1000 within reach today! Sharing is working!
Good morning! The first four who sign today put us at 900 with 1000 in easy reach. To get to 1000, then 2000, then 3K, a preliminary goal, sharing becomes essential.
First of all, once again, THANK YOU, to each of you. The past couple of days have been spectacular. Recent live videos from allies are having an impact and adding to the tools we are using to further public opinion demanding answers from principals relative to systemic sexual abuse! Kudos to the 3 time Class President, Zach, who has a live video posted in support of survivors and accountability!
The answer to the question, "Why share...," may best be answered by the question, "Why Not Share (the petition)?" What truly do you have to lose by stating your support for accountability relative to the 30 sexual predators named in an independent investigation Kirkwood Schools hired? The fact that only the Superintendent and the Board and the investigators know these names and that NOTHING is being done nor has been promised in terms of holding these persons accountable for sexual abuse of children is OUTRAGEOUS! If your signature offends someone so be it! And if they disapprove you for acting to spare children from more sexual abuse, what sort of people are these?
Fear of blowback, IMO, is largely without real base. With nearly 1000 signatures, a mark we will soon leave behind us, you are hardly alone in supporting the items on the petition agenda. Each marks you as a moral person who cares about children and is extremely upset to learn that for 50 years, this District tolerated a culture of sexual abuse that saw a huge amount of destruction done to people who were defenseless children at the time of their abuse. This abuse will affect them ALL OF THEIR LIVES. It is not something that happened in the past and should be left there!
In sharing, to take the other side of the question you and I are saying, "No More and Never Again!" We are saying, "The systemic sexual abuse in Kirkwood will be eradicated this year, 2021!" We are collectively telling the survivors we are deeply sorry for the crimes that happened to them and demanding that the District do the same. And we are insisting that the current administrator be dismissed.
The current principal, you will note, has said NOTHING. He has said nothing since the revelations began to come out one year ago and more. He has said nothing since June 28 when the investigation mentioned that there are 30 perpetrators during the 50 year span (so far) of this epic story of abuse. Many survivors named him to the investigators. Is his name on that list? There is no way of knowing for sure. He has not denied it. The superintendent has not said simply, "None of the perpetrators named on the investigation list currently work for the District." The Superintendent HAS said that there are no CURRENT complaints against employees filed with the Kirkwood Police. Great news but this doesn't mean that there may be employees working who HAD police reports filed against them and it also doesn't address the issue that many times, most perhaps, reports are not filed with the police as the victims do not trust the police or want to go through a second trauma of being inspected, of being questioned in manners that historically have proven often to be victim blaming, etc. Remember, the victims were all children!
Let's share the petition on our social media. Pin it to the top. Let's be proud to stand for the protection of children! No one should prevent us from doing so! What sort of people would negatively impact you or me, because we worked to eradicate child abuse by faculty and staff in Kirkwood or anywhere else? Forgive me...but the hell with them. Let them live with their silence, a silence that supports a sick culture.
Today we will pass 1000 if we share!