[Blindtlk] Fw: Mass. school electrocutes blind girl

Mon May 28 03:20:45 UTC 2012

Hello Judy and everyone,

    I've wondered the same thing. Perhaps you could research Washington 
State to see if this practice is going on there. I've not heard of this crap 
going on in Texas.

    Another thing that is sad about this is that Massachusetts is viewed as 
having some of the most "Progressive" agencies for the blind and disabled in 
the country. For the blind it's Perkins and the Carol Center. The 
Massachusetts Hospital School serves wheelchair-bound individuals. The 
Boston School for the Deaf, and the Cardinal Cushing Center for the Mentally 
Retarded are other examples of agencies revered as models for rendering 
services and educating children and adults with disabilities. It's a shame 
that rat holes like the JRC exist in the state of my birth.

    I'm always asked if I'd ever consider moving back to Massachusetts. I 
answer the way Charlie Pride does in one of his songs "I Wonder Could I live 
There Any More." Pride sings about life in a typical country home 
emphasizing the niceties of country living but beneath these lyrics is the 
truth that it was a very hard way of life. Charlie Pride's family were 
sharecroppers in Mississippi. Sharecroppers barely made enough to put food 
on the table and keep a roof over their heads. Add to that the fact that 
they lived in the rural south in the 1930s when racism and bigotry were the 
norm for African Americans living there. If you mind his question carefully 
you'd understand why he really didn't miss living there.

    So it is for me. I have many fond memories of New England and growing up 
in Massachusetts and thinking of the many good times we had. However I 
cannot forget the problems created for my family by special education 
officials and eeven some of the blind population in that state. Life really 
began for me on the night of September 4, 1981 when I borded a Brannif 
L-1011 Tri Star for a one-way flight to Texas where I now live. Since those 
days I feel I've succeeded beyond my wildest imagination and am greatful for 
the opportunity to have been able to begin life a new. I doubt seriously 
that I would be doing half of what I've accomplished for myself had I stayed 
in Massachusetts hence I feel the ssame way Charlie Pride does concerning 
living back in rural Mississippi. It's a nice place to visit but I wouldn't 
want to liv there any more particularly in light of the disturbing 
information that was shared with us this past week. All the best.

Peter Donahue

Original Message ----- 
From: "Judy Jones" <jtj1 at cableone.net>
To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2012 6:47 PM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Fw: Mass. school electrocutes blind girl

This is terrible.  It sounds like one of those institutions out of the David
Copperfield era.  The scary thought is:  if this school has been exposed,
are there other institutions/schools yet to be uncovered for the same
practices?
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sherri" <flmom2006 at gmail.com>
To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;>
Sent: Monday, May 21, 2012 5:26 AM
Subject: [Blindtlk] Fw: Mass. school electrocutes blind girl

>I am passing this along in hopes that all will sign. This is just
> unbelievable. Even my County Disability Coordinator shared this. Thanks.
>
> Sherri
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: Samme.Ripley at ocfl.net
> Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2012 12:06 PM
> Subject: FW: Mass. school electrocutes blind girl
>
>
> Sharing………………..this video can be very compelling for those familiar with
> electric shocking of disabled students in past years.
>
>
>
> …Samme
>
>
>
> From: Sherri [mailto:flmom2006 at gmail.com]
> Sent: Sunday, May 06, 2012 6:00 PM
> To: Ripley, Samme
> Subject: Fw: Mass. school electrocutes blind girl
>
>
>
> Do you know anything about this? This is outrageous if it's true!
>
>
>
> Sherri
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
>
> From: Jon Perri, Change.org
>
> To: flmom2006 at gmail.com
>
> Sent: Saturday, May 05, 2012 4:39 PM
>
> Subject: Mass. school electrocutes blind girl
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>                  VIDEO: Special needs student electroshocked. Tell his
> Massachusetts school to stop using electroshock devices on children.
>
>
>
>                  Sign Gregory's Petition
>
>
>
>            Sherri -
>
>            In 2002, a special needs student named Andre McCollins was
> allegedly strapped down and electrocuted for hours, leaving him with
> permanent brain damage, all because he refused to take off his jacket. The
> people torturing Andre were officials at his school. You can watch what
> happened on video.
>
>            The video was shot at a Massachusetts school for special needs
> kids called the Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC). Gregory Miller used to be a
> teacher there, and he says electrocuting kids as punishment is extremely
> common -- even for minor offenses like raising your hand to go to the
> bathroom.
>
>            "A non-verbal, nearly blind girl with cerebral palsy was
> shocked
> for attempts to hold a staff member's hand -- her attempts to communicate
> and to be loved," Gregory says.
>
>            Gregory desperately wants to help the kids at the JRC - that's
> why he started a petition on Change.org demanding that the JRC stop using
> electroshock to punish kids. Click here to add your name.
>
>            Gregory says the JRC's founder created electroshock devices
> which are even stronger than police stun guns to punish students for bad
> behavior. An official at the United Nations said that using these devices
> on
> children is considered torture.
>
>            According to the Boston Globe, the JRC’s founder resigned after
> being charged with misleading a grand jury by destroying video footage of
> other students being shocked.
>
>            Gregory believes that if thousands of people sign his petition,
> his former bosses will capitulate in the intense pressure generated by a
> national spotlight.
>
>            Click here to sign Gregory's petition demanding that the JRC
> immediately cease its practice of punishing special needs kids with
> electroshock devices.
>
>            Thanks for being a change-maker,
>
>            - Jon and the Change.org team
>
>            This email was sent by Change.org to flmom2006 at gmail.com   |
> Start a petition
>            Unsubscribe. Edit your email notification settings.
>
>
>
>
>
> PLEASE NOTE: Florida has a very broad public records law (F. S. 119).
> All e-mails to and from County Officials are kept as a public record.
> Your e-mail communications, including your e-mail address may be
> disclosed to the public and media at any time.
> _______________________________________________
> blindtlk mailing list
> blindtlk at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindtlk:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/jtj1%40cableone.net
>

_______________________________________________
blindtlk mailing list
blindtlk at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
blindtlk:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/pdonahue2%40satx.rr.com