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<i>Boys Beware</i>
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"Police station" [Building] "Police zone" [Street sign]
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"Police" [Sign] "Shelter →" [Sign]
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I'm Lieutenant Williams,
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a police officer attached to the Juvenile Division.
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I'm on my way to Monroe Junior High School
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to talk to a group of young people.
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That looks innocent enough, doesn't it?
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Lots of young people hitchhike.
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Seems like a good way to get from one place to another.
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But sometimes, there are dangers involved that never meet the eye.
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Let's take the case of Jimmy Barnes.
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Jimmy played baseball all afternoon, and he didn't feel like
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walking home, so he decided to thumb a ride.
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He'd done it a hundred times before,
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And he didn't think anything was unusual
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when the driver struck up a friendly conversation.
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In fact, he seemed like a real nice guy.
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He asked Jimmy if he played baseball in the park often.
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Jimmy told him they practiced three times a week
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and played a rival group on Friday afternoon.
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The stranger was a good listener, too.
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and it only seemed minutes before
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they pulled up in front of Jimmy's house.
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When Jimmy got out,
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the stranger gave him a friendly pat.
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Then he told him he'd see him again,
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as he always drove by the park on his way home.
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Sure enough,
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the following day, when [Jimmy] finished playing ball,
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well, the man was there waiting.
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They stopped at a drive-in,
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and the stranger treated him to a Coke.
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During their conversation,
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he told several off-color jokes.
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But Jimmy had heard others before;
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and, well, it made him feel big to so easily
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win the confidence of an older person.
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The following Saturday, they went fishing together.
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By now, they were using first names.
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Ralph said it was more friendly.
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Jimmy hadn't enjoyed himself so much in a long time.
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Then, during lunch,
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Ralph showed him some pornographic pictures.
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Jimmy knew he shouldn't be interested,
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but, well, he was curious.
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What Jimmy didn't know was that Ralph was sick.
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A sickness that was not visible like smallpox
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but no less dangerous and contagious:
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a sickness of the mind.
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You see, Ralph was a homosexual...
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a person who demands an intimate relationship
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with members of their own sex.
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But by now, Jimmy felt a fondness for Ralph;
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and they continued to go places together.
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Ralph was generous and took Jimmy many interesting places
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and did many nice things for him.
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He bought presents and even gave him money,
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but payments were expected in return.
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You see, Jimmy hadn't recognized Ralph's approach soon enough.
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When Ralph first asked Jimmy to go fishing alone,
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he should have discussed it with his parents or teacher.
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"Police station" [Sign]
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Finally, Jimmy told his parents;
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and they reported it to the Juvenile authorities.
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Ralph was arrested,
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and Jimmy was released on probation
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in the custody of his parents.
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But all homosexuals are not passive.
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Some resort to violence, as in the case of Mike Merritt.
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In the heat of competition,
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no one noticed the man who sat and watched.
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And when the game broke up and the others left,
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Mike decided to stay and practice a little longer.
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The stranger joined him. He was friendly;
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and, well, it was better than playing alone.
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Then after a few shots, Mike realized he had already
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overstayed his time, and suggested he had better leave.
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The stranger told him if he’d like to stay longer,
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he'd be glad to drive him home when they finished.
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Sounded great to Mike!
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A chance to play longer and get a ride home, too!
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When they finished, the stranger told him he'd make
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a fine player someday if he got lots of practice.
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The companionship, the praise, the friendly attitude dispelled
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any misgivings Mike might have had about going with a stranger.
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He probably never realized until too late
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that he was riding in the shadow of death.
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But sometime that evening,
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Mike Merritt traded his life for a newspaper headline.
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As Denny and Jerry got the papers ready
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for Jerry's afternoon delivery,
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they only casually noticed the two boys that
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raced by in the afternoon traffic.
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And they didn't pay much attention to the car
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that drew up shortly afterwards,
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until the man called them over.
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Had two boys been by on bicycles?
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The boys nodded they had.
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Could they recognize them if they saw them again?
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Well, Denny guessed he could.
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"Then, hop in!" the man said. "Those are stolen bikes!"
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Without giving it another thought, Denny got in; and the car sped away.
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Jerry watched. He'd been told many times
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if a friend got in a car with a stranger to write down the license number.
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It didn't seem to apply, but...
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well, fortunately, he marked it down.
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When we delivered a paper to Denny's house,
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he asked his mother if they caught the boys
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that had stolen the bicycles.
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Denny hadn't returned, so he told her the story.
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and gave her the paper with the license number
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Being a careful parent, she decided to call the police.
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Jerry supplied the necessary information
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and the stranger's car was quickly spotted.
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It was a good example of how important it is to always
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get the license number and description of any stranger
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who takes a young person off alone, no matter what they tell you.
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Public restrooms can often be a hangout for the homosexual.
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Bobby and his friends hadn't noticed the man
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who had been in the restroom when they changed.
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And as it was late, he suggested they take the shortcut under the pier.
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But the others preferred to take the more traveled way home.
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When Bobby recognized the stranger as the man in the restroom,
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the shortcut under the pier didn't seem like a good idea at all.
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After all, it’s more fun to stay with your friends anyway.
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Bobby had made a wise decision. It may have saved his life.
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The decision is always yours...
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...and your whole future may depend on making the right one.
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So, no matter where you meet a stranger,
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be careful if they are too friendly
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if try to win your confidence too quickly
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and if they become overly personal.
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One never knows when the homosexual is about.
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He may appear normal, and it may be too late
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when you discover he is mentally ill.
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So keep with your group, and don't go off alone with strangers
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unless you have the permission of your parent or teacher.
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The End A Sid Davis Production
