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Children of military parents across Maine: UPDATE!
Personal Email | 2/28/03 | Calpernia

Posted on 03/01/2003 10:25:10 AM PST by Calpernia

See XXXX, even a blind monkey finds a banana once in a while. I may not have the answers but by Gosh I can normally find someone who can. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Yes it really fired me up to. Im really happy to know that my National Legionnaires are involved with this...thanks for bring this to my attention again.

XXXX -----Original Message----- From: The Final Step [mailto:thefinalstep@z94.com] Sent: Friday, February 28, 2003 1:42 PM To: xxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: RE: FW: Maine Alert - AGAIN!!!

XXXX, this campaign has been started by www.militarybrats.com. That is where your getting the e-mails from. I would consider any teacher that does that to young dependants a child abuser and should be treated, in the community, as well as by the law as such. This morning President Bush sent a comunica, through the governor of Maine and the president of the Maine NEA, telling the teachers to stop this abuse of young children or face the consequences of the federal rights laws (Soldiers and Sailors Act authority). I'm gaining more confidence in Bush right now...

XXXXX

> "XXXXXXXXX" FW: Maine Alert - AGAIN!!!Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 11:32:12 -0600 > > >This is the 2nd notice I have gotten of this nature. I dont know off hand what or who to send this to not being our state but if I send it to enough folks one of you who is smarter than I am will figure this one out, There is no conceivable excuse for this kind of conduct and we need to put pressure on the powers who control those guilty. Thank you for taking the time to >read this lets pass this on.

XXXXXXXX >-----Original Message----- >From: "Calpernia" [mailto:xxxxxxxx.com] >Sent: Thursday, February 27, 2003 10:50 PM >To: XXXXXXXX.com >Subject: Maine Alert - AGAIN!!! > > >NEW YORK — Children of military parents across Maine >are being harassed in school, in some cases by >teachers who claim the little ones' mothers and >fathers are wrong to fight for their country, >according to families' complaints. > >Parents in at least five different locations have >alleged that their children were subjected to verbal >abuse, some of it from teachers "saying the war on >Iraq is unethical," said Maine National Guard >spokesman Maj. Pete Rogers. > >"Family members were coming in saying their children >were subjected to some abuse at school," said Maj. >Rogers. "The kids were already suffering from losing a >parent. We were very concerned with what's going on." > >Supporters of the U.S. military expressed outrage at >the stories of harassment, first reported by a local >Maine television station. > >"Any teacher who harasses a child for the job their >parents do to protect all of us and our freedom should >be fired, and as far as I'm concerned, deported," said >Marc Curtis, Webmaster for www.military-brats.com. >"They are supposed to be teaching, not brainwashing," >he added. > >"It's just beyond contempt -- what kind of person >treats a vulnerable seven-year-old this way?" asked >Joe Katzman, site administrator for >www.windsofchange.net, where many readers have voiced >their concerns over the issue. "Why is this kind of >abuse tolerated?" > >The complaints have been filed at Guard Family >Assistance Centers in the cities of Augusta, Bangor, >Calais, Caribou and Portland, and prompted the state's >top educator to fire off a letter to superintendents >and principals. > >"I am asking you to remind school personnel that these >are difficult times for our nation and that the >families of military personnel need our sensitivity," >Maine Education Commissioner J. Duke Abanese wrote in >a letter on Tuesday. > >Abanese said that although most educators are being >careful in their teaching about America's response to >a possible war in Iraq, some had been "less than >sensitive" to military families. > >"Ensuring the emotional and physical safety of all of >Maine's students is first and foremost on all of our >minds," said the letter, which urged schools to >provide balanced information about the conflict and >heed the physical needs of military children and >families. > >The problems apparently began after Maine Guard >officials encouraged military parents to tell their >children's schools when orders for deployment came, >which would presumably allow teachers and >psychologists to keep an eye on youngsters unequipped >to fully handle their parents' departure. > >The Maine Education Association -- the state arm of >the National Education Association -- said "99.9 >percent" of the state's 17,000 teachers properly >reacted to that information, but conceded others may >not have. > >"I'd say a miniscule minority seems to have hit some >kind of public nerve and is bouncing across Web pages >and chat rooms in the United States," said MEA >spokesman Keith Harvie. "It's a bit astounding to >think that some comments which, I should note, have >only been alleged and haven't been proved or >demonstrated, are causing such a ruckus." > >It's up to the local school superintendents and school >boards to investigate and punish a teacher >commensurate with the seriousness of offense and work >record, Harvie said. "There may be a great divide of >feelings, even among our members -- but they'll debate >that outside of school. They're not going to do that >around children." > >But others, like Ohio public school teacher Kyle >Farmer, said he wouldn't be surprised if the unions >didn't do much to ferret out the problem teachers. > >"We have an infrastructure set up now to protect >people who are horrible teachers ... I can't believe >any teacher is so poorly trained that they would think >that that conduct is acceptable." > >A number of older students have also taken up the >issue. > >"Teaching tends to be a profession comprised of people >of a liberal mind-set," said Rick Kenney, a senior at >Gardiner Area High School in Maine who has enlisted in >the Army. "Take those teachers, stick them in this >area, and the results are disappointingly >predictable." > >But whatever one's political views, said others, >picking on children as young as seven is the wrong way >to vent anti-war frustration. > >"It seems there are always a few mean-spirited people >out there who seize upon military children to vent >their wrath at the war in question," said Mary >Wertsch, author of Military Brats: Legacies of >Childhood Inside the Fortress. "Our people in uniform, >and certainly their little children, deserve all our >compassion."


TOPICS: Extended News; Government; US: Maine
KEYWORDS: activism; maine; mea; military; nea; publicschools
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Thank you American Legion!!!!
1 posted on 03/01/2003 10:25:11 AM PST by Calpernia
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To: Calpernia
I'm gonna renew my membership!!

Sic'cm W!!!!!!!!!
2 posted on 03/01/2003 10:33:30 AM PST by Nucluside
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To: Calpernia
Where is the VFW on this, oh I forgot they are opening a chapter in Viet Nam and still trying to get Paul Wellstone Elected.
3 posted on 03/01/2003 10:35:04 AM PST by dts32041 (Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a "4".)
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To: dts32041
I didn't know anyone in the VFW. I only knew people from the AL. So I only forwarded the article there.
4 posted on 03/01/2003 10:37:47 AM PST by Calpernia
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To: dts32041
maybe you've had a bad experience but don't slander all VFW members just cause you met some misguided ones. Down here they are some of the finest folks you could ever meet.
5 posted on 03/01/2003 10:45:06 AM PST by Texas_Jarhead
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To: Calpernia; NonValueAdded; TEXOKIE; Utah Girl
Can someone get a copy of that LETTER sent from PRESIDENT BUSH to the Maine Governor???????????. I want to see EXACTLY WHAT IT READ. This is VERY IMPORTANT to the momentem of this Maine Kids Abuse srory.
6 posted on 03/01/2003 10:47:30 AM PST by Uncle George
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To: Uncle George
I am on it!
7 posted on 03/01/2003 10:49:15 AM PST by Calpernia
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To: Texas_Jarhead
No lsandering VFW members, telling the truth about VFW organization, they endorsed paul "red" wellstone, who never saw a military man he liked and just last week they wanted to open a chapter in Viet Nam.

When I ask ed for my dues to go to some other organization, they said they would put my membership in active status, and that is all they would do.

So I said fine go FOAD.

8 posted on 03/01/2003 10:54:21 AM PST by dts32041 (Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a "4".)
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To: Calpernia
When I read this report (a few days ago), I recalled being a 7 ('67) year old little girl whose daddy was not with us but far away across a giant ocean. We missed him everyday. When Bob Hope's Christmas for the Troops came on no matter where he was visiting, I sat with my face inches from the old B&W TV screen scanning for my daddy. I never had a single adult tell NOT support me while my daddy was "away in the army." All of my teachers gave the big hugs when I cried during the Christmas season and other times. They always encouraged me that he would be home soon and was doing a very important job. A long overdue, sincere THANK YOU to those teachers many years ago that understood a little girls whose daddy was far, far away.

Say a pray for these little ones and their mommies and daddies in Maine.

http://www.militarybrats.com or http://www.military-brats.com

9 posted on 03/01/2003 10:59:14 AM PST by zeaal
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To: Calpernia
There is no doubt in my mind: This was a hate crime.

The liberals wanted legislation passed prohibiting hate crimes. They got it! Now, they're ignoring their own law.

The word, "sensitivity" does not cover what these people did to the children entrusted to their care.

10 posted on 03/01/2003 11:03:07 AM PST by kitkat
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To: Calpernia
Bump
11 posted on 03/01/2003 11:04:46 AM PST by talleyman (Even a blind hog roots up an acorn every once in a while)
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To: Calpernia
If anyone wishes to make a complaint to the superintendant of schools in Portland me or the Superintendant of schools in Augusta Maine here are thier web sites. Portland public schools

Augusta Maine public schools

These are two school districts that have been mentioned as having children of guarsmen who have been harrassed. It might be a good idea to let the superintendant of schools know he has a public duty to make certain that any teacher who has engaged in harassing school children because their parents are serving this nation should be immediately off the public payroll in such a manner that they cannot any longer be employed by the government.

12 posted on 03/01/2003 11:05:37 AM PST by harpseal (Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown)
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To: harpseal
KEEP ON BUMPING TO THE TOPPPPPPPPPPP
13 posted on 03/01/2003 11:15:56 AM PST by Uncle George
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To: Uncle George
BUMP
14 posted on 03/01/2003 11:21:15 AM PST by A. Morgan
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To: A. Morgan
btt
15 posted on 03/01/2003 11:30:04 AM PST by harpseal (Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown)
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To: Calpernia
Thanks for your post! Looking forward to your finding the GW memo on this.
16 posted on 03/01/2003 11:51:01 AM PST by Boxsford
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To: Uncle George
Amen, Uncle George! Wonder if that letter can be brought to the public somehow.
17 posted on 03/01/2003 12:03:40 PM PST by TEXOKIE
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To: dts32041
The VFW PAC also endorsed Tom Delay of TX and Saxby Chambliss of GA (over Max Cleland-VN vet). Wellstone, oddly enough, did support many veteran issues, and that, after all, is what the PAC looks for. Unfortunately, the Wellstone endorsement is not the only mistake they have made over the years...
18 posted on 03/01/2003 12:07:37 PM PST by donozark
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To: TEXOKIE
bttt
19 posted on 03/01/2003 12:08:42 PM PST by bmwcyle (Semper Gumby - Always Flexable)
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To: A. Morgan
Please take the time and trouble to notify two of the involved school superintendants that they have a duty to fire those who have abused children of those serving our nation. It is not a Free Speech issue it is an attack on the children of those who serve because of their service.
20 posted on 03/01/2003 12:10:11 PM PST by harpseal (Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown)
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