Recent messages to the PTAVE List

Please me to Project NoSpank's mailings.


May 14, 2008

Dear Friends:

I am writing to alert you to the Dr. Phil Show on Friday, May 16th: "Spanking Scandals." (Check local listings for time and channel.) Everyone who cares about children will want to tune in. This show will make the case for legislative change with regard to corporal punishment in schools. Currently 21 states allow educators to corporally punish students, i.e., hit them on the buttocks with a wooden paddle. No child should attend school where physical abuse is acceptable. No child should be exposed to such a wrong-headed example of "problem solving" -- not from teachers, not from parents. Unfortunately, this is still largely the American way. Please alert friends, family and colleagues to the Dr. Phil Show, Friday, May 16th. Also, leave your words of wisdom on Dr. Phil's message board at www.drphil.com/

Peggy Dean, RN
Member of the Board of Directors of Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education (PTAVE)
www.nospank.net

ps: North Carolina residents who want to contact me to learn about our campaign to purge NC schools of paddles can email me at pdean10925@aol.com


May 11, 2008

1) When Is "Tough Love" Torture? By Maia Szalavitz, Click here to read.

2) Abusive Residential Facilities: The Warning Signs Click here to read.


May 8, 2008

A Letter to School Boards in Paddling Districts
Click here to read.


May 5, 2008

1) "Spare the Rod," By Riane Eisler
Click here to read.

2) "Childhood origins of terrorism," By Lloyd deMause
Click here to read.


April 30, 2008

An urgent letter to List Members from Jordan Riak
Click here to read.


April 22, 2008

"It's time to toss the trash"
Click here to read and print new leaflet.


April 12, 2008

1) Teacher suspended following allegation, By Mark Locklear,The Robesonian, April 10, 2008
Click here to read article.

2) Michael DiPalma: Teacher/sex offender sentenced, Jefferson County, Colorado, April 4, 2008
Click here to read court public information release.

3) There's nothing funny about prison rape; Smirking at sexual attacks on inmates makes us all less safe., By Ezra Klein, Los Angeles Times, March 30, 2008
Click here to read article.


April 6, 2008

1) Campaign to protect children from abuse in the schools of Robeson County, North Carolina
April 19 - 26
Click here for agenda.

2) Group calls for corporal punishment ban By Mark Locklear, The Robesonian, March 19, 2008
Click here to read article.


April 3, 2008

1) Shame on Arkansas
Guest Editorial, By Jordan Riak, Arkansas Times, April 3, 2008
Click here to read article.

2) Police: Teacher Told Class to Hit Tardy Student
FOX News, March 31, 2008
Click here to read article.


March 13, 2008

1) Up the down stairs -- and up again and again
At Shirley schools, a new punishment has some parents howling.
Click here

2) Forced exercise as punishment
Click here


March 7, 2008

1) Youth pleads to get out of rehab
Click here

2) Survey: 13,000 Claims of Abuse Reported in U.S. Juvenile Centers 2004 through 2007
Click here


February 29, 2008

1) "The whip, the paddle, the hickory switch"
Presentation, Feb. 23, 2008, Black History Month Celebration, San Mateo Public Library, by Jordan Riak Click here

2) Spanking may lead to sexual deviancy in years of maturity
Click here

3) Spanking Kids Causes Sexual Problems
Click here

4) TN principal under investigation for paddling injury
Click here


February 20, 2008

  1. Husband Arrested After 'Spanking' of 5-Year-Old
    Click here

  2. UK: Campaign to ban smacking
    Click here

  3. They let it die -- Deadline kills “anti-spanking” bill in state assembly
    Click here

  4. Welts, not welfare: Boss's protective maneuvers send a message that undermines DFCS mission — children's safety
    Click here

  5. To paddle or not to paddle? That's the question before state lawmakers.
    Click here

  6. Choirmaster admits sexually assaulting/spanking boy
    Click here

  7. Man Brutally Beats Toddler
    Click here

  8. Belts equal violence, not discipline
    Click here

  9. Spare the rod, save a psyche
    Click here

  10. Man who used stun gun on toddler gets 46 months
    Click here

  11. Camp Teacher Admits Spanking Boy's Bare Buttocks
    Click here

  12. Europe is moving towards a total ban of domestic violence against children
    Click here

  13. Florida mother arrested for allegedly beating her 10-month-old son
    Click here

  14. Corporal punishment: Blatant violation of human dignity
    Click here


February 16, 2008

Corporal Punishment in North Carolina Schools: Three Perspectives

  1. Peggy Dean's letter to education policy makers in North Carolina, January 31, 2008
  2. Rep. Cary Allred's letter to Peggy Dean, February 1, 2008
  3. A page from nine-year-old Allie Majni's daily journal, January 11, 2008
Read them here.


January 22, 2008

1) Florida mother arrested for allegedly beating her 10-month-old son
KAUZ 6 News, January 21, 2008
Click here.

2) Murder Case Tests Limits on Parents’ Right to Hit
By Andy Newman and Leslie Kaufman, The New York Times, January 20, 2008
Click here.


January 18, 2008

1) Texas Youth Commission workers accused of sexually abusing juvenile inmates; two face trial but venue not yet set
From staff and wire reports, Dallas Morning News, January 17, 2008
Click here.

2) DC Mayor Fenty Fires 6 Child Welfare Workers In Girls' Deaths -- Four Children Had Not Been Seen for Months
By Petula Dvorak and David Nakamura, Staff Writers, Washington Post, January 15, 2008
Click here.

3) Hands off those kids -- a 30-year crusade Corporal punishment leaves emotional scars, retired teacher says
By Eric Kurhi, STAFF WRITER, San Ramon Valley Times, January 7, 2008
Click here.


January 17, 2008

North Carolina Shame
Click here.


January 11, 2008

1) The sticker business, January 11, 2008
Click here.

2) Volunteering
Click here.


December 22, 2007

1) NEW ZEALAND: Smacking prosecution fears misplaced,
Children's Rights Information Network (CRIN), December 21, 2007
Click here.

2) SPAIN: Parents banned from smacking children
Reporting by Ben Harding; Editing by Ibon Villelabeitia, Reuters, December 20, 2007
Click here.

3) CHILE: The Minister of Justice of the Government of Chile announces the prohibition of physical punishment as a method of correction for children, Children's Rights Information Network (CRIN), December 18, 2007
Click here.

4) INDIA: Student Succumbs To Teacher’s Blows -- A fourteen-year-old student who battled for his life for the last two weeks has succumbed to corporal punishment., medindia.net, November 7, 2007
Click here.

5) The new edition of "Plain Talk About Spanking" is now available.
Read it here. Order a free copy here.

6) Have you contributed to PTAVE's 2008 Outreach Fund?
Click here to support our work for children using your credit card or PayPal.


December 21, 2007

1) VENEZUELA: Second Latin American country to ban corporal punishment, Children's Rights Information Network (CRIN), December 20, 2007

2) The new edition of "Plain Talk About Spanking" is now available.
Read it here. Order a free copy here.

3) Have you contributed to PTAVE's 2008 Outreach Fund?
Click here to support our work for children.


December 11, 2007

1) Ohio Governor Ted Strickland supports paddling ban -- Introduction of legislation to outlaw corporal punishment in schools brings issue into spotlight. By William Hershey, Staff Writer, Dayton Daily News, December 11, 2007
Click here.

2) The new edition of "Plain Talk About Spanking" is now available.
Read it here. Order a free copy here.


December 2, 2007

1) The Baumrind Fallacy revisited
Click here.

2) Looking toward 2008 -- An invitation to participate
Click here.

3) The new edition of "Plain Talk About Spanking" is now available.
Read it here. Order a free copy here.


November 19, 2007

1) "Hidden from View - Few fired for physical abuse; Severe sanctions for educators more likely in sexual cases," By Jill Riepenhoff and Jennifer Smith Richards, The Columbus Dispatch, November 18, 2007
Click here.

2) "INDIA - Policy against corporal punishment planned," The Hindu, November 18, 2007
Click here.

3) The new edition of "Plain Talk About Spanking" is now available.
Read it here. Order a free copy here.


November 14, 2007

1) "Handle With Care: The state continues to license a Midstate youth treatment facility where two have died and many others have been abused," By Elizabeth Ulrich, Nashville Scene, November 8, 2007
Click here.

2) The new edition of "Plain Talk About Spanking" is now available.
Read it here. Order a free copy here.


October 30, 2007

1) Legal loopholes keep some teacher misconduct records secret, By Juliet Williams, The Associated Press, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, October 20, 2007
Click here.

2) The new edition of "Plain Talk About Spanking" is now available.
Read it here. Order a free copy here.


October 29, 2007

1) Admitting abuse but free to teach; Oregon education - Criminal convictions for admitted sexual misconduct are hit and miss, By Amy Hsuan, Melissa Navas and Bill Graves, The Oregonian, October 21, 2007
Click here.

2) Sexual misconduct plagues U.S. schools; AP finds 2,500 teachers punished in 5 years, By Martha Irvine and Robert Tanner, The Associated Press, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, October 20, 2007
Click here.

3) 125 Wash. teachers punished for sexual misconduct over 5 years, By Donna Gordon Blankinship,The Associated Press, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, October 20, 2007
Click here.

4) The new edition of "Plain Talk About Spanking" is now available.
Read it here. Order a free copy here.


October 17, 2007

1) When ‘Tough Love’ Is Too Tough, EDITORIAL, New York Times, October 16, 2007
Click here.

2) Troubles Mount Within Texas Youth Detention Agency, By Solomon Moore, New York Times, October 16, 2007
Click here.

3) The new edition of "Plain Talk About Spanking" is now available.
Read it here. Order a free copy here.


October 14, 2007

1) EDITORIAL: Government hell-bent on creating a nanny state, The Herald online (South Africa), October 12, 2007
Click here.

2) All-white jury acquits boot camp guards, nurse in death, By The Associated Press, Cnews, October 12, 2007
Click here.

3) VIDEO: Life in a Florida boot camp and the death of Martin Lee Anderson
Click here.

4) The new edition of "Plain Talk About Spanking" is now available.
Read it here. Order a free copy here.


October 7, 2007

1) What Horses Taught Monty Roberts About Wisdom In Parenting
By Norm Lee

Click here

2) Response to a critic
By Jordan Riak
Click here

3) The new edition of "Plain Talk About Spanking" is now available.
Read it here. Order a free copy here.


October 4, 2007

Idyllic childhoods of CEOs reconsidered
By Mitch Hall
Click here

The Relevance of Cognitive Dissonance Theory to the Movement to Ban Corporal Punishment
By Mitch Hall
Click here

The new edition of "Plain Talk About Spanking" is now available.
Read it here. Order a free copy here.


October 1, 2007

Time to padlock paddle peddlers!
A call for action from Susan Lawrence
Click here


September 19, 2007

South Africa National Assembly weighs ban on spanking

"Give kids a hiding," MPs told
news24.com, September 18, 2007
Click here


September 13, 2007

1) The Cult That Spawned the Tough-Love Teen Industry: This harsh approach to helping troubled teens has a long and disturbing history
By Maia Szalavitz, Mother Jones, August 20, 2007
Click here

2) School of Shock: How many times do you have to zap a child before it's torture?
By Jennifer Gonnerman, Mother Jones, August 20, 2007
Click here

3) What Works for Troubled Teens?
By Maia Szalavitz, Mother Jones, August 2007
Click here

4) Experts on Self-Injurious Kids Challenge Dr. Israel's Methods
By Jennifer Gonnerman, Mother Jones, August 20, 2007
Click here


September 10, 2007

1) Top priority: Please advise best ways for us to reach students with this page. E-mail feedback@nospank.net
Advice to a student who asks: "How can we protect ourselves from corporal punishment at school?"
Click here

2) Suspended Mobile County judge accused of spanking prisoners
Click here

3) Principal Admits Spanking Preschooler; State Attorney To Decide Whether To Press Charges
Click here

4) Officer accused of spanking woman's rear is charged
Click here


August 30, 2007

1) Graduate of a school for troubled teens describes therapy
Click here for audio clip.

2) Teenager testifies in Hinton trial
Click here for article.

3) Controversy Surrounds Tranquility Bay
Click here for article.


August 27, 2007

Dangerous Product Injures Children: Consumer Product Safety Commission looks at child safety with one eye shut

WARNING - These images may be deeply disturbing to some viewers. Do not open this page if children are present.

Click here for article.


August 21, 2007

1) If you can identify the teacher shown in this video, and/or the school where this took place, please email feedback@nospank.net and tell us that information. We want to report him and his employer to child protective services in their jurisdiction. We'd also like to show this video to the members of the education committees of the involved state legislature and ask them if this behavior conforms to policy. (We'll strictly guard the identity of any informant.)
Thank you.
Jordan Riak, Exec. Dir., PTAVE

Click here to watch video.

This message is also posted www.nospank.net/paddler3.htm.

2) Girl Hit In Face With Belt Buckle; Mid-South child abuse investigation
Click here for article.

3) Our "Open Letter to the American Psychological Association" of July, 2003 remains unanswered, but the problem hasn't gone away. Readers who are new to this list, and others who read the letter when it was issued but have forgotten it, can read it here.


August 13, 2007

1) Boy whose mother is accused died of repeated injuries, doctor says
By Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer, San Francisco Chronicle, August 10, 2007
Click here for article.

2) Christian discipline? 2 arrested in alleged dragging of girl behind van at boot camp
By Associated Press, Houston Chronicle, August 10, 2007
Click here for article.

3) Abuse, neglect appear widespread in Texas schools for retarded
By Emily Ramshaw and Amy Rosen, Dallas Morning News, July 23, 2007
Click here for article.


July 25, 2007

1) Hitting is never OK
By John E. B. Myers, The Costco Connection, May 2007, Vol. 22, No. 5
Click here for article.

2) Is swatting someone's behind in middle school a sex crime? Documents in Yamhill County "Spanking" case
The Oregonian, July 20, 2007
Click, here for article.


July 21, 2007

1) Loophole in state law has allowed some in teen-help industry to go unlicensed
Click here for article.

2) Mississippi Sued Over Alleged Abuse at Girls Detention Center
Click here for article.

3) EDITORIAL: Close Columbia Training School
Click here for article.

4) Child abuse alarm
Click here for article.

5) Most districts still use paddle
Click here for article.

6) Academy alleges libel, slander
Click here for article.


July 8, 2007

Over the GW
Must-See Indy Film Exposes Cruel Teen Correction Programs
A review by Maia Szalavitz, July 7, 2007
Click here for article.


July 5, 2007

The Horrors of Hutto
Inside Texas' For-Profit Immigrant Prison
By Cindy Beringer
Click here for article.


July 2, 2007

FOX Television Stations, Inc. Gives Free Advertising to Maker of Product that Endangers Children
By Jordan Riak, July 2, 2007
Click here for article.


June 30, 2007

1) Texas Juvenile Detention Centers Cope With Charges of Rape, Abuse
By Keith Elliot Greenberg, FOXNEWS.COM, April 16, 2007
Click here for article.

2) Criticism over youth jail death
BBC News, June 28, 2007
Click here for article.


June 28, 2007

1) Romney, Torture, and Teens: The former governor's connections to abusive "tough love" camps, By Maia Szalavitz, reasononline, June 27, 2007
Click here for article.

2) MOVIE REVIEW: "Over the GW"
If These Cold Walls Could Talk, By Nicolas Rapold, The New York Sun, June 28, 2007
Click here for article.

3) "Spanking a child is an act of violence," letter to the editor by Nina Adel, Robertson County Times (Tennessee), June 28, 2007
Read here

4) EDITORIAL: "Child abuse cases go on every day in state," Decatur Daily (Alabama) & Nadine Block's letter to the editor, June 27, 2007
Read here


June 16, 2007

1) The Dangers Associated With Hitting Children
By Ralph S. Welsh, PhD, ABPP
Read here

2) Bad advice from people who should know better,
by David Cooperson, LCSW, ACSW
Read here

3) Reasonable and Moderate,
Letter to the Dallas Morning Herald from Jordan Riak
Read here


June 8, 2007

AB 755 SHELVED; STATE GIVES GREEN LIGHT TO CHILD BEATERS
A letter to California editors from Jordan Riak
Read here


May 31, 2007

1) TEACHERS AS BULLIES
Gary Shaffer's letter to Letter to The News & Observer
Read here

2) Nicole's letter to Project NoSpank: My family's cycle of violence stops with me
Read here

3) South Africa set to extend spanking ban to the home (2 articles)
a) Read here; b) Read here

4) TENNESSEE - "Receiving wood" -- Jury hears of abuse by coaches
Read here

5) BOSTON: Pols deserve swat for proposed spanking ban
Read here


May 26, 2007

1) CULTURAL CRUELTY TO CHILDREN -- KOREA (5 items)
Read here

2) RESOLUTION TO REDUCE VIOLENCE BY REFRAINING FROM CORPORAL PUNISHMENT OF CHILDREN, Submitted to Boston City Council, May 9, 2007
Read here

3) JUDGE SAYS MOM CAN STAND TRIAL; ACCUSED OF ABUSING HER 2 CHILDREN
Read here


May 24, 2007

NORTH CAROLINA - PROPOSED PADDLING BAN DEFEATED IN HOUSE VOTE, 66-50, May 24 2007
Read here



May 11, 2007

A DOCTOR'S BAD MEDICINE
By Patrick Briody

Read here


May 10, 2007

GOD TOLD HIM TO DO IT
Send a message to a paddlemaker

Read here


May 3, 2007

NEW ZEALAND PROTECTS CHILDREN!

1) Anti-smacking bill passes by landslide with only three MPs voting no,
Read here

2) Police welcome smacking bill compromise,
Read here


May 1, 2007

1) Anglican Maori support repeal of Section 59
Read here

2) Student forced to urinate in bottle during class; Teacher transferred, student suspended
Read here

3) The Lucifer Effect; Understanding How Good People Turn Evil
By Philip Zimbardo; Reviewed By Michael Roth
Read review here

4) Teacher indicted; allegedly didn't report abuse
Read here

5) Texas youth prison official fired; Inmate abuse alleged
Read here

6) Legal Adult Violence
By Mike Males
Read here


April 27, 2007

1) Belinda's story as told by her mother
Read here

2) Evil parents tortured Chevy
Read here

3) For pet trainer to the stars, short leash is not the answer
Read here


April 21, 2007

Mother gets supervision for hitting child in face
Read here

Priest defrocked for allegedly abusing boys
Read here

Ex-youth prison officials charged with inmate abuse
Read here

Teacher who threw feces at boy may keep job
Read here

Second Grader Stripped Naked, Spanked in Front of Classmates; School Principal calls it "a family matter"
Read here


April 15, 2007

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT AND POLITICAL MISSIONS
By Alice Miller
Read here


April 9, 2007

1) AUSTRALIA FUNDS $2.5m ANTI-SMACKING CAMPAIGN
Read here

2) DEMOCRACY WILL SURVIVE THE SMACKS
Read here


April 4, 2007

1) MOLESTATION AND BEATINGS COMMONPLACE IN TEXAS YOUTH LOCKUPS; COVER-UP OF ABUSES PROBED; REFORMS PROMISED
Read here

2) TWO LETTERS FROM A DESPERATE MOM
Read here

3) REFORMING TEXAS REFORM SCHOOLS by Jordan Riak
Read here


March 19, 2007

1) NEW ZEALAND PARENTAL CORPORAL PUNISHMENT BAN IMMINENT

  a) The Smacking Debate Story: Bradford's law will save our children, by Deborah Coddington, The New Zealand Herald, March 18, 2007
  b) Anti-smacking bill opponents doing it more good than harm, by John Roughan, New Zealand Herald, March 17, 2007


2) NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL CORPORAL PUNISHMENT BAN IMMINENT

  a) PADDLE POLICY: A push to ban corporal punishment in public schools deserves high marks. It's time the state stopped spanking students, Editorial, News & Observer (North Carolina), March 19, 2007
  b) Constituents' petition to the legislature
  c) HB 853 to prohibit the use of corporal punishment in North Carolina public schools and PTAVE's letter to North Carolina legislators


March 15, 2007

HB 853, a bill to prohibit the use of corporal punishment in North Carolina public schools and PTAVE's letter to North Carolina legislators

Click here to read items.


March 4, 2007

ANNOUNCEMENT !

Summit Conference III
International Leaders
In The Child and Non-Violence

April 10, 2007 -- Chicago

For details and registration, click here.


February 26, 2007

1) "Lichfield Declared Innocent of Dundee Ranch Academy Abuse Charges," by Leland Baxter-Neal, Tico Times, February 22, 2007. Read article here.

2) REMINDER: If you haven't read the 2007 edition of "Plain Talk About Spanking," it's online here. If you would like to receive hard copy of the 16-page booklet, just reply to booklet@nospank.net telling us where to send it.


February 25, 2007

1) "A little bit of violence is not acceptable," by Jaap E. Doek, Chairperson, United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, 2006
Read article here

2) "Banning corporal punishment -- What the arguments tell us about our character regarding the treatment of children," by Dr. Kerby Alvy, Exec. Dir. of the Center of the Improvement of Child Caring in California, February 22, 2007
Read article here


February 24, 2007

1) "CALIFORNIA NO-SPANKING BILL: Bid to end discrimination against children"
Read Assembly Bill 755 and related articles here

2) "NEW ZEALAND bill banning corporal punishment survives key vote," By Associated Press, The Globe and Mail, February 22, 2007
Read article here


February 20, 2007

1) "KANSAS - Spanker protection bill dies in Senate,"
By Dion Lefler, Eagle Topeka bureau, Wichita Eagle, February 20, 2007
Read article here

2) "The decline of rape"
What the sharp decline in reported sexual assaults reveals about today's youth. By Mike Males. Mike Males is senior researcher at the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice in San Francisco. E-mail: mmales@earthlink.net, Los Angeles Times, February 18, 2007
Read article here

3) "Uganda: Son Tortured for Wetting Bed," By Ali Mambule, New Vision (Kampala), February 16, 2007
Read article here


February 18, 2007

1) "Spanking: When parents lift their hands -- It's better not to use corporal punishment, researchers agree. But, in fact, people do. Now we're learning the consequences," By Ben Harder, Special to Los Angeles Times, February 19, 2007
Read article here

2) "Texas looks at banning spanking in schools," By Ramon Bracamontes, El Paso Times, February 16, 2007
Read article here

3) "Why are Dutch children so happy?" By Kathryn Westcott, BBC News website, February 14, 2007
Read article here


February 16, 2007

This is a reminder that the 2007 edition of our booklet, "Plain Talk About Spanking" is now available. You can read it online by clicking here. If you would like to receive a print copy, scroll to the end of the online version for instructions. Don't forget to provide a physical mailing address.

Please forward this message to friends and colleagues.

J. Riak


February 14, 2007

TIME FOR A FEDERAL LAWSUIT OVER PADDLER PROTECTION ACTS?
Letter to PTAVE from Jeff Charles, February 13, 2007
Click here to read letter.


February 11, 2007

1) Nashua, N.H. children endured 'torture'
Read article here

2) Defense, judge argue in Georgia child-murder trial, as dead boy's brother testifies
Read article here

3) CPR, 911 call for youth were delayed -- Bowling Brook staff believed boy feigned sleep while unconscious, school reports
Read article here


February 9, 2007

“Healthy Children, Healthy Community”
Conference
March 14-15, 2007 - Klamath Falls, Oregon

Read details here
Print Registration Form here



February 8, 2007

We already have laws against child abuse, don't we?
Read articles indexed here


February 1, 2007

If image blocks text, maximize screen.

1) Mutilating for God -- Some children are forced into bloody rite
To read article, click here

2) 5-year-old's final hours
To read article, click here


January 28, 2007

ANNOUNCEMENT

Hear discussions of California assembly proposal to make spanking children under four a misdemeanor

Monday, Jan. 29, 2007
9:00 AM Pacific Time
KQED FM 88.5
Host: Michael Krasny
Guest: Sally Lieber, California Assembly Member

Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2007
11:00 AM Pacific Time
KGO AM 810
Host: Ronn Owens
Guest: Thomas Nazario, Professor of Law, U.S.F. Law School


January 22, 2007

1) Just another Mississippi school paddling
Reported to PTAVE, January 21, 2007
Read article here
(If image blocks text, maximize screen.)

2) Some List members reported that they were unable to access Alice Miller's recent letter to us about the 2007 edition our booklet, Plain Talk About Spanking. Try again here.


January 20, 2007

Dear List Members,
Sorry for the short notice. I've just had the details confirmed. I am scheduled for Sunday morning (tomorrow, that is) on MSNBC-TV. The show is "Dayside," host, Alex Witt, time, 9:15 Eastern Standard Time. I don't know about broadcast times in other time zones. If you want to watch, you'll have to check local listings online or in the papers. The subject of the discussion will be California's proposed spanking ban. I don't know who's representing the pro-spank side. If you don't already know the background, just Google "Sally Lieber spanking." I've been too busy these past few days to post or announce anything. It all happened very fast. I did 5 radio talk shows yesterday. The spankers are on the war path. They don't like having their favorite bad habit held up to public scrutiny. Who can blame them?
Jordan


January 16, 2007

Bill to ban devices to beat children

1) A bill is being sponsored by US Representative Ed Markey to ban devices specifically to beat children. But another Representative is needed to cosponsor the bill to help it reach the floor for debate and a vote. Your help is needed! If you live in the US, please contact your US Representative by entering your state & ZIP code here: www.house.gov/writerep/

Here is a sample letter/phone message:

Dear Honorable Representative _______,

I am deeply concerned that companies, stores and individuals are selling devices specifically for inflicting pain on children. Please cosponsor the bill sponsored by Rep. Markey that would curtail this obscene industry.

You can read the bill at nospank.net/markey.pdf.

Please contact Rep. Markey's aide Jeff Duncan at (202) 225-2836.

Sincerely,
(your name)


**After you write/call, please email StopTheRod@stoptherod.net to let us know which US Representative you contacted. Thank you!

2) Devices to beat children have been found in strange places, not just the Internet, but souvenir and toy shops. If you see a device being sold for beating children, please notify us at StopTheRod@stoptherod.net and give us the name and location of the store, a description of the device, and manufacturer if possible. Thank you for helping with this campaign to stamp out these devices!


January 15, 2007

1) California: No Spanking Bill, January 11, 2007
Click here for article.

2) NYCLU Calls On State Regents To Reject Regulations Permitting Schools To Use Noxious Stimuli To Punish Students With Disabilities, January 8, 2007
Click here for article.


January 11, 2007

1) Boy, 4, frightened of spanking, dies in fire, January 9, 2007
Click here for article.

2) E-mail from Alice Miller to Jordan Riak, January 8, 2007
Click here for letter.


January 8, 2007

1) "Shocks From the System," By Maia Szalavitz
Click here for article.

2) "Proposal would give immunity to schools that spank," By Dion Lefler, The Wichita Eagle,
Click here for article.

3) "Spanking, pain and pleasure," A letter from R. Ali
Click here for letter.

4) "Paddling and Gender," By David Hill
Click here for article.


January 4, 2007

Schools of Union County, N.C. are now paddle free!
Click here for articles.


December 31, 2006

Union County, N.C. Weighs Pupil-Beating
A letter from PTAVE to local area education policymakers and media
Click here for letter.


December 27, 2006

1) CHILD ABUSE, ELDER ABUSE:
Two sides of the same coin
Click here for articles.

2) EDITORIAL, Taiwan Journal: Taiwan bans corporal punishment in schools; moves toward being an advanced, nurturing society
Click here for editorial.


December 24, 2006

"We Weren't Unbeatable -- An Open Letter to a Disciplinarian"
By Spike
Click here for letter.


December 15, 2006

1) 2006 School Corporal Punishment Report Card, By Robert Fathman, Ph.D.
Click here to read article.

2) The Power of Peace By Madeleine Y. Gómez, Ph.D. and Mitch Hall
This 12-page booklet is available from Psychealth Ltd. Call (847) 864-4961.
To read Power of Peace online, click here.


December 13, 2006

A bill has been sponsored by US Representative Ed Markey to ban the advertising and sale of devices to whip and beat children in the US. This bill needs co-sponsors to get it moving and voted on.

So, please write to your US Representative!! Enter your state & ZIP code at this Web page. Then click "Contact My Representative." You will be taken to your Representative's homepage where you can contact them. Here is a sample letter you can use:

Dear Representative ________,

I am your constituent, and I am deeply concerned that it is legal to sell devices in the US specifically for whipping and beating babies and children. Rep. Ed Markey is sponsoring a bill to ban the marketing of these devices. Please co-sponsor this important bill to end the advertising and sale of these devices.

A law is needed to end this ugly and dangerous business for good. Please lend your support to this worthy endeavor. Rep. Markey's aide, Jeff Duncan, is working actively on the bill, and can be reached at (202) 225-2836, or Jeff.Duncan@mail.house.gov

I look forward to hearing from you.

(your name)

Thank you for writing!! If we can get some co- sponsors, I think it will pass easily!! Click here to view Rep. Markey's bill. Click here to view some of these devices.

Susan Lawrence
Director, Stop the Rod

Ms. Lawrence is a member of the PTAVE Board of Directors


December 9, 2006

ARE PADDLING SCHOOLS SANCTUARIES FOR SEXUAL PREDATORS? A letter from PTAVE to education department heads in paddling states and their responses
Click here for letter and responses to date.


December 6, 2006

Dear List Member:

I am writing to announce the 2007 edition of "Plain Talk About Spanking" and to request that you help us cover the cost of printing.

Since we first introduced "Plain Talk" in 1992, it’s been a favorite among parents, educators, healthcare providers and other professionals in child-related fields. On August 1, 2006, we received the last shipment of 10,000 copies of the 2006 edition from our printer. That inventory is now nearly depleted. The 2007 edition is ready for printing, but we cannot proceed until we’ve raised the needed funds.

If you aren’t familiar with "Plain Talk," you can read the 2007 edition online by clicking here. If you want copies, either we can send you some from remaining stock, or you can wait until the new edition is printed. The booklets are free. If you would like to read some typical correspondence from professional users of "Plain Talk," check out these pages:

I know you share our belief in the importance of this effort, and I hope you are able to help support it by making a donation at this time. You can donate to our PayPal account (click here for instructions), or you can send a check to PTAVE, P.O. Box 1033, Alamo, CA 94507. Make the check payable to PTAVE. Since we are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, your donation is tax deductible as allowed by law. E.I.N. #94-2884062.

Thank you for caring about the children.

Sincerely,

Jordan Riak, Executive Director

Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education (PTAVE); Web site: Project NoSpank, PTAVE, P.O. Box 1033, Alamo, CA 94507 US; Tel: 925-831-1661; FAX: 925-838-8914


December 4, 2006

"... A family environment that is cruel and uncaring will send cruel and uncaring children into the world as aggressive, violent adults..."
Dr. C. Everett Koop, Surgeon General and Deputy Assistant Secretary For Health under Pres. Reagan.


1) Wisconsin -- 7-year-old suffocated during restraint; death charges filed
Click here for article.

2) Florida -- Charges Filed in Boot Camp Death
Click here for article.

3) New York -- Ivy Ridge Academy accreditation rejected; New York Officials Declare Academy at Ivy Ridge "Educational Fraud"
Click here for article.

4) Mississippi -- Deadly discipline - Vicksburg mother beat 5-year-old to death because he couldn't count to 20
Click here for article.

5) 7M in U.S. Jails, on Probation or Parole
Click here for article.


November 24, 2006

THREE LETTERS TO PROJECT NOSPANK

1) Non-abusive "Loving Spankings" Messed Me Up For Life
A letter from Carol
Click here for letter.

2) Christianity and spanking
A letter from Edyta
Click here for letter.

3) I don't believe that this was God's will
A letter from M. C.
Click here for letter.


November 22, 2006

1) Who's Watching the Kids?
A documentary about boot camps for teens.
Click here then select Windows Media Player.

2) Barbara Neff's letter to writer John Balch of the Nashville Leader about the Murfreesboro school paddling incident
Click here for letter.

3) Stop spanking kids: UN envoy
Canada violates rights agreement by letting parents hit their children, Lewis tells forum
Click here for article.


November 21, 2006

Murfreesboro, Arkansas: Authorities investigating school discipline incident
Click here for article.


November 15, 2006

1) Greece outlaws corporal punishment in the home
Click here for article.

2) Parents file complaint over swats
Click here for article.

3) Saudi court sentences rape victim to 90 lashes
Click here for article.

4) Private Christian school under scrutiny over campus conditions, corporal punishment
Click here for article.

5) Child Abuse May Alter Victims' Brain Chemistry, Study Shows
Click here for article.

6) Letter to the Editor of the Muskogee Phoenix by Jordan Riak
Click here for article.


November 12, 2006

Ending legalized violence against children -- Global Report 2006, Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children (Large PDF file. Allow download time.)
Click here for article.


November 7, 2006

The spanking, torture and murder of 4-year-old Aiyana Gauvin
Click here for article.


November 4, 2006

1) Three-year-old spanked to death
Click here for article.

2 ) Mother held on suspicion of murder, torture, child abuse -- Child welfare contacted 3 times before eight-year-old boy died
Click here for article.

3) A letter to promoters of "Teen Help"
By Jordan Riak
Click here for article.


October 31, 2006

Corporal punishment in Union County, North Carolina schools is arbitrary and therefore illegal: A letter from Atty. J. Robert Sheppard, Jr. to the Union County Board of Education
Click here for article.


October 27, 2006

1) Heartland Christian Academy: School of Last Resort
Click here for article.

2) Dr. Robert Fathman's letter to Dr. Gil Kliman
Click here for letter.


October 12, 2006

1)CEOs' Childhoods: Credited or Faulted?
USA Today: "CEOs Often Spanked as Kids" and Mitch Hall's response: "Childhoods of CEOs Reconsidered"
Click here for both articles.

2) New Zealand National Party gets behind limits on smacking
Click here for article.

3) ALERT From Susan Lawrence (Stop the Rod)
Children in the city of Portland, OR have written a Bill of Rights for Children, stating they "have the right to loving care and a healthy environment at home" and the "right to be safe in our homes... and to be protected from all types of abuse and exploitation, whether physical, verbal, emotional or sexual, and to be supported in reporting and combating abuse." Please click here to read and sign their petition.

4) The new, revised edition of "Plain Talk about Spanking" is now available. Click here to read it online. Instructions for getting your free copy of this 16-page booklet are at the end of the text. Professionals in child-related fields may obtain quantities as long as our stock holds out.


October 11, 2006

House Approves School Strip Search Bill
Click here for article.

Parents: Teacher crossed the line with discipline - - Police report filed over alleged stomping incident
Click here for article.

States should ban violence against children: UN study
Click here for article.


September 29, 2006

In Many Public Schools, the Paddle Is No Relic
By Rick Lyman, New York Times, September 30, 2006
Click here for article.

PADDLING: A practice that belongs in the dark ages
A letter to the editor by The Rev. Thomas E. Sagendorf, September 27, 2006
Click here for article.


September 26, 2006

Childhood memories
By B.G.
Click here for article.

Daddy, please stop
By S.G.
Click here for article.

A BILL To ban certain devices sold or marketed for the purpose of hitting or whipping children
Introduced by Congressman Ed Markey, 7th District of Massachusetts.
Sponsored by Susan Lawrence. (Ms. Lawrence is a Member of the Board of Directors of PTAVE.)
Click here for article. (Adobe Reader required.)

Why effective national child protection systems are needed
Save the Children’s key recommendations in response to the UN Secretary General’s Study on Violence against Children.
Click here for article. (Adobe Reader required.)


September 21, 2006

Debate over the meaning of "rod" is irrelevant By Rev. Thomas E. Sagendorf
Click here for article.

How to bring up boys who can't think clearly
A review of James Dobson's Bringing Up Boys: Practical Advice and Encouragement for Those Shaping the Next Generation of Men
Reviewer: Joseph L. McCauley
Click here for article.

Exploitation of Youth & Families: Perspectives on Unregulated Residential Treatment
By Allison Pinto, Ph.D., Monica Epstein, Ph.D., Paul Lewis, B.B.A., Kathryn Whitehead, B.A.
Presented to APA Convention
Click here for article.

Does PTAVE equate teachers to prostitutes, porn stars?
By Jordan Riak
Click here for article.


September 15, 2006

Ex-Yorktown mom, Christine Somma, takes on N.C. schools over corporal punishment
Click here for article.

Corporal Punishment's Hidden Costs
By Salim Muwakkil
Click here for article.

Letter to Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
By Isabelle Allgood-Neal
Click here for article.

Letter to Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
By Jordan Riak
Click here for article.

Letter to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
By Jordan Riak
Click here for article.


September 10, 2006

Summit Conference II: National Leaders in the Child and Nonviolence
Speech Delivered By Madeleine Y. Gómez, Ph.D.
Click here for article.


August 25, 2006

NEW ZEALAND - Auckland City Council takes a stand against S59
Green Party notice to mailing list subscribers
Click here for article.

MISSISSIPPI - An open letter to the Desoto County parent and school board community
By Peggy Dean, Desoto County Tribune
Click here for article.


August 23, 2006

EDITORIAL: A reevaluation of corporal punishment
[Korea] The Hankyoreh
Click here for article.

Giving power to the paddle -- Some North Texas school districts are holding fast to corporal punishment, but critics say they're out of whack
Dallas Morning News
Click here for article.

Letter to Dallas Morning News
By Jordan Riak
Click here for letter.


August 19, 2006

Too much anger in black youth today
By Clarence Page
Click here for article.

In praise of spanking>
Susan Lawrence's response to a defender of spanking
Click here for article.


August 10, 2006

Laurel, Mississippi Schools OK Corporal Punishment
Click here for article.

New Zealanders Demand Spanking Ban After Deaths of Maori Twins
Click here for article.


July 22, 2006

Three disciplined in suicide of 18-year-old at youth prison, By Don Thompson, Associated Press, Mercury News, July 21, 2006
Click HERE to read article.

Hard Lessons in Herat Schools: Despite a ban on corporal punishment, schoolteachers in Herat insist on beating knowledge into their charges. By Sadeq Behnam and Sudabah Afzali in Herat, Afghan Recovery Report, No. 223, July 20, 2006
Click HERE to read article.

COSBY, OTHERS SAY BLACK MEN STILL IN CRISIS By Leslie Fulbright, Chronicle Staff Writer, San Francisco Chronicle, July 19, 2006
Click HERE to read article.


July 11, 2006

Ban on Corporal Punishment in Schools reaps results in Bangladesh
Source: Save the Children
Click HERE to read article.


June 30, 2006

1) FLORIDA OUTLAWS MILITARY-STYLE BOOT CAMPS FOR YOUTH
But "[e]liminating boot camps does not remove need for accountability in 14-Year-old's death; Martin Lee Anderson case demonstrates need for overhaul of juvenile justice system," says NAACP.
Read NAACP statement

2) Votes To Put Limits on Schools' Behavioral Therapy Like Electric Shocks, By Leon Neyfakh, The New York Sun
Click HERE to read article.

3) The State Education Department / The University of the State of New York: "Emergency adoption of proposed regulations, including the use of aversive behavioral interventions"
Click HERE to read report.


June 23, 2006

URGENT:

Press Conference re: Judge Rotenberg Center in Canton, Massachusetts
Click HERE to listen.

Massachusetts legislators are about to vote whether or not to ban the use of torture to modify the behavior of children -- a practice euphemistically called "aversive therapy." Write to them now even if you have written before, and urge their support for amendment #765 to the FY2007 Budget which will outlaw the practice and thereby bring Massachusetts fully into the civilized world.

Read JRC Program Visitation Report– 6/9/2006

Read more about the Judge Rotenberg Center on the Project NoSpank Web site.



June 20, 2006

URGENT:

New findings of child torture at the Judge Rotenberg Center

ARC Mass has obtained new findings of extreme torture at the Judge Rotenberg Center in Canton, Massachusetts. Besides spanking, "hot-saucing" and pinching children, and denying them food, the new findings include:

  • Electric shocks administered to the testicles.
  • A deaf child regularly shocked for not listening to verbal instructions.
  • A person shocked repeatedly for squinting.
  • A student shocked for moving from her seat to go to the bathroom; thereafter a bowel movement was detected and the student was shocked again.
  • A nonverbal student with significant retardation was shocked for moaning which was her only means of communication.
  • Students tied down on boards and hours later shocked repeatedly for behavior unrealized by the student.
  • Indiscriminate, uncontrolled shock is administered mechanically to students with no supervision at all.
  • Students are burned in multiple areas of their body and the burns go unreported and sometimes untreated.
Massachusetts legislators will be voting soon, probably this week, on banning these tortures, called "aversive therapy". Please, write these legislators NOW, even if you have before: Here is a sample letter:

"Please support amendment #765 to the FY2007 Budget, to ban 'aversive therapy' in Massachusetts, such as occurs at the Rotenberg Center in Canton, MA. Rotenberg is the only school in the US that uses such torture on autistic, deaf and retarded children. 'Aversive therapy' has not been proven to be beneficial, and it is cruel and inhumane to allow it to continue. The tortures that occur daily at Rotenberg are well-documented, and inexcusable. Please vote for amendment #765."

Thank you for speaking out against this outrage!! Here is the investigative report, and today's Boston Globe article (6/19/06): "A shocking form of therapy," By Brian A. Joyce, Boston Globe, June 19, 2006

JRC Program Visitation Report– 6/9/2006: http://arcmass.org/NYJRCReport.pdf

Susan Lawrence
Director, Stop the Rod
Board of Directors, Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education
Board of Advisors, EPOCH-USA
http://stoptherod.net
http://parentinginjesusfootsteps.org


June 18, 2006

1) PTAVE's proposal to 272 members of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

2) Something to bring tears

3) Something to bring a smile


June 16, 2006

URGENT! Please act now to protect helpless children from "therapeutic" torture. See Judge Rotenberg Center investigated for child torture
This report has been prepared by Susan Lawrence,


June 13, 2006

Dade County, Florida adopts Resolution Opposing Violence Directed at Children


June 8, 2006

1. I prepared this for a parent who needed a fast, easy-to-print, black-ink-only, one-page doc to distribute at a school board meeting. If your children attend a paddling school, you may find this useful. If you missed the last board meeting, send a printout to each school board member's home address. It'll give them something important to think about over the summer break. See SPANKING AT SCHOOL.

2. Excellent article in today's Guardian Suffer little children; US evangelists are twisting the Bible to say that beating the young is a Christian doctrine

3. This "behavior modification" outfit shows its true colors. See Woman distraught: denied visit with sister at Ivy Ridge Academy

J. Riak



June 7, 2006

I am pleased and a privileged to introduce Krystina Kessler, PTAVE's very special new friend. I am confident we are going to see great things from this young lady. You'll understand what I mean after you've read her letter.

J. Riak



May 30, 2006

1. International Petition to End Institutionalized Child Abuse

2. COALITION AGAINST INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILD ABUSE


May 25, 2006

1. Boot camp youth dies of thirst after forced exercise; 8 indicted
http://nospank.net/n-q09r.htm

2. Teacher accused of abusing autistic child
http://nospank.net/ n-q08r.htm

3. Principal suspended without pay for allegedly restraining student with chain
http://nospank.net/n-q10r.htm


May 12, 2006

1.Pastor charged with spanking girl
http://nospank.net/n-q05r.htm

2. Juvenile Jail Workers Charged in Sex Case
http://nospank.net/n-a05t.htm

3.Youth minister accused of sexually abusing teenager
http://nospank.net/n-a04t.htm

4. Youth Minister Accused Of Sex Crime
http://nospank.net/n-a03t.htm


May 5, 2006

Martin Lee Anderson: Latest News

1. Autopsy: Boot camp guards killed teen; Second coroner's examination finds 14-year-old suffocated, CNN, May 5, 2006
http://nospank.net/n-qo4r.htm

2. Second autopsy finds boy hit at boot camp died of suffocation, By Mitch Stacy, Associated Press, May 5, 2006
http://nospank.net/n-q03r.htm


May 3, 2006

1. Jury Awards $1.7 Million to Woman Spanked at Work By Juliana Barbassa, AP, AOL News
http://nospank.net/n-q02r.htm

2. Divine Discipline, Lance West Reporting for NewsChannel 4, KFOR-TV-DT
http://nospank.net/n-q01r.htm

3. Ask Ten Spankers, By Jordan Riak
http://nospank.net/askten.htm


May 2, 2006

1. Proposed Resolution to Protect Children, Arlington, Massachusetts, May, 2006
http://nospank.net/arl-ma.htm

2. Protect Children in Chicago, May, 2006
http://nospank.net/chicago.htm


April 30, 2006

1. Tough Love Quackery: Maia Szalavitz’s Presentation to The Cato Foundation
http://nospank.net/szlvtz2.htm

2. Statement by Kathryn Whitehead, Former Student at Mission Mountain School, Montana
http://nospank.net/katwhite.htm

3. Breaking Down Our Kids; Child Abuse for Profit is Occurring in America By Joshua Chiappelli
http://nospank.net/chapeli.htm


April 26, 2006

GOOD NEWS FROM FLORIDA
Lawmakers close to deal to eliminate juvenile boot camps
Click on http://nospank.net/tip06.htm


April 26, 2006

ANNOUNCEMENT
Sociology Professor Murray Straus, foremost authority on corporal punishment of children, will give a presentation of his 33+ years of research on April 28, 7pm. The presentation will be at Park Avenue UCC Church, 50 Paul Revere Rd., Arlington, MA (corner of Park Ave. & Paul Revere Rd.). FREE.

Dr. Straus has earned many honors and awards for his research, which have been used to change policies around the world. He just returned from doing presentations at 2 universities in Canada.

Come learn about this important issue which affects the individual & society in many ways. All ages welcome.

Sue Lawrence


April 21, 2006

PRESS RELEASE
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS LEGALIZED CHILD ABUSE


April 18, 2006

1. Is Desoto County Board of Education asleep at the wheel?
Peggy Dean
http://nospank.net/dean9.htm

2. April Signals Child Abuse Prevention Month; Vacaville Honors National Campaign
Paula LeDoux
http://nospank.net/n-p99r.htm

3. My Story
Kami Payne
http://nospank.net/payne.htm

4. Crossville (TN) minister arrested for sexual battery
WVLT -TV,
http://nospank.net/n-p98r.htm


April 15, 2006

1. Getting a handle on unruly kids as easy as 1, 2, 3
http://nospank.net/n-p95r.htm

2. Charge against teacher dropped after prosecutor's test
http://nospank.net/n-p96r.htm


April 12, 2006

1. Joey Aletriz, 1989 - 2006
Beaten and suffocated at SummitQuest Academy; No charges will be filed in teen's death. See: http://nospank.net/aletriz.htm

2. Initial autopsy: Restrained teen was suffocated See: http://nospank.net/aletriz2.htm

3. Martin Lee Anderson, 1992-2006 EDITORIAL: State-sanctioned abuse, St. Petersburg Times, See: http://nospank.net/andersn2.htm


April 5, 2006

Life and death in a Florida boot camp:
The story of Martin Lee Anderson (1992-2006).

WARNING: Contains live footage of the fatal beating of a teenager. Do not play the video section if children are present.

See http://nospank.net/anderson.htm


March 31, 2006

1) Abusive treatment of children in the name of "Attachment Therapy"
Laurie A. Couture's letter to a proponent of so-called AT, March 28, 2006
http://nospank.net/couture9.htm

_______

2) A letter to Dr. William C. Harrison, Superintendent, Cumberland County Schools, North Carolina, from Peggy Dean, March 30, 2006
http://nospank.net/dean8.htm
_______

3) Ban the corporal punishment of children, EDITORIAL, The Manila Times, March 31, 2006
http:// nospank.net/manila.htm
_______

4) Parents ask for school paddling to stop, WWAY3.com, March 30, 2006
http://nospank.net/n-p91r.htm
_______

5) Teacher facing charges again for throwing student, WFTV.com, March 30, 2006
http://nospank.net/n-p90r.htm
_______

6) Father charged; Admits slapping 6-year-old son, The Record-Courier, March 29, 2006 at
http://nospank.net/n-p89r.htm


March 27, 2006

SEE: Baby-whipping books
Message to PTAVE List from Susan Lawrence at http://nospank.net/lawrenc3.htm

_______

SEE: "Dead child's mom sought discipline tips; Lynn Paddock ordered books by a minister and his wife that recommended using pipe to spank kids" at http://nospank.net/n-p86r.htm
_______

SEE: "Spanking a sore subject in Arlington; Town split over upcoming vote," at http:// nospank.net/n-p88r.htm
_______

SEE: "Spanking horrors detailed; Ex-headmaster's arrest opens old wounds, say former Morris students" at http://nospank.net/lynch.htm


March 26, 2006

Ohio Couple Loses Custody of 11 Children:

  • They Used Attachment Therapy and "Nancy Thomas Parenting"
  • "Tight Structure" with Cages & Alarms
  • Parents and Therapist Still Face Criminal Charges

See: http://nospank.net/n-p87r.htm


March 15, 2006

Re: Survey by Tennessee Representative Beth Harwell

Dear Representative Harwell,

Item #15 on your survey asks:

"Would you favor increasing the penalty for a first-time conviction of aggravated cruelty to animals, from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony? (The penalty for a Class A misdemeanor is not more than 11 months/29 days, or a fine not to exceed $2,500 or both. The penalty for a Class E felony is 1-6 years, with possible fines up to $3,000.)

Yes__________ No___________"

Speaking as one who is appalled by cruelty to animals, I was pleased to see your interest in the subject. However, I did not see anything addressing aggravated cruelty to children. This link best explains my disappointment with the omission. See http://www.nospank.net/violatn.htm I welcome your comments and suggestions which I will be happy to share with our readers.

J. Riak


See earlier messages at Guideposts Archive


Please me to Project NoSpank's mailings.


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