2004-09-16 00:36![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
stormiestl
stormiestlThe Freedom Exercised By One Teacher Is Raising Some Eyebrows
Aaron Charles Perry
By Darryl Tardy
First Coast News
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- As Americans, we value our right to worship in any language we'd like. But, for one local teacher, the freedom he exercises is raising some eyebrows in and out of the classroom.
Aaron Charles Perry is a second year teacher at LaVilla Middle School. Last year Perry told WESH-TV, our sister station in Orlando, "I think they have this idea of us as these horrible monsters who are having human sacrifices and orgies in basements and it's simply not true." Perry is talking about his religious beliefs. Perry, an eighth grade history teacher, is a follower of Wicca, also known as witchcraft. The Duval County School district hired Perry in August 2003. Seven months prior to being hired in Jacksonville, the 32-year-old was fired from Neptune Middle school in St. Cloud. Perry claims it was because he brought his views on religion into the classroom. The school district in Osceola County gave no reason for Perry's firing. But in his resignation to the district, Perry admitted to buying a home pregnancy test for a student at VisonQuest, a troubled youth school. The action violated school policy. Perry says if it weren't for the symbol on the right side of his forehead, no one would have known about his religious beliefs. "The tattoo was not a problem when I was hired but only became a problem after she found out it was a Wiccan symbol and after the students found out it was a Wiccan symbol." A group called United Parents for Duval County found out about Perry's past and has been handing out several flyers. District leaders say they're aware too, but say, so far Perry has done nothing wrong. John Williams is the Director of Professional Standards for the Duval County School District. Williams told First Coast News, "It's not wrong to practice any religious belief. It is wrong to go in with a captive audience of seventh or sixth graders and start sharing your beliefs." Perry says he has no doubt he was fired from his last job for his religious beliefs but is disillusioned himself by the conclusions others have drawn.
Perry added, "It's Christian imagination gone awry." Perry did not return our repeated phone calls for comment. United Parents of Duval County plans to voice their opinions on this issue at the LaVilla's Middle school's next parent-teacher meeting in October.
Happy Step Family Day
http://www.funone.com/funpages/view.cfm/5716
Star Wars Trillogy comes out on Tuesday.. I have my copy reserved..........do you????????????????????????????????????????????????????
http://www.starwars.com/
Punk Legend Johnny Ramone Dead
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 16, 2004
(AP) Johnny Ramone, guitarist and co-founder of the punk band The Ramones, has died. He was 55. According to his publicist, Ramone died in his sleep Wednesday afternoon at his Los Angeles home, surrounded by family and friends. He had battled prostate cancer for five years, and had been hospitalized in June at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Along with his wife, Linda Cummings, Johnny Ramone was surrounded at his death by friends Eddie and Jill Vedder, and Rob and Sherrie Zombie. Other friends who had gathered at his Los Angeles home included Lisa Marie Presley, Pete Yorn, Vincent Gallo and Talia Shire. Ramone, whose real name was John Cummings, was one of the original members of the Ramones, whose hit songs "I Wanna be sedated" and "Blitzkrieg Bop," among others, earned the band induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. The band's singer, Joey Ramone, whose real name was Jeff Hyman, died in 2001 of lymphatic cancer. Bassist Dee Dee Ramone, who was born Douglas Colvin, died from a drug overdose in 2002. Johnny Ramone founded "The Ramones" in 1974 with Joey Ramone, DeeDee Ramone and Tommy Ramone, the only surviving member of the original band. A tribute concert and cancer research fund-raiser was held Sunday in Los Angeles to celebrate the band's 30th anniversary. It featured performances by Los Angeles punk band X, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Henry Rollins and others.
Aaron Charles Perry
By Darryl Tardy
First Coast News
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- As Americans, we value our right to worship in any language we'd like. But, for one local teacher, the freedom he exercises is raising some eyebrows in and out of the classroom.
Aaron Charles Perry is a second year teacher at LaVilla Middle School. Last year Perry told WESH-TV, our sister station in Orlando, "I think they have this idea of us as these horrible monsters who are having human sacrifices and orgies in basements and it's simply not true." Perry is talking about his religious beliefs. Perry, an eighth grade history teacher, is a follower of Wicca, also known as witchcraft. The Duval County School district hired Perry in August 2003. Seven months prior to being hired in Jacksonville, the 32-year-old was fired from Neptune Middle school in St. Cloud. Perry claims it was because he brought his views on religion into the classroom. The school district in Osceola County gave no reason for Perry's firing. But in his resignation to the district, Perry admitted to buying a home pregnancy test for a student at VisonQuest, a troubled youth school. The action violated school policy. Perry says if it weren't for the symbol on the right side of his forehead, no one would have known about his religious beliefs. "The tattoo was not a problem when I was hired but only became a problem after she found out it was a Wiccan symbol and after the students found out it was a Wiccan symbol." A group called United Parents for Duval County found out about Perry's past and has been handing out several flyers. District leaders say they're aware too, but say, so far Perry has done nothing wrong. John Williams is the Director of Professional Standards for the Duval County School District. Williams told First Coast News, "It's not wrong to practice any religious belief. It is wrong to go in with a captive audience of seventh or sixth graders and start sharing your beliefs." Perry says he has no doubt he was fired from his last job for his religious beliefs but is disillusioned himself by the conclusions others have drawn.
Perry added, "It's Christian imagination gone awry." Perry did not return our repeated phone calls for comment. United Parents of Duval County plans to voice their opinions on this issue at the LaVilla's Middle school's next parent-teacher meeting in October.
Happy Step Family Day
http://www.funone.com/funpages/view.cfm/5716
Star Wars Trillogy comes out on Tuesday.. I have my copy reserved..........do you????????????????????????????????????????????????????
http://www.starwars.com/
Punk Legend Johnny Ramone Dead
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 16, 2004
(AP) Johnny Ramone, guitarist and co-founder of the punk band The Ramones, has died. He was 55. According to his publicist, Ramone died in his sleep Wednesday afternoon at his Los Angeles home, surrounded by family and friends. He had battled prostate cancer for five years, and had been hospitalized in June at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Along with his wife, Linda Cummings, Johnny Ramone was surrounded at his death by friends Eddie and Jill Vedder, and Rob and Sherrie Zombie. Other friends who had gathered at his Los Angeles home included Lisa Marie Presley, Pete Yorn, Vincent Gallo and Talia Shire. Ramone, whose real name was John Cummings, was one of the original members of the Ramones, whose hit songs "I Wanna be sedated" and "Blitzkrieg Bop," among others, earned the band induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. The band's singer, Joey Ramone, whose real name was Jeff Hyman, died in 2001 of lymphatic cancer. Bassist Dee Dee Ramone, who was born Douglas Colvin, died from a drug overdose in 2002. Johnny Ramone founded "The Ramones" in 1974 with Joey Ramone, DeeDee Ramone and Tommy Ramone, the only surviving member of the original band. A tribute concert and cancer research fund-raiser was held Sunday in Los Angeles to celebrate the band's 30th anniversary. It featured performances by Los Angeles punk band X, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Henry Rollins and others.
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Johnny Ramone Rest In Peace.
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