Kudos for Jane…So why were we told we were off-topic went discussing gays?…Barbara???

Good for Rep. Oxford for apologizing after she attempted to vilify Rep. Cunningham

This should end all of the stupid debate. You had to have know that there was more to the story, and I’m happy to hear that Oxford realized this. I think the rest of the letter is up at Pubdef.net

The fact that Jeanette Mott-Oxford apologized for her mistake was the right thing to do….which does not surprise me considering it’s Jeanette Mott-Oxford.

Excuse me Tim?

I applaud Rep. Mott-Oxford for apologizing when she realized that she had not followed established protocol in this matter. She is doing exactly what I would hope Rep. Cunningham would do: apologizing when you realize you have acted disrespectfully toward someone. Re Rep. Cunningham: My concern is that her insulting behavior toward students gives a model of behavior toward youth that is exactly the wrong message that should be coming from a Representative in the Missouri House, particularly the Chair of the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee. It is the obligation of adults in powerful positions to act as role models for youth. If a teenager comes into my pediatric office and acts in a way that I feel is inappropriate, I do not throw them out and insult them. I engage them and try to find out what is going on with them to find common ground. It actually works. Whatever she feels happened in her office that day, I would hope that Rep. Cunningham, as the responsible adult here, would take the high ground and in a spirit of reconciliation offer to meet with the students to hear their lived experience and to respect the concerns and fears that brought them to her office on March 26 in the first place.

Let’s see if we can sum this up:

Democrats shamelessly use kids for politics
One Democrat realizing that she might never again see the light of day, apologizes.
Tony, following Post policy, uses this to vilify a Republican yet again.

People here jump on board. Is that everything?

Oh yeah, bullying is against every school’s policy and against the law WITHOUT ANY NEW LAW NEEDED!

Everybody good here?

Bullying, while against school policy (along with bringing weapons to schools, dealing drugs, molestation, etc), generally the policy only covers physical and verbal bullying on campus.

The issue is now the text messaging via cell phones, e-mail, attacks on MySpace, FaceBook and other web sites, not to mention off-campus physical and verbal abuse by groups and cliques created on campus.

The new law would pertain more to this latter category of bullying.

Of course, Cunningham could have taken a moment or two to ask the persons just why they were there and who had sent them, but she did not.

The whole issue has gone beyond the “jocks” and “queen bees” actively persecuting any and all on campus who they deem as “different”. When they conspire to harrass and attack off campus(via the internet & cell phone) the same “different” persons, these “elites” cannot and should not expect any “special” consideration because they are “the popular kids”.

Neither should their parents.

Rep. Oxford has acted honorably in this instance. When will Rep. Cunningham do likewise? Despite the valiant attempts by her apologists, there is NO excuse for the behaviour exhibited last month by Cunningham. Where is YOUR apology, Jane?

When is the hearing for HB1751, a comprehensive bill that will clearly and cleanly define the recourse available to any student bullied in our schools and not leave school administrators free to apply their own biased interpretations of what the current law says or implies?

When one lives in a state where so many are quick to toss out the vacuous term “lifestyle choice” to justify and defend their narrow interpretation of a law which should be interpreted as protecting all, we do indeed need regulations that clearly enumerate protected classes.

Is it not interesting that those who decry so-called “special rights” are exactly those who seemingly cannot use their intelligence and common sense to grasp that a law that specifies “no bullying” indeed applies to everyone?

Isn’t it time the Dems grow a pair and call Jane out for what she is? Apologize? Are you kidding?
She threw a couple of kids out of her office after agreeing to talk to them because she didn’t like the way they looked. That’s what happened. The rest of the story is her making excuses for this idiotic conduct.

Do we really want our pols so insensitive that they can’t talk to kids who “make them sick” because of the way they look? The irony of these kids getting thrown out of Jane’s office when they were there to discuss bullying is too rich for words.

Cunningham should issue the Standard Dem Apology:
I apologize IF my actions/comments/words/thoughts were misinterpreted to be offensive in any way to any one.

Then she should invite the freaks in for a talk, conditional on their appropriate attire.

I respect what Rep. Oxford did. it’s nice to see a politician walk the walk, not just talk the talk. The letter on Pudef.net was instructive, in that Rep. Oxford made it clear that she still calls for Rep. Cunningham to apologize. It also included some information about the students that was missing from previous articles. Turns out the students were attempting to lobby Rep. Cunningham as victims of bullying themselves, not just as students.