April Reign

Speak your mind even if your voice shakes

children

An Open Letter to Dalton McGuinty

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Dear Mr. McGuinty,

My name is Devon. I am a 12 year old girl attending elementary school in Ontario.

In the past election you said your government would be best for education.

I recently watched this video, Writing on the Wall, by the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation.

I don’t think that schools should have to be in a draw to get books for kids.
School libraries should never get like this, the classrooms should never have only four textbooks for everyone in the class.

According to the video 38% of Ontario’s grade 3 children fail the standard reading exam.
The school library is the most important way to learn how to read, get up-to-date info for assignments and research and to get books to read for fun.

Four textbooks per class is not acceptable, it’s not a very good way to learn and get an Education.

Sometimes schools in rich areas can get books by donations from parents and bake sales, but poorer areas can’t do this. And bake sales are a bad way to budget for books anyway.

I hope you will take this seriously and that you and your government will do what you said about being best for Education. You can start by giving enough money to schools for libraries and textbooks.

Sincerely

Devon S.

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child readingI would also like to let everyone else know more about the video

you can find it on this page

Also there is a pdf with a letter to send to the Minister of Education in your province.

Please take this seriously. We are too young to vote. But our lives will be much poorer if we don’t get books and textbooks. Without them our education will suffer, and we won’t have much hope for the future.

We need adults to stand up to government and demand that they put our education first.

“Well, you’re not going to solve the problem if you even refuse to say what it is.”

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War on WomenThe Star carried this article yesterday about The War on Women: Elly Armour, Jane Hursham, and Criminal Domestic Violence in Canadian Homes, by Brian Vallée.

Stephen Lewis wrote an impassioned foreword for the book, urging the creation of a fully funded United Nations international agency for women that would provide “a tremendous force for advocacy and intervention” and would “inevitably move toward the recognition that domestic violence is its own holocaust….We’re not just fighting for women’s human rights; we’re fighting for women’s lives.”

[Read more…] about “Well, you’re not going to solve the problem if you even refuse to say what it is.”

Children and Sexual Assault

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Three stories are on the CTV site just now. ((Scout Volunteer| Peter Whitmore| Victim resisted death threats )) Each story details a violation of a child’s life.

Often sexual assault is spoke of in hushed tones, sometimes more so if the victim is male. I think perhaps homophobia comes into play, both in a child’s willingness to report and in the way they are treated.

Sexual assault steals something special from a child, not the much referred to ‘innocence’ but their trust. In some ways a child requires trust for their very survival. They must trust as infants that they will be fed and cared for. As young children they must trust that parents will be there to help, to care, to chase monsters. Teenagers trust that their parents will come to place trust in them, but also that they can be trusted to say no when necessary.

That trust is almost irretrievably broken by sexual assault. The perpetrator has in many instances set up a situation where they can accuse the child of playing a part in their own assault. Children are often lured by alcohol or candy or promises of going places parents wouldn’t allow. It is human nature for children to want to explore these things. It is completely natural for them to be curious about sex. But it is always an adults responsibility to not step over the line or to use curiosity as an excuse to abuse. [Read more…] about Children and Sexual Assault

Sweet sixteen and ready for raping

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From BBC

Children’s charities have reacted with anger after a window cleaner who raped a girl of 10 was jailed for two years.

Keith Fenn, 24, will be free in four months after a judge said the girl, who was attacked in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, had appeared older.

The charity Kidscape accused Judge Julian Hall of “trying to find excuses” and said a child must never be blamed.

Attorney General Lord Goldsmith is to decide whether the sentence should be appealed against as “unduly lenient”.

Oxford Crown Court heard that Fenn raped the girl in a park on 14 October, before an accomplice, Darren Wright, 34, took her home and sexually assaulted her.

Judge Hall said in sentencing he faced a moral dilemma as the fact they had sex within 45 minutes of meeting was an absolute crime.

But he said the girl had dressed provocatively and looked as though she was 16.

Lawyers for the defendants stressed that the sex had been consensual, and was only termed ‘rape’ because of the framework of law.

Oh well she was dressed provocatively and looked sixteen, what a horror that he was sentenced at all.

It was only termed rape because of the framework of the law?? WTF??

Men, children and paedophilia

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I noticed this article in Spiked about men being put off volunteering to be coaches because of the intrusive nature of the child protection measures.

The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill, which passed through the Houses of Parliament in London at the end of last year, requires that all those who work with children must submit to a background check first. As one Home Office official responsible for CRB checks recently assured me, it is only those who have something to hide who are put off.

Now this bugs me it is only those who have something to hide who are put off.
 Bullshit! you don’t have to have anything to hide to be concerned about police types going through your background. Most especially in this political climate.

A survey found

that 17 per cent of men wouldn’t volunteer to work with children because they would face a criminal records check. Moreover, 13 per cent wouldn’t volunteer because they fear that they could be perceived as a paedophile.

It is unfortunate that men who are truly interested in being coaches and mentors many of whom would be excellent role models for children, are being tarred with the paedophile tag. [Read more…] about Men, children and paedophilia

Got Bullets?

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So you’re a grandpa of a 10 month old. What do you buy the little tyke? A nice stuffy for his room, a baseball glove for catching practise when he’s older, a savings bond for college. Great ideas all but not as special as a 12-gauge Beretta shotgun.

What 10 month old wouldn’t appreciate that? I’m sure Stewie would. stewie
Little Bubba ( did not make it up ) might not be able to pop off a couple of rounds yet but I’m guessing he has a future in firearms.

Dad even sent in for a firearm owner’s identification card, and the police issued it;

Bubba Ludwig can’t walk, talk or open the refrigerator door – but he does have his very own Illinois gun permit.

The 10-month-old, whose given name is Howard David Ludwig, was issued a firearm owner’s identification card after his father, Howard Ludwig, paid the US$5 fee and filled out the application, not expecting to actually receive one.

The card lists the baby’s height (2 feet, 3 inches), weight (20 pounds) and has a scribble where the signature should be.

With some exceptions, the cards are required of any Illinois residents purchasing or possessing firearms or ammunition within the state. There are no age restrictions on the cards, an official said.

CBC

You might want to give this kids stroller a wide berth.