ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP)
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Quest for Fire at 6:
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Following are vebatim letters to the editor provided by the writers via email. The say just about everything that needs to be said. Clarifications enclosed in brackets [ ].
Thomas A. Carder
President
ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP)
Ellis County Press
213 W. 6th St.
Ferris, TX 75125
Letter to the Editor
My heart is breaking for the children in our schools. The Ferris ISD has shown that protecting a teacher is more important than our children being mentally and emotionally traumatized. We asked that the Board, at the VERY LEAST, notify in writing all parents of all the children who viewed this film within the past 3 years, that they offer them counseling if needed, and that an apology be included.
Apparently, that was too much to ask for. There are parents now coming forward whose children have been having nightmares for the past several weeks. They had no idea why their children would be dreaming of ape-monsters beating people with rocks. Only after it was made public that portions of the R-rated "Quest For Fire" was shown to our children, did they understand. No counseling has been offered, no alternate art teacher provided. Our children now miss out on taking art because they are afraid of this teacher. We are now seeking justice in a court of law. If your child has been traumatized by this movie, or you feel your parental rights were violated in the showing of this movie without your permission, please write to [me] Tawny Abalos at P.O. Box 557 Ferris, TX 75125
Sincerely,
Tawny Abalos
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Ellis County Press
213 W. 6th St.
Ferris, TX 75125
Letter to the Editor
What a sad and embarrassing day for the City of Ferris- to be seen across the metroplex as having a school board that has no concern for the little 6-7 year old children who have been traumatized by a teacher showing a movie filled with nudity, violence, and gore. Have they no heart? Is this one teacher more important than the suffering children? And how dare the PTO President say on the news that those parents standing up for their children have a "lynch mob mentality!" She compared a group of racially motivated, murderers to a group of parents trying to protect their children! What a sad situation. I hope all tax payers in Ferris seriously consider their candidates at re-election time. Let's find some board members and PTO leaders who care about our children.
Sincerely,
Karen
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Dear [Mrs.] Principal,
I am writing this letter as a very active parent in the Texas School System. My children are now in the 9th and 7th grade. They attended Butler Elementary School in Arlington where I was very active with the PTA and was on several boards and committees. It was an extremely successful school for the teachers and the children and we all have wonderful memories of working with the administrarion there because there was a spirit of TRUST and welfare for our children. Many, many parents were involved heavily in the activities of the school and the principal [name withheld] was wonderful. She loved her teachers but would never have
tolerated the position of a teacher abusing the mental security and well being of a child. As such is the case at your school.
I was also the President of a parent organization of a Christian school running close to 1000 children. (Temple Christian School, in Fort Worth) for the past 3 years years. Under my leadership TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK was activated 3 years ago and grandparents day had its beginning (we had well over 200 grandparents in attendance, which later led to a growing Grandparent volunteer system) and also, great donations for the school. We have added to the schools facilities, through the cooperation of parents, a large laminating machine, a jumbo die cut machine, an automated phone tree system, thousands of dollars in
supplies and needs of the school. A parent run auction over the passed 2 years has yielded over $40,000.00 Why? Because there was a trust between the administraion, the teachers and the parents. That we ALL had the welfare of our children in mind.
Why am I telling you all of this ? Because we are close friends with Gilbert and Tawny and they are some of the most precious people we know. You would be very wise to consider and agree with what they are asking you to do. I heard about this situatuion weeks before it was on channel 8 [www.broadcast.com/television/wfaa/] tonight and I was appalled at what I heard. You are stripping away from your school WAY more than you think you are keeping (The 20 year veteran teacher). You are stripping away TRUST from not only good people, but also trust from the community, and trust from whoever hears about this all over the state of Texas. I know I sent the email that I recieved on this weeks ago to at least 50 people. What kind of good parent who wants to be involved or be a benefit to the school their children are attending would ever enroll their children in your school. Knowing that if people like the concerned parents there were not bringing this out in the open your school would have continued to allow this R rated movie to be seen by little children without the parents knowledge or consent.
At Butler, a letter was sent home even if they were gonna show "Free Willie" to allow the parents to decide for their children if it was ok or not to view. Why? Because it was rated PG ( Parental Guidance). I cannot fathom this teacher showing this R rated movie to young children for several years. It makes me wonder if a teacher at your school was to physically abuse a child through a beating or molestation (let alone a whole classroom of children for the past several years) if you would treat it any differently than you have this. What that teacher has done for one thing is really against the law. A teen cannot even enter an R rated movie without the accompaniment of an adult who is responsible for that child. What right do you have to keep a teacher who has abused that responsibility and has not even shown enough concern for the parents or the children to apologize. That is something that cannot be erased from their minds and as they watch this from their little eyes. Who are the heroes here? Who will they respect in the long run? Who is right and who is wrong? Why should [the Abaloses daughter] have to be taken out of the class as if she is the one who has done something wrong because now the parents can no longer trust what is being shown or taught in the classroom by that same teacher.
Something is definitely wrong with this picture and hopefully you will figure it out before you further destroy the foundation of your school, administration and faculty. It sounds like many parents could be pushed closer to homeschooling their children in YOUR school district which means loss of money for your school now and in the future as the word spread through the media. And if you give any consideration to this whatsoever, ponder this also, "We, parents and citizens of the community and the state of Texas are the ones paying your salary, you are accountable to us whether you acknowledge it or not."
Still an active and concerned parent,
TAMMY
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Thomas A. Carder
President
ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP)
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