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Author & Loudmouth
Picture

LET FREEDOM RING!

I just watched a Canadian TV news report on the freeing of Neil and Ferdi, then read citizen responses, including one that said this will follow them the rest of their lives. It is our job as teachers and writers and defenders of children and decent human beings to make sure that doesn't happen. So my post:

The language used to describe Neil's, Ferdi's and the cleaners' predicament has always caused me great dis-ease. I was fortunate to be a visiting author at the Jakarta Intercultural School last year and was even invited to go to the courthouse with some of the teachers and parents to look at the conditions. As well as being an author, I spent thirty years of my life working as a therapist with abuse and neglect families and as the chairperson of my city's Child Protection Team. In other words I spent a good deal of time keeping bad guys away from kids through therapy work and court testimony. When I hear a news person say, in this case, "There wasn't enough evidence..." I feel something close to rage. 



I've followed this case closely and written about it. There wasn't ANY evidence. There was NO physical evidence that the kids had been molested at all. There was NO evidence of ANY psychological harm and NO behavior indicating ANY trauma. This does not need to follow Neil and Ferdi, or any of the cleaners (and we don't want to forget that one was killed in custody). What will follow them will be their grace under the circumstances, their selfless behavior toward other prison while incarcerated, and the dedication and loyalty of the people who stayed with them. I believe there is no act of heroism that doesn't include standing up for yourself and all involved in this day's decision did that.


Chris Crutcher


[To read more about the court's reversal, click HERE.]

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  • Home
  • Contact
  • Biography
    • Press Kit
    • New Author Photos 12/2011
  • NCTE/ALAN 2013 Q&As
  • Crutcher-Price Blog
  • Crutcher Speeks
    • Update Bantleman/Tjiong
    • Nod to Gnuts
    • Hip-Hop
    • Good Day...
    • Gun Referendum
    • Free Neil and Ferdi >
      • Freedom!
      • A Summary
      • Joko Widodo
      • Another Open Letter
      • Open Letter
      • To All Canadians
    • Responsi-damn-bility
    • Whacking on Your Children >
      • Peterson Abuse Images
    • Piling On
    • Biopsy Biography
    • Walter Elevated Us All
    • Different Direction
    • Parenting Guidance
    • Goodbye, Ned.
    • Happy Birthday, Crutch!
    • Forrest Bird Charter School
    • Senator Portman
    • My Gun Rant
    • Maybe Now (Guns & Mental Health)
    • Support Your Local Pragmatist
    • So You Want to Be a Righter
    • Philosophy and Humanity
    • We Are Paterno
    • Boy Scout "Leadership"
    • Thoughts on McQueary
    • To Meghan Cox Gurdon/WSJ
    • India 2011
  • Author Visits
    • Presentation Praise
    • Scheduled Events
  • Crutcher Books
    • Period 8 (2013)
    • Angry Management (2009)
    • Deadline (2007) >
      • DEADLINE Defense Materials
    • The Sledding Hill (2005)
    • KOTMF (2003) >
      • KOTMF Extras
    • Whale Talk (2001) >
      • WT Defense Materials
      • WT Turning Japanese
    • Ironman (1995)
    • Sarah Byrnes (1993) >
      • SFFSB Defense Materials
    • Athletic Shorts (1991)
    • Deep End (1991)
    • Chinese Handcuffs (1989)
    • Crazy Horse... (1987)
    • Stotan! (1986)
    • Running Loose (1983)
  • Other CC Books
  • For Educators
  • Angus -- The Movie
  • Older News Briefs
  • Photo Albums
  • Scrapbook
  • CC Videos
  • Student Projects
  • Censorship
    • Chinese Handcuffs 2014 >
      • Chinese Handcuffs PRESS
    • South Carolina 2011 >
      • SC 2011 Article
    • Wisconsin 2010
    • Kentucky 2009
    • Delaware 2009
    • Indiana 2009
    • Six Rounds -- Oct 2008
    • To Mark -- Sept 2008
    • Delaware 2008
    • Ohio 2007
    • Iowa 2007
  • Banned Book Videos
  • Teens CAN Stop Censors
  • Banned Books Week
    • BBW Interview 2013
    • Oct 2011 BBW Article
  • Extras!
  • CC Press
  • Letters to CC
  • Movie News