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Help Wanted!

My name is Emma and I'm in dire need for contacts, resources, anyone or anything to help with a grass roots effort to clean up Clark College in Vancouver, WA.

Long story, but in a nutshell, I used to work in the personnel and affirmative action departments until couple things happened. I challenged the affirm. action officer after she targeted a known faculty dissident (a Native American activist) on campus for practicing his freedom of speech, after which my job duties began being eliminated, despite exceptional service to the college. My two supervisors looked the other way when a former colleague harassed and discriminated against me after I returned from a two month family leave. (My documentation is straight.) I left after one of my supervisors blatantly lied to me about this incident.

I was also privy to practices that seemed to violate other ethical standards. Also having compiled the affirmative action data, I can tell you that it's a matter of public record that, while my county has been growing in diversity, the college itself has lost a disproportionate number of minorities and women over-40 since the tenure of our new president (who was appointed three years ago.)

To condense my story further, I felt the problems were so serious that, though I never thought of myself as an activist before, I returned to the college as a student and stated openly to top level administrators that I was back to do some activism at the college. Then two months after I met with these administrators--ones I had first-hand information on--I got the surprise of my life. These very administrators conspired together (that's verified) and passed false information to the VP of student services (including a false rumor that I was packing a gun in my purse).

Anyway, I was called into a conduct issue meeting, which included a person I did not recognize. He was not identified as a participant in the letter I received, which was slated to be delivered to me during my first period class at 9:00 AM for a meeting directly after my second class at 11:00 AM the same day. When I asked him to identify himself, he said he was the resident school psychologist. Believe it or not, I was forced into a modern day witch hunt and had to have my mental stability assessed right then and there. During the course of this meeting, the VP identified my accusers and admitted that the conduct in question was the fact that I was practicing my academic freedom and gathering information for my activism. He has yet to cite the WAC violation that gave him reason to call me in the first place.

I told the VP and psychologist pretty much the same thing I told the other four administrators, and these two concluded that there was no problem, that I was not a threat to myself or the college. (That was the gist of the rumors the gang of four passed to the VP.) By the way, I took a faculty witness with me to this meeting, so the content of the meeting can be verified.

Anyway, current and former employees have since heard about my activism and many have come forward in hopes that I can get a formal grassroots group together to challenge the college. The patterns that are emerging are shocking. The allegations include illegal activity, cover-ups of the illegal activity, blatant lies told, use of tactics like suggesting mental instability (turns out I was not the only one targeted this way, although I think I'm the only one who has so far been forced to meet with the resident psychologist), etc.

I'm new to all this activism and though I have plenty of supporters at the college, I'm still being targeted. The VP has now placed a formal disciplinary warning in my student file for the nebulous charge of "disorderly, disruptive, or disrespectful conduct that interferes with administrative functions" in violation of the code of student conduct. Apparently, as a lone individual, I have the power to disrupt administrative functions of a bureaucracy, although I thought it was part of their jobs to resolve harassment and discrimination charges. In my opinion, I'm only guilty of practicing my freedom of speech and insisting on their accountability. This is also the opinion of highly regarded faculty who support my activities. I've requested clarification about what I did that warranted the disciplinary warning, but I have not received an answer that wasn't also a nebulous response.

Can anyone at your paper offer suggestions or help? I'm not very savvy to the tactics used by seemingly Machiavellian power mongers, although I'm learning quickly.

Any and all help is appreciated. If you'd like to contact me via phone, my home number is: 360-696-0353.

I believe there is enough evidence for a class action lawsuit but again, I need a little assistance to know which questions to ask, to know what sorts of documentation I need, etc.

Emma Kim, Vancouver, WA, e-mail: fourdogs4em@juno.com

Another Day, Another Shooting

ETS!,

SO...If I'm a mixed up kid with a few problems; haven't seen my dad in a few months; mother works; someone made fun of me; all I have to do is bring a gun to school, shoot at the ceiling and I get a few weeks of fame!

WOW! That's pretty good! The sensationalism that the media gives ANY type of school shooting (remember Columbine and the copy-cats later?) is contributing to the mass problem with guns in school more than any other contributing factor. The media is solely responsible for any more school shootings and the blood is on their hands if ONE more child's life is ruined by knowing EXACTLY how to get the most attention possible. They don't even have to kill anyone! They don't even have to shoot anyone! Just bring a gun to school and wave it around! Now this kid (could have been anyone's kid; my daughter is 12 and hasn't seen her dad in a few weeks, I work, she gets made fun of, and probably has a few problems...what kid doesn't?) will have his life ruined by the very hands that fed him the information on how to get his fame. He will be made an example of and spend the next eight years or so in a institution where he can come out a REAL criminal! The hands that fed him this information on how to get his fame (but certainly not fortune) should be dealt the same punishment.

This school shooting should have been handled within the community. I'll bet Gov. Locke had never visited Skyway nor had any intentions of it before this. Josh Warnock will end up having a middle name soon (don't ALL capital criminals?) and it will follow him the rest of his life. A very young life ruined, once again, by the sensationalism that the media THINKS we want! Frankly, I'm sick of this pseudo-entertainment and I'm sure I'm not the only one!

Theresa M Sents, Renton, WA (and the parent of a child at A.W. Dimmitt Middle School

A Letter to Dr. Laura

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's law. I have learned a great deal from you, and I try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind him that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the specific laws and how to best follow them.

When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev. 1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. How should I deal with this?

I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as it suggests in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev. 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

Lev. 25:44 states that I may buy slaves from the nations that are around us. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans but not Canadians. Can you clarify?

I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination (Lev. 10:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?

Lev. 20:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear prescription glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Anonymous, via e-mail