Date: Thu, 16 Nov 1995 20:47:55 -0500 From: didom@usa1.com (Claude DiDomenica) Subject: The CAT Chronicle for 11-10-95 ISSN 1084-5585 THE CAT CHRONICLE ----------------- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE * * November 10, 1995 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Children's Animated Television (CAT) is a 501-C-3 non-profit organization that produces educational videos for children and teens on contemporary social issues such as AIDS, diversity, violence and GLB teen self esteem. As a public service, CAT provides a BBS, a weekly newsletter and a Web site for the Family of the Future: http://www1.usa1.com/~furball/ Through the use of all available technology, CAT's mission is to become the center for progressive family values, thinking, philosophy, ethical commerce and education. * Please note a full color version of this newsletter is available on the World Wide Web: http://www1.usa1.com/~furball/newslett/newslett.html/ Quote of the Week: "Grass of intellect not grow without water of education..." ---Quai Chang Furball --------------------------------------------------------------------- CAT Currents... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CAT is proud to announce an endorsement from Congressman Joseph Kennedy of Massachusetts. Please read his endorsement, followed by a biography of our newest CAT friend. A traditional "Hat's off!" to Congressman Kennedy... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- November 2, 1995 Ms. Bessie Hadley Children's Animated Television 1492 Highland Avenue, Suite 3 Needham, Massachusetts 02192 Dear Ms. Hadley: I want to thank you for sending me the information about your project to prevent suicides among our gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth. By providing this information you are allowing young people, who may be scared and thinking about doing a most terrible thing, to find information and support and letting them know they are not alone. Preventing suicide among our nation's youth is so important. Anything we can do to help our young people realize their own self-worth is indeed a noble endeavor and worthy of everyone's support. Please accept my best wishes and keep up the good work. Sincerely, Joseph P. Kennedy II MEMBER OF CONGRESS -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Biography of Joseph P. Kennedy II U.S. Representative Joseph P. Kennedy II, elected to Congress in 1986, is currently serving his fifth term from the 8th Congressional District in Massachusetts. Congressman Kennedy, the eldest son of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy, was born on September 24, 1952, in Brighton, Massachusetts, where he currently resides. Before beginning his service in Congress, he headed Citizens Energy Corporation, a non-profit energy assistance company founded in 1979. Kennedy launched the firm to provide cut-rate heating oil for low-income residents. Under his guidance, Citizens Energy expanded its operations to include seven separate companies providing natural gas, electricity, energy conservation services, and prescription drugs for low-income people. The companies, annual gross revenues currently exceed $1.5 billion. The 8th Congressional District, one of the most diverse in the country, covers over half the City of Boston, as well as Cambridge, Somerville, Chelsea, Watertown, and Belmont. Kennedy won election to Congress after the retirement of House Speaker Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr., who had represented the 8th District since Kennedy's uncle, President John F. Kennedy, gave up the seat to run for the U.S. Senate in 1952. Congressman Kennedy's great-grandfather, John "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald, a former Mayor of Boston, represented the 8th Congressional District earlier in the century. Committed to looking out for the working people of his district and the nation as a whole, Congressman Kennedy has worked hard to improve health care for veterans and older Americans, create affordable housing and stimulate job growth. Congressman Kennedy is a member of the House Banking and Financial Services Committee and serves as the ranking minority member of the Housing and Community opportunity Subcommittee. During the 103rd Congress, he served as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Consumer Credit and Insurance, which passed legislation strengthening the Community Reinvestment Act, increasing the flow of capital to small businesses and inner-city communities, and offering protection to consumers from predatory lending practices. As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Congressman Kennedy has fought to improve health care for veterans by restoring budget cuts to VA hospitals and passing legislation to upgrade the payscale for VA nurses. He helped to establish a landmark shelter for homeless veterans in Boston that serves as a national model for providing social services as well as refuge. He has also sought investigations of ailments plaguing veterans of the Gulf War. A lead co-sponsor of the Balanced Budget Amendment, he has authored legislation to place health warnings on all alcohol advertising, establish indoor air quality standards, coordinate anti-stalking efforts from state to state, finance environmental technology development, and set aside federal transportation funds to construct bicycle and pedestrian paths. Other legislative initiatives signed into law include the Community Housing Partnership Act, the Low-Income Housing Preservation and Homeownership Act, and the Youthbuild Act. In the banking arena, Kennedy ushered a landmark bill through Congress that requires banks to record and disclose information on home mortgage applicants according to race, gender and income. The bill has had a significant impact on opening up lines of credit to low-income and minority communities suffering the ravages of disinvestment. He has filed similar disclosure legislation for the insurance industry. He has also been active in efforts to ease the credit crunch, and has sponsored legislation to make it easier for consumers to correct mistakes in their credit reports. As a member of the House Aging Caucus, he has supported increased health benefits for the elderly, including the provision of long-term and catastrophic care. Kennedy's long-time commitment to human rights has taken him to Northern Ireland, Haiti, Germany and Armenia to speak out against oppression. Kennedy, a 1976 graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Boston, is the father of twin boys, Joseph and Matthew, who were born in 1980. Kennedy was married to Beth Kelly in 1993. Parent's Corner... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tip of the Week: Child-proof your kitchen Accidents CAN happen and this week, I had one in my own kitchen. Here are a few helpful safety tips for the kitchen to remember: * Toddlers can choke on refrigerator magnets! Keep them out of the reach of toddlers. (Those colorful letters and numbers are not good for your 2 year old to play with!) * Unplug countertop appliances when not in use * Install latches on all low cabinets and drawers. Think about using two different brands at the same time. (My kids can figure out ANY cabinet latch, but they can't seem to do two at the same time) * Keep sharp knives, dangerous utensils and matches out of reach * Turn pot handles INWARD on the stovetop so children can't spill the contents. Cook on the back burners as much as possible * Keep cleaning substances in locked cabinets * Be aware that crawling babies and toddlers can pull a dangling tablecloth and spill whatever is on the table to fall onto themselves * Use outlet caps to prevent children from sticking fingers or common kitchen utensils into electrical sockets * If your oven has front knobs, remove them when not in use. There have been cases where a toddler can turn on the oven and start fires or cause gas explosions * Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. Make sure YOU are familiar with it's operation and effective uses * NEVER throw water on a grease fire. If a grease fire starts on your stove-top, put a lid or cover over it. If inside the oven, keep the oven door shut and turn off the oven * Do not let children use kitchen appliances until they are competent to operate it when it works and when it doesn't work. (My 7 year old knew how to use the toaster, but didn't know what to do when the bread got stuck in it and caught on fire!) * Do not let children operate the garbage disposal * Think about making a special drawer for your child to keep for their own use. I gave my 2 year old his own drawer in the kitchen. (It currently doubles as his spare toybox and hiding place for the stuff he borrows from the rest of the family). Now he doesn't go into the other drawers or cabinets in the kitchen! Jeff Sam Volunteer Child Safety & Parents Coordinator, Co-Sysop of Dr Furball's BBS and CAT's Co-Webmeister Internet Address: jsam@usa1.com Please visit Jeff's Sam's Child Safety and Parenting Web page: http://www1.usa1.com/~furball/jeffsam/jeffsam.html/ GLB Youth Advisor: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CAT's current video project is on GLB teen self esteem. Our goal is to help put a stop to the unacceptably high rate of GLB teen depression and suicide. We also believe there is a direct correlation between low self esteem and unsafe sex practices. To this aim, as a public service we present to you the GLB Youth Advisor... This week I would like to share a press release forwarded to CAT by the P.E.R.S.O.N. Project... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- LAMBDA LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 8, 1995 Contact: Patricia Logue (312) 759-8110, David Buckel (212) 995-8585 First Federal Appeal Challenging Anti-Gay Violence in Schools (CHICAGO, November 8, 1995) -- In the first known federal appellate case challenging anti-gay violence in public schools, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund filed an appeal this week to a ruling by a Wisconsin federal judge dismissing a lawsuit by a gay student against his former school. The student, Jamie Nabozny, suffered years of brutal verbal and physical harassment at the hands of his classmates, leading him to attempt suicide, to drop out of school, and to be diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. "Our public schools cannot shirk their responsibility to protect gay and lesbian students from violence and harassment -- no teenager should have to endure abuse to get an education," said Patricia M. Logue, Managing Attorney at Lambda's Midwest Regional Office, and counsel to Nabozny. "With the federal government reporting that one-third of teen suicides are by lesbian and gay youth, it is imperative that schools show zero tolerance for anti-gay attacks." Nabozny suffered multiple physical assaults from seventh grade to eleventh grade in an Ashland, Wisconsin school district. Students trapped Nabozny in the hallways or the bathroom and beat him, punching, kicking, and even urinating on him. During one assault, several boys pinned Nabozny to the floor and acted out sexual acts on him, with the class looking on. In addition to the beatings, during the four-year ordeal Nabozny also suffered relentless verbal abuse. Throughout the years of abuse, Nabozny's parents stood by their gay son and unsuccessfully attempted to get the school to effectively discipline the boys who abused Nabozny, but no meaningful discipline was ever imposed. Instead, school officials scoffed at Nabozny, telling him that "boys will be boys." Notably, the school has recognized the need to eliminate harassment based on gender rather than sexual orientation. "All students are entitled to a safe learning environment," said David Buckel, a Lambda Staff Attorney working on the case. "Schools cannot justify violence against lesbian and gay students with cliches like 'boys will be boys.'" Lambda is seeking review by the federal Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago. The appeal is from a grant of summary judgment on October 5, 1995 in the Western District of Wisconsin, which denied Nabozny an opportunity to take his case to trial. Lambda was not involved in the district court proceedings. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Mike Reddin Volunteer GLB Youth Advisor for Children's Animated Television Internet Address: wxman@pcix.com Mike has an area on our Web site dedicated to GLB youth: http://www1.usa1.com/~furball/glb/glb.html/ "The problems faced by GLB youth are a national disgrace and tragedy" ---Claude DiDomenica What if??? ~~~~~~~~~~ Our President, Claude DiDomenica writes this weekly column to stimulate the minds of our youth and adults who haven't lost their "youthful imaginations..." What if I could only teach ONE thing to children??? As far as I am concerned, the greatest threat to our freedom and survival as a species is our inability to think for ourselves. What I would teach kids is critical thinking... I would start by asking children to look at the world from the macro "big picture" perspective. I would make them understand that EVERY action they take has an impact on our society as a whole. I would tell them that there are people and groups on our planet that wish to control their hearts, minds and pocketbooks. I would point out that we are constantly being diverted from addressing our planets critical problems such as war, the destruction of the rain forest and overpopulation. I would teach them to be critical of anything they are exposed to, even from me. Take for example the dangerous Christian Coalition et al's attempt to convince congress to censor the Internet under the guise of "Protecting children from pornography and exploitation." On the surface, it may seem like a good idea. No one wants children to be lured into dangerous situations by pedophiles. Few would want their kids exposed to graphic depiction's of sexual acts... The problem is the REAL motive has nothing to do with pornography or children. I would teach young people to ask the following questions before making up their minds on any issue: 1.) What is the real motive and intent of those involved??? I believe the true motive is to censor all types of freedom of expression and thought. As we all know, the radical right is heavily involved in attempting to keep information about sexuality, particularly sexual orientation, out of the public schools. With the explosion of the Internet and Web, it will be impossible to keep this information from kids, UNLESS this information can be challenged as "offensive" or "obscene." The proposed law would not only regulate images, but WORDS, and therefor THOUGHTS as well. For example, I could publish an article on safe sex... A well funded group could go after CAT and tie us up in court and put us out of business. A conservative federal prosecutor and jury could put me in jail. After all, the truth, love and compassion are powerful threats to those who wish to manipulate us. The "controllers" as I call them, are scared to death of the Internet. Groups like the Christian Coalition will be defeated by a free and open exchange of ideas. Surely they realize this! For the first time in history, an individual or small group like CAT can publish for almost no money. The Internet is the last bastion of freedom on our planet. An empowered and educated individual will not fall for the hate and bigotry of the fundamentalists. We already have existing laws protecting children from exploitation... Surely they know this as well... 2.) Do the people involved profit in any way from their actions or ideas??? In the case of the radical right, you betcha. It seems easy for them to beg for money to "protect our children." That's great, except if you are a GLB youth... Need I say more??? 3.) Is the group involved inclusive of all people??? Obviously, Lou Sheldon, a signer of the letter to congress urging censorship, is NOT inclusive of all people. He and his "Traditional Values Coalition" have made an industry out of homophobia. Little does he realize that he is ultimately going to lose his own freedom. Many people find his position on GLBT people OBSCENE... It is too easy to join the "Family Values" bandwagon... Many of us would love to see the return of the stable family... But at what price??? If you really think about it, the smoke and mirrors are obvious ONLY if you view the situation critically. This is what I would teach kids... The "right" will be defeated only if more groups like CAT focus on teaching critical thought... The truth will prevail. Taking them on issues by issue is important, but is only a band-aid approach to an open and cancerous wound of ignorance, seperatism and bigotry. Claude DiDomenica The CAT Credo... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Children's Animated Television (CAT) believes in a positive future for all children... CAT's philosophy is to help solve today's complex social problems through honest and open dialogue, education, information and compromise... CAT will produce video programs for pre-teens and teens to stimulate their minds, harness their creativity and imaginations to cultivate long-lasting answers to problems in their world... As a public service, CAT will also provide educational information using all available technology including a computer bulletin board, World Wide Web site and other electronic media. CAT will supply this knowledge for children, parents and educators to enable our society to develop ideas and solutions for a better tomorrow... Claude DiDomenica & Bessie Hadley Founders of Children's Animated Television July 15, 1995 --------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: The opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of Children's Animated Television. Use any advice or information at your own risk. To subscribe to "The CAT Chronicle" via E-Mail: E-Mail to didom@usa1.com Subject: Subscribe CAT Chronicle CAT is a 501-C-3 non-profit organization and all donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Contact Information: Bessie Hadley Executive Director Children's Animated Television, Inc. 1492 Highland Ave, Suite 3 Needham, MA 02192 USA Voice: 617-449-9699 FAX: 617-449-2238 Dr Furball's BBS: 617-455-8415 node 1 617-433-0026 node 2 Internet: hadley@usa1.com Claude DiDomenica President of CAT and Sysop of Dr Furball's BBS Internet: didom@usa1.com CAT's WEB Home Page!!! http://www1.usa1.com/~furball/ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Get CAT's latest info releases from Software Creations BBS * * "Home of the Authors" * * <<*-*-*-*->> * * Internet Access: Telnet BBS.SWCBBS.COM * * <<*-*-*-*->> * * WEB Access: http://www.swcbbs.com * * <<*-*-*-*->> * * 2400/9600/14.4 USR HST/Dual Standard Public Access (508) 368-7036 * * 2400/9600/14.4/28.8 USR V.Everything Public Access (508) 368-6604 * * 2400/9600/14.4 USR HST/Dual Standard Member Access (508) 368-7139 * * 9600/14.4/16.8/28.8 USR V.Everything Member Access (508) 368-3424 * * <<*-*-*-*->> * * At Main Menu, type: J 178 * * for "Dr Furball's Educational & Philanthropical Conference" * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * --------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 1995 Children's Animated Television, Inc. All Rights Reserved This newsletter may be freely distributed as long as it remains intact and this notice is not removed. Please do not post on USENET, FIDONET, WILDNET etc. without permission of the conference moderator. # # # -- ==================================================================== Children's Animated Television CAT a 501-C-3 non-profit organization Claude DiDomenica * didom@usa1.com * President of CAT Web Homepage http://www1.usa1.com/~furball/ Top 5% of ALL Web Sites! Providing hope and information for "The Family of the Future" ====================================================================