05/21/08 Hartford Courant: Greenwich Resident Ned Lamont And Other Democrats Press For Small-Business Health Plan

Democrats stepped up pressure Tuesday on Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell to sign a health insurance bill that could loom large in this fall’s General Assembly races.

Backers of legislation that would open the state-employee health plan to a pool of municipalities, nonprofits and small businesses said a veto would align Rell with “special interests.”

“Today, I call on Gov. Rell to have the courage to say no to special interests and say yes to help for small businesses,” said Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz, a Democrat.

The bill was passed by the large Democratic majorities in the House and Senate without attracting a single Republican vote in either chamber.

The Rell administration says that the bill’s Democratic proponents exaggerate potential savings to the new pool, while downplaying the risk of as much as $78 million in higher costs to the state health plan.

“That’s $78 million the state doesn’t have right now,” said Chris Cooper, a spokesman for Rell.

Insurers warn that opening the state-employee pool could bring in higher-risk participants that could drive up costs.

Bysiewicz hosted a press conference Tuesday with the bill’s lead sponsor, House Majority Leader Christopher G. Donovan of Meriden, and executives of two businesses and a nonprofit that support the bill.

“This is a great opportunity,” said Donovan, a labor activist who is expected to succeed James Amann as speaker in January. “With this bill, we can have a big win for the people of Connecticut.”

Donovan said the new pool could provide the health benefits enjoyed by state employees, including prescription co-pays as low as $3, to small businesses and nonprofits now struggling with high premiums and poor benefits.

He was joined by Ned Lamont, the Democrats’ U.S. Senate nominee in 2006 and the owner of a cable-television business, consultant John Hopper of Stamford and Jessica Sager, the director of a New Haven child care organization.

Lamont said he was amused by arguments that Donovan’s plan was the first step on a slippery slope to socialized medicine.

“Nonsense,” Lamont said. “What you’re doing is you’re giving small business a choice. You’re giving small business an option. You’re putting a little bit of competition on the table. And I think that’s good.”

Hopper said the cost of health insurance is stopping his communication consulting business from offering full-time positions to some of his 15 part-time employees. He has five full-time employees.

He said he pays $2,400 a month to cover his own family of five.

“This is a critical issue for us right now,” said Hopper, who identified himself as a Republican who voted for Rell.

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05/20/08 - School Resource Officer Carlos Franco Says Greenwich Police Department Is Racist. SRO Carlos Franco May Not Be A Happy Camper At GHS

Does Officer Franco Know How To
Properly Handle Class Clowns?

In Late May Of 2006 The Very Unhappy School Resource Officer Carlos Franco Filed A Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit Against The Greenwich Police Department

The lawsuit consisted of 40 page of allegations going back nearly two decades.

The Federal civil rights lawsuit's chief complaint is that the Greenwich Police Department has "systematically and continuously discriminated" against members of racial and ethnic minorities in its hiring and promotional practices in ways that hurt him and others professionally and created a hostile work environment.

School Resource Officer Franco's lawsuit contended that a Greenwich Police Detective had disrespected a black female police officer for referring to her as "Buckwheat," after the Little Rascals character.

Franco's lawsuit said a Greenwich Police Lieutenant used a racial epithet for blacks that we wont reprint here.

PO Franco's lawsuit accussed the Greenwich Police Department of racial profiling. Officer Franco's lawsuit charged that the department disproportionately detained and arrested members of minorities and cites other examples of what the plaintiffs consider questionable conduct, including the use of highly offensive language to refer to racial minorities and a tendency to "mock African-American complainants, witnesses and arrestees, imitating their speech and mannerisms."

The suit alleged that civilian minority group members, whether arrested or simply looking for help, have been belittled and mistreated by white officers regularly.

PO Franco's lawsuit contended that a Greenwich Police Detective had disrespected a black female police officer for referring to her as "Buckwheat," after the Little Rascals character. Franco's lawsuit said a Greenwich Police Lieutenant used a racial epithet for blacks that we wont reprint here. PO Franco's lawsuit accussed the Greenwich Police Department of racial profiling.

Police Officer Franco's lawsuit says the he had "individually and collectively with others sought redress" internally before seeking relief in the courts.

When you read Officer Franco's 40 page lawsuit you get the feeling that he is pissed off about being assigned to work at Greenwich High School.

PO Franco's lawsuit contended the department has "manipulated assignments of the few minority officers on the job to foster the appearance of diversity,"...

Franco's suit also says that only 3 of the 66 officers hired since 1992 who are still with the department are minorities.

The lawsuit noted that Franco and the other minority officers was the fairness of the application process the department uses to select its sergeants.

"Is Franco An Unhappy Officer With A Taser?"

In fact, the unhappy Police Officer Franco's lawsuit was amended in December of 2006 to added new charges that police brass retaliated with discipline against the plaintiffs because of the suit.

It Looks Like You Have A Greenwich Police Officer That Assigned To Greenwich High School And Is Unhappy With His Work Environment.

Maybe, this unhappy officer is taking his frustrations out on the teenagers at Greenwich High School. Many students describe Franco as arrogant and use words that I can't publish here.

The numbers speak for themselves....

Last year the police arrested 54 students on campus alone, a figure equivalent to 2% of the entire student body. Over the first two months of the year, students were arrested at a rate of three a month. If that held up, there would have been 27 more students arrested up to this point.

If Police Officer Franco gets away with tasering this kid, you can bet that he'll use it more in the future.

Some Town insiders say the major reason for putting a Police Officer Franco in Greenwich High School to begin with was the displacement of officers from the call center by civilians. These insiders say that the former police chief teamed up with the school superintendent Larry Leverett to help the police keep their staffing numbers up by putting Franco in the school.

As a precaution Police Chief Ridberg should take all of the weapons out of Greenwich High School.

Please see:

3 Greenwich Cops Give 140 Pound Boy 50,000 Volts And A $50,000 Bail For not Going To A School Office Over Water Ballon Incident: (Updated)

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05/21/08 - Today's News Links From The Greenwich Post - these so-called "News Stories" look like press releases

‘Fair for all’ supports church’s outreach efforts

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Riverside presents the 66th annual Fair for All on May 30 and 31 at 200 Riverside Ave. All money raised will go to local charities, through St. Paul’s Outreach Program.

Lile Gibbons seeks fifth term

State Rep. Lile Gibbons is seeking the Republican nomination for a fifth term in the state Legislature’s 150th District. Ms. Gibbons serves as an assistant Republican leader, ranking member on Human Services, and a member of the Finance and Energy committees.

Well that's all of the press releases for today....

Please see:

05/19/08 - Beat The Press - The Greenwich Citizen, The Greenwich Post Have Their Heads In The Sand

On Tuesday May 13th A Greenwich High School Student Gets 50,000 volts and a $50,000 bail and by Friday May 16th The Greenwich Citizen, The Greenwich Post and the Greenwich Time have all sat on the story...

Greenwich Roundup - Where You Get A Mix... - http://greenwichroundup.blogspot.com/

================================================
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05/21/08 - Why Didn't David Curin Get A $50,000 Bail For Assualting A Lady On Greenwich Avenue?

Police Watch: The following are released reports from May 20

ASSAULT

Donald Curran, 50, of 115 River Road was arrested May 18 and charged with third degree assault and breach of peace. According to police, Curran became upset at a woman whom he claimed parked in a parking spot he was about to use on Greenwich Avenue. He allegedly was seen yelling at her before using profanity and throwing napkins in her face. Police charge that the woman attempted to get out of her car, but Curran slammed the door shut and caused her left thumb to get jammed in the door, breaking her nail.

He then reportedly ran into a nearby Subway, grabbed his son, who had been inside the restaurant, and left the area.

Curran was released on a promise to appear in court June 2.

I guess the out of control David Curran is lucky that he did not throw a water balloon at the lady, because he probably would have had to come up with $50,000 instead of getting a "free pass" also know as "a promise to to appear in court".

Why is David Curran who assaulted a lady on Greenwich Avenue and fled the crime scene with a child, less of a flight risk than a minority teenager that threw water balloons in a Senior High School prank?

Bail is not supposed to be used as a punishment. The Eighth Amendment in the US Federal Bill of Rights says, "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted."

Look at this incident....

....Jeffrey Jay, 49, of 50 Fox Run Lane was arrested May 3 and charged with breach of peace and risk of injury to a minor. According to police, Jay was at the movies on Railroad Avenue with his family and, while at the theater, encountered his daughter’s boyfriend. Police said Jay became very angry that the boyfriend was there and allegedly instigated a pushing match with him before grabbing him, shoving him into the wall and shaking him. The boy, who is 15, then reportedly struck Jay in the left eye to get him to release him. Jay was released on a $500 cash bond and is due in court May 12....

...Jeffrey Jay assaults a 15 year old boy on at the theater on Railroad Avenue, things are so bad that he is forced to defend himself, and the crazed Jeffery Jay only has to pay $500 and is allowed to go home with a minor child...

Could it be that the Greenwich Police Department treats teenagers and minorities differently than others in town?

Clearly, the $50,000 Bail Bond for the Hispanic teenager who through water balloons was an abuse of police powers in Greenwich.

Just like it was abusive for three Greenwich Police Officers to restrain a 140 pound teenager and use a taser on him three times?

Please see:

Watch The News 12 Video - Greenwich police defend Taser use on student

Greenwich police defended their decision Tuesday to use a Taser on a high school student last week.

According to police, a school resource officer was called into the student center at the school. The officer was asked to get 18-year-old Victor Londano to the principal’s office. Authorities say Londano became unruly...

What the News 12 Reporter is not aware of is the Victor Londono is screwed.

The one officer that the Greenwich Police Department has chosen to defend the police departments actions is the Illegally Appointed Greenwich Police Captain Micheael Pacewicz who's legal mess is costing the single family home owners of Greenwich over 1 Million Dollars.

The Illegally Appointed Captain Pacewicz is all over the news media calling the high school student that got 50,000 volts and a $50,000 bail a criminal who deserved what he got.

Now Guess who is responsible for handling any complaint about excessive use of force. that's right the illegally appointed Pacewicz.

But that's OK, because Pacewicz has a history of clearing police misconduct without ever interviewing the complainant.

Pacewicz kind of reminds one of some small minded sheriff in small Mississippi town.

The last time I check the Greenwich Police Department received a little over 80 civilian complaints over a two year period. At that time the Greenwich Police Department was averaging a complaint every 9 days.

The complaints keep on getting filed, because rank and file police officers know that they will not be held accountable. The civilian complaint process is rigged in Greenwich.

If this Greenwich High School teenager want to file a complaint about excessive force he can't just download the form on his computer and mail it in to the police.

First he must go to the police department and ask the Desk Sargent for a complaint form. Then the desk sargent, will tell him that the Greenwich Police Department's written complaint policy is that he must first speak to a police supervisor who is in the Silver Shield police union and try and resolve his complaint.

After some difficulty, the teenager might actually get his hands on a civilian complaint form that has a cover letter that talks about the police union and the rights of unionised police personnel.

Then there is a blurb in the letter that the complainant could end up being arrested a prosecuted by the police department.

After completing the form, the teenager must return it to the Cheif Of Police's office and the have the form forwarded to Pacewicz.

Please see:

05/20/08 - Caught On Tape - Police Officer Franco Giving 140 Pound Boy Up To 50,000 Volts Three Different Times

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05/21/08 - Greenwich Police Departments Repeated Use Of A Taser On A High School Student Has Struck A Nerve - Concerned Parents Want To See The Video

Let Us See The Video !!!!

People Are Continuing To Talk About The Taser Incident As They Wait For Greenwich High School And The Greenwich Police Department To Release The Surveillance Videos.

Born In Greenwich says:

Blue wall of silence. If you resist then you are shot or taserd? Makes sense.

Greenwich Police Officers have a very very difficult time with authority, more so the the taxpayers.

Just read all their internal issues over the last few years.

Please don't use my name says

What they did was show a school full of kids how much violence three cops can inflict on one unarmed kid in a school when they act out of proportion to the situation and without the necessary self control we expect of people we allow to walk around our schools with dangerous weapons.

I'm sure these kids feel perfectly safe now - NOT!

Some cops think a badge gives them the authority to act with impunity. If you don't think there are bad cops out there, many of them, then you are not paying very much attention to the frequent news stories that report it. Unfortunately, you can't just assume a cop is right, they often aren't.

Let's see a quick release of the tape of the incident to see how much resistence this one kid was putting up against three cops.

No lame excuses or coverups, just show us what happened.

ANON says:

Tough Sh*t kids....do as you're told by the police and this won't happen. If you knew anything about use of force procedure that is taught at the police academy, you'd know that you are taught to use a taser before empty handle struggle.

STUDY AFTER STUDY shows the taser causes less injuries to cops AND suspects. It also reduces the cost to taxpayers when a cop goes out on comp for an injury and his/her slot needs to be filled with ovetime.

Taxpayer says:

Wait until a police officers kid is taserd or a politician, then there may be changs.

See how a officer handles his kid getting taserd.

How in the world did they survive before the tasers?

Huh says:

There were three cops and they couldn't deal with ONE teenager without using weapons? Let's go to the videotape on this one.

School "resource" officer? Resource for what? Sounds more like a Rambo wannabe.

If they decide to sue, then fine.

Just look at all the cops with their "hypertension disability" claims.

What's good for the goose..

Jenny says:

The police use these tasers a little too quickly. Its intention was to be used instead of a gun - so ask yourself, should the police have SHOT this kid? Over water balloons? The answer would be NO. He shouldn't have been shot, he shouldn't have been tasered.

frank says:

Unfortunantly, this is what happens everyday in the innner-city. While I do feel bad for the high school student as well as his classmates that witnessed such criminal behavior by the "POLICE", maybe someone will start listening to what minorities have been saying for years. Although this student (by the mothers last name) seems to be a minority, cops are getting out of hand every regardless of your ethnicity. They get away with murder let alone just hurting someone with un-necessary force. I look at police as a legal gang due to their behavior which is no different than a criminal.

the judge says:

He got off easy,. in my day he would gotten billy clubbed.

james beardsley says:

this is shocking

Possible Overkill says:

Water balloons were a prank from a prior day.

Tasered over shouting and kicking a chair? What a lame response. Where were the school administrators? And where were this kid's friends to suggest he calm himself down? Pretty much a waste of taxpayer money, judicial time.

And instead of suspending the student for a week why not have him instead go to class, learn and then help clean up the cafeteria for the week??

Or would that infringe on some unionized worker??

Silly CYA culture...

Asbestos Head says:

This also could be the Spanish version of "Don't tase me bro"

outsider says:

The BRAT got what he deserved.
Shock the parents also!!!!!!

Guess Who from Fairfield says:

What a load of crap from the chief - water ballon throwing, a criminal offense, really?

SO your saying when my 9 year old has her summer friends over and the play with water ballons, she is committing a crime.

LIAR, LIAR, big fatty PANTS on fire, Chief.

Excessive force!

Sue the school. Sue the cops, Sue the Chief for being a stupid bastard.

That should be a crime.

BS says:

If a parent tasers their kid, the probably would get arrested. Lets see what happens when a officers son or daughter gets taserd. How have the tasers the taxpayers paid for helped the taxpayers?

Connecticut Sam says:

Arrest the cop. He is a bully.

MIKE says:

Thats right, believe everything you read in the paper, you'll always get the whole story.

Greenwich student says:

it's not alright that he goes and say bye to friends where he needed to walk by them anyways to leave the school. 3 cops and 2 more security guards didn't take him down? but the need to taser him was in no doubt at all. He should've listened instead of arguing no doubt, but to take it as far as MORE than 3 tasers, no way, the paper might say 3, but i know for a fact its more.

think about it says:

It's a kid, for goodness' sake! He is still in high school! And he didn't kill anybody. And no, it is not a crime to come back to school after one's been suspended. It is a violation of school rules, but not a felony offense. But just because this kid wanted to come back to school (think about that- he wasn't out robbing stores; he wanted to be in school), he wound up being shocked three times with a taser, handcuffed, arrested, prosecuted, and held for $50,000 in bail. His mother, who says she can't afford an attorney, probably had to go to a bailbondsman for the bail, and pay 10% of that amount up front- that means that her son's throwing a water balloon has cost her $5,000.

That is why sane communities in middle class neighborhoods don't station police officers in their schools. They let trained educators and psychologists and coaches deal with adolescents. Adolescents get unruly, get upset, deal with situations inappropriately and emotionally. Yet in responsible communities schools understand that you have to deal with young people differently. And they realize that, yes, you don't respond to adolescent bahavior and immaturity with brutal force, and you don't treat every upset kid as a criminal.

It's time to get the police out of our schools, and demand that our schools deal resonsibly with our children, and not just take the easy and convenient route of dumping them into the criminal justice system.

Tina says:

I just keep thinking what if it was my child.

Heads should roll with this policy and police action.

This one is going to cost the Town of Greenwich. It should and humiliation for this should be nationwide.

Release the video.

Let's see this one go up on Youtube and let the civilian population gather together to say. You just do not do this.

Angie says:

A school full of teachers, psychologists and guidance counselors, and a student is tasered for pulling a prank on SERIOR PRANK DAY!!!

Super Nanny could have handled it in 30 seconds.

Where were the educational professionals? Get the police OUT OF GREENWICH HIGH SCHOOL!

Samantha says:

there were students in the greenwich high school that protested by wearing t-shirts that said "Don't Taze Me!" on them with victor londono's name and the date that he was zapped

Robert Harmon says:

From what has been said in the previous article and in this article it seems that the real reason for this event is the fact that a student must be picked up by a parent when suspended,

This scenario does not call for any violence, after all he was leaving the premises which is what was originally asked of him.

STUDENT says:

Greenwich cops have nothing better to do than go around looking for kids that do stupid stuff like throwing water balloons to arrest them, they love arresting people, because thats how they keep their job, it was not necessary to shock a kid just for kicking chairs, that cop should get a job in the bronx or somewhere in New York where the real crimes happen because there's no crime in greenwich so anything they find wrong they're going to make such a big deal out of it because they have nothing better to do.

Jack says:

Would a white kid from backcountry have gotten tased? Probably not. This is was an insane over reaction by the officer.

country dad says:

High school is still part of a kid's formative years.

GHS has highly qualified and big-budgeted non-academic support system for kids who need help: school psychiatrists, psychologists, guidance counselors, mentor teachers, peer counselling by other students, etc. Anger management for an 18 year kid is not rocket science for this team to work on.

For the police to get involved in this manner is a big failure of this team and the Greenwich police. Greenwich police is a big and also highly budgeted force. And because the town has a low crime rate, they sometimes look into the male teenage population to justify their existence.

Parents of teenagers in this town must be vigilant that this population group does not get targeted unnecessarily.

Joan says:

One major reason for putting a police officer in GHS to begin with was the displacement of officers from the call center by civilians. Insiders know that the former police chief teamed up with the school superintendent Larry Leverett to help the police keep their staffing numbers up by putting an officer in the school.

There's not justification for having police prowling the halls looking for teenagers to arrest in a school that ranked among the safest in the entire state before the cops were introduced. If this could happen to this kid, it could happen to any of our kids.

Alisa says:

I feel as if people are forgetting that he threw some balloons.

Kids have let mice loose in Greenwich High School and people were stepping on them. Many of the were killed. I remember one year kids were going around stabbing random people with needles.

No action was taken with the other pranks.

This is a good kid.

I am a girl that attended Greenwich High school.

Its easy to listen to what the police say and judge victor but anyone who knows him knows this is messed up.

Yes he reacted in a way that he "shouldn't have".

He stopped to say goodbye to his friends. I could write pages on how I feel about this issue but I wont waste your time,

TDM says:

If this incident happened 20 years ago that kid would had got the whooping that he deserved, and if he had decent parents, they would have given him the same treatment when he got home. The liberal yuppies who are going to complain about this are the ones who allow children to behave this way. Kids no longer are accountable for their actions and it disgusts me. As for the parents, it sounds like they are just looking for a reason to sue the town so they can go to Foxwoods for a week with my tax dollars.

The GPD should be commended for their actions and that little brat should sit in a jail cell for a couple weeks to learn respect for authorities.

elmo says:

The student was wrong but, should kicking a desk necessitate a Tasering?

Incident should have been handled by the principal and a gym teacher, if needed.

But what about the police officer's training?

Is he (or she) that physically unfit or that poorly trained in basic physical restraint techniques that he could not handle one high school student?

A properly trained officer should have been able to have an unarmed student down, pinned, handcuffed if necessary and sitting in a desk chair within seconds.

Amy Karshian says:

I think this is outrageous Greenwich High School is a role model school for the region and we shouldn't have police officers tasing students in a low risk school just a bad example of why resource officers can take their powers as a police officer too far especially in Greenwich.

Glen says:

Consider a couple of facts.

First, corporal punishment has been illegal in America's public schools for a lot longer than twenty years. No school official is permitted to punch, slap, spank or otherwise assault a student. And the reasons for that come from long experience in the abuse of kids by school officials.

Indeed, teachers sometimes are suspended or put on probation for making comments that are considered particularly mean or abusive.

Yet for some bizarre reason, Greenwich High School thinks it's OK for a police officer in the school to put a taser directly onto a kid's body and delivers painful electric shocks to his chest, his stomach, and his leg.

That is brutality, plain and simple. No other member of the teaching staff or the administration or, for that matter, the security guard, would be permitted to do that. So it seems that the school is rolling the clock back to the old days of abuse, skirting the law by permitting police officers to administer the "whoopin'". That's wrong.

Jon says:

Look at the double-talk from the police department: the article stated that the student's behavior only became "criminal" when he kicked a chair and refused to put his hands behind his back....Huh?

Is it a violation of the law to "kick a chair"?

No one was injured, and not even the chair appears to have sustained damage.

Then the kid refused to put his hands behind his back- clearly to be arrested. Yet the police department's double-speak suggested that it was only after he refused to let himself be arrested that his behavior became- well- illegal and made him subject to arrest....Huh?

Only because he refused to be arrested did he become subject to arrest? The Greenwich Police Department has a lot to answer for.

What's not being reported says:

Greenwich is the 5th safest town of its size in all of America. It's crime rate since 1992 has fallen by well over 50%. It's rate of violent crime is negligible. And the rate of out of school suspensions and expulsions place it among the safest in the state of Connecticut, far better than the average for its socio-economic grouping.

Yet last year the police arrested 54 students on campus alone, a figure equivalent to 2% of the entire student body. Over the first two months of the year, students were arrested at a rate of three a month. If that held up, there would have been 27 more students arrested up to this point. That is far in excess of the experience at similar schools in the state.

If the police officer gets away with tasering this kid, you can bet that he'll use it more in the future.

Steve says:

It is shameful that the school board and the administration have enabled this sort of ugly assault on a kid by putting police officers on permanent duty in the school.

Tom Gogola, in an editorial in Fairfield County Weekly, hit the nail on the head when he wrote:

"What kind of police force can't constrain one high-school kid? And what kind of school administration is so out of touch and afraid of its students that it lets armed police officers deal with its disciplinary problems?.

"There are very few valid reasons why a student should ever be Tasered- or even be threatened with a Taser- at a high school (or any school for that matter). We're hoping that the Londonos sue, sue, sue!- and that the money comes out of the security staff budget, or the $250,000 yearly salary paid to schools superintendent Betty Sternberg.

That'll be a real shocker."

There was no excuse for what the police officer did. None.

Sal says:

The point is that he is an adolescent male throwing water balloons.

Of course he got incensed that teachers and administrators felt that they needed the police to intervene rather than doing it themselves. Think about what it feels like to be handled from the get-go as a criminal for mere childish behaviour. Take that feeling of violation and put it in an 18-year-old male's head.

Of course he got angry. A teacher or administrator he knew should have then diffused the situation. We cannot continue to use a heavy-hand in what really are mild situations.

It ties up our justice system and carries serious financial and social costs.

Karen says

Let me ask you a question:

if your child was talking during class and turning around and not paying attention and the teacher slugged your child in the mouth "to teach him/her a lesson", would that be acceptable to you? We outlawed corporal punishment, remember? You can't beat children in the school for any reason. But somehow it's alright to put a taser to a kid's chest and administer electric shocks? Why? Because it's a cop? Would you be OK with your child's being beaten for not paying attention, as long as the beating were administered by a police officer?

We outlawed corporal punishment for very good reasons. And we should keep the cops out of our schools for very similar reasons.

This kid's family will very likely sue the town, and they will probably win. Let's keep in mind that this comes not long after another kid was suspended for sexual harassment for purportedly saying something about a girl's chest. And last year 54 students were arrested at GHS alone. This is a school that has put virtually every inch of the school under surveillance with a system of surveillance cameras.

Doesn't anyone see how bizarre and out of control the security mentality is becoming there? Is that sort of rabid mindset really what we need for our kids?

Something is very wrong.

GHS Mother says:

Here's a little snippet from the newest article about this tasering incident:

"I don't have the money to hire a lawyer," Gonzales [the mother] said."

Please see:

05/20/08 - Former Greenwich School Administrator And Others Speak Out About Greenwich Police Use Of A Taser On A Greenwich High School Student

05/19/08 - Even More Comments About Greenwich High School Taser Incident (updated #3)

05/18/08 - Comments About Greenwich Student Getting Tased Three Times In The Greenwich Cafeteria (Update #6)

05/19/08 - Reader Submited Comments About Weapon Being Fired At Greenwich High School - What Was the Crime? (Enhanced With Video) Updated

And:

3 Greenwich Cops Give 140 Pound Boy 50,000 Volts And A $50,000 Bail For not Going To A School Office Over Water Ballon Incident: (Updated)

==================================================
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05/21/08 - Greenwich Real Estate News

Greenwich Blog Post From Deal Breaker:

Greenwich Resident's Plan For 26 Toilet Home Deep Sixed

P&Z rejects Simmons Lane mansion plan [Greenwich Time]

Also:

SAC Capital founder Steve Cohen wins.

- http://dealbreaker.com/

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05/21/08 - Why does Sue Wallerstein Get A Free Pass From The Ever So Compliant Greenwich Media?

Responsibility for school problems

To the editor:

Who is running the Board of Education? Hamilton Avenue School children, families and staff have been subjected to mold for three years, and moved to modular classrooms with no library, no computer lab, no gymnasium and no auditorium.

How could this happen, one could ask? Bad construction, bad maintenance, blame the students, blame the teachers? Not the answers.

The head of building and construction is an assistant superintendent, who has no building, construction or engineering background or education. Her previous position was head of media. Yet she continues to receive raises to perform a job with no education or experience in that field...

...As a taxpayer and former teacher at Hamilton Avenue School, I call for an investigation of the Board of Education, its policies for hiring, promotions and fulfilling its fiduciary duties to the residents of Greenwich.

Dorothea Vicoli Cheslock

Greenwich

By The Way:

Greenwich school parents and teachers are reporting that "Key Documents" from the Board Of Education Facilities Planning webpage now that the parents have had independent tests conducted at the contaminated Hamilton Avenue modular classrooms.

Please see:

http://www.greenwichschools.org/page.cfm?p=5782

What happened to all those March Board Of Education test results and press releases?

The Board Of Education still has links to a Greenwich Public School Press Release from June 13, 2006 telling us how lucky we are that Betty Sternberg is coming to Greenwich, but mold test results are gone.

In fact, if a Glenville School parent was to go to the Greenwich Public Schools website and typed the word "mold" in the search box they will now get this page...

The Greenwich Public School's District Site Map:

http://www.greenwichschools.org/page.cfm?p=713

It looks like there was no mold at the Greenwich public schools, those crazy Hamilton Avenue parents must have just imagined things. In fact, Betty "You Can Trust Me" Sternberg and her failed school administrators have been claiming there was no mold hazard since March 12, 2008...

schoolmoldhelp.org - Mold health hazard denied by Greenwich, CT

Mar 12, 2008

Mold health hazard denied by Greenwich, CT school district

Health hazards denied for mold-infested school buildings - a typical school district stance that can place the public at risk. The unsuspecting public rarely understands that school mold testing is orchestrated to reassure, in many cases. Media articles, like the one below, simply amplify the reassurances, without delving into whether these are based on sound science. The children and teachers remain ignorant of what they have already been exposed to, while health departments and government health agencies fail to protect the public from the extensive public health menaces found in damp school buildings. The foxes guarding the chickencoop are simply not sufficient.

No mold hazard found at Ham Ave. modulars

http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/local/scn-gt-hamavemar12,0,3105612.story

By Andrew Shaw
Staff Writer

Published March 12 2008

Ism't it strange that the Greenwich Public School test results are yanked off the Board Of Education website once the Hamilton Avenue School parents hired a lawyer and brought in a a professional to do independent tests.

Please see:

Parents waiting for tests - Greenwich Time

May 20, 2008

The jury is still out on whether officials were correct in saying that mold found at a modular school was not harmful to students and staff, according to a ...

...Board of Education member Leslie Moriarty said a certified environmental hygienist hired by the board trailed Leighton during the testing so that a parallel test could be run to make sure results are accurate. The results of those tests also are likely to be available next week...

Please also see:

05/15/08 - You Won't Read This In The Greenwich's Newspaper The "Yellowich" Time

05/09/09 - Hey Greenwich Time - Glenville School Parents Want To Know Why??????

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05/21/08 - Wednesday's News Links From The Greenwich Time

Greenwich Time RSS Feed

Police defend Taser actions Police yesterday defended the tasering of an unruly Greenwich High School student on campus, arguing police couldn't stand by after the teenager kicked cafeteria chairs and resisted arrest. Full Story GOP nominates Gibbons, Camillo Greenwich Republicans cemented their party's ticket for General Assembly last night, endorsing Lile Gibbons for a fifth term in 150th House District and newcomer Alfred Camillo in the 151st District during separate nominating conventions at Town Hall. Full Story P&Z rejects Simmons Lane mansion plan At least one opponent of a new mansion proposed for backcountry Greenwich planned to celebrate the project's rejection last night. Full Story Kissel judge sets date for warrant release A state Superior Court judge yesterday said he will release sealed arrest warrants for two men charged in the April 2006 slaying of Andrew Kissel by early June after deciding on defense requests to keep information they consider prejudicial from the public. Full Story Stamford Democrat vies for the 36th With an open seat beckoning, Stamford Democrat Mark Diamond is answering his party's call to run for state Senate in the 36th District. Full Story =========================================== Please send your comments to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com

05/21/08 - Greenwich Library News

Greenwich Blog Post:

Greenwich Library Website

Tour of www.greenwichlibrary.org, The . Library staff highlight how to use the library website to do your research, find information you need, locate services and upcoming events and find the materials you need ...
Greenwich Library | Today's Events - http://www.greenwichlibrary.org

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05/20/08 - Greenwich Church News

Greenwich Blog Post:

St. Mary, Greenwich to hold Corpus Christi Traditional Mass and ...
By Stuart Chessman

Fr. Robert Boyd will celebrate a sung Traditional Latin for the external solemnity of Corpus Christi this Saturday, May 24 at 7:30 pm at St. Mary Church, Greenwich, CT (lower church). This includes a procession around the church. Fr. ...
The Society of St. Hugh of Cluny - http://hughofcluny.blogspot.com/

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05/20/08 - Subway is one of about three stores left on Greenwich Avenue with any historical significance and it would be nice to keep it there, but...

Subway Barber Shop Is Getting A Close Shave

Mike Pompa the owner of Subway barbershop is a nice guy, but Giuseppe and his sons tried many times to get Mike to let them be partners so that the tradition of Subway and their livelihoods could continue.

But Mike would never agree to anything or even listen to them. If the tradition of Subway Barbers is destroyed -- that is the fault of Mike Pompa....not the Giuseppe Merolla's family.

Rivalry slices Avenue

Quote:

"I'm afraid of nothing," said Mike Pompa.

"There are no plans right now to close, so it's business as usual," said Rossana Colangelo.

Story:

Like the players in an Old World opera, rival hair-cutting businesses on Greenwich Avenue are competing for the title of the barber of Greenwich.

Despite rumors of its demise, Subway Barber is open for business at 315 Greenwich Ave. but is facing new competition from an unlikely rival. Giuseppe Merolla, 64, and his three sons, longtime employees of the downtown hair-cutting institution, recently left to start their own business down the street.

Offering customers espresso in a modern setting with flat-screen televisions and marble countertops, Classic Barber burst onto the scene this month at 396 Greenwich Ave.

"We made this barbershop retro but modern in its ways," said Giuseppe Merolla Jr., 24, the youngest of the three sons.

Located upstairs from the women's clothing store Theory, the new barbershop charges $20 for a haircut, the same as its rival up the street. It already has a following of transplants from Subway.

"It's a great place. They're good guys," said Michael McGuire, a former Subway customer of 22 years...

...Classic Barber's owners said they plan to stay open until 7 p.m. on Thursdays to accommodate commuters and will also make house calls for elderly clients.

"I'm just happy we were able to stay on Greenwich Avenue," John Morella said.

Nick Perrelle, a Subway-turned-Classic customer from Darien, said the opening of the new barbershop was a welcome sight on a street dominated by high-end boutiques.

"It's nice to see a family business like this can survive on Greenwich Avenue," said Perrelle, who works in technology sales.

Perrelle said he has been coming to Greenwich to get his hair cut by the Merollas for nearly five years because of their no-nonsense but friendly way of doing business.

"Most people want a relationship with their barber," Perrelle said.

Full Story: Greenwich Time

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05/20/08 - Caught On Tape - Police Officer Franco Giving 140 Pound Boy Up To 50,000 Volts Three Different Times

Greenwich Time Photo
Mr. 50,000 Volts & $50,000 Bail
aka...Victor Londono

HEADLINE:

Why Won't The Greenwich Police Department And The Greenwich Public Schools Release The Video Of Police use of a Taser on a Greenwich High School student?

QUOTE:

"If you had a video of three officers subduing him it wouldn't look good either," said Illegally Appointed Greenwich Police Captain Micheael Pacewicz who's legal mess is costing the single family home owners of Greenwich over 1 Million Dollars. "None of it looks good."

STORY:

Taser incident shocks students

By Martin B. Cassidy
Greenwich Time - Staff Writer

..."There is a pretty unanimous reaction that it was just kind of not needed," Victor Zimmermann, senior class president said yesterday. "I think it was ridiculous that some older officers couldn't contain the kids without the use of the Taser. Maybe they could have just used their own force."...

....Another senior, George Hansel, said he believed that Tasers were dangerous in general, and that a lack of information from school administrators has been unsettling.

"I don't know if throwing water balloons is deserving of the use of potentially lethal force," the 17-year-old said. "I do feel as if it was sold to police departments as a way to avoid the use of the gun but there is not the same accountability with a Taser which can be just as lethal."

Jessica Blanton, a 17-year-old junior, said she knew that the school resource officer carried the Taser but never expected it to be used. "From what I heard it seemed like the boy could have been restrained in some other way without being tasered," Blanton said. "So maybe weapons aren't necessary for the school resource officer."....

...Angeline Vanderkloot, a Greenwich High School parent, said beyond the welfare of those who are tasered, she believed other students might be traumatized by witnessing a violent scrap.

"It's not a pretty sight to witness and a frightening event," Vanderkloot said. "Seniors are accustomed to doing pranks and I don't know if we should deal with this situation in such a forceful manner....

... Board of Education Chairwoman Nancy Weissler declined comment yesterday...

Now This High School Senior has to appear in court with out a lawyer, because his family had to put up all the money they had to get a bond to guarantee the unjust $50,000 bail.

Police gave Victor Londono a $50,000 bail for the violations of a single counts of breach of peace and interfering with an officer.

Did the Greenwich High School water Balloon thrower commit a felony? Murder? Rape? Armered Robbery?

Was the Greenwich High School water Balloon thrower some kind of threat to others or himself?

Was the Greenwich resident and student Water Balloon thrower a sever flight risk?

The issuance of bail is only to be used insure that someone comes to court. Excessive bail is not to be used to financially punish a poor minority member of our society.

There is a good chance that his families yearly adjusted gross income is less than the $50,000 bail for disturbing the peace.

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05/20/08 - Former Greenwich School Administrator And Others Speak Out About Greenwich Police Use Of A Taser On A Greenwich High School Student

David Alberts says:

I can't Believe what I am reading about Greenwich.

As a former public school administrator with the Greenwich Public Schools, I am both saddened and horrified that the EXCELLENT standards that were once the trumpeted hallmark of excellence that all of the public schools presented to the world have been so badly compromised by ALL OF THE "ADULTS" involved in this situation.

The Adults committed the crime here by even allowing the student/staff/administration/ school board/parent rapport to be so badly compromised that a moment like this could be handled so inappropriately. Whomever agreed to tasers on campus, for any reason at all, is the first criminal to be held responsible. The user of the taser obviously did not know about or care to investigate the student's health history. Applying this use of force could have resulted in the death of a student.

I cannot believe this "scene" is representative of the Greenwich community. I had a number of standards as an administrator that were never to be compromised. Two of these come to mind immediately upon reading this....

#1 NEVER DISCIPLINE, INTENTIONALLY EMBARASS OR DERIDE A STUDENT IN ANY WAY IN FRONT OF ANY OTHERS......THIS IS A VERY PRIVATE TIME !!!

#2 ALWAYS LET THE STUDENT KNOW THAT YOU CAN HELP HIM/HER WITH WHATEVER THE PROBLEM IS. I would simply lean over, nearing an ear of the student, and whisper "please come with me........we can talk this over PRIVATELY !!!

Works every time. The staff, administrators, school board members, parents....and especially the "School Resource Officers" [what a silly acronym] need to change course, try "genuinely caring about each and every student" and letting them know that you will never give up on any of them for any reason. Put your tasers back in the hands of the evil minds that invented and sell these weapons. Otherwise, what's next?

David Alberts, former principal of Hamilton Avenue School, summer term principal at the high school for two years, and a teacher/teacher-leader at North Street & Julian Curtis elementaries.

Backwards State says..

Tasering a student strikes me as harsh,especially for a student who was suspended for thowing a WATER BALLOON, hello, a water balloon!) but things have gotten so out of control in all of the schools in Fairfield County that a few over reactions by authority figures may give the message to all students that it is time to follow the rules and do what they're supposed to do -- learn something and get an education.

A Greenwich Guy says:

Good job P.O. Franco.

He was tasered because he was being placed under arrest and didn't comply with the commands of the officer. If he complied as the law states then there would have been no problem and he could have had his day in court.
Old Greenwich says:

Tasering students is wrong. Tasers should not be allowed on school grounds. The tasering in this case is a complete abuse of power. The school administrators and Betty Sternberg should remove the school resource officers from the school, permanently. Alan Capasso needs to rethink his diciplinary approach. Suspending students for minor pranks is excessive. This whole incident is a shameful example of how our children are being treated in the school system.

Mr-C says:

If the teen couldn't co-operate and was confrontational then he deserved to be tasered. As a 4th generation Greenwichite..........this isn't Greenwich the way it used to be. Everyone is demanding and confrontational and feels they are owed. Well the police are owed too and what they did was use reasonable force on someone who refused to obey the rules.

Nate says:

This is yet another example of excessive force used on (minority and male) adolescents for doing nothing more than exhibiting adolescent behavior. You should see the "senior pranks" in other countries' high schools as an example. Throwing water balloons should be overlooked. But even if the kids are stopped, no police should be involved. Administrators and teachers can handle this.

I want to know says:

What does Judge Judy think? Would she be happy if her Grandson got zapped. From now on we should just implant a node in every high schooler. When they act up with water balloons or break "the LAW" they can be made to submit with a push of the button.

Amazing you have the cops on a call to confront a mental patient and they choose not to taser. Cop in hospital with brain injuries. Confront a high school shrimp sized punk and give him the zap.

Poor training and poor canidates for the job make for injured cops and lawsuits we as taxpayers will bear.

Police work for DUMMIES is available at Borders.

Ma in CT says:

Wow, water balloons- wonder what the principal would have done if he put a volkswagon beetle in the student center?????

Inside Man says:

Well, first of all he just finished getting suspended, and was leaving the school after the punishment was made, until the cops started hassling him telling him to go to the administrators office when he just wanted to leave the school in general. For 3 cops and security there too, they still needed to taser him?? does that sound right to you?? and it wasn't just a minor 1 second taser they did it more than it was said on the paper.
totally indefensible says:

What the kid did was not criminal. But a narrow-minded cop treated an angry kid is if he was a criminal. He used a weapon, yes, a weapon, on that kid that has resulted in the deaths of many people. Tasers can kill you, and there is plenty of data suggesting that it does. What would you be saying if the kid had suffered a heart attack and died? Would you still call this kid, whose run-in was precipitated by nothing more than engaging in a senior day prank, a criminal? Would you say that his death was justified?

The cop walked up to him, stuck his taser in the kid's chest and fired three electric shocks into his body. Is that the way our kids are supposed to be treated? Is that the way Greenwich High School is supposed to deal with kids who get angry? Should every kid having a bad day who kicks a chair be subjected to electric shocks?

The school and the police should be ashamed of themselves. That school is one of the safest in the country. Yet a perverse mentality has taken hold that treats it and its students as dangerous potential criminals who need to be controlled.

It appears that the police treat the town's youth as though they think they've got it coming to them because they've been sheltered. It's precisely that chip on their collective shoulder about which the youth in this town have been complaining for years. And it is precisely that bad relationship that was the motivating for bringing in the police officer in the first place: to "improve the relationship between the town's youth and the police." Well, that strategy lies in tatters now.

think again says:

Perhaps the fact that he wanted to return to school should have been taken into account by the headmaster. What on earth was he thinking to suspend that kid for an entire week for nothing more serious than throwing a water balloon?

It is precisely because there is a police officer stationed there that so many behavioral problems are not treated as they should be: as immature students who can be emotional and who deserve to be treated with compassion and understanding by adult educators and administrators, but as violations of the law which are treated with the harshest measures, including arrest and prosecution.

He threw a water balloon! It is very clearly the school administration that is out of control here. There should be a hearing about this and about whether or not the police should continue to be stationed at Greenwich High School.

I was there says:

What the newspapers don't say is that he didn't leave the school and come back, they just finished telling him he was suspended, and he came out into the student center to say goodbye to his friends and make plans for later that afternoon, when security and an officer came to make sure he left that second and when he was going to leave the premises they then told him that he had to wait for his parents, he's 18 years old, he should've been able to left when he wanted to.
former stamford resident says:

I`m willing to bet that if this kid wasn't a minority things would have been done differently.Lets say if his name was Jones or Smith or some other blueblood name. After all the cops wouldn`t want to make waves with the people that have a lot of say in the community. Look at the mess they made of the Moxley case way back when. A Kennedy relative was involved in that one. I guess they had more pull than that poor girls family did,even though both families lived in the same rich neighborhood.I`m not a minority but I`ve noticed that people that look differently than we do seem to scare or annoy some of us.

There could be a host of problems why this kid acted like he did. Was there a school counciler that was working with him,or did they just throw him under the bus because he was "different".

When you come from a mixed neighborhood like I did,(Italian,Black,Jewish),you learn to make adjustments.I don`t think that kid deserved all that for what he did
Greenwichite says:

This whole story makes no sense. The teenager is suspended for throwing WATER BALLOONS, returns to school, refuses to go to the headmaster's office, so this is grounds for ARREST? The article says "Londono resisted arrest after refusing to report to the assistant headmaster's office following his suspension from school." This is out of control use of force people. If I were a Greenwich High Schol student I would avoid the resource officer at all costs. What will he do to gum chewers?

Ralph Brotherton Jr says:

This is a very complex issue that Im sure has not been thoroughly explored before it was approved as "policy" Where does one draw the line? And will that line move as the years go by? Are we going to next tase middle school children? and for what offence?

In a world where we don't "spank" children any more...where its a fine line between "child abuse" and parental "discipline" I think letting the police tase them is outrageous!

Im not sure what the answer is....maybe a pat on the butt wasnt so bad after all.We did get through childhood and adolescence for years without drugs....therapy.....or tasering....just old fashioned discipline.
But...no matter how you look at it....you cant help feeling that some kind of "New World Order" has arrived.

Please see:

Even More Comments About Greenwich High School Taser Incident (updated #3)

More Comments About Greenwich Student Getting Tased Three Times In The Greenwich Cafeteria (Update #6)

Reader Submited Comments About Weapon Being Fired At Greenwich High School - What Was the Crime? (Enhanced With Video) - Updated

AND:

3 Greenwich Cops Give 140 Pound Boy 50,000 Volts And A $50,000 Bail For not Going To A School Office Over Water Ballon Incident: (Updated)

ALSO:

Greenwich Police Department Breaks Out The Ticket Books: Call Guinness Book Of World Records - Cops Write Almost One Ticket A Munute For Three Hours

O5/20/08 - Priest: "Your Honor, Jesus Wants Us To Get A Restraning Order So That We Can Keep An Afflicted Child From Entering The House Of The Lord"

Greenwich Diva reports:

I was shocked to read about a priest who took out a restraining order against a 13 year old autistic boy and his family. Apparently this young man struck a child during mass, sometimes spits and urinates in church and fights when he is being restrained.

This family has attended this church since 1996 and typically sat in the back pew or cry room and never heard any complaints from parishioners or the priest until last June.

I must admit, I don't know anything at all about autism, but something just doesn't sound right to me about banning someone from going to church. Also, why now, why didn't someone complain before? Should churches open their doors to everyone, including the mentally challenged?

As humans and especially Christians, should we not be a little understanding and have tolerance for people who can not control the way they were born?

This worries me, what's next; mothers with young babies are going to be told if they can't stop their child from crying they will NOT be allowed to come back to church?

Comment:

Is this ethical? Moral? I think not.

I worship at Harvest Time Church on King Street in Greenwich, where there are many members who are what the uniformed like to call "disabled" or "handicapped".

In fact, I volunteer to serve with two so-called "disabled" or "handicapped" young ladies each and every Sunday.

During one of the three Sunday services there is a young man who was afflicted when he received his vaccinations as a child. He is a part of the service and like anyone else in the service he is allowed to raise his voice up to lord when ever he compelled to do so.

In fact, he and everyone else is encouraged to make a joyful noise unto the Lord.

Personally, I would not call a religious building that bans afflicted children a church. I think it should be called a "Hall Of Shame".

I am a fairly new Christian and I know that there are a lot of different renderings of the Bible, but they all see to say the same thing. Everyone is too be welcomed - especially children.

Maybe, this Church is using the new and improved anti-child version of the Bible that says "Keep those obnoxious children from Jesus, because the kingdom of god does not belong to them."

However, every version of the Holy Scriptures seems to say the exact opposite.

<< Luke 18:16 >>

International Standard Version (©2008)
Jesus, however, called for the children and said, "Let the little children come to me, and stop keeping them away, because the kingdom of God belongs to people like these.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
But Jesus called for them, saying, "Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
But Jesus called the infants to him and said, "Don't stop the children from coming to me! Children like these are part of the kingdom of God.

King James Bible
But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

American King James Version
But Jesus called them to him, and said, Suffer little children to come to me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

American Standard Version
But Jesus called them unto him, saying, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for to such belongeth the kingdom of God.

Bible in Basic English
But Jesus sent for them, saying, Let the children come to me, and do not keep them away, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But Jesus, calling them together, said: Suffer children to come to me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

Darby Bible Translation
But Jesus calling them to him said, Suffer little children to come to me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God.

English Revised Version
But Jesus called them unto him, saying, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

Webster's Bible Translation
But Jesus called them to him, and said, Suffer little children to come to me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

Weymouth New Testament
Jesus however called the infants to Him. "Let the little children come to me," He said; "do not hinder them; for it is to those who are childlike that the Kingdom of God belongs.

World English Bible
Jesus summoned them, saying, "Allow the little children to come to me, and don't hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Young's Literal Translation
and Jesus having called them near, said, 'Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the reign of God;

This Priest Seems Not To Be Aware
That Jesus Also Said:

Mark 10:14 Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God.15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Matthew 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

Mark 9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

Luke 17:2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

Here is a Jewish perspective...

Why Does G-d Make Handicapped Babies?

Question of the Week:

By Aron Moss

A friend gave birth to a baby with a rare condition that has rendered her severely handicapped. She is not expected to live much past her tenth birthday. I just can't understand why G-d does that. If life has a purpose, what is the purpose of such a short and sad life?

Answer:

Every birth is a gamble. A soul enters the world innocent and pure. But it may not stay that way. This world is maze of diverging pathways, both good and evil, and the choice is ours which way we go. Once a soul enters a body, it is free and therefore vulnerable to corruption. While acts of good elevate the soul, every act of evil makes a blemish on the soul.

Some souls are so pure, it simply isn't worth the gamble. These souls are too precious to risk being compromised by life in a body. They are too high to come down to this world. But the other option, not to be sent down at all, to never reach this world, would mean that we would miss out on meeting these holy and lofty souls and hearing their message.

So these souls do come down. But in order to be protected from the potential evils of an earthly existence, they are sent down into a body that will not compromise their holiness. They enter this world in a form that is above sin, above evil. From a purely physical perspective we call them disabled or handicapped; from the perspective of the soul they are protected. They will never sin. Their sojourn in this world is often brief, and in terms of this world may seem sad. But they have retained their purity. And they have fulfilled their mission.

These special souls remind us that true love doesn't need a reason. We often love others for what they give us - we love our children because they are cute, smart, and high achievers; we love our spouse for the pleasure and contentment they give us; we love our parents because they care for us. This is love, but it is not pure.

When a child is born that will never achieve worldly success, cannot provide the usual source of pride for her parents, all extraneous reasons to love her fall away and what's left is the purest love that there can be. These children are lovable not because of what they do for you, and not because of what they will one day become, but simply because they are.

These pure souls remind us what love should be. Only such a pure and holy soul can elicit such a pure and holy emotion. We can only stand in awe of them, and the parents and friends who care for them. And we can only thank them all, for giving us a glimpse of what true love really means.

~~~~~~~

from the March 2006 Edition of the Jewish Magazine

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