Below, a letter registering my concerns about the TOS meetings as listed also below, to the hosts of these events. Please do copy/alter/ use as you see fit:
Letter:
To whom it may concern,
I understand that you are planning to host an event for the promoters of The Old Schoolhouse magazine on (date).
I am anxious to inform you of my considerable level of concern that these people, who have strong connections with people who advocate severe corporal punishment for children, including babies, are to be given a platform in this country.
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine contains many articles by, references to, and adverts for Debi and Michael Pearl, whose book "To Train Up A Child" promotes child battery. The editors of the magazine also give away a copy of the follow up book "No Greater Joy" upon subscription to the magazine. Both books promote sickening child abuse. By way of a random example: on p. 85 Michael Pearl recommends giving a little girl who won’t get into her car seat “five licks with a stinging switch.” If the girl still doesn’t get in the seat “repeat the switching.” If the little girl continues to refuse to get in the seat he says to take the seat into the house and strap the girl in it for “two or three hours".
The NSPCC has been informed of the tour and the tour dates and are investigating the situation. Various local authorities have also been informed and are also investigating the case.
I would be very grateful if you would reconsider your decision to host a meeting for these people with a view to cancelling the date or otherwise forward this message to the appropriate parties.
Yours,
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Addresses and Dates:
March 22nd: London W13. Venue organiser contacted and situation explained. Is reconsidering the offer to host the meeting, and is clear that will not allow the dissemination of literature at the meeting.
March 24: Lakenheath Air Force Base, IP27, 01638 523711
March 25: Brandon Baptist Church, High Street, Brandon, Lakenheath). Tel: 01842 763433
March 27: New Life Christian Centre, 26-32 Bridgegate, Retford, Notts DN22
March 28th: Christ Church, Fulwood, Sheffield, S.Yorks
March 30: Edinburgh, date cancelled.
April 3: Wigston, Leics
April 4: East Midlands Home Educators Club, Stapleford, Nottingham.
April 5: Siddington Village Hall, Siddington, Cheshire
April 6: Aberaeron, Wales (currently under review by the hosts, with a view to cancellation)
April 7: Laugharne, Wales (currently under review by the hosts with a view to cancellation.)
April 11: Kaiserslautern (Germany) KMC Military 7-9pm
April 14-15: Kaiserslautern Annual Home School Voncention Rheinland Baptist Church in Landstuhl
May I ask if your issue is with the people who wrote the book, why you don't attempt to contact them directly? Because what you appear to be promoting here is a rather long-winded strategy. Let's say I'm a member of a church on that list, and we have an email passed to us threatening a protest, when all the church is doing is allowing a group of ladies to meet in their hall, some of which happen to read this magazine, which happens to have reviewed a book by the Pearls once. Do you see how long winded an association that is, and how its not really an association at all? Surely that's not the right way to promote your cause, by allegedly/possibly inciting people to send emotive (and possibly anonymous) messages to the venue hosting the one off event, which the bookwriters aren't even attending? What good would that achieve?
ReplyDeleteI am not quite sure what you mean by "threatening a protest". If you mean that I have suggested that people campaign outside a hosting church, then I think you need to read the post again, because this is not what I suggested.
ReplyDeleteWhat I did suggest was that people take the chance to contact the hosts of the meeting to alert them to what they had consented to host, which was a meeting for people who actively promote the beating of children with implements and to express their disapproval of the fact that this connection was not made when the tour was promoted by the editors of TOSH.
The connection between TOSH and the Pearls is close and strong. We do not want anything to do with this type of connection to HE over here and a letter to the hosts of the meetings simply informing of the full situation seems like a very mild course of action, given the circumstances, I would say.
May I add that it doesn't seem to be stretching a point to say that given that you appear to object to anonymous e-mails, it seems somewhat strange to be sending anonymous comments.
ReplyDelete