April 25, 2009
April 21, 2009
April 17, 2009
"It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters."
- Mother Teresa
The OrangeCountyCaliforniaNewspaper
This is a very good letter to the editor. This woman made some good points. For some reason, people have difficulty structuring their arguments when arguing against supporting the currently proposed immigration revisions. This lady made the argument pretty simple. Not printed in the Orange County Paper. Newspapers simply won't publish letters to the editor which they either deem politically incorrect (read below) or which does not agree with the philosophy they're pushing on the public. This woman wrote a great letter to the editor that should have been published; but, with your help it will get published via cyberspace.
From: 'David LaBonte
'My wife, Rosemary, wrote a wonderful letter to the editor of the OC Register which, of course, was not printed. So, I decided to 'print' it myself by sending it out on the Internet. Pass it along if you feel so inclined. Written in response to a series of letters to the editor in the Orange County Register:
Dear Editor:So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Islandand other ports of entry. Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr. Lujan why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europeto come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New Yorkand be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home. They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture. Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity. Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany, Italy, Franceand Japan. None of these first generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan . They were defending the United States of Americas one people. When we liberated France, no one in those villages was looking for the French American or the German American or the Irish American. The people of Francesaw only Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl. And here we are in 2009 with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags. And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty, it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United Statesjust yet.
(signed) Rosemary LaBonte
KEEP THIS LETTER MOVING. FOR THE WRONG THINGS TO PREVAIL THE RIGHTFUL MAJORITY NEEDS TO REMAIN COMPLACENT AND QUIET. LET THIS NEVER HAPPEN.I sincerely hope this letter gets read by millions of people all across the nation.
This is a very good letter to the editor. This woman made some good points. For some reason, people have difficulty structuring their arguments when arguing against supporting the currently proposed immigration revisions. This lady made the argument pretty simple. Not printed in the Orange County Paper. Newspapers simply won't publish letters to the editor which they either deem politically incorrect (read below) or which does not agree with the philosophy they're pushing on the public. This woman wrote a great letter to the editor that should have been published; but, with your help it will get published via cyberspace.
From: 'David LaBonte
'My wife, Rosemary, wrote a wonderful letter to the editor of the OC Register which, of course, was not printed. So, I decided to 'print' it myself by sending it out on the Internet. Pass it along if you feel so inclined. Written in response to a series of letters to the editor in the Orange County Register:
Dear Editor:So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Islandand other ports of entry. Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr. Lujan why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europeto come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New Yorkand be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home. They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture. Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity. Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany, Italy, Franceand Japan. None of these first generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan . They were defending the United States of Americas one people. When we liberated France, no one in those villages was looking for the French American or the German American or the Irish American. The people of Francesaw only Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl. And here we are in 2009 with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags. And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty, it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United Statesjust yet.
(signed) Rosemary LaBonte
KEEP THIS LETTER MOVING. FOR THE WRONG THINGS TO PREVAIL THE RIGHTFUL MAJORITY NEEDS TO REMAIN COMPLACENT AND QUIET. LET THIS NEVER HAPPEN.I sincerely hope this letter gets read by millions of people all across the nation.
Stop Harassment and Bullying
My friends:
I feel that we should stand up for the rights of ALL people...
as English philosopher Edmund Burke said, ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph [of evil] is for good men to do nothing.'
and
Original
Als die Nazis die Kommunisten holten,habe ich geschwiegen;ich war ja kein Kommunist.
Als sie die Sozialdemokraten einsperrten,habe ich geschwiegen;ich war ja kein Sozialdemokrat.
Als sie die Gewerkschafter holten,habe ich nicht protestiert;ich war ja kein Gewerkschafter.
Als sie die Juden holten,habe ich geschwiegen;ich war ja kein Jude.
Als sie mich holten,gab es keinen mehr, der protestieren konnte.
Translation
When the Nazis came for the communists,I remained silent;I was not a communist.
Then they locked up the social democrats,I remained silent;I was not a social democrat.
Then they came for the trade unionists,I did not speak out;I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,I did not speak out;I was not a Jew.
When they came for me,there was no one left to speak out for me.
and We never touch people so lightly that we do not leave a trace. --Peggy Tabor Millin
This story breaks my heart...
Youth Suicide Death in Massachusetts Brings Tragic Consequences of Bullying and Harassment To Light:
This Friday, April 17, would have been Carl Walker-Hoover's 12th birthday. Since early September, his mother says, Carl reported that other kids at New Leadership Charter School in Springfield, Massachusetts were harassing him. They told him he acted like a girl. They made fun of the way he dressed. They said he was gay, and they made it clear that gay people were not welcome in their midst. Carl did not openly identify as gay, but that just didn't seem to matter to his tormentors. He played football and basketball, and was active in the Boy Scouts but none of that protected him from the bullying he faced when he started sixth grade.
Last week, Carl's mother found her son hanging by an extension cord, dead. Sirdeaner Walker says her son couldn't stand another day of bullying in school.
Why did this tragedy not make national headlines? Is it because anti-gay bullying is so common? According to the 2007 Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) School Climate Survey, 33 percent of children report being harassed because they are perceived by their peers to be gay.
Is it because we believe children should fend for themselves? According to the same survey, one third of teachers admit they have seen anti-gay bullying and have not intervened.
Is it because this kind of tragedy happens so often? According to GLSEN, this is at least the fourth suicide of a middle-school-aged child linked to bullying this year.
Today is the day that commemorates the National Day of Silence a protest of the silencing of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) students and their allies because of the discrimination, harassment, and abuse they experience at school. Anti LGBTQ bullying and slurs affect all students, and those who are even perceived to be LGBTQ are disproportionately affected. Day of Silence is a day of action when concerned students, from middle school to college, take some form of a vow of silence to bring attention to the name-calling, bullying and harassment experienced by LGBT students and their allies.
After all, IF WE DON'T TAKE CARE OF OUR YOUTH, WHO WILL?
Thanks to my friend who sent this to me and for the very real reminder that we do need to stand up for our youth.
I feel that we should stand up for the rights of ALL people...
as English philosopher Edmund Burke said, ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph [of evil] is for good men to do nothing.'
and
Original
Als die Nazis die Kommunisten holten,habe ich geschwiegen;ich war ja kein Kommunist.
Als sie die Sozialdemokraten einsperrten,habe ich geschwiegen;ich war ja kein Sozialdemokrat.
Als sie die Gewerkschafter holten,habe ich nicht protestiert;ich war ja kein Gewerkschafter.
Als sie die Juden holten,habe ich geschwiegen;ich war ja kein Jude.
Als sie mich holten,gab es keinen mehr, der protestieren konnte.
Translation
When the Nazis came for the communists,I remained silent;I was not a communist.
Then they locked up the social democrats,I remained silent;I was not a social democrat.
Then they came for the trade unionists,I did not speak out;I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,I did not speak out;I was not a Jew.
When they came for me,there was no one left to speak out for me.
and We never touch people so lightly that we do not leave a trace. --Peggy Tabor Millin
This story breaks my heart...
Youth Suicide Death in Massachusetts Brings Tragic Consequences of Bullying and Harassment To Light:
This Friday, April 17, would have been Carl Walker-Hoover's 12th birthday. Since early September, his mother says, Carl reported that other kids at New Leadership Charter School in Springfield, Massachusetts were harassing him. They told him he acted like a girl. They made fun of the way he dressed. They said he was gay, and they made it clear that gay people were not welcome in their midst. Carl did not openly identify as gay, but that just didn't seem to matter to his tormentors. He played football and basketball, and was active in the Boy Scouts but none of that protected him from the bullying he faced when he started sixth grade.
Last week, Carl's mother found her son hanging by an extension cord, dead. Sirdeaner Walker says her son couldn't stand another day of bullying in school.
Why did this tragedy not make national headlines? Is it because anti-gay bullying is so common? According to the 2007 Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) School Climate Survey, 33 percent of children report being harassed because they are perceived by their peers to be gay.
Is it because we believe children should fend for themselves? According to the same survey, one third of teachers admit they have seen anti-gay bullying and have not intervened.
Is it because this kind of tragedy happens so often? According to GLSEN, this is at least the fourth suicide of a middle-school-aged child linked to bullying this year.
Today is the day that commemorates the National Day of Silence a protest of the silencing of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) students and their allies because of the discrimination, harassment, and abuse they experience at school. Anti LGBTQ bullying and slurs affect all students, and those who are even perceived to be LGBTQ are disproportionately affected. Day of Silence is a day of action when concerned students, from middle school to college, take some form of a vow of silence to bring attention to the name-calling, bullying and harassment experienced by LGBT students and their allies.
After all, IF WE DON'T TAKE CARE OF OUR YOUTH, WHO WILL?
Thanks to my friend who sent this to me and for the very real reminder that we do need to stand up for our youth.
April 16, 2009
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