Update and Action Alert: NC School Violence Prevention Bill (Senate Bill 526) Vote Tonight, Update from Gabe
by Chardon Moore
Well folks, the day I’ve been anticipating for several months is upon us…the NC House will finally vote on the School Violence Prevention Act (Senate Bill 526) tonight at 7:00 p.m. (Vote was postponed from last week, you can listen to the action in the House Chamber LIVE at 7pm at the following address: Listen to NC House Vote Live)
This is very important…if you live in NC, please call your Representative (House Reps, not Senators) and tell them you want them to vote for this bill. Tell them why. Explain that all the research done on this issue proves that having enumerated categories (categories which clearly spell out common victims of bullying) is the only way to make for an effective Anti-Bullying bill.
I’ve been told that Representative Carolyn Justice of New Hanover/Pender Counties is a key swing vote, so be SURE to call her. (Her Legislative Assistant is named Vivian, and she’s a lovely lady, so be nice!!) Just tell her the reasons the bill is important. Tell her that the people who have called in opposing the bill are acting on emotion, while we (supporters) of the bill are acting on facts. Tell her that passing the bill without enumerated categories is akin to not passing the bill at all. Tell her that we’re not going to stop, and if they don’t pass this bill with the categories, we will be lobbying for an amendment next session, and the session after that, and the session after that, until it is included.
Basically, if they give us what we want (and what our children deserve!) then they’ll never have to address this issue again. The Conservatives who are calling non-stop now will move on, but until we get victory for our kids, we won’t.
For more ammunition against the misguided Religious Right’s agenda, visit http://www.equalitync.org
As an added bonus, I just heard recently from our good friend Gabe: http://www.outimpact.com/features/politics/gabriels-story-inspires-importance-antibullying-legislation-1739
He’s sent me a lovely picture from his prom, and I asked him to update us on what he’s been up to lately:
I just finished graduating from high school, which has been a very crazy experience. To some extent I wish that will never go back to some of the things I faced. However, despite my rough experience in high school, I’ve learned a lot about myself throughout my journey. As a Connecticut resident, I take my rights for granted. Homosexuals in Connecticut have it pretty good compared to the rest of the country. Being the second state to legalize same sex marriage, and being the first through legislation to enact civil unions; I didn’t know how progressive of a state Connecticut was until this past February when I went on a bus ride to Florida. For some a trip to Orlando is a dream come true, it’s a chance to meet Mickey Mouse and sing on stage with Mandy Moore, right in her hometown! Many would believe that Florida is cheerful and relaxing, but my last experience down south was anything but a fairy tale. Disney World should really consider moving up north if they want to be in a happy location! (Note from Chardon: We’re still happy in the South, there’s a lot to love. However, we in the South move slow, and attitudes towards religion and tolerance can sometimes take a while to change. We’re working on it…Please don’t move North, Mickey! I don’t deal well with the cold!)
Ever since my home state of Connecticut legalized same sex marriage in November 2008 I have taken my rights for granted. For three months I woke up each morning knowing that I had the right to marry, adopt, I had protection from workers discrimination, and I was even protected in the event of a hate crime. I did not realize how fortunate I was to have these rights. One day I was doing some research and I found out that North Carolina was the only state in the south to have not banned same sex marriage through a constitutional amendment. (Note from Chardon: YAY North Carolina! If everyone only knew how hard progressives in the legislature have had to fight to keep the “Defense of Marriage Amendment” from becoming law, they’d call their offices and thank them. It hasn’t been easy for them, I assure you!)
As soon as I found that out I felt disgusted. I felt like I was being bullied by a bunch of lawmakers who did not even know me. Virginia has adopted the most conservative kind of marriage amendment. Unlike all the other states that have banned gay marriage, Virginia explicitly denies any same sex couple from accessing any private contracts. For example, if a gay Connecticut resident was hit by a bus in Arlington, Virginia than his power of medical attorney would be worthless. By law the state of Virginia is obliged to deny a gay man’s medical insurance (if on his husband’s insurance), even if he is an out-of-state resident. Crossing the Potomac river and driving into Virginia was a horrible experience for me. Within an instant almost all of my rights had vanished. Driving through Virginia alone was difficult for me, I could not imagine how it would be living there.
My trip was miserable, it was just downright depressing. When I was playing mini golf with my friends I saw a gay couple. I wanted to approach them and ask them how they had the strength to live in a state where their own government was oppressing them. I asked myself, “How can you live here? How can you have an optimistic view of life?” I wanted to talk to them. I felt horrible, I wish that I could have brought them back to Connecticut with me so that they could have rights.
On my way home I remember waking up on the bus and I found out my bus was driving through Virginia. I remember crossing the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, and as soon as my bus inched into Maryland I felt a sudden sensation. I felt a burst of positive energy. Slowly I began getting my rights back. I started to cry because for an entire week I had lost my rights. During my time in Florida I felt oppressed. If I felt liberated just crossing into Maryland, I wonder how a Florida resident would feel if he/she would move to Connecticut. I then realized that I had a lot to be thankful for. I was happy to come back home. I missed my rights, and if more people had the same rights that I had, then their would be less tension and anger in society.
Gabe continues to amaze me, folks. His capacity for caring and empathy is amazing, and his courage is humbling.
Let’s give other kids the same rights that Gabe has! Let’s call our legislators and make them aware of the importance of this issue. Kids like Gabe deserve the chance to grow up without having to submit to abuse.
Rep. Carolyn Justice: 919-715-9664
Find your Representative: http://www.votesmart.org
Random Posts:
- Kiss Breast Cancer Goodbye – Front Street Brewery’s 2nd Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Fundraiser
- July 13 – Soapbox in Wilmington, NC: Shannon Curtis and Friends
- Two gay men beaten in Wilmington, NC on July 17th
- STAGE presents The Laramie Project this weekend in Wilmington, NC
- Out Comics Thai Rivera and Felicia at Nutt St. Comedy Room on August 28-29th
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Research has determined that from the Moment of Commitment (the point when a student pulls their weapon) to the Moment of Completion (when the last round is fired) is only 5 seconds. If it is the intent of a school district to react to this violence, they will do so over the wounded and/or slain bodies of students, teachers and administrators.
Educational institutions clearly want safe and secure schools. Administrators are perennially queried by parents about the safety of their schools. The commonplace answers, intended to reassure anxious parents, focus on the school resource officers and emergency procedures. While useful, these less than adequate efforts do not begin to provide a definitive answer to preventing school violence, nor do they make a school safe and secure.
Traditionally school districts have relied upon the mental health community or local police to keep schools safe, yet one of the key shortcomings has been the lack of a system that involves teachers, administrators, parents and students in the identification and communication process. Recently, colleges, universities and community colleges are forming Behavioral Intervention Teams with representatives from all these constituencies. Higher Education has changed their safety/security policies, procedures, or surveillance systems, yet K-12 have yet to incorporate Behavioral Intervention Teams. K-12 schools continue spending excessive amounts of money to put in place many of the physical security options. Sadly, they are reactionary only and do little to prevent aggression because they are designed exclusively to react to existing conflict, threat and violence. These schools reflect a national blindspot, which prefers hardening targets through enhanced security versus preventing violence with efforts directed at aggressors. Security gets all the focus and money, but this only makes us feel safe, rather than to actually make us safer.
Some law enforcement agencies use profiling as a means to identify an aggressor. According to the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Education’s report on Targeted Violence in Schools, there is a significant difference between “profiling” and identifying and measuring emerging aggression; “The use of profiles is not effective either for identifying students who may pose a risk for targeted violence at school or – once a student has been identified – for assessing the risk that a particular student may pose for school-based targeted violence.” It continues; “An inquiry should focus instead on a student’s behaviors and communications to determine if the student appears to be planning or preparing for an attack.” We can and must assess objective, culturally neutral, identifiable criteria of emerging aggression.
For a comprehensive look at the problem and its solution, http://www.aggressionmanagement.com/White_Paper_K-12/
TEACHING THE VALUES OF PEACE
By: Mike (Ali) Raccoon Eyes Kinney
As a Cherokee Native American Activist and a former member of the Richmond California Violence Prevention Movement, I have seen close to 515 homicides in the City of Richmond from 2001 to the present.
The declaration of a ‘war on violence’ by the Richmond city government was not the panacea, instead it failed miserably.
I have often stated in town hall meetings and on television, the best way to win the ‘war on violence’ in Richmond is to ‘TEACH THE VALUES OF PEACE’.
In the killing fields of Richmond, most of the victims of homicides are youth or young adults. Teaching the values of peace begins with our youth and young adults. From a Native perspective, winning the war on violence begins in the home with a strong, spiritual belief and value system.
We believe that Creator made all generations, past, present and those of the future, holy people. This is what our Elders teach us from the time we are born.
Our families and Elders teach our young people that they must tear away the images and stereotypes that mainstream society has placed upon them as Native peoples.
Violence and killing is not traditional in Native culture, it is a learned behavior from mainstream society.
We teach our youths not to attack, punish or beat themselves up for crimes that they have never committed in regards to racism. Our Elders and families teach our young people to have good self-esteem, self-worth and self-value, for as the original holy people this was Creators plan.
Native people know that it is both family and community responsibility to teach the values of peace to our young people.
We teach our young people honesty and accountability concerning violence. It begins with accepting responsibility for self and acknowledging any past use of violence.
Admitting any wrongdoing, communicating openly and truthfully to renounce the use of violence in the future places our youth on the right path. We place a heavy emphasis that all life is sacred.
The final lesson in teaching the values of peace is quite simple. It is helping young people understand their relationship to others and all things in Creation.
Be responsible for your role, act with compassion and respect, and remember ALL LIFE IS SACRED. Native culture is prevention!
Mike (Ali) Raccoon Eyes Kinney