Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Don't misjudge Fairmount Park based on recent incidents

I have been a teacher in Pinellas County for more than 25 years. Five years ago I transferred to Fairmount Park Elementary. Since my arrival I have had the honor to work with a well-educated, dedicated and empathetic staff that has only the welfare of their students in mind.

Rampant media coverage of two incidents at our school is trying to portray us differently. I take offense at the skewed video coverage that does not nearly portray what happens within our walls. The atmosphere is not one of fear, but of optimism, potential and hope. Every staff member is there with the skills and desire to help students reach their highest achievement level.

We have a diverse population that requires instruction and understanding along with structure and discipline. We have a cross-cultural staff who work together to meet these needs.

I hope members of the public will consider this before they misjudge a group of educators who want what is best for their students' safety and welfare and work hard every day to reach this goal.

Responsibility seems old hat

As Inga Akins withdraws her daughter from school, makes some cool cash for telling her story on A Current Affair and undoubtably plans to file a lawsuit, does anyone wonder where she was prior to her 5-year-old's videotaped hysteria?

How dare anyone criticize the police department for using restraints on this girl gone wild? If her temper tantrum posed no real threat to the adults in the room, it certainly had the potential to be injurious to her. No worries for Ms. Akins after all: She would have had a lawsuit one way or another.

Accountability? Responsibility? Sense? Ahh, alas, stop living in the past.

Child was properly handled

Re: The handcuffed 5-year-old

The police and the school staff showed restraint in their handling of the disruptive child, who deprived her classmates of school time and added to the workload of school staff and police.

It's not a race issue, although there are those who will present it that way.

If she were my child, I would be apologizing to the school and police instead of criticizing and endeavoring to profit from the misbehavior.

Life in prison is the only answer

Re: Jessica's Law.

While I appreciate that the Florida Legislature felt the need to do something to prevent further attacks on our children, I don't feel that Jessica's Law goes far enough. The only prevention is incarceration. Global positioning system monitors may be able to tell us where a predator is, but they cannot tell us what he is doing. The manpower and money needed for this project would be better spent on keeping them in jail! Make room by releasing those who commit victimless crimes.

A recent letter suggested putting them all on a desert island - not a bad idea but in reality not possible. Castration has also been mentioned as a means of controlling these monsters, but studies show this is not the solution in all cases. Life in prison without parole is the only option to ensure they have no access to our precious youth.

I urge our legislators to ponder this: How tragic will it be if one day we hear that another beautiful, innocent child was molested and/or murdered by another sexual predator - and some GPS technician knew exactly where he was when it happened?

To prevent child abuse

Child abuse prevention efforts in Florida are making a positive difference in children's lives. The number of confirmed child abuse cases last year fell 6 percent from the previous year.

Prevention requires resources and a strong commitment to action at both the state and community level. I join Gov. Jeb Bush in asking the Florida Legislature to fully fund the Healthy Families Florida program. Healthy Families Florida has an excellent track record of success and serves nearly 12,000 families in our state.

The Department of Children and Families has partnered with other groups committed to preventing child maltreatment by promoting awareness and strengthening families. Earlier this month we joined with our partners to kick off Child Abuse Prevention Month. This year's "Winds of Change" campaign theme, developed by the Ounce of Prevention Fund, is aimed at changing the way the public perceives child abuse and neglect, and empowering communities to become more involved in prevention efforts.

Despite these positive results, much work remains to be done. Preventing child abuse will continue to be the department's top priority because saving even one of Florida's children from the pain and trauma of child abuse is priceless.

A source of support and compassion

Our state is reeling from the details of the tragic death of Jessica Lunsford, and the realities of sexual assault seem very close to home. In Florida, 1 in 9 adult women cope with the pain and aftermath of sexual violence in their lives, and high profile cases often bring survivors even closer to the grief, anger and tremendous weight of what they have been through. During this painful time, we want to remind Florida's communities and survivors that Florida's network of 32 rape crisis centers stands ready to offer support and compassion.

While we are all moved to action in response to such heinous crimes, we must also take time to be with each other, reflect and offer solace. Our toll free information line is available to help you find services in your local community: 1-888-956-7273.

An offensive juxtaposition

Re: Contraceptive sponge to return to U.S. market, April 23.

In my opinion, it was very poor taste devoting the top third of the page to an illustration of the female body and a sponge-placement diagram. The two-thirds space below was an illustration of the pope and an article titled Installing a new pope: tradition and change.

Both articles are noteworthy, but not on the same page. I found it offensive and insensitive.

Weary of springing and falling

Re: Lawmakers eager to save daylight time, April 21.

Why don't we just set our clocks ahead an hour for the entire year? Now they're wanting nine months. Nuts to 'em!

I was so happy when I lived in Indiana and the state voted to stay on Eastern Standard Time year-round. It is very wearisome to us golden oldies to set 'em up and then set 'em back, spring forward, fall back. Ugh!

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[Last modified April 28, 2005, 16:32:11]