A MASS-OF-2-SH*TS
Posted on 06/23/2006 5:51:54 AM PDT by lexfreedom
Letter: Message for Parker: ‘Stop bullying’
Thursday, June 22, 2006 - Updated: 05:28 PM EST
When bullies stay in the spotlight too long, they show their true colors. Such it is with David Parker.
First, he poses as a champion protecting his son from a liberal school system that tolerates all families. When his belligerent ways with teacher and principal and superintendent get nowhere, he turns himself into a media spectacle to carry his anti-gay message further. So be it. In this age of divisive hate politics, it can happen anywhere. Lexington is a community that was annealed defending the rights of citizens, this battle is but another of our tasks.
What of his latest self-aggrandizement? By exploiting a typical first-grade lunchroom/playground spat involving his son and another first-grader, he has grabbed the headlines again. He states in his press release "We also know that activist lesbian mothers and vehement anti-David Parker parents are spewing hateful, inflaming rhetoric, and probably also to their young children. What kind of atmosphere are they creating?"
Who would guess that the incident was over a seat in the lunch room?
It’s a very clever manipulation of the event to intimidate other people while providing red-meat fodder for his political base. Sen. Joseph McCarthy would be proud.
But at what cost is he achieving his notoriety now? What about the cost to the other child — the child who was disciplined for the incident over a month ago, made up with David Parker’s son and had a play date with him that day — is it okay for this child to be a pawn in Mr. David Parker war against tolerance?
How about the children and the parents of children in first grade? How will they behave around Mr. Parker or Mr. Parker’s children, knowing that they may be accused in a press release a month or two later for their kids’ behavior? Will they be thinking "Say the wrong thing and David Parker’s going to accuse us in the newspaper"?
And what about David Parker’s child? What does it do to a first-grader when he is used by his father as a truncheon for a political cause? What are the lessons a child learns when his classmates are considered pawns to be exploited in the media for political gain?
Shame on you, David Parker. You are a bully. Though you will not win in this town, you have already caused a lot of hurt among those who you claim you are trying to protect: your son and his first-grade classmates.
Bill McKenney
Winthrop Road
Letter: Why print ‘blatant’ lies in the paper?
Thursday, June 22, 2006 - Updated: 05:24 PM EST
This is a lie: "Jacob Parker was approached during recess, taken to a corner of the play area and assaulted by eight to 10 students."
We have for too long allowed our newspapers to print blatant lies and give them credibility, from the largest issues such as lies about weapons of mass destruction to the smallest issues, such as lies about children ganging up on another child in a school yard.
First, the fact that someone resorts to lies to the press to make a point is indicative of a total corruption of moral values. Public discussion first depends on honesty.
Secondly, the fact the Minuteman would publish this BS makes them complicit.
The paper should never have published such an allegation about a school incident without making an effort to talk directly to the teachers involved. By not doing so, they gave credence and participated in fostering a lie on our community.
Shame on all involved.
Toby Sackton
White Pine Lane
Letter: Paper ‘duped’ by Camenker group
Thursday, June 22, 2006 - Updated: 05:27 PM EST
I was angry and dismayed to see this newspaper so easily duped by a notorious hate group like Article 8 Alliance (aka Mass Resistance). The inflammatory lead story about an alleged schoolyard assault was an insult to the schools and the population of Lexington.
Given the level of tension between the supporters and opponents of David Parker’s actions in Lexington, the publication of this article was gravely irresponsible. The reporter clearly rushed this story to press, failing in her responsibility to investigate these serious allegations before relaying the breathless conspiracy theories of Brian Camenker nearly verbatim. Is that how newspapers work today?
Now that the school superintendent has had a chance to review the incident (over a month past), it is revealed in a very different light. What we see from the press release issued by Dr. Ash is that the school handled an unfortunate conflict between young children with professionalism and compassion. The Estabrook staff deserves praise for their prompt action and the resolution they achieved.
We also see that Brian Camenker’s press release was pure demagoguery, but we hardly needed Dr. Ash’s patient analysis to be suspicious of Camenker’s veracity. Anyone browsing the Article 8 Alliance Web site would quickly perceive the anti-gay bias and the hysterical tilt to much of Camenker’s writing. Is this what passes for a reliable news source today?
The proper response for this paper would be an official retraction of this story, along with an apology to the school system.
Glenn Parker
Spring Street
Letter: Wrong for paper to cite Camenker
Thursday, June 22, 2006 - Updated: 05:26 PM EST
It is totally irresponsible for a newspaper to treat Brian Camenker as a credible news source. His diatribe about a playground incident at Estabrook was totally fabricated for publicity. Margery Egan of the Boston Herald has it correct by calling him a “nut” on her talk radio program on June 7. She was commenting on Camenker’s “creepiness” because he writes on his Web site about Macy’s having gay mannequins.
Here is another reason news people should ignore him. This man prints these outlandish news releases periodically in order to raise money for his anti-gay crusade. By validating his Web site diatribes with electronic newsprint, traffic increases on his Web site and homophobes throughout the country can find him and contribute. It is very sad that the Parkers have chosen this man as an advisor and even sadder that they, guided by Camenker, used their own child in yet another publicity stunt.
Reporters at the Minuteman and Globe: Next time Camenker calls, hang up!
Craig Cyr
Revere Street
Hello, David. I didn't think that fund raising was permitted on Free Republic.
The level of hate and intolerance coming from all of those "tolerant" Lexington citizens would be comical if it weren't so ugly...
The whole state of Massachusetts ought to be ashamed.
The State of Massachusetts is well beyond any shame. Look at who they elect.
The hate is on the other foot. These nuts sound pretty hateful to me--any way to respond to them?
Newspapers arent duped. They slant their stories to fit their agenda. Right now that Agenda is helping the queers in their recruitment efforts at public schools.
A MASS-OF-2-SH*TS
In Mass, if you decline to bend over and grab your ankles for the sodomites, you are a homophobic bigot!
Excellent!!!
Bully!?
What would we call the people who crammed the homosexual agenda down our throats (no pun intended) in the first place. Bullies? I think so.
"Why is it my children can't offend his fellow students with the word "Jesus"..."
____________________________
Only those walking in darkness are offended by the Messiah's name.
How about helping to de-fund the school.
Do the schools in Mass. have "attendance day" where student numbers are officially counted for state funds?
If so, get all your friends to boycott the school on that day.
More on the David Parker story (enraged emails from the left)
Thanks for the ping.
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