse I don't know the answer about the skate park but would be glad to look into it. Incidentally if you check my web page after we finish there is already a photo of me doing this chat with you as well as a transcript of this chat.

[mallonr] kim, stephie, andrew, melissa, samantha, kirby, want to know what the senate is doing to make the internet safer? is there technology to control access to web sites? how do you stop people making threats or sending obsceneties/pornography over the internet, especially to children? how can you be sure of people's ages? how can you be sure underage kids don't lie about their ages and access adult material?

[Sen_Leahy] Kris I have been in Bosnia. I went the first time with President Clinton and Sec Albright. We actually left the regular Air Force One in Italy and came in in a cargo plane. I was struck by the terrible destruction there and the suffering of the people.

[Sen_Leahy] I hope the student from Bosnia is enjoying being in Vermont and he or she should feel free to write to me.

[KrisI] louie and shawn want to know what you think could be done about overcrowding in jails?

[mallonr] morgan, shawn, samantha, stephanie are interested in gun control. what is the senate doing about the the issue? what do you think about the new gun locks?

[Sen_Leahy] Louie and Shawn we should ask ourselves if we accomplish much by sending so many non violent people to prison. Our country has more people in prison than any country in the world and it means something is not being done right.

[KrisI] we'll have Ismar rite to you about bosnia.

[Sen_Leahy] I have to go back to the Senate floor in a couple minutes and may not answer all your questions and I apologise - just can't type any faster!

[Sen_Leahy] Ismar i will look forward to hearing from you.

[KrisI] what do you think the most important issue the senate will face this year?

[mallonr] Morgan and Heather want to know how your work impacted/impacts your family life?

[Sen_Leahy] The Senate may debate gun control again this year but the gun lobby is trying to stop that - I don't know what the outcome will be. In the meantime all of us should make sure, if we own guns, that they are handled very safely.

[mallonr] thank you. Bye.

[KrisI] we have to go to lunch.

[Sen_Leahy] Morgan and Heather you get the last question. Nothing is more important to me than my family and, even tho I work very long hours like everyone else in this office, there is always time for the family and they get first priority. I am blessed with a wonderful family and never lose sight of that.

[Sen_Leahy] Great to be with you.

[mallonr] MattandJenifer,we thank you for your help. Senator, we really appreciate yourtime w/ us

[mallonr] This has been great fun and informative!!!! We'll be writing soon, especially Ismar!!!!!

*** Disconnected

Session Close: Thu Mar 23 12:32:07 2000