Robert Kesten Endorsed by Protect NY Kids, Fighting for Children PAC
Gary Greenberg and Kesten hold joint event in Peekskill
PEEKSKILL, NY: Gary Greenberg, founder of Protect NY Kids and Fighting for Children PAC, joined the Kesten campaign in Peekskill this afternoon to announce Kesten’s endorsement by the child advocacy groups. Greenberg created the groups to support candidates in favor of the legislation, which essentially lifts the statute of limitations on child sex abuse.
The bill has passed the NYS Assembly twice, but failed in the NYS Senate. Currently, child victims have a limited period of time to challenge their abuser in court. This legislation extends the timeframe for bringing legal action against the abuser. Kesten joined Greenberg in calling for a special legislative session in Albany to pass the act.
“The complexities behind anyone coming forward after being abused are well known to doctors,” Kesten said. “It is much worse for children, many of whom go through a lifetime of therapy and treatment to survive. The Child Victims Act must be passed so that all children and adults can have their day in court, when they are able to confront their abuser. There can be no set date, no statute of limitations, as each individual arrives at this moment in his or her life at different times. It is the victim that needs to be protected, the victim who deserves their day in court. This Act makes that a reality.”
Kesten has worked for many years on integrating human rights into the course of everyday life. His previous work as an educator in the New York City public schools and working with at-risk children has familiarized him with the harsh reality of child sexual abuse.
On the endorsement, Greenberg said “Robert entered the race for NYS Senate because of his deep commitment to single payer healthcare and his belief that we must put people over politics. He believes that elected officials have a responsibility to the people they represent, not to special interests or power brokers. Moreover, he has the deep sense of right and wrong that we need in the people who represent us in Albany.”
He went on to say, “Most importantly for those of us who have made the passage of the Child Victims Act our top priority, Robert is committed to doing everything he can to ensure the Act finally passes the NYS legislature. For that reason, we are endorsing Robert in his race for the New York State Senate. With the primary on Thursday, September 13th, we must all do what we can to get Robert on the November ballot and ensure his victory. As a state senator, he will indeed be a champion for all of us.”
About Robert Kesten
For the past decade, Robert has been a consultant for PDHRE, the organization behind the United Nations Decade on Human Rights Education. Previously, he ran the Center for Screen Time Awareness in Washington, DC, where he advocated for a FCC Task Force on the impact of screened media on children’s health.
He has been actively engaged in government at the local, national, and international levels. A Democratic District Leader in the Town of Lewisboro, he has worked with U.S. Senators Tom Daschle, Harry Reid, and Paul Simon as well as for NYS Senate Minority Leader Manfred Ohrenstein, where he was also active in the NYS Democratic Senate Campaign Committee.
His international efforts include advising the U.S. government during the break-up of the Soviet Union. He was also engaged in encouraging democratic institutions during the Arab Spring in both Egypt and Tunisia and last year worked to assist Mountain View, California (home to Google) on becoming a Human Rights City.
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