Lots to talk about today..... First, some administrivia. I added a Blogroll to my sidebar, mainly because I am experimenting with easier ways than to go through my preferences in Blogger to add blogs that I encounter. I see a lot of different places out there that use Blogrolling to list sites that are frequented by the author or recommended to the readers of that particular blog. It was easy to set up and add to my blog, and with that said I expect to add more blogs to the rather short list that I maintain now.
It is snowing outside up here. It is also about 25 degrees warmer today than it has been over the past two days or so, which means it us up from 0 degrees Farenheit to 25 degrees Farenheit. One thing is certain, at least to me, is that this is really pretty to look at. For the longest time this winter the New England states have had unseasonably warm weather. That, however, has all changed in the blink of an eye - we're paying the price now for the warm temperatures of December. We've had frigid temperatures, and not we seem to be getting a little bit of appreciable snow in my neck of the woods. Personally, I have no problem with that; after all, it is winter in New Hampshire and snow is supposed to be part of the package. And the snowfall is that pleasant drifting snow that doesn't cause problems with road conditions or visibility. Looking outiside as I write this, there is a covering, perhaps a half-inch that has fallen. It's relatively clear as I can see the summit of the Mountain from here, and that is a good 3 or so miles from my perch. The best part is that I don't have to clean my car off.....
There has been a lot of fallout regarding the death of Joe Magno. Not so much legal in nature as personal. Up on Ken's blog there has been a lot of activity over the past week. One of the writers up there has made some very good points about the current Superintendent of Schools and has detailed not only some of the actions that he has taken but also things that can (and should, in my opinion) still be done, including legal remedies against the town and the school department. I won't re-publish them here because there is a lot, but I will suggest that the link should be followed and the posts should be read. In fact, I would say this: there is a little over 1 year's worth of entries from many, many people who were personally affected by Magno, and their opinions, the experiences they shared publicly, and all of the reader reaction and commentary make for some very powerful reading. A number of us (myself included) shared our experiences on the blog. I can honestly say that those who also had been affected by him were able to identify with what I went through. It is interesting to note that in the earliest entries on the blog there was a lot of public support for Magno. However, as time went on and more information (especially the damning stuff) became public, his support base just plain fizzled. The media published the existence of the blog as well as much of the information in it, and from what I saw, it was like it took on a life of its own.
As I have said before, I am grateful for the existence of the blog. It has made me realize that I was not alone in having been terrorized by this man. It was horrible; when I was in that situation I had absolutely no place to turn to. When you are a child and you are put into a situation where an adult, especially an authority figure like Joe Magno was, just takes complete advantage of you and you feel powerless to stop it, the sense of hopelessness I felt at the time was simply indescribable.
It's a tough balance as a parent, allowing your kids to be able to grow and have experiences on one hand, and on the other making sure that their safety is being ensured. I say that from experience as I have three teenage children of my own. For those of you out there who are parents that may come across this, I have one request of you: if you do nothing else for your children, please listen to them. Get to know their friends. Get to know any other people that may be in their lives. Above all, keep them safe.
1 comment:
Its sad how things which happened 30 years ago come back into foreground. I too was a focus of Joe's amorous attention. I've struggled my whole adult life with the impact. Not understanding/accepting myself nor the its source, while angrily living with the ramifications. I am sad, lonely, and hurt that the widely rumored behaviors were allowed to continue unabated. The situation should have been addressed at first hint, and us children protected. My grooming started in 8th grade.
The adults in MHS failed to acknowledge and address the abhorrent situation. SHAME!
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