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Nine student suicides in the last year....
"Monday night’s meeting of the Anoka-Hennepin School Board was a contentious one as the issue of bullying and suicide in the district again came up. The state’s largest school district opened an investigation into the suicides of nine students over the past year — some by students who were allegedly bullied for their sexual orientation — and said that it found no evidence that any of the nine were bullied. Students and parents criticized the district for its statement — at times the conversation devolved to shouting — while district officials said there’s not much they can do if students and parents don’t report incidents to the schools.
In a voicemail to staff last week, the district said that reports by parents, students and staff regarding bullying are “not true.”
“We continue to correct inaccurate statements about students who have committed suicide over the past year,” Superintendent Dennis Carlson told district staff. “We know how difficult these deaths have been for our schools. Based on all the information we’ve been able to gather, none of the suicides were connected to incidents of bullying or harassment. In addition to family and friends, many of our employees were personally affected by these tragedies.”
More here:
http://minnesotaindependent.com/75275/bullying-continues-to-be-a-contentious-issue-in-anoka-hennepin-school-district#comments
And here:
http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2010/12/16/28527#comments
(\\__/) And if you don't believe The sun will rise
(='.'=) Stand alone and greet The coming night
(")_(") In the last remaining light. (C. Cornell)
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... and frankly I'm not surprised that no-one has responded.
I know that when I first viewed this topic last evening, the indifference to the plight of teen-aged suicide victims (regardless of their gender identity) shown by this Wisconsin community (and further not-with-standing potential links to bullying within their schools) simply took my breathe away.
A second viewing, and I find I'm still breathless; and further, deeply ashamed that given all the evidence to the contrary, and the overwhelming tide of mounting evidence nation- and world-wide, that my fellow human beings could be so indifferent to the plight of our children, let alone those apparently most vulnerable, as is being exhibited here, and in their school board.
Warren C. E. Austin
The Gay Deceiver
Toronto, Canada
"... comme recherché qu'un délice callipygian"
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13800
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There is a problem. We become inured to grief, to empathy, to sympathy.
There is a second problem. Those who care are acting as best we all can. The others, assuming there are others, are inured to it, or have no opinion, or are simply here no more. We will never cajole them into action. And it truly doesn't matter that we will not, because they are no less valuable for just existing quietly and doing the things that are their own priorities. What matters is that those of us who act, act.
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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Hey Warren,
I didn't really expect a response....just needed to vent.
If you read the comments to the story at the 1st link I posted you may feel better. Almost all are against the actions of the board. And it will be up to the people who live in the local community to take action, after all they voted these idiots into office in the first place.
(\\__/) And if you don't believe The sun will rise
(='.'=) Stand alone and greet The coming night
(")_(") In the last remaining light. (C. Cornell)
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