Democratic Forum of Tazewell County Ill

09/14/2024

https://www.25newsnow.com/2024/09/13/washington-man-indicted-aggravated-criminal-sexual-abuse/

A Washington man has been indicted on a charge of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

09/09/2024

“Public Comment on Sept 5, 2023 to the Public School Board by Mr. Ben Robinson of . Says he was homeschooled, that he lives in Morton, his children are in the public school system in . His “public comment” attacks LGBTQ+ folx & parents bringing concerns against (now FORMER) Ward Grundy Elementary Principal Michael Saunders.”

“Here, Mr. Ben Robinson SLANDERS A CHILD who ran out of the meeting in tears following comment after comment calling LGBTQ+ CHILDREN & community members “sodomites,” “evil,” & subjecting people in the audience, including CHILDREN, to HATE SPEECH. He states there are “only 2 genders” & claims being LGBTQIA is “false ideology.”

“The School Board did NOTHING TO PROTECT those BEING TARGETED by speakers, so a Morton IL Parent stepped up to INTERRUPT THIS CRIME against the CHILD. The parent who took action to INTERRUPT the SLANDER has been BANNED FOR LIFE from attending School Board Meetings. Mr. Robinson was THANKED for his HATE SPEECH & SLANDER against a CHILD.”

“Mr. Robinson calls LGBTQ+ community members & allies ‘the minority of evil.’”

“Allegations against Saunders include rights violations, bias, bigotry, anti-government extremism in school policy, environment, pedagogy; physical assault of students, destruction of evidence in complaints; subscribing to many anti-LGBTQ, anti-Black, & anti-immigrant HATE GROUPS using school email; abuse, segregation of Black children, posting of an extremist Gadsden Flag on school grounds; promoting white christian nationalism in school assemblies, programs, & pedagogy; & marginalization, intimidation, & retaliation against students, faculty, staff, & parents who complain. The emails were NOT SPAM, but from sites Mr. Saunder SUBSCRIBED TO.”

Source: https://illinoiseagle.com/2023/08/25/thousands-of-anti-lgbtq-emails-found-in-morton-school-principals-work-email-account/

“The Peoria Illinois National Organization for Women has been assisting families lodging complaints over the past year.”

“In May, 2024, Principal Saunders announced his “retirement” from public education & was hired as a Principal in .”

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https://www.facebook.com/share/tQEEiBPCyVNq9r51/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Check out Heather McMeekan’s video.

08/28/2024

The Tazewell County Sheriff’s Department has an inmate/arrest lookup page to allow the public & prospective employers to do basic background & status checks on those arrested, charged, held in custody, etc.

The first person’s name listed here (Brian Minassian) is confirmed to be a licensed registered nurse via the public portal where people can lookup license status at the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation (IDPR).

All administrators in schools & care facilities must do due diligence in ensuring background checks & oversight helps protect the vulnerable from those with public records of behavior indicating risk.



Source: https://sheriff.tazewell-il.gov/inmate-lookup-c/

08/28/2024

On in 1955, while visiting family in Mississippi, 14-year-old Emmett Till was lynched.

Till was then vilified by the mainstream press. Headlines from newspapers such as the Washington Post referred to him as the “Wolf-Whistler.” An Aug. 1955 article in the Post begins: “Two white men, accused of killing a wolf-whistling Negro boy, went on trial in a steamy Mississippi Delta courtroom today, their two-year-old boys in their laps.”

Mamie Elizabeth Till-Mobley’s courageous decision to have an open casket funeral, and share photos of her son’s mutilated body with the world, helped inspire the modern Civil Rights Movement. She was following the example set a few months earlier when the widow of Rev. George Lee held an open-coffin ceremony for her husband who had been murdered for promoting voting by African Americans.

A recommended reading about the role of Black press in bringing Till’s story to the public is Shocking the Conscience: A Reporter’s Account of the Civil Rights Movement by Simeon Booker.

Learn more about Emmett Till and the Civil Rights Movement in the recommended lessons, books, films, and other resources at the link below.

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/emmett-till-murder/

08/28/2024

— authoritarian white nationalists from Public School Board continue exclusively “inviting” white male authoritarian pastors from local majority-white anti-LGBTQ+ “christian” nationalist churches 2 lead “prayers” at the opening of meetings.

public servants like these know they are violating rights, because they try to HIDE the Prayers from the OFFICIAL SCHOOL VIDEO RECORDINGS 2 thwart accountability.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation continues representating local parents who submitted complaints, issuing letters demanding they cease & desist.

There are no members of the press reporting on this weird entitlement 2 flout the law.

Leaders from Peoria, IL - National Organization For Women & Morton 4 Equality - Morton, IL are challenging these ongoing betrayals of these people’s oaths of office, but the local community seems accepting of this unethical, anti-American behavior.

Voters must pay attention. This is becoming normalized in red rural counties. Americans must face accountability for violating the .

View Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ST7K_IqddtJnyaWEbS8J5E_BjjyE3l7f/view?usp=drivesdk

08/28/2024

— Extremist authoritarian white nationalists from Public School Board continue exclusively “inviting” white male authoritarian pastors from local majority-white anti-LGBTQ+ “christian” nationalist churches 2 lead “prayers” at the opening of meetings. public servants like these know they are violating rights, because they try to HIDE the Prayers from the OFFICIAL SCHOOL VIDEO RECORDINGS 2 thwart accountabilityThe Freedom From Religion Foundation continues issuing letters demanding they cease & desist. There are no members of the press reporting on this weird entitlement 2 flout the law. Leaders from Peoria, IL - National Organization For Women & Morton 4 Equality - Morton, IL are challenging these ongoing betrayals of these people’s oaths of office, but the local community seems accepting of this unethical, anti-American behavior. voters must pay attention. This is becoming normalized in red rural counties. Americans must face accountability for violating the .

08/26/2024

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTNT46787/

Check out Heather McMeekan’s video.

07/24/2024

Set up to work at Eli’s this afternoon and spread the good word!😊 come say Hi!

07/24/2024

Anti-LGBTQ+ Smock & Sander are a disgrace to the education profession.

With their manipulative games, degradation of women educators, ignoring rights violations against some of the very children they are sworn to educate and protect, they instead play favorites, run out diverse & competent faculty & staff to promote a rigid, conservative authoritarian administrative hierarchy.

Observers at school board meetings should watch for themselves the inappropriate behaviors such as when kids are “rewarded” for achievement by being FORCED to shake all the administrator and school board members’ hands - whether they are comfortable or not. Even during cold & flu season.

Viewers should watch for themselves how Joe Sander also puts his hands on some the kids’ chests, backs, shoulders - even as the kids turn red, and display body language indicating they are not comfortable with the touch.

That is NOT the same as informed, consentual, healthy neutral touch that teaches children to say no to people touching them without informed consent.

Educators should know better.

These authoritarians continue to preach and teach unquestioning obedience to male authority, instead of empowering kids through comprehensive education about boundaries, body autonomy, & informed consent.

It’s time for new leadership which doesn’t model male authoritarianism and instead models healthy, compassionate, trauma-informed safe schools - for ALL THE KIDS in .

It’s time for both these educators using unethical practices of power and control to retire and be replaced by well-educated, trauma-informed leaders who value comprehensive education.

https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/education/2024/07/24/morton-schools-superintendent-to-retire-district-finds-replacement/74515409007/

07/16/2024

07/08/2024

Today, while we celebrate the 4th of July, we also remember the fatal shooting in Highland Park. In what was supposed to be a time of joy and celebration, seven were killed and 48 more injured.

May we always remember them as we continue our fight to