Dear Principal Bass,
Congratulations on the recent decision to make Miraloma Elementary School more inclusive to children who are either transgender or do not identify themselves with traditional gender norms. The Center for Disability Rights is always supportive when a person or group creates a more inclusive community for everyone. We believe that inclusion should represent all communities whether in the LGBTQIA spectrum or in the Disability Community.
While watching the report on The Today Show of the changes at your school, it did not appear that there were doors labeled to show that the bathrooms were accessible to children with physical disabilities. More than that, the bathroom stalls did not appear to be accessible to a child who uses a wheelchair. We understand that the...
Lifestyle
Dear Parents,
You inconsiderate little arseh*les who bring loud, whiny, badly behaved kids to restaurants of the fine dining variety. Let me make some things perfectly clear it’s not me or a thousand other people like me who have been rude to you or lost their temper on your miniature agents of chaos, but you lot who are unacceptable to the rest of us. You lot need to understand that they are other people in a room trying to have a nice meal and probably on a date or discussing business, and yet here you are at such place with those noisy little pain in the arse anarchists in tow messing it all up. Every now and then I have a nice fancy meal that I want to enjoy, spoilt by a family with absolutely uncivilized kids running amok like their ancestors (monkeys) high on MDMA forks flying,...
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Dear Chairman Harkin,
The Children’s Mental Health Network has been following the FY 2014 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bill with great interest but have some concerns that we hope you can address.
We were pleased to see that proposed funding for the Healthy Transitions Initiative (HTI) as part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) budget was included in the President's budget proposal to Congress. As you may know, young people with serious mental health conditions, particularly those involved with the public mental health system, often face a more difficult transition to adulthood and the successful assumption of adult roles and responsibilities compared to their peers with or without other disabilities. While...
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Dear Porthleven,
The children of Porthleven School are writing this open letter as we would like to ask people in the village to make sure they clean up after their dogs. It is something that the children think is a growing problem, where they have noticed it all around our village. During the last week the School Council, which is run by pupils, have been holding meetings with the children in each class, along with the teachers, to talk about the issue about the dog mess in Porthleven. When we talked to the children here are some of their comments,
“There is lots of poo around the park, especially around the goal and it has stopped my mum letting me play there.”
“My mummy found 20 large pieces of dog poo in one field and was really cross. She picked up every single piece of poop...
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Dear Governor Brown,
You have always been an advocate for improving the educational opportunities for the youth of California. Your record of increasing educational funding and founding charter schools truly showed that you understand the value education plays in today's society. That is why I was disheartened to hear that you are holding K-12 education hostage in an attempt to fix your $9.2 billion budget deficit.
Your dangerous game of chicken wrongfully relies on the voters approving $7 billion in temporary tax increases in November or three weeks will be slashed from the K-12 school year. Threatening to cheat our children of their educational future is not the way to ensure that you get the tax hikes you want.
Instead of endangering educational funding, your administration...
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Dear American citizens with children under 25 years old:
I am, in order of importance, a husband, father, family member, physician, member of the community, an outspoken activist against doing what is popular, easy, or convenient, and, an American. And I say American last as doing what is “patriotic” or simply for the country alone NOT to trump what is best for my family, my patients, my neighbors and community first. No, I am an American and I care about my country, but, I don’t care for what allegedly presents as representation by our politicians, as it pathetically pales these days in just adding debt and despair by those only interested in political party and very limited, self serving interests.
So, why am I writing to any and all who come here to read this missive? I am...
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Dear dreamers,
To those who don’t believe in a 12 step program for life. To those who trade comfort for passion. To you who are challenging the way things are “supposed to be”… keep going. Chase after your dream, this unique calling that only you can pursue. The one that is the perfect storm of your skills, experiences, and desire welling up inside of you. Do that… because selfishly, I need you to.
I’m sure that thing you are making will be great, HOWEVER, you must realize that the goods you are making, the service you provide, or the art you create is only half of what you are offering to this world. It’s the intangible that I crave. The inspiration I extract from watching people dare greatly. The world is starving for it.
As much as you think you are doing this for yourself,...
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Dear [Children’s Minister],
There is a child named John whose family is very active in your church. As you probably know, he’s a quiet kid…but he’s also 100% boy. So, don’t let him fool you. He knows how to get into trouble.
Over the next few years, this six-year-old will experience a lot. He’s going to make a set of friends that look and act nothing like the children in your church. Don’t give up on him during that time. He’s going to grow his hair out and, thankfully, he will get brace to fix those cock-eyed teeth. He doesn’t know it yet, but he will be moving away from your church and your city in a few years. It will be a trying time for him. And that makes the lessons you are teaching at this moment that much more important.
In addition to knowing some down-the-road facts about...
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“Dear Home Secretary,
Child Trafficking Guardians – Immigration Bill Lords’ Amendment
We are writing to urge you to accept the amendment to the Immigration Bill on child trafficking guardians that was passed by the House of Lords at Report Stage on 7 April.
Children who have been trafficked are extremely vulnerable. They have faced terrible abuse including forced labour, domestic servitude and sexual exploitation. This amendment will provide them with specialist independent guardians and ensure they receive the highest protection possible to prevent further abuse.
Child victims are particularly at risk of going missing from care and being subjected to further exploitation and abuse even after they have been identified. They find themselves alone in a foreign country where many...
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Dear Teachers,
I have entrusted my kids to your care so you may nurture their youth with the right values and meaningful learning. When they do not get high grades in your subjects, do not excel in their projects, and do not pass some tests, I trust that you will shower them with loving discipline and kind reassurance that they are more important than their subjects, and projects, and tests. That those instances do not make them less important. And that their humanity is respected whatever academic circumstances they are going through.
If you can do this, I will be most grateful and confident that they are getting true education from you. If you make them feel any slight doubt that their subjects, and projects, and tests make them less worthy to be accorded compassionate concern and...
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