What's new

Scientology's Ken Kramer Demands School Board Abandon At-Risk Teens - Sep 2013

JBWriter

Happy Sapien
Ken Kramer, an outspoken member of (and rabid advocate for) Co$/scientology demands that the Oshkosh, Wisconsin school board listen to him and abandon their plans to provide mental health screening questionnaires to identify at-risk and troubled teens. The school board is scheduled to vote tonight.

Mr. Kramer doesn't live in Wisconsin. Despite this, he's decided to tell the people who do live in Wisconsin what to do -- and, since giving a questionnaire to a 9th grader isn't on his 'hubbard-approved' list -- the good people of Wisconsin, per Ken Kramer, should abandon the questionnaires altogether.

Because Ken Kramer knows. :bs:

"Scientologist Urging School Board To Abandon Mental Health Screenings" - link to article: http://oshkoshhub.thenorthwestern.com/article/20130924/OSH0101/309240332/

Excerpts:

A Florida man on a personal mission to expose psychiatric fraud is urging the Oshkosh school board not to screen local teens for thoughts of suicide.

The school board will vote tonight to offer free mental health screenings to high school freshman in effort to identify and help those at risk of committing suicide.

Ken Kramer, of Clearwater, Fla., says the screenings being considered by the board use an abandoned and unproven questionnaire. He said he believes the tool is an attempt by social workers and psychiatrists to get more clients — and money — while risking introducing thoughts of suicide to otherwise healthy youths.

Kramer is a Scientologist who share’s the church’s opposition to psychiatry. He runs a public records research Web site called [psychsearch DOT net - link disabled by JB] and is involved with the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, an organization founded by the Church of Scientology in 1969 to expose abuses in psychiatry.

The program will cost the Oshkosh school district an estimated $35,000 this year to provide the screenings to all ninth graders. The actual cost could vary depending on how many students participate.

Oshkosh school district Superintendent Stan Mack said he was surprised by the opposition to the screenings because it’s not new to the area. Several other districts use it, including Fond du Lac, Kaukauna, Kimberly and Appleton.

Mack said he still recommends the school board fund the program.

If we save one life it’s worth the investment because we would have prevented a terrible loss. Anything we can do to protect the lives of children is worth while,” Mack said.

Four other school districts near Oshkosh provide mental health screenings already - I hope the Oshkosh school board votes and brings the total to five.

JB
 

JBWriter

Happy Sapien
Has the vote happened? What happened?

The good folks of Oshkosh haven't updated their online newspaper yet, so I'm not sure if the vote happened last night (probably) or it's still to come.

(The date on the article says yesterday, but when I looked at it online, it had only just been added, so I probably made the error -- except I can't fix it 'til they update. :laugh:)

JB <---Occasional dope.
 

Purple Rain

Crusader
The good folks of Oshkosh haven't updated their online newspaper yet, so I'm not sure if the vote happened last night (probably) or it's still to come.

(The date on the article says yesterday, but when I looked at it online, it had only just been added, so I probably made the error -- except I can't fix it 'til they update. :laugh:)

JB <---Occasional dope.

Maybe we can email them? I know it's none of my business either, but I was sitting on a disability education reference group once and they had a young man from the local high school acting as a representative for the students. And he said that one of the biggest issues for him personally was that he had friends who were having mental breakdowns and there was little to no support for them and how powerless he felt to help his friends. This was back in Australia a few years ago, but it made such an impression on me. Stuff Ken Bloody Kramer! What does he have to offer - bloody calmag and locationals? Scientology cannot and does not help anyone with mental health issues - yet they presume to prevent kids in need from getting the help they might need. Ignorant idiots! Do they truly expect that the kids are just going to come to them and go, "You know I've been thinking of how I could suicide but I couldn't decide between a gun and a noose?"
 

Lone Star

Crusader
Do the good people of Oshkosh know that this douchebag is a Scilon? If I were there at that meeting I would've stood up and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen of the School Board....this man is a Scientologist.....need I say more?"

EDIT: Oh yes it was in the article that he is a Clam. It's amazing that they would even give this asshole the time of day. Clearly more work needs to be done.
 

JBWriter

Happy Sapien
Maybe we can email them? I know it's none of my business either, but I was sitting on a disability education reference group once and they had a young man from the local high school acting as a representative for the students. And he said that one of the biggest issues for him personally was that he had friends who were having mental breakdowns and there was little to no support for them and how powerless he felt to help his friends. This was back in Australia a few years ago, but it made such an impression on me. Stuff Ken Bloody Kramer! What does he have to offer - bloody calmag and locationals? Scientology cannot and does not help anyone with mental health issues - yet they presume to prevent kids in need from getting the help they might need. Ignorant idiots! Do they truly expect that the kids are just going to come to them and go, "You know I've been thinking of how I could suicide but I couldn't decide between a gun and a noose?"

The school board superintendent seemed to lean in the correct direction regarding the vote itself, from the info provided in the article, but Mr. Kramer's fervor causes me a bit of concern. If nothing gets updated online for a bit, I'm happy to call/write the municipal office in Oshkosh for the information in the morning. (I suspect they're closed now.)

As ever, you make excellent points above - thank you.

I certainly hope Mr. Kramer backs off from his apparent 'quest' to 'save teens' - they've enough to contend with already!

JB
 

Purple Rain

Crusader
The school board superintendent seemed to lean in the correct direction regarding the vote itself, from the info provided in the article, but Mr. Kramer's fervor causes me a bit of concern. If nothing gets updated online for a bit, I'm happy to call/write the municipal office in Oshkosh for the information in the morning. (I suspect they're closed now.)

As ever, you make excellent points above - thank you.

I certainly hope Mr. Kramer backs off from his apparent 'quest' to 'save teens' - they've enough to contend with already!

JB

That would be a big relief to me, JB. I really hope he doesn't manage to sway the board with the old Fear-Uncertainty-Doubt trifecta.
 

JBWriter

Happy Sapien
That would be a big relief to me, JB. I really hope he doesn't manage to sway the board with the old Fear-Uncertainty-Doubt trifecta.

The article said he made a big deal about the questionnaire because it's no longer 'valid' - and, in a very limited/skewed way, he's correct. But the article also mentioned the school board was contacted by two other 'out-of-state' people...and that raised a flag with me, and, from the tenor of the article, with its author as well.

I think the school board will vote appropriately, but I thought it important to document here at ESMB for those posters who have children/grandchildren enrolled in US schools.

JB
 

Lone Star

Crusader
CCHR did successfully stop Teen Screen in Texas several years ago. I'll say this for CCHR, especially the branch in Texas, they are very motivated and adept at getting a lot of their agenda done in the legislature and local governments.

However they did have a big fail earlier this year in the legislative session. I forgot exactly what it was, but it had something do to with mental health legislation. Maybe I'll look it up in a little while if I'm so motivated.
 

JBWriter

Happy Sapien
Confirmed: The school board vote in the Oshkosh, Wisconsin school district is schedule for this evening. Here's a link to the The Northwestern's article: http://www.thenorthwestern.com/article/20130923/OSH0101/309230047/

Excerpt:

The screenings would be the newest effort in a community-wide push to prevent teen suicides and raise awareness about the issue. Efforts took off a little more than a year ago after two Merrill Middle School students died from suicide about a month apart from one another in early 2012.


A total of 10 youths between the ages of 11 and 19 have died of suicide in Winnebago County since 2010. Six of them were students in the Oshkosh school district.

Those who feed off the grief of others, simply to sustain their own delusions, earn the contempt of all good people.

JB
 

Udarnik

Gold Meritorious Patron
Those who feed off the grief of others, simply to sustain their own delusions, earn the contempt of all good people.

JB

This is why I keep insisting that when people privately believe goofy shit in the face of good evidence to the contrary, their private beliefs become legitimate targets for public ridicule.
 

JBWriter

Happy Sapien
Update: The Oshkosh, Wisconsin school board voted unanimously to authorize voluntary mental health screening for their 9th grade students.

Link to the story: http://www.fox11online.com/news/local/fox-cities/oshkosh-schools-to-test-for-suicide-risk

Excerpt:

"OSHKOSH - A Winnebago County study claimed 13 percent of teenagers attempted suicide sometime in the past year, nearly twice the national average.

So now the Oshkosh School District is taking a new step to reduce that number. In about two months, the Oshkosh School District will start screening 9th graders to see if they are at risk to attempt suicide.

"Peer pressures are especially intense at that age level," explained Director of Pupil Services Bob Geigle."Totally voluntary. Student and parents would have to agree to do it," Geigle explained.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sarah Bassing-Sutton is the program manager. She told us TeenScreen started at Columbia University in 1991.

Volunteers will take a ten minute computer test which screens for mental health issues like depression and anxiety. Then a certified clinician will go over the results with the student to make sure the computer's findings are accurate.

"Completely confidential. It's shared with mom and dad. It's confidential from the schools," Bassing-Sutton explained.
According to Bassing-Sutton if a student is considered to be at risk, a case worker will then talk with the parents about possible next steps.

"Help them get connected to resources in the community to get them help. TeenScreen doesn't do any diagnosing or recommending a particular type of treatment," said Bassing-Sutton.
It's then up to the parents to decide if they want to seek treatment."

Voluntary

Word-clear that mighty word in any English dictionary that's NOT published by Co$/scientology, and the twinge you feel as you read it's true definition would be envy, Mr. Kramer; it's an emotion hundreds of millions of 'homo saps' express whenever, wherever, and however it wants to appear. And there are a whole host of other emotions to feel, too! All organically-grown, these emotions -- and they make every moment richer, sweeter, and healthier than eyeballing those plastic-coated, inanimate charts from the 1950's hung on the wall of an empty org ever, ever could.

Life's not words; never has been, never will be. Life's alive and kicking and feeling and doing. Try it, Mr. Kramer. The good people of Oshkosh, Wisconsin just gave you an exemplary first lesson...gratis. :)

JB
 

Purple Rain

Crusader
Update: The Oshkosh, Wisconsin school board voted unanimously to authorize voluntary mental health screening for their 9th grade students.

Link to the story: http://www.fox11online.com/news/local/fox-cities/oshkosh-schools-to-test-for-suicide-risk

Excerpt:



Voluntary

Word-clear that mighty word in any English dictionary that's NOT published by Co$/scientology, and the twinge you feel as you read it's true definition would be envy, Mr. Kramer; it's an emotion hundreds of millions of 'homo saps' express whenever, wherever, and however it wants to appear. And there are a whole host of other emotions to feel, too! All organically-grown, these emotions -- and they make every moment richer, sweeter, and healthier than eyeballing those plastic-coated, inanimate charts from the 1950's hung on the wall of an empty org ever, ever could.

Life's not words; never has been, never will be. Life's alive and kicking and feeling and doing. Try it, Mr. Kramer. The good people of Oshkosh, Wisconsin just gave you an exemplary first lesson...gratis. :)

JB

That is such great news for those kids and their parents! Congratulations to the Oshkosh school board, b'gosh!!
 

AnonyMary

Formerly Fooled - Finally Free
Update: The Oshkosh, Wisconsin school board voted unanimously to authorize voluntary mental health screening for their 9th grade students.

Link to the story: http://www.fox11online.com/news/local/fox-cities/oshkosh-schools-to-test-for-suicide-risk

Excerpt:



Voluntary

Word-clear that mighty word in any English dictionary that's NOT published by Co$/scientology, and the twinge you feel as you read it's true definition would be envy, Mr. Kramer; it's an emotion hundreds of millions of 'homo saps' express whenever, wherever, and however it wants to appear. And there are a whole host of other emotions to feel, too! All organically-grown, these emotions -- and they make every moment richer, sweeter, and healthier than eyeballing those plastic-coated, inanimate charts from the 1950's hung on the wall of an empty org ever, ever could.

Life's not words; never has been, never will be. Life's alive and kicking and feeling and doing. Try it, Mr. Kramer. The good people of Oshkosh, Wisconsin just gave you an exemplary first lesson...gratis. :)

JB

Thank you for alerting us and keeping us informed of this important situation and ultimate resolution!!

Let's hope that we come to hear about more of these situations and the tactics being played by Scientology so we can chip in with educational comments and help stave their progress into society.
 

JBWriter

Happy Sapien
Thank you for alerting us and keeping us informed of this important situation and ultimate resolution!!

Let's hope that we come to hear about more of these situations and the tactics being played by Scientology so we can chip in with educational comments and help stave their progress into society.

For those here at ESMB who have friends/relatives working in K-12 schools, I'd ask that they be sent the linked articles -- with the correct basic information, and enough time to research the issue(s) involved, educators/administrators/school boards can do extraordinary things!

The public-at-large is hearing & seeing a steady stream of Co$/scientology 'news' in a proper, if partial, light at this moment -- for the first time. Since they don't receive the 'full story' from 6 minute TV segments, people are curious to know more.

Give 'em what they want - satiate the curiosity, and the light shines brighter for all to see clearly. And "all" includes: judges, property tax collectors, school board members, IRS staff, law enforcement agencies, medical personnel, research scientists, media moguls, licensed rehab professionals, and so many more.

And that's just what they do in their professional capacities -- here's the best part, imo -- these same people also make up the jury pool down at the courthouse. <---- That's game-over for Co$/scientology's abusive/harmful/fraudulent practices and policies. For good. :dance:

JB
 

Rene Descartes

Gold Meritorious Patron
Opposition from out of state?

10 million (bleeping) (bleep-bleep) members in the world and they don't have one (bleep-bleep) (bleeping) member living in the state of Wisconsin?

Rd00
 

suspiciousperson

Patron with Honors
Just cause scientology says it's a bad idea for a stupid reason doesn't mean you need to support it. Maybe it's a difference in american and british culture but this sort of thing seems ridiculous to me (the funniest bit is the line "Completely confidential. It's shared with mom and dad. "). I'm young enough to remember being a teenager and I assure you that no one who needs this help would ever fill these forms out. I can also guarantee that there will be plenty of forms handed in "on behalf" of other teenagers, often with very, er, exciting problems.

I can see quite a few ways they could do serious harm as well.
 
Top