tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794893825407092443.post4874580810438219705..comments2023-12-29T04:36:07.964-04:00Comments on Square 8: Why I am closing the comments on two postsBevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06766614739853100172noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794893825407092443.post-4303472467557135132008-05-28T16:02:00.000-04:002008-05-28T16:02:00.000-04:00I've never seen this website and never read your b...I've never seen this website and never read your blog but was so outraged as a father of a 4 1/2 year old who is preparing for kindergarten with the story of Alex Barton that I tried to find any information possible and found this site. Thank you for posting the email addresses and thank you for whatever role you played in helping shine the light on this situation.<BR/><BR/>You know, this situation has virtually nothing to do with Alex possibly being autistic and has everything to do with common, basic human decency. No child should ever be made to feel this way.<BR/><BR/>Thank you.Mid-life Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11714261428077934555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794893825407092443.post-12305651449065817272008-05-28T13:55:00.000-04:002008-05-28T13:55:00.000-04:00Bev, you are a very thoughtful and sensitive perso...Bev, you are a very thoughtful and sensitive person. I think you are right, we should focus on the larger issues here, not the teacher, and work to keep things like this from happening in our own children's schools.<BR/><BR/>Still, in this case for me it was hard not to project my own protective parental instincts onto Alex, as I know I am guilty of doing. <BR/><BR/>The big picture is what is important, as you said so well.<BR/><BR/>KatherineGFCF Mommyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08080604752386244514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794893825407092443.post-45679034145334330922008-05-28T11:42:00.000-04:002008-05-28T11:42:00.000-04:00Bev, you are a good person. I posted about how thi...Bev, you are a good person. I posted about how this treatment is typical of schools that see control as the only way to educate. Can you imagine what would happen if we were able to educate that teacher, and she was able to come to terms with what happened and educate others as well?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794893825407092443.post-51182147936987394612008-05-28T01:17:00.000-04:002008-05-28T01:17:00.000-04:00Phil,Excellent point. I have seen a few posts call...Phil,<BR/><BR/>Excellent point. I have seen a few posts calling those two heroes, and agree they should be acknowledged. They should be thanked and commended in a public forum, and know how much they have meant to people.<BR/><BR/>I added an address onto the original post where cards can be sent to Alex. Perhaps we can write the other kids there, too. I will check into that.Bevhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06766614739853100172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794893825407092443.post-81945967468378859092008-05-28T01:04:00.000-04:002008-05-28T01:04:00.000-04:00Ack -- in my previous comment, the phrase "I asked...Ack -- in my previous comment, the phrase "I asked if there were a way those of us who recognized the kids' courage in dissenting, and the evidence of good in their parents' upbringing of them" should have continued "could convey that recognition, and support, to the kids and their families".Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15510151176700173298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794893825407092443.post-54661128537045542442008-05-28T01:02:00.000-04:002008-05-28T01:02:00.000-04:00A few bloggers have pointed out that there were tw...A few bloggers have pointed out that there were two unsung heroes in this story: the two kids who dissented from their classmates in the "vote off the island". <BR/><BR/>That is a very positive thing, amid the unintended maelstrom that led you to close comments on your two posts.<BR/><BR/>On Christschool's blog, where Alex's mom had posted a comment, I asked if there were a way those of us who recognized the kids' courage in dissenting, and the evidence of good in their parents' upbringing of them. Alex's mom replied that she is in touch with the families of the other students in the class and will be working with them to heal the psychological wounds. The school district has not (at least not yet) set about helping in that regard; you are so right that the focus needs to be on the *systemic* forces that lead up to bullying and enablement-of-bullying by organizational cultures and persons of authority within organizations.<BR/><BR/>But at the same time, the little acts of courage (and big acts of courage by little people!) need to be recognized.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15510151176700173298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794893825407092443.post-31041699564446264832008-05-27T23:06:00.000-04:002008-05-27T23:06:00.000-04:00Well, I changed my mind and decided I had to post ...Well, I changed my mind and decided I had to post about this.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794893825407092443.post-23679431275549645222008-05-27T19:35:00.000-04:002008-05-27T19:35:00.000-04:00Nicely put. I typically avoid blogging on events ...Nicely put. I typically avoid blogging on events in the news such as this because it's just too hard to discern the truth from a few short news articles. The media provides sound bites and the real truth always more complicated. I made an exception in this case but I tried to be reasonable and not engage in the mob mentality that we so often see on the internet.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14319271340447140900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794893825407092443.post-58425992880236745652008-05-27T18:52:00.000-04:002008-05-27T18:52:00.000-04:00Beautiful post, Bev. I've been struggling with so...Beautiful post, Bev. I've been struggling with some of the same sentiments. What she did was unquestionably wrong, and while I'm upset that there are people who would justify her actions, I'm also disturbed by the level of venom directed at the teacher.Mary P Jones (MPJ)https://www.blogger.com/profile/10251787926841410344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794893825407092443.post-84490583006742184132008-05-27T18:04:00.000-04:002008-05-27T18:04:00.000-04:00I agree. I have debated posting on this subject a...I agree. I have debated posting on this subject and decided not to. I think attention to it is important but in many situations things get blown out of porportion and people's lives are ruined without having all of the facts. An investigation has to take place and once that happens it will be important to speak more about this incident.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794893825407092443.post-40425548586339179742008-05-27T16:57:00.000-04:002008-05-27T16:57:00.000-04:00I don't blame you for closing comments. I've seen ...I don't blame you for closing comments. I've seen some really ugly responses on various blogs. Whatever the reasons for the teacher's lapse of judgement, she doesn't deserve the venom that's been aimed her way. I'm surprised at the interest the topic has aroused on a non-autie site. I wrote up the story for Digital Journal a few days ago and it's had over 1,000 hits. Luckily, I haven't seen any of the nasty emotionalism that has been popping up elsewhere.CS McClellan/Catanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12528100633458181090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794893825407092443.post-76647133009627259002008-05-27T16:35:00.000-04:002008-05-27T16:35:00.000-04:00Great post Bev!Great post Bev!Angela DeRossetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13300138525442271956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794893825407092443.post-52222691595064411242008-05-27T16:31:00.000-04:002008-05-27T16:31:00.000-04:00Well said.Well said.VABhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06652301858477760996noreply@blogger.com