Tell parents and friends of autistic kids about 'Operation Stop and Replace!'

Tell parents and friends of autistic kids about 'Operation Stop and Replace!'

I pledge to...

The letter below is from the organizers of the "Operation Stop and Replace!" children's rights rally coming up in Washington, D.C. from June 24-26.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />Please repost this for anyone who has an autistic child, who cares for autistic children, or who may want to help stand up for the rights of U.S. children to be safe from maltreatment.&nbsp;&nbsp; Thank you!<br /><br />_____________________<br /><br />June 12, 2009<br /><br />Dear Parents and Friends of Children with Autism,<br /><br />Beginning June 24-26, The Hitting Stops Here!, Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education and other children's rights advocates will be holding a Demonstration in Washington D C for having all forms of corporal punishment banned in U S schools and its territories, including all forms of harmful seclusions and restraints.<br /><br />We believe that this nightmare chapter of American history will come to an end very soon. What we have in our favor now are two well documented reports on the widespread abuse occurring in our American schools, some resulting in fatalities. The May 19, 2008 <a href="http://edlabor.house.gov/newsroom/2009/05/gao-report-finds-hundreds-of-a.shtml">GAO</a> report and the Aug. 20, 2008 <a href="http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2008/08/19/violent-education">ACLU</a> report include a staggering number of cases giving detailed evidence of teachers abusing our children, many of whom have a diagnosis of autism.<br /><br />Children with this delicate condition are being beaten sometimes several times a day on a regular basis. They are being placed in harmful and dangerous seclusions and restraints frequently, oftentimes resulting in post traumatic stress syndrome. They are also being duct taped to chairs, having their mouths taped closed for hours, being paddled, and being placed in small dark rooms, crawl spaces, and closets for hours at a time in many cases.<br /><br />Parents and concerned citizens that serve people with autism can be effective in bringing these human rights violations to an end when they are informed of what is taking place in our schools. The <a href="http://edlabor.house.gov/newsroom/2009/05/gao-report-finds-hundreds-of-a.shtml">GAO</a> report is 62 p., and the <a href="http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2008/08/19/violent-education">ACLU</a> report is 128 p., however, just by reading the first 7-10 pages of each report, a great deal of insight on the width and breadth of this problem can be gained. (Listen/Read the beginning parts and excepts from both reports by going to TheHittingStopsHere.com and clicking on "Help Support Our Work.".) The authorities who are able to stop these practices, as well as the educators who are committing them, count on the general public remaining uninformed or responding with indifference to these horrors.<br /><br />During our Demonstration on Friday, June 26, we will be presenting speeches from 10am till 6pm. We will gather in front of the Capitol and will be equipped with a sound system and podium. Parents, children, medical professionals, and members of organizations who support children with autism will have an opportunity to present their speeches on this matter. We will gladly read all speeches written by those who are unable to attend.<br /><br />We request that the speeches include references to the <a href="http://edlabor.house.gov/newsroom/2009/05/gao-report-finds-hundreds-of-a.shtml">GAO</a> and <a href="http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2008/08/19/violent-education">ACLU</a> reports so that the government knows that "we are informed." We also request that the speeches include the child's own experiences or how they feel about the abuses that their counterparts with this condition are facing in our schools. It will help our audience to know the unique qualities that students with autism possess that make such treatment targeted at them even more horrific. Lastly, we would like for each speech to include a message that abusing our children with autism will not be tolerated.<br /><br />We will accept as many speeches as each participant would like to send and will try to read all of them, however, if we are unable to read each one, they will be made available in print when we create our book that will contain every speech that we receive for this event. Please limit each speech to three minutes. We would like to receive all speeches by e-mail by Friday, June 19, but we will continue to accept them after that. Our internet access will be limited as we draw closer to the date, which may hinder our ability to prepare a hard copy of your speech for this event.<br /><br />The name that you present on the document will be read out loud and made public. If you wish to remain anonymous, you must supply a fictitious name. We will read the name supplied on each speech that we receive.<br /><br />We suggest that parents read the reports alone first and then discuss the contents with their children according to their level of maturity. In some cases informing children may not be wise. Be aware that the contents of these reports are very disturbing. One <a href="http://edlabor.house.gov/newsroom/2009/05/gao-report-finds-hundreds-of-a.shtml">GAO</a> inspector had this to say about the report, "While I was reading the report out loud, I was thinking to myself, 'If someone walked in the room in the middle of my reading this, they would think I was reading a horror story.'"<br /><br />Please forward our <a href="http://www.thehittingstopshere.com/Wash%20Demo%20Flyer%202.pdf">Wash D C FLYER</a> and this message to your personal e-mail communities, particularly to other families and organizations which serve children with autism.<br /><br />Please contact me for more information and to volunteer. We will need a great deal of support between now and the end of the Demonstration (June 26), particularly with email blasting. Thank you for supporting the safety and nurturing needs of our precious children and young adults.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br />Paula Flowe, Exec. Director<br />Tony Brian, Asst. Exec. Director<br />The Hitting Stops Here!<br />A campaign for teaching kindness and respect in schools everywhere.<br />Board members of Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education<br /><br />CONTACT<br /><br />Paula Flowe,<br />E-mail: paulaflowe@thehittingstopshere.com<br />Tel: 408.223.7797<br /><br />Tony Brian,<br />E-mail: support@tritekwebdesign.com<br />Tel: 813.373.2850<br /><br />_____________________

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