Of course, the most important story in the nation leads:
Also see: No Pregnancy Pact?
"Gloucester fields calls on teen pregnancies; Mayor disputes reports of a pact" by Michael Levenson, Globe Staff | June 24, 2008
GLOUCESTER - The calls have come from as far away as Russia and Japan, not to mention from "The Oprah Winfrey Show," all seeking an answer to the question: Did girls at Gloucester High School make a pact to get pregnant?
The singular, explosive contention made by the high school principal earlier this month has made this fishing city the unwilling protagonist in a growing national debate about teen pregnancy, the distribution of contraceptives in the schools, and a popular culture that glorifies sex.
Yesterday, staring at eight television cameras in a City Hall auditorium crowded with print and radio reporters, the mayor was alternately defensive and combative as she sought to explain why 17 girls at the high school - four times the average annual figure - became pregnant in this school year.
"Any planned, blood-oath bond to become pregnant, there is absolutely no evidence of," said Mayor Carolyn Kirk. She said that school officials had pressed the principal, Joseph Sullivan, to explain his statement to Time magazine about a pact, but came away frustrated that he had no evidence.
"He was foggy in his memory of how he heard about the information," Kirk said. "When we pressed him for specifics, about who told him, when was he told, his memory failed."
Kirk was joined by School Superintendent Christopher Farmer, and Greg Verga, chairman of the School Committee, but said she was "not comfortable" inviting Sullivan because she has not substantiated his assertion about a pact.
Sullivan could not be reached for comment. An administrative assistant in the principal's office took a message, but said that Sullivan already had a stack of unreturned messages from reporters - and Oprah's people - piled on his desk.
Residents were angry and anguished that the city, a tightknit community of about 30,000 with strong Catholic roots, had been thrust into the national spotlight.
"It's really destroying our city," Leslie Bell told a reporter after stopping by the press conference. "I think you guys should leave and let us get on with our daily lives."
"And do what? Start covering wars, occupations, torture, etc? Nah!" -- AmeriKan MSM
And I don't object to the coverage, pers se; I just object to the WAY it is being covered -- as if this is a PROBLEM, not a CELEBRATION!!!!
It is LIFE!!!!!!
But others said the spike in pregnancy had sparked some soul-searching about life in Gloucester.
Annette Dion, 45, a private music teacher from Gloucester, said she was upset by the lack of constructive activities for teenagers.
"There's a sense of hopelessness overall in this town," she said. Dion said she believed that the teenagers had made a pact because they thought it was cool and that they were encouraged by movies and television shows.
"It's alarming to me because they show the glamorization of sex," said Dion, who had also stopped at the press conference. "We have a responsibility to these children to teach them what it is to be a grown-up."
Teach them to lie, cheat and steal? Then what, condemn them for it?
The mayor also blamed popular culture and mentioned how Britney Spears' 17-year-old sister, Jamie Lynn, made headlines last week after giving birth to a baby girl.
Oh, SHE DID!!! That's GREAT!!!! A little baby girl!!!!!!
Also see: The New York Times' Pussy Pages
Just wondering why the birth didn't make the front page, Times.
"I think the social climate that we live in [with] Jamie Lynn Spears, there's a certain glamorization of pregnancy," Kirk said. "And the movies that are out are portraying teen pregnancy as desirable or something that can be managed."
Where is that, exactly?
I've heard nothing but hand-wringing concern from the MSM!
The only thing I can think of is "Juno," and that came from Hollywood (Jewish), didn't it?
Also see: The Role of Feminism in the New World Order
City officials said they had spoken to counselors who work with the girls, but have no plans to interview the girls about the possibility of a pact.
"I believe the issue of a pact has been greatly overstated," Farmer said. "And I'm not sure what conclusions we would make if we knew whether or not there was a pact."
Time first reported on June 18 that nearly half of the 17 pregnant girls at the 1,162-student school had made a pact. Yesterday, Time posted on its website additional quotations from its June 11 interview with Sullivan.
"That bump was because of seven or eight sophomore girls. They made a pact to get pregnant and raise their babies together," Time quoted Sullivan as saying.
The mayor also said that a city policy that forbids distribution of birth control in the schools did not play a role in the surge. But Kirk said the School Committee would review that rule as it overhauls the city's teen pregnancy policy before the next school year.
Oh, so THAT'S WHY HE SAID IT!! To ADVANCE the AGENDA!!!!!
"We have to educate our children; we have to take steps to reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy," she said. "We don't know the root cause of this spike in Gloucester. There are many, many factors that play into it."
Why is it such a problem?
"The heavily Roman Catholic town, with a large Italian and Portuguese population, has long been supportive of teen mothers. The high school has a day care center for students and employees."
Gloucester girls who want to get contraception can go confidentially to a clinic in nearby Beverly. Verga declined to say whether that policy should be changed. "My position is we need to do something, period," he said.
The Globe reported June 6 that when some of the girls found out they were pregnant, some broke down in tears, some smiled, and one exclaimed, "Sweet!"
:-)
City officials have said that some of the fathers were in their 20s, raising the possibility of statutory rape, because some of the girls were under age 16 when they were impregnated.
Now this is starting to sound like Texas!!
In "liberal" Massachusetts.
Sig Heil, AmeriKa!
Kirk said that the state Department of Social Services is involved with some of the girls, but she declined to elaborate.
Alison Goodwin, a DSS spokeswoman, said the agency's Gloucester office has received two reports relating to criminal sexual activity with teenagers in the last six months, and has referred them to the district attorney's office. She said she did not know if the reports related to any of the 17 pregnant girls.
Kirk said the city's first priority is to protect the girls' privacy.
"I've been the mayor for six months. This is my first press conference," she said, clearly flustered as reporters peppered her with questions. "You've got to bear with me a little bit."
Nice going, AmeriKan papparaz, I mean, MSM!
And why the SEX on the brain, Globe?
Also see: Pervertsville, New England
"Law enforcers urge work to prevent abuse" by David Abel, Globe Staff | June 24, 2008
Local law enforcement officials called on state and federal lawmakers yesterday to provide more support to programs that reduce child abuse, in hope that such efforts will cut the crime rate.
They cited a new report showing that people who were abused or neglected as children account for at least 1,400 of the new criminals in Massachusetts each year.
"In 2006, about 36,000 children were reported abused or neglected in our state alone, enough to fill Fenway Park," Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said during a press conference at the Family Justice Center of Boston.
Conley cited groups such as Healthy Families Massachusetts, which educate new mothers about how to care for their children.
"Healthy Families Massachusetts and similar programs dramatically reduce the rate of abuse and neglect, and it's been shown that kids whose parents take part in these programs are far less likely to become violent offenders as they grow older," Conley said.
Officials at Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, the Washington-based anticrime group that released the report, said that last year Massachusetts had the second highest rate of child abuse and neglect in the United States, with 114,421 children reportedly abused or neglected and 37,209 children confirmed as abused or neglected in Massachusetts.
At least 74 children died as a result of abuse between 2000 and 2005, according to the report.
Police Captain Genevieve King, the commander of the Boston Police Department's Family Justice Division, said there were 839 cases of child abuse reported in the city in 2007.
In 2008, she said, the department expects to see more than a thousand cases."Maybe LIBERALS are SICK PERVERTS, huh?
Gee, better have the STATE raise the kids, 'eh?
All the better to BRAINWASH you with, kiddies!!!!
"Patrick presents plans for education; How changes will be funded is unknown" by Tania deLuzuriaga, Globe Staff | June 24, 2008
Governor Deval Patrick unveiled the first wave of his sweeping education changes yesterday, including universal prekindergarten, full-day kindergarten for all students, and a drop-out prevention program. But how he will pay for those and other initiatives proposed in his Readiness Project will remain a mystery until November.
In "liberal" Massachusetts we get this state totalitarianism!!!
And I know how he is going to pay for it: TAXPAYERS, just like they pay for everything else!
If you've been following me lately, you know what the deal is!
In a press conference that had promised to deal with the fundamental question of how to pay for the 50-plus initiatives outlined in his plan, the governor instead announced the formation of a special commission to identify short-term cost savings and potential new revenue sources for education.
"Everything is on the table," Patrick said, responding to a question about whether his proposals could mean new taxes. "Our future is at stake."
Oh NO!!!!
What a piece of globalist-advancing shit this guy has turned out to be!
He's just another evasive, equivocating politician!
State aid for school districts ranges wildly; while some communities like Springfield are almost entirely state-funded, others, like Waltham, receive a sliver of state funding and rely on local property taxes to pay for the rest. In a tough budget year, with rising energy, healthcare, and special education costs, more communities are asking for property tax overrides....
What that essentially says it rich communities have good schools because they have the resources.
What a surprise, huh?
And if communities need to RAISE TAXES, why you giving money away to rich actors and corporate favorites, Guv?
"Teachers in too many schools are using their own money for basic materials, and parents are paying added fees for school band, for academic clubs, and sports experiences that round out a child's education," Patrick said. "We can't let that reality go unaddressed."
But we can fund occupations to the tune of TRILLIONS, and bail out banks with BILLIONS, but you know, nothing for the schools.
The guy is OUTRIGHT OFFENSIVE with the TAX GIVEWAYS to OTHER INTERESTS, too!
There is not a state that gives a shit about its people anymore.
Launched 18 months ago, the governor's Readiness Project has had input from more than 200 educators, administrators, lawmakers, and public policy specialists working on 13 subcommittees. Said to include dozens of initiatives aimed at closing achievement gaps between students and preparing them for a global economy, the full report will be released tomorrow. Patrick is also scheduled to make a major announcement tomorrow in Hopkinton about teacher quality.
That's what it is ALL ABOUT, folks!!! WAKE UP, 'murka!!!!
However, some criticized the slow pace of change yesterday, saying that after 18 months of work, the governor should have a more concrete strategy for making his vision for education a reality....
Hey, well, they got to get paid for eighteen months and do... what?
Nice VACATION. 'eh?
Across the state, school districts have struggled to make ends meet this year. The Greenfield School District in Western Massachusetts has been struggling to close a $2 million budget gap, while Tewksbury schools are still without a budget....
Yes, I KNOW!
The commission will look at how to fund specific initiatives, such as how to make community colleges free for all students and the possible savings if the state were to implement a statewide teachers contract. However, their most politically challenging task will be looking at revamping the way that public schools are funded, said Michael Widmer, who is serving on the governor's commission and is the executive director of the watchdog Massachusetts Taxpayer Foundation.
For years, policy makers have debated the best way to distribute state aid. While poorer communities get significant state aid and residents in wealthier ones pass tax overrides, those in the middle towns often don't get either and struggle to make ends meet.
"It's a thorny financial analysis, and perhaps an even thornier political issue," Widmer said.
Patrick defended the pace of his proposed changes at the press conference, saying that budget concerns should not be an issue when discussing what it will take to prepare every child for success.
"We're building a house," he said. "You design it first and then cost it out. We will pay for it."
How? By MORE TAXES?!
As if we didn't have enough burdens around here!
Or by employing ANOTHER discredited philosophy?
"if we lift their boat, we'll be lifting everyone's boat"
Let the BRAINWASHING BEGIN!
"Philanthropy conference focuses on educating children; Menino urges freeing up funds" by Christopher Baxter, Globe Correspondent | June 24, 2008
Mayor Thomas M. Menino urged leaders of black community organizations to work together more closely and consolidate administrative functions to free up more money for educating Boston's youngest, most vulnerable children.
This proves the inculcating indoctrinations are NOT race-based -- they are CLASS-BASED!!!!
"We don't invest enough resources in education," Menino said at the Black Philanthropy "Building Stronger Communities" Conference at John Hancock Hall. "We have got to be smarter about how we invest in kids."
We will invest in them -- when it comes time to DRAFT them and SEND them off to WAR!!!!!!
Menino told a small gathering of grant makers, philanthropists, business leaders, and researchers that children under age 14 are being led astray - specifically citing violent television programming - and that more should be done to create a better image of minority success in the city.
Yeah, it's the TV!!!
Sigh! Yup, never, ever, YOUR FAULT, 'eh, "public servant?"
Not like LYING US INTO WARS has anything to do with it, right?
Not like our RAMPANT and WAR-PROFITEERING MILITARISM is responsible for anything.
And JUST WHO CONTROLS the MEDIA, anyway?
Bunch of DAMN ZIONISTS, that's who!!!
We KNOW what this is now, folks!!!!!!
The mayor also said that organizations that focus on similar neighborhood issues, such as healthcare or education, should combine administrative staffs to save money and put more funding into neighborhoods.
"It can happen, but we have to be able to check egos at the door," Menino said. He elaborated after the speech, saying: "Look at the disparities and the gaps. I think we have the power to close them, but we must do it as one force."
This is such bullshit!
The conference, hosted by New England Blacks in Philanthropy, is a three-day event to develop new strategies for spending billions of dollars in assets held by the region's black community. Sessions will focus on a number of areas, including the dwindling numbers of black grant makers in senior management positions, both on corporate boards and at foundations; the effect of hip-hop culture on educational success; and persistent health disparities.
Yeah, just scapegoat certain segments (driven by the same Zionist interests).
Nice going, MSM!
Bithiah L. Carter, president of the organization, said.... "Kids are suffering, and we can't look at it as race or class," Carter said after the mayor's speech. "We know black children are suffering, but if we lift their boat, we'll be lifting everyone's boat, because it's one community."
And just look at the success story the Globe decided to focus on today:
"Boston dropout rings up a perfect score; Youth excels on GED examination" by Maddie Hanna, Globe Correspondent | June 24, 2008
Sixteen was a long year for Alex Quince.
A quiet teenager making A's and B's, he ran away from home, dropped out of school, and tried everything from marijuana to heroin. He struggled with his sexual orientation. When his mother called his cellphone, sick with worry, he responded with a text message.
"I'm gay," it said. "I'm not coming home."
Now 18, Quince will graduate tonight from the GED Plus program after earning a perfect score on the reading section of the GED test. He plans to study photography and business this fall at the University of Massachusetts at Boston....
One-third of high school graduates nationwide are unable to pass the GED, Kathy Kihanya, director of the program said, citing statistics from the national GED testing organization....
But we are going to toss more money at a failing system!
All coming out of YOUR POCKET, taxpayers!
Dropping out was not Quince's plan. The second oldest of eight children, he left his mother's home in Jamaica Plain when he was a sophomore at City on a Hill, a charter public school in Roxbury.
The decision was part spur-of-the-moment, part years in the making. Quince said he later realized he was jealous of the attention heaped on his six younger siblings. But, more importantly, Quince said, he was uncomfortable with his sexual identity and had yet to come out to his mother.
Both issues contributed to his frustration with his home life. After an explosive argument with his stepfather, Quince went to stay with a friend in Mission Hill.
He kept going to school, until the day he showed up to class "literally two minutes late" and, under the school's suspension policy, he explained, he had to call his parents.
That, he said, was out of the question. So he stayed with his friend, got a job at a Dunkin' Donuts, and, he said, did a lot of drugs.
Strange. I've done a lot worse jobs, and I didn't have an article written about me.
And I paid for all my schooling myself!!!
And how come the Globe here isn't coming down on this kid like Britney, Paris, or Lindsay?
I guess cultural scoldings are limited to heterosexual American blonde women or girls who make pregnancy pacts, huh?
Yeah, but there ain't an agenda being pushed, uh-huh!
Six months later, he had had enough.
" 'I'm a loser,' " Quince said he thought at the time. " 'I'm a failure, I'm not doing anything.' "
Tired of his new lifestyle, but not yet ready to come home, Quince entered a 45-day Department of Social Services program. He went back to live with his mother until he turned 18, made amends with his family, and then moved to Roxbury. He enrolled in GED Plus and easily passed the test this past spring.
Now, Quince works at J.P. Licks at Brigham Circle. He is excited to start college and, when his grandmother moves out of the apartment, claim the space for himself. He hopes to someday run a small business, maybe selling funny T-shirts, with his older sister.
With a photography degree, Quince said, "I could picture my own spokesmodels."
Here's one kid who will never get that chance: Teen athlete collapses, dies at school
