Dear Prime Minister,
In response to her ‘Dear Gordon’ billboard advertising campaign (see below), you have invited the British autism campaigner Polly Tommey to discuss her campaign with you on Wednesday 15 April. However, in the interests of children and families affected by autism, I hope that you will refuse support for her key activities – upholding discredited links between vaccines and autism and recommending unproven and untested fringe treatments.
In her campaign posters, Mrs Tommey, whose 12-year-old son Billy is autistic, offers to save the UK government £500million a year by helping people with autism to get jobs. But it is not clear from the posters how she thinks this can be achieved. However, The Autism File, the magazine she edits, focuses on two issues: supporting the...
Lifestyle
Dear Joe Scarborough,
The systematic and perpetual oppression of Black Americans is not an issue to be toyed with. Let’s be clear here. This is not just about Mike Brown. Mike Brown, Aiyana Jones, Rekia Boyd, Oscar Grant, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, John Crawford and so on are examples of how law enforcement is allowed to become judge, jury and executioner when it comes to Black lives. The anger and fury expressed by Black Americans is based on perpetual violence at the hands of law enforcement. To you, the police protect and serve but many of us need protection from the police. The denial of your privilege prevents you from acknowledging this.
In our lives, the jury decision not to indict does not suddenly absolve Darren Wilson of Mike Brown’s death. Historically U.S....
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Dear Poetry International Rotterdam,
In your own words, the Poetry International Rotterdam festival brings together "the most noteworthy poetry of the groundbreaking great masters, alongside that of new and original poetic talents from around the world." It is clear, however, that your mission statement applies mostly to men.
In the ten festivals between 2006 and 2015, only 26% of the featured poets have been women, dropping as low as 16% at both the 2013 and 2014 editions.
Looking at the festival's poets from the United States specifically, the exclusion is even more stark. In the last 10 years, only 1 woman has been featured from the US, and only 1 gender queer poet — the remaining 11 are all men. Only 2 of those 13 poets have been people of color. Considering the vibrant and...
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Dear Son,
Mommy has something important to tell you about your chocolate skin. Please listen carefully. I'm going to start from the beginning.
As a journalism student at The Ohio State University (OSU), I wrote articles about the unjust treatment of African Americans and other races on college campuses and across the country. I remember crying my eyes out as I wrote, "All is equal and freedom rings, right?," which talked about the unspoken prejudices against OSU students.
I graduated from OSU and went on to start a life as a working adult. I stumbled along the way in my career and love, eventually marrying your dad in 2007. We worked hard in those first few years, before you blessed us with your presence and we were able to buy a house in the suburbs to give you a better life...
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Dear Governor Brown,
My name is Caitlan, and I have an 11-month-old daughter, Maggie. Prior to my career as a stay at home Mom, I worked in the financial sector for over ten years. I am the type of person that eats as much organic and unprocessed food as I can, I do yoga and Pilates every day, and I lean toward acupuncture and herbs for non-medical emergencies.
I moved toward this “natural” lifestyle in my late 20s when I was having trouble sleeping. I went to my General Practitioner who proposed putting me on a low dose of Paxil. Instead of putting a Band-Aid on the problem and embarking on a lifetime of pharmaceutical dependency, I turned to acupuncture.
Within a week, I was sleeping fine. Though I loved and trusted my GP, I am a person who does my homework and asks questions....
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Dear Mr. Haslam,
You recently made a statement that no matter what happens this coming season to the Cleveland Browns team that “We’re not going to blow things up, okay?” during your press conference at the Browns Training Camp.
While I agree that many changes have been made from the general manager and head coach, you need some semblance of consistency and order, and we have seen what happens when this is done.
You have built a better offensive line than we have had in years here. However, what I have a problem with is the fact that if for any reason there is not a dramatic improvement in the offense this year, the immense lack of players at the skill positions on the offensive side of the ball have been neglected.
The simple fact that your club drafted Johnny Manziel instead...
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Giving credit where due, one must remove his hat and bow his head with utmost respect, or give a salute in homage to His Holiness Pope Francis for his relentless efforts to bring about world peace and better all mankind.
In February this year, however, at his weekly general audience in St Peter’s Square, before a live audience of thousands and media coverage of millions; His Holiness spoke in favour of corporal punishment to children – or at least that’s how many people interpreted his comments.
His remarks stunned many listeners; sent shockwaves throughout anti corporal punishment campaign groups and child protection agencies worldwide, reduced the effectiveness of their campaigns alarmingly, and placed before them a huge obstacle to surmount.
"One time, I heard a father in a...
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“I think it happens to everyone as they grow up. You find out who you are and what you want, and then you realize that people you've known forever don't see things the way you do. And so you keep the wonderful memories, but find yourself moving on.” -Nicholas Sparks
You were the one person in my life I always could rely on. You saw me through absolutely everything. You were welcome on family vacations. You were my plus one to family weddings. You were there for every prom and every Friday night eating ice cream. You were in every picture on the walls in my room that it hurt to take down. You knew about every heartbreak while wiping away every tear. I remember that road trip we wanted to plan. Remember those matching tattoos we wanted to get. I remember those nights you picked me up,...
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Let me start this off by saying that I've changed my major quite a few different times and have taken a wide range of classes in my short college career. My freshman year I took two different English classes, two different psychology classes, two different math classes, a special education course, and a few gen-eds here and there. I was accepted into my university as a theatre major, but changed to psychology before classes began, and changed to Early Childhood Education right before fall semester finals. I enrolled in choir for second semester and after my first time in a choir room since I graduated from high school, I made the decision to audition for the school of music to become a music education major.
Absolutely nothing could have completely prepared me for what I had gotten...
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Dear Bumper Sticker Haver,
It’s 2015. Bumper stickers are unacceptable. Case closed. No exceptions.
In 2004, stand up comedian Demetri Martin, in his episode of Comedy Central Presents, had this to say on the subject matter: "A lot of people don’t like bumper stickers. I don’t mind bumper stickers. To me a bumper sticker is a shortcut. It’s like a little sign that says, 'Hey, let’s never hang out.'"
That was eleven years ago. ELEVEN. More than a decade ago, bumper stickers were already not okay. The only thing that’s changed since then is that we’re older, wiser and our view on bumper stickers has hardened.
Unless you are still driving your forest green Subaru from 1995 and your bumper is covered in remnants of Phish stickers you unsuccessfully tried to scrape off, you...
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