Dear Secretary Anderson,
Fathers play a crucial role in early childhood development. As you work to put together the Department of Children and Families (DCF) budget request for the 2015-17 biennium, I urge you to increase the appropriation of money going to the Children First Program, a program which gives fathers the tools they need to support the growth and development of their dependent children. Currently, DCF funds this program at $400 per participant and I am writing to ask that the amount be increased to $450 per participant, an amount that agencies who administer this program statewide have indicated would be adequate to meet program needs.
The Children First Program was developed for noncustodial parents who were not paying child support due to unemployment or...
Lifestyle
Dear Hon. Kerri Irvin Ross, Hon. Kevin Chief, and Deanne Crothers, MLA
We are writing this Open Letter to you, as the Minister for Family Services , the Minister leading the “Starting Early, Starting Strong” provincial dialogue on early childhood development , and the MLA charged with the current public consultation on early learning and child care to urge you to fix a core weakness of Manitoba’s policy architecture for children : the divide between the early learning and child care system and the public education system.
We call upon you to build an integrated public system of early learning and child care ( ELCC ), drawing on the international best practices identified by the O rganisation for Economic Co – operation and Development (OECD ). We recommend that you establish a...
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Dear Legislator:
My name is Tetyana Obukhanych. I hold a PhD in Immunology. I am writing this letter in the hope that it will correct several common misperceptions about vaccines in order to help you formulate a fair and balanced understanding that is supported by accepted vaccine theory and new scientific findings.
Do unvaccinated children pose a higher threat to the public than the vaccinated?
It is often stated that those who choose not to vaccinate their children for reasons of conscience endanger the rest of the public, and this is the rationale behind most of the legislation to end vaccine exemptions currently being considered by federal and state legislators country-wide. You should be aware that the nature of protection afforded by many modern vaccines – and that...
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Dear Sussan,
I am glad common sense prevailed today and you called a halt to the changes that were to take effect on Monday. I see this as a reprieve, but not a victory. You have made it very clear you are intent on making changes.
I am disappointed you place the emphasis on consulting with the medical profession. I assume the public, the patients, the ones who pay the insurance premium are just lumped in under the category “others”. I’m not an “other”, Sussan, I am one of the many for whom Medicare actually exists. Medicare doesn’t exist for the medical profession, Medicare exists for the patients.
As First Dog on the Moon so beautifully reminded us all, Medicare is forty years old. I have absolutely no difficulty in accepting that a forty year old system may need updating....
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Dear Male Gender,
I have been writing about relationships for a few years now with the goal of helping women understand why you act the way you do. First, I want to say that I really do love your gender. I have learned a lot about myself through relationships with some of you. And without you, I wouldn’t have the amazing job that I do, so thanks!
At the same time, I think you should know that some of your actions are really confusing the ladies of the world and causing a large amount of unnecessary pain.
A lot of my readers ask: “Why aren’t you giving all this advice to guys? They’re the ones who need it!” This letter is my response to that.
So let’s get right into it.
If you are no longer interested in seeing a girl, please tell her instead of ghosting. Sure, in your mind you’ve...
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Dear Michael,
We, Black gay men, write this letter to you out of love. We can only imagine the burdens you have had to carry personally: experiences of isolation, shame, rejection and moral judgment. But we want you to know that in our lives we have had to carry those burdens as well.
We write this letter to you, understanding the actions taken against you have come at the expense of your humanity. And we write this letter to you, acknowledging that you are a part of our community. You are our brother and we support you.
There are less and less spaces dedicated to Black gay men. And our bodies are being beaten, policed, and pushed into prisons. Yet, we remain steadfast in the belief that our bodies, desires, intimate relationships and communities are not criminal. We are loving,...
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Dear Mrs. Curlee:
As Williamson County constituents and parents, we can’t see how some of your recent actions help move WCS forward. Since parent engagement itself has apparently become an issue for you, we thought it best to clarify a few things before we move on (hopefully for good).
You have said, both in print and in person to various people, that members of Williamson Strong have engaged in “vicious slanderous attacks” and “alarming harassment” and otherwise threatened you and your family, including your children. You have also stated that Williamson Strong parents have spread lies about you and your family.
Several parents asked about these so-called attacks last night at the Let’s Talk School event at Centennial. You repeated your general accusations. After being repeatedly...
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Dear Family,
Our lives may never be quite the same, A.D. (after diagnosis). In a perfect world, I wouldn't have COPD. But we can both try to seek more joy, derive more pleasure, from what we are fortunate enough to have... one another. Let's make the most of our time.
In a perfect world, you wouldn't have to wonder how I was feeling, and wonder what you might be able to do to help me. You wouldn't find yourself on the receiving end of my reactions to the episodic depression spells to which I am prone. Nor would you have to puzzle over the fact that I seem to have good days, and then unexplainably, so many bad days.
You must be terribly disturbed by my shortness of breath, and by the fatigue that nibbles at me all day, every day. And I can guess that you are as upset and...
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Dear Southern Baptist Family:
Do Southern Baptists still believe that congregational governance is both biblical and God-ordained? If we do, why would we invite to the Southern Baptist Convention Pastor’s Conference a speaker who has come to the irreversible conclusion that “congregational government is an invention and tool of the enemy of our souls to destroy the church of Jesus Christ"?
James MacDonald literally believes that Satan invented congregational governance for the purpose of destroying the church. And yet, for the last two years, he has been invited to speak at the SBC Pastor’s Conference.
Notice, MacDonald doesn't simply believe that congregational government can be abused and used in ways displeasing to the Lord, nor does he believe it is merely a poor form of...
2,683
Dear Church Family,
For nearly 33 years it has been my privilege to serve as the Senior Pastor of The People’s Church. Few pastors in today’s world are ever allotted such a privilege. I have been one blessed man.
As you know this past Sunday I asked the church for a vote of confidence even though I had made a verbal agreement with our elders to resign. I met with the elders on Monday afternoon with their legal counsel and was advised that my actions were a violation of the TPC constitution and therefore my agreement to resign was still in place. The elder’s graciously stood by their original offer of severance for which I am thankful.
Today my resignation is final and absolute. It is time for TPC to move forward without distraction.
The People’s Church is a great church and will...
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