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Independent Voice

Every Child Deserves a Safe Learning Environment

This Op-Ed appeared in the Spirit of Jefferson newspaper on July 19, 2023.

On July 11th, at the regular meeting of the Jefferson County Board of Education, a discipline advisory committee of six teachers and one community member reported their findings about what effective discipline looks like, how to combat chronically disruptive classroom behavior and what causes this problem in Jefferson County schools.

     Mary Reagan, a Blue Ridge Elementary School kindergarten teacher of 29 years said
“I am here to tell you, we are losing teachers as well as students.  But this is why we’ve got such a teacher shortage….When you look at some of the things in like, say the policy, we really felt like, we have to be more consistent. Here are the laws in place, here’s what the consequences are.  These principals need to follow them, period.”

     In response, Board of Education Member Donna Joy, a former Jefferson High School teacher, said “It was long before COVID, it’s been dwindling for years. and from my perspective when the state scorecard gives you points, or a letter if you exaggerate, boost, graduation rates and if you can increase attendance, increase achievement, and lower discipline. So for many years…these students were pushed through.  They did not deserve to graduate because they didn’t even show up.  So that, from my perspective was done to boost those numbers.  ….I agree that administration does not generally follow through equally….if that person knows that child’s parent, well, you can forget it.  And I have never ever gotten a response as to any kind of discipline that was administered to a child no matter what they did.”

     West Virginia Board of Education policy 4373 was extensively referred to during the committee’s report, as it sets out the clear statewide guidelines for school discipline.  House Bill 2890 was also referenced, which became effective June 9, 2023.

     Most concerning was that students do not feel safe at school.  Ms. Reagan shared that, among 15 to 21 year old students from Jefferson, Berkeley and Morgan counties who were in her 4H camp discussion class group “every single one of those children, in that class one of those campers in that class, one of those campers in that class said that they did not feel safe in their school….. It is unacceptable…..We have to stop torturing our good children that are in these schools because they are not feeling safe….Enough is enough.  We have to stop the behaviors and teach, here’s what we expect.  If you don’t, here are these consequences.  You have to be held accountable for your actions.”

     It is not a right of children with behavioral issues to torture other children.  According to West Virginal school and legislative regulations, these students can be excluded from the classroom and consequences can be administered.  However, this is generally not happening now.  The Jefferson County Board of Education should make it an utmost priority to make sure that a safe environment is provided at all Jefferson County Public Schools.  Following the advice of the discipline advisory committee will go a long way in achieving this goal.  The teachers and citizen on the discipline advisory committee deserve a lot of respect for taking the time and making the effort to work on this report.

     Furthermore, thought should be given and actions taken to change the long term outlook for our children.  Right now 47 percent of children in West Virginia are born outside of marriage.  It is a fact that even in high crime inner city neighborhoods, well over 90 percent of children who grow up in safe, stable two-parent homes do not become delinquents.
    Creating policies that will help in breaking the generational cycle of outside of wedlock birth is a step that will be necessary for the long term solution to school discipline problems. One of these policies should be setting the expectation that sexual abstinence is the expected standard for school age youth.
     Not only will this help in the long term, but also in the short term.
Young teens who are abstaining are much less likely to use alcohol, smoke cigarettes or marijuana, run away from home, be arrested and are seven times less likely to be suspended from school.  Young teen girls who are abstinent are also six times less likely to attempt suicide.
Jefferson County Schools need to set high expectations for behavior.  This includes not only rules regarding appropriate classroom and school conduct, but also the expectation of sexual abstinence for all school age youth.
Parents concerned about improving the environment in public schools and helping our children to succeed are invited to join the Strengthening Families and Communities Forum on July 22nd, 2023 in Harpers Ferry.  The topic is “Stopping the Sexualization of Children in Public Schools; Providing a Positive Alternative.”  The premise is that we need to break the generational cycle of outside of wedlock birth through a revolution of abstinence-centered education.  Featured speakers are Father Bayo B. Adrien, Rev. Becky Basford, Commissioner Jennifer Krouse and Richard Urban.  Register and get more information at visionroot.org.

Categories
Family Breakdown Sexual Ethics

We Should Prevent Sexual Abuse of All Kinds

The following letter appeared in the Spirit of Jefferson newspaper on June 21, 2023

I am writing about the new ordinance that prohibits performances for children that depict nudity or sexual conduct.
     First, this is a common sense ordinance.  Are the opponents of this ordinance saying that it is acceptable and good to depict nudity and sexual conduct for children?
I also want to discuss the June 14 column in the Spirit of Jefferson, “One man’s journey with Christian faith, politics and the LGBTQ+ community,” by Stewart Acuff quoting from John Mason extensively.
First, I am very sorry to hear about his sexual abuse as a child.  I think more focus should be given on preventing sexual abuse of all types.  Married families with a father and mother are the safest place for children.  For instance, children living with a mother and her boyfriend are 11 times more likely to be sexually, physically, or emotionally abused than children living with their married biological parents.
      Although about 2.5 percent of the male population is homosexual and almost all child abuse is by men, one third of all sexual abuse is against boys.  That means the small percentage of the population that is homosexual men commits one-third of all child abuse involving boys.
    Regarding “Jesus is a mystery”, the Bible makes clear in Genesis 1: 27 that God created us male and female.  Also, trying to say that Matthew 19:12 promotes gender fluidity is a stretch, to say the least.  Traditionally, this verse is taken to mean that most people should marry rather than burning with sexual desires as a single person.

    I would also like to address the argument in the editorial, and also given by others testifying before the county commission that this law violates the spirit of the state motto of “All Mountaineers Are Free”.
No, it does not.  Freedom requires responsibility.  Just because we are free to concealed or open carry a firearm in West Virginal does not mean that we can shoot it any time we feel like it.  Carrying a firearm requires utmost responsibility.  Likewise, the use of our sexuality requires utmost responsibility.  Just because humans are capable of public displays of sexual behavior in front of minors does not mean that it is acceptable to do so.
    I would like to make one more point about those who have non-traditional sexual proclivities.  The first legally recognized “non-binary” person in the United States, Jamie/James Shupe said “it’s not about gender identity; it’s about abnormal paraphilic sexual desire.”   Paraphilic means having sexual desires that “are persistent and recurrent sexual interests, urges, fantasies, or behaviors of marked intensity involving objects, activities, or even situations that are atypical in nature.”
So, in Shupe’s case, identifying as transgender was a ruse for his paraphilic sexual desires.
In conclusion, the law championed by Commissioner Krouse is a good one.  We should focus more on preventing sexual abuse of all kinds.  Sexual displays in front of children can be seen as one type of abuse.

Categories
Freedom of Speech

#136-Dump Google

Google censors what you see by manipulating search results. Gmail decides which emails will go into your spam folder, sometimes even when you have marked them as not spam. Your Android phone tracks everywhere you go. Google Analytics follows you across the web and tracks what sites you visit. If you are a religious Google employee of the Christian faith, Google literally thinks you are insane.
Mojeek.com is a much better choice for an unbiased search engine.
#DumpGoogle

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Election Integrity

#135-Restoring Election Integrity-The Four for the Core Program

It is essential to restore election integrity. The Four for the Core program is a good start. You can do this program in your own county.

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abstinence-centered education Family Breakdown Homosexuality Sexual Ethics

#134-Absolute Sexual Ethics Is the Solution to the Transgender Issue

How can we solve the problem of youth being taken in by the transgender and homosexual agenda? We need to proactively teach our youth absolute sexual ethics.

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Homosexuality Sexual Ethics

#133-Dr. John Money’s Transgender Fraud

Few know that the whole transgender movement was started by Dr. John Money of Johns Hopkins University. He claimed that his experiment on the Reimer twins was a success, but it was actually a complete failure. Furthermore, Money sexually abused the boys and thought that sex between adults and children is okay.

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Family Breakdown Homosexuality Sexual Ethics

#132-Satan Was the First Pedophile

What is behind the Transgender movement? Why is it so odious, and what must we do to stop it?
This three part series will dive into these topics.

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Presidential Politics Rev. Sun Myung Moon

#131-Make Love, Not War; Rev. Moon’s Solution to the War in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine can be described as Biden’s war. Victoria Nuland was involved in encouraging and facilitating the coup that overthrew the legitimately elected president of Ukraine. In 2014, 97% of the residents in Crimea voted to be a part of Russia, yet the US and Europe did not recognize that referendum. Biden’s family is deeply embedded in Ukraine, receiving 100’s of thousands of dollars through various Ukrainian entities.
Yet, Rev. Sun Myung Moon many years ago, proposed a unique solution to this conflict. Listen to find out what it is.

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Big Pharma-Conflicts of Interest Civil Liberties Vaccine Choice

#130-COVID Crimes-Never Forget

We must never forget the devastation, death and suffering caused by the unholy alliance of Big Pharma and government agencies. President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned about this in his farewell address in 1961.
President Trump needs to come clean on this issue, or he will lose many independent and Republican supporters in 2024.

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Family Family Breakdown Marriage Rev. Sun Myung Moon

#129-Sliding IS Deciding

Many are on the fence, undecided, as to the merit of the work done by Rev. Sun Myung Moon (1920-2012). His biggest legacy is the Blessing of Marriage institution and ceremonies, plus his teaching about absolute sexual ethics; giving great clarity to the need for abstinence before marriage and faithful, Blessed marriage.
If you have heard about his work, and are not deciding to support this movement, then that stance itself is a decision that needs to be reevaluated.
Watch this show to find out why.

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