Hey I'm not going to tell you where I live. I have my reasons, which involve
protecting my children. I read your web page I thought I might find thoughts
on child abuse, but it was mostly on the shootings in Colorado. I live with
a child that was sextually abuse at the age of 8 by his natural father, a
school teacher in Las Cruces, New Mexico. I talk to God daily, for this is a
never ending emotional battle for my child, which is now 14. My child is in
a deep depression now and I pray God and all the therapist can help. I just
want happiness for my child. This is a daily stuggle that will last a
liftime. Pray that this never happens to your child.
Hey, I'm 18, a sophomore in college and an English major for secondary
education. I've wanted to be a teacher ever since I can remember, but
the only things that cause me to reconisder my calling are the shootings
in schools. One would think that a school, of all places, would be a
safe haven for children-- a place to escape domestic violence, not
another place for them to be afraid of going. I went to your page to
check out the images and was somewhat surprised to be greeted by your
plea for an end to violence. Well, I definitely stand behind you on
this subject. Guns should not even exist, I've never been able to
comprehend their place in our world. We simply don't need them for any
reason. No situation or feeling or argument or war justifies the need
for guns. You're a good person for doing what you do. Thanks.
The government of Afghanistan is waging a war upon women. Since the
Taliban
took power in 1996, women have had to wear burqua and have been
beaten
and
stoned in public for not having the proper attire, even if this means
simply
not having the mesh covering in front of their eyes.
One woman was beaten to DEATH by an angry mob of fundamentalists for
accidentally exposing her arm while she was driving. Another was
stoned
to
death for trying to leave the country with a man that was not a
relative.
Women are not allowed to work or even go out in public without a male
relative; professional women such as professors, translators,
doctors,
lawyers, artists and writers have been forced from their jobs and
stuffed
into their homes, so that depression is becoming so widespread that
it
has
reached emergency levels. There no way in such an extreme Islamic
society to
know the suicide rate with certainty, but relief workers are
estimating
that
the suicide rate among women, who cannot find proper medication and
treatment for severe depression and would rather take their lives
than
live
in such conditions, has increased significantly.
Homes where a woman is present must have their windows painted so
that
she
can never be seen by outsiders. They must wear silent shoes so that
they are
never heard. Women live in fear of their lives for the slightest
misbehavior. Because they cannot work, those without male relatives
or
husbands are either starving to death or begging on the street, even
if
they
hold Ph.D.'s.
There are almost no medical facilities available for women, and
relief
workers, in protest, have mostly left the country, taking medicine
and
psychologists and other things necessary to treat the skyrocketing
level of
depression among women. At one of the rare hospitals for women, a
reporter
found still, nearly lifeless bodies lying motionless on top of beds,
wrapped
in their burqua, unwilling to speak, at, or do anything, but slowly
wasting
away. Others have gone mad and were seen crouched in corners,
perpetually
rocking or crying, most of them in fear. One doctor is considering,
when
what little medication that is left finally runs out, leaving these
women in
front of the president's residence as a form of peaceful protest. It
is at
the point where the term 'human rights violations' has become an
understatement.
Husbands have the power of life and death over their women relatives,
especially their wives, but an angry mob has just as much right to
stone or
beat a woman, often to death, for exposing an inch of flesh or
offending
them in the slightest way. Women enjoyed relative freedom, to work,
dress
generally as they wanted, and drive and appear in public alone until
only
1996.
The rapidity of this transition is the main reason for the depression
and
suicide; women who were once educators or doctors or simply used to
basic
human freedoms are now severely restricted and treated as subhuman in
the
name of right-wing fundamentalist Islam. It is not their tradition or
'culture', but is alien to them, and it is extreme even for those
cultures
where fundamentalism is the rule.
Everyone has a right to a tolerable human existence, even if they are
women
in a Muslim country. If we can threaten military force in Kosovo in
the
name
of human rights for the sake of ethnic Albanians, citizens of the
world
can
certainly express peaceful outrage at the oppression, murder and
injustice
committed against women by the Taliban.
Hi,
I appreciate and applaud you for putting up a forum for discussion on how to end the horrors. I see it as the lowering of teacher requirements, the lack of a background check on them, no intelligence requirement, other than making "D's", so that our children spend 8 hours per day 5 days per week with people, who , on the most part, don't care what is happening on the playground. In many cases, these violent children could have been identified by an alert teacher.
Here in my town there were 3 sex perverts attending the small school. At the present, there is one that I know of. What can we do when the law won't do anything. What is the deal on "being very careful when dealing with a minor?" It is the death of many good children.
It is protection for teachers and parents of violent children, in that they don't report them due to the extreme knowledge one must possess in order to know "When, Where, and IF" they can legally report a violent child.
Awful world, isn't it? Lawmakers and their laws generally ignore both children and women. Sometimes they pass laws which hurt women and children. The no spank law, a frightening thing for a mother, yet a teacher can spank.
What does one do?
Your page was very inspirational & mirrors my own beliefs. Thank you
so much for stepping up and putting your words where people, everywhere,
can read them. I'm aware of the smut some people are publishing on the
internet & it's so refreshing to see yours. Hopefully more people will
click onto your page, whether on purpose or accidentally. Accidentally
would be a blessing in disguise. :)
I, also have put together my own personal page. Seems to be a trend
I've enjoyed very much, even though I don't consider myself a "trendy"
person. I'd like to put a link to yours on mine, but would like your
permission first.
Check it out first if you'd like at http://www.angelfire.com/ca4/MYFRIENDS
Keep up the good work, positive thinking, and praising the Lord!!
God bless you & your family.
Great page "why"
I would like permission to link back to this page from our personal
site. You can check it out at http://home.plutonium.net/~abeckman
It is just a general type of home page but I really like what you have
to say. Something you may consider is joining the web ring of Patricia
Draper founder of living angels. http://www.livingangels.com
Keep up the great site. If ok I will also link back to the web design
content of your page.
hi. i read the stuff on Columbine on your site. to be honest i came there
looking for backgrounds, but became engrossed in all the other stuff. Our
school had a bomb threat last year, and it was really scary. All my
belongings were in my locker, and my friend's prized clarinet was in there
too. the next day, there was a silent bomb threat. no teacher knew about it,
and a bomb was suppossed to go off at noon. a girl named julie was the only
girl who knew, and that was because her boyfriend had planned it all. some
of my friends and i overheard her talking about it, but we were too scared
that the boy would come after us to say anything. At 11:59 we sat at lunch
with bated breath...
and...
absolutely nothing happened.
i think crime is a big problem in our city. This Halloween, my best bud and
i were trick-or-treating and were on our way home and we were attacked by
two boys who stole our stuff. they knocked us over, and my friend hurt her
wrist. We were too stunned to react. We called the police. only one
perputrator was caught.
i know people who smoke 2 packs a day
and peoplee that sniff anything from cocaine to pixie sticks.
the world needs to change.
or who knows what will happen?
EACH CHILD IS BORN IN THE INNOCENCE THAT GOD HAS BESTOWED UPON US IF WE CAN ONLY TOUCH UPON THAT WE MAY SUCCEED IN RAISING A CHILD WHO IS TOLERANT OF ONE ANOTHER.
TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE AND NOT TO JUDGE ANOTHER HUMAN.
FILL THEM WITH LOVE AND BELONGING .
GIVE THEM PATHS TO FOLLOW .
GIVE THEM HOPE
RECOGNIZE THEIR CRIES FOR HELP.
IF YOU VALUE YOUR POSSESSIONS MORE THAN YOUR CHILD YOU HAVE NOTHING
IF YOU VALUE YOUR RELIGION MORE THAN YOUR CHILD YOU HAVE NOTHING
YOUR CHILD IS THE ESSENCE OF WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU , YOUR CHILD IS YOUR ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS. THE EXTENSION OF YOUR SOUL.
DO NOT GIVE YOUR CHILD ANY REASON TO EMPOWER THROUGH YOUR JUDGEMENTS OR FEAR.
DO NOT USE YOUR RELIGION TO JUDGE ONE ANOTHER FOR IT WILL BECOME HALTERED.
WE CANNOT CHANGE WHAT HAS HAPPENED WE HAVE TO START THINKING OF OURSELVES A S MORTAL HUMANS . THE WORLD WILL ALWAYS CHANGE .FOR THE GOOD AND THE BAD THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A STRUGGLE .
IT SOON WILL BE CHRISTMAS AND JESUS WAS BORN TO DIE FOR OUR SINS , PLEASE DON'T LET YOUR CHILDREN DIE FOR YOURS......
THANKS FOR LETTING ME VENT I HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS . MY MOTHER DIED THIS LAST NOVEMBER 9TH . SHE GAVE ME AS A FRIEND A SENSE OF KNOWING WHAT GOD S LOVE REALLY IS . I AM A 43 YEAR OLD MAN WHO TOOK THE TIME TO FEEL. GOD BLESS YOU
I am a 14 year old student that will be going into high school next year. All this school violence makes high school seem a bit scary added to the tensions of being in a new school. I thought you might get something out of my thoughts.
People have become terrified because of this wave of school violence in our nation. Yes something needs to be done, and we who are in control of our emotions must take the initiative and help others. Simply by working to include everyone or offering to include them would take away a lot of anger, thus reducing violence. When I hear these stories of violence, each time it makes something inside me click. I want so desperately to reach out to these people and help them. That can't be accomplished however, unless we DO something. Starting programs to help people with stress and low self esteem is a good idea, but nothing new. Programs like that can be a bit intimidating, not to mention make people feel out of place because they need this help. If there was a program in which peers helped each other feel included and sympathized with, we might get somewhwere. Everyone would be welcome and the invitation would be extended often. This program would only succeed IF it was made sure that there was no policy that threw people who were a bad influence out of this program. To do so would be to exclude the very people that this program concentrates on helping. Instead, encourage people to befriend the person and give them the respect that they are more than likely somewhat lacking. Also, in order to make this plan an even greater success, convince the school board not to expel a person who has been a perpetrator of violence, but have them in the program if they arent already. They should however, be watched closely until and even after they seem much more in control. Others will be encouraged not to fear people with these problems. We must stop discrimination, which is a major source of violence. It is hard to get prejudice people to switch views, believe me, I've tried. We need not concentrate on many of the victims of discrimination except to protect them from harm since they officially have all the rights that everyone else has, instead turn more toward the perpetator. Always, if the perpetrator stops perpetrating, the hurt will not be passed from them, so they are an essential target for help. When trying to convince a racist, sexist, shovinist, etc., it is usually futile to point out to them that they have hurt somebody in some way since that waas probably their intention. Instead, let them know they are different too, and that it isn't a bad thing. Tell them that everyone is different in some way or another, and that is what brings us together and strengthens us. Find out if they have been treated the way that they are treating people, and if they have tell them that them to have been treated this way is wrong. Also point out that if they continue their actions, they are actually supporting the behavior that has hurt them. Tell them that you will try to protect them from these actions, and in return, you wish for them to stop themselves. If they won't stop, still try to protect them because the ceasing of exposure to this behavior will more than likely convince them to stop themselves. Follow this same plan with the person (if there was one) that was doing this to them. If you win them over, then you can get them to apoligize for their behavior sincerely and it will stop spreading through that person. Together we can stop the spread of violence.
As far as I know of, there is no program like what I have described. If there is, that's great, but it is obvious that we could use more.
A great program to help kids develop ideas to prevent or stop problems like these, is Future Problem Solving. Without this program, I'd have never been able to develop this idea.
it was so nice and yet so sad to read your letters on you page i never understand why there is so much hurt in the world,
my son was assaulted at school in year 8 for his lunch money by 4 other boys from his class
he was in a coma for 8 months and has very bad brain damage his lost his sight and hearing
he was 12 at the time and is now 18 and is like having a baby all over again
he never got to go back to school and will never take his place in out world, i am the care giver for him my hubby left us not long after
i would like to say to every one think before you hit it not your life that is going to be lost by it
thank you so much for your page Want to add your thoughts? E-mail me. Thanks!