IS THE STORY OF THE AUTISTIC CHILD BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION BY THE MEDIA???

Do you care????




KEVIN BISSETT

FREDERICTON (CP) - The fact that an aggressive
autistic teenager is being held at a provincial jail -
even though he's done nothing wrong - shows that New
Brunswick does not have the facilities it needs to
deal with such youths, the province's Opposition
Liberal leader said Wednesday.


Shawn Graham was responding to published reports that
revealed the 13-year-old is living in a "jail
compound" and will be sent out of Canada because there
is no institution in New Brunswick that can handle
him.

"It just strikes home that this government does not
have a strategy for dealing with autistic children in
the province of New Brunswick," Graham said.

The New Brunswick government is challenging the
reports, stressing that the boy is not in jail.

Robert Duguay, spokesman for New Brunswick's
Department of Family and Community Services, said the
boy is being temporarily housed in a cottage on the
grounds of the Miramichi youth jail, but has no
contact with the jail population or staff.

"That's nothing to do with the jail, bars, whatever .
. . It's a safe environment for a child," said Duguay.
"It's a little apartment with a living room, kitchen,
bedrooms, bathroom, everything by itself."

He said the boy had become very aggressive and the
cottage was the only place available on short notice.

But Graham said the government is just trying to put a
positive spin on an embarrassing story.

"No matter how the (Bernard) Lord government tries to
spin it, this child is being housed at a youth
correctional facility, which is a youth jail," he
said.

Harold Doherty, spokesman for the New Brunswick Autism
Society, said the province shouldn't be sending
autistic persons to "prison."

"We should be developing the facilities and training
the people to work with them without resorting to such
a desperate measure," he said. "We shouldn't be
shipping our children out of the country."

The child cannot be named by law because he is under
the care of the Family and Community Services
Department.

Autism is a disorder of brain function that appears
early in life, generally before the age of three.

Children with autism have problems with social
interaction, communication, imagination and behaviour.

Autistic traits persist into adulthood, but vary in
severity.

Duguay said two people are caring for the boy 24 hours
a day, at a cost of about $700 per day.

As well, the boy is scheduled to receive treatment at
a specialized care facility in Augusta, Maine, and
will eventually return to New Brunswick.

Graham said the case is an example why the province
needs a child and youth advocate.

The Liberals have threatened to go to court if the
government doesn't begin advertising for an advocate
this month.

The position was first recommended nearly seven years
ago after a Saint John toddler died from dehydration
while in the care of her parents.

Legislation was passed last year and the position was
supposed to be filled by last April.

However, Justice Minister Brad Green said the
Opposition's refusal to agree to legislative
amendments is causing the delay.

http://www.canadaeast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051019/CPA/47260028

NEIL REYNOLDS NOTICED A HUGE DIFERENCE IN MY ATTITUDE FROM 10 YEARS AGO!!!!

I wasn’t going to write about this issue but what the heck??? I can save it as a souvenir. For you newcomers? I attended this meeting.

Neil Reynolds, holder of the Irving Chair in Journalism, will deliver a public lecture on “How Journalism Can Thrive and Newspapers Prosper for Another 100 Years”.

The lecture will be held Wednesday, October 19th, in the Ted Daigle Auditorium in Edmund Casey Hall beginning at 7:00 pm.

In the 1800s, newspapers connected people through free-wheeling debate and an authentic sense of community. Mr. Reynolds will argue that now, in an impersonal era of disconnection and fragmentation, newspapers must return to the values that once before made them indispensable parts of community life.

I showed up at 7:00pm and Neil Reynolds was there.



I would say there were around 35 people present.

I noticed a few older hands and young students were in the audience.


Minutes before the lecture was set to begin, I decided to go outside for a smoke.

I heard tumbling on the ground. Walking by me were over 100 students marching into the building.

At first, I believe they were going in the Auditorium to listen to Mr.Reynolds presentation?

It sorted of reminded me of soldiers from old Germany going to listen to their leader speech!



Neil was always a good speaker. I had some dealing with this guy while he was in charge of the telegraph Journal.



He went back in time telling the audience that journalists and editors were hated and often executed.

He continued by saying that moral conduct was very important.

Boy? I sure wish the Irvings were present to listen to his words of wisdom.



He reminded the audience that we have came a long way from the first day we chatted over the phone but it was also a sad day for journalism because the reporters are doing too much work from behind the desk.



They should go out on the streets and meet the people.

He said that guest columns are a great idea because everyone has a story to say.

I said to myself - Yeah, the Irvings don’t have to pay for a columnist.

He wasn’t too keen on bloggers because they’re not knowledgeable, he believes in true editors to spread the news.



His main point was that the newspapers are read by almost everyone so therefore they’re the ones who should be listen to?

Anyway, once he finished his little speech, he turned to the audience for questions?

Of course yours truly was in the back row and I was the first to ask a question but I made one mistake.

I didn’t mark anything down.

I asked Mr.Reynold if he recognizes me?

He didn’t but those brain cells click in once I told him my name.

He reminded the audience that he indeed remembered and he used to fix my letters to the editor all the time.

If you people believe that my grammar is terrible now???? You should have seen it years ago???

But Mr.Reynold soon found out that I wasn’t the same Charles that he met 10 years ago.

I was a very upset individual who’s fighting the Irvings.

I reminded the audience that I was a blogger and I appeared in front of the Senate on April 21st and they could read my presentation on my blog.

I also told the group that I respect J.K and Jamie Irving but J.D. Irving is turning this Province into a second old Germany by controlling the media.



I reminded the audience that it took 50 days for the Irvings to cover my protest in front of the Legislature.



Mr.Reynold intervene and wanted to know my question?

He knew that I was upset especially when I mentioned old Germany.



My main question was if he had a problem of a Billionaire controlling the media and gave orders not to print certain individual’s letters to the editor?

He didn’t really wish to answer the question and continued to the next question?

I laugh when someone mentioned if he believes in Political Cartoonists?



His answer - They are important to the papers.

Afterwards, I reminded the speaker that I remembered when he got fired from the telegraph Journal and days later Josh Beutel < my hero cartoonist > was hired.

When Neil was re-hired? Josh was let go. This all happen on two different occasions.

The word was he dislike political cartoonists.

Every instance that someone tried to get a answer from the speaker on the Irvings?

He quickly compared jumped to other owners of the newspapers.

He said that he respects J.K. and Jamie.



He did mentioned J.D. but I couldn’t stop myself by voicing my disapproval.

I wasn’t a happy camper.

It had nothing to do with Mr.Reynold.

It’s just he’s paid by the Irvings to speak to the students for a six weeks period and I don’t agree with this.

At one point I said - Any Editor who’s fired will have to leave the province to work in his trade.

He quickly reminded me that I won’t have to worry about that.

I was going to fight back but I let it go.

It was so bad that on one point Phillipe Lee stood up and pleaded with me to respect the room.

You see, it’s very difficult to listen to a man and you know that it’s the Irvings who sent him here from Vancouver.

Afterwards, being the nice guy that I am!..lol..



I went and apologizes to Mr.Reynold for my actions but I told him that it’s a total different ballgame than 10 years ago.

The Irvings are totally out of control.

I chatted with him for a few minutes and someone droved me home.

I guess that he’s here for 6 weeks to teach the students at Saint Thomas.

I reminded Mr.Reynold that he should consider himself lucky that I’m not one of his students?

I was going to take a course in journalism a few months back but backed off once I found out that that Irvings donated one million dollar to train these future journalists.



You know brainwash them that the Irvings are great!



Here in New Brunswick? We are in an awful situation and lets see what the Senate will say once their final report comes out in a few weeks?



I predict that nothing will be done of the way the Irvngs are detracting what issue New Brunswickers will know about.

Take a look at the Moncton Transcript?



They will crucify in their editorial anyone who dares to run for political office who didn’t give their live and soul to the Evil Irving Empire.

But at the end, it was nice to see Neil Reynold again.



He is truly a nice guy but it’s not my fault that he happen to be at the other end of the room defending the Irvings.

A FRIEND IN THE PATH OF HURICANE WILMA!!!!

Hi: this is just a note to let you know the latest true information about the huricane wilma, as of thursday morning. we are assuming the appropriate disaster position:



seated, head between the knees, kissing the ass goodby!

really, as of this morning we are not sure if we will get anything bad from wilma.

previous similar hurricanes have been far enough away to give us just a small amount of wind and rain.

we are hoping this will be the case again.

but we are preparing for the worst, as usual. we have food, water, extra propane, bateries and all the other things to survive for a couple of weeks, if necessary. we will be taking pictures and will post them when we can.

by late thursday night we expect to be able to predict how bad it will get here. the computer models show that wilma will come onto land, which will give us the hurricane strength winds.

but only if it is category 3 or better and if it comes at least 20 miles on shore.

so the long and short of it is that we are not expecting to be greatly affected, but are preparing just in case.

for those who appreciate, the lady down the street is lighting candles for us at the church and including us in her prayers.

my personal expectation from this is that we will have a terrible weekend for business, but that i will get some sleep for a change.

we will let you know tonight or tomorrow mornig how it is progressing here in progreso!!

david and ivonne and abigail

BERNARD LORD TO BERNARD RICHARD!!!!!