A Ten Thousand Dollar Severance Package?

Just about every moral taboo that those who are now on social security grew up with has been broken down and destroyed—except one, and it may be on the verge of extinction. Fifty years ago, men and women did not live together outside of marriage, homosexuality was rarely mentioned, let alone approved of, and anyone who was divorced carried around with them a social stigma. Things have changed radically, but we knew we had not hit the bottom of the barrel because everyone is still against child molestation. That one will fall by the wayside, also, unless the general public stands together and says, “You shall proceed no further.” Here is a place to start.

The Boy Scouts acted foolishly in recent years by allowing avowed homosexuals to be leaders of Scout troops, which is somewhat like asking a fox to head up a training program for chickens. The likelihood of few or no problems arising from such a blasé attitude is about as good as the Cubs winning the World Series next year.

Now in Michigan even a worse situation exists. A 39-year-old teacher has been convicted of criminal sexual conduct with a minor and has been sentenced up to 30 years in prison. He abused one of his students from the age of 12 to 15. The head of the Michigan Education Association, Stephen Cook, however, is trying to get the convicted felon a $10,000 severance payment. Is he crazy? Or does he just not care about children being molested?

Jesse Watters from The O’Reilly Factor questioned him while he was walking from his car to the building he works in. This material does not come from a dubious website; it was transcribed (by this writer) from the program that aired on January 13, 2014. JW stands for Jesse Watters, the interviewer. SC refers to the union head, Stephen Cook.

JW: You had a teacher who repeatedly raped one of his students, and you’re trying to get him $10,000. Could you please explain that?

SC: I don’t have any comment.

JW: You know you’re hurting the student and his family even more. Don’t you care?

SC: No comment.

JW: You have no comment whatsoever? You had a teacher who raped a student, and you want him paid? You know that’s wrong. [They are now entering the building where Cook works.]

SC: You guys have gotta go.

JW: Sir, answer the questions, please. You have a kid whose life was destroyed by a teacher. How is that acceptable?

SC: You guys have gotta go. Sorry, this is private property. You need to leave.

JW: How do you morally justify that, sir? Answer the question.

JW: Sir, answer the question.

SC: No comment. …

JW: Anything you’d like to say to the family?

The last question was asked with Cook in the elevator and security having shown up to escort Watters and his cameraman out of the building. Notice that the union head was more concerned about two men trespassing in the building where he works than about the student who had been molested and his family. At this point in the segment, a taped conversation between Watters and the student was aired. FS stands for the former student who had been molested. Watters began by asking him how it made him feel that the union was seeking severance for the convicted teacher.

FS: The educational system is supposed to support their students and their well-being, and the fact that the MEA is backing a child molester and a criminal is absolutely disgusting. … The main job of Mr. Cook is to look out for the well-being of the school system. How can he do that when he supports a child molester?

JW: Now, some of the teachers in this district wrote letters requesting leniency. Were you shocked by that?

FS: Absolutely. The fact that they went the route they took in supporting Neal Erickson, I feel they are just as bad as he is. … I just wish there could be closure for this and these individuals supporting Neal can see there’s no such thing as consensual at 13-years-old.

Watters then informed the audience that the union finally had made a statement.

They said: “The contract is legally obligated to be followed by the union. They have no choice. They can’t decide which union guy to help and which union guy not to help.” Here’s the thing. The guy’s not in good standing with the union. He’s in prison. He’s not paying dues. They can rip up the contract. The second thing is: If this guy joined Al Qaeda and killed a bunch of innocent people, they’re saying that, under that rationale, they’re still going to honor this guy’s contract? It doesn’t make sense. They’re choosing to side with him.

It Gets Worse

Seldom has any moral matter needed less in the way of comments. To read the above conversations makes the situation clear. Do people so value immorality that now children are fair game? Is this the result of years of saying, “I don’t want to be judgmental”? The Bible defines sin—it is not the judgment of man to say that sexual sins are wrong; it’s the judgment of God! People need to stand up and quit fearing the “politically correct” crowd. People in Michigan should bring whatever pressure they can against the MEA. The teachers should vote out Stephen Cook and declare, in no uncertain terms, that this is not the kind of union they want.

One teacher in Michigan e-mailed the following message to O’Reilly after the segment with Watters was broadcast, and it was shown on January 14th. Amy Tarnecke of Chesterfield said:

As a member of the Michigan teacher’s union, I want to thank Jesse Watters for confronting the MEA about supporting a pedophile. Everyone should know that this decision was not made by us but by the union leadership.

However, as indicated previously, not all teachers were appalled. Watters explained that some of them wrote letters that “said it was consensual, which is totally insane.” Furthermore, “they also had a lesson plan for the class to have the students in his [the molester’s class] write letters saying how sad they were that this Neal Erickson wasn’t their teacher anymore. How disgusting is that?” Do such individuals need to be teaching anyone’s children?

As for the union, they are disgraceful. The mother of the boy who was molested is also a member of the same union (MEA). She has cancer and has asked for a week off with paid leave to have chemotherapy. The union has denied her request.

What’s next? Will NAMBLA (North American Man/Boy Love Association) ask for decriminalization on consenting adults with adult being defined as 12 (or less)? It is past time that Americans wake up and speak up. At least Erickson was convicted. In some courts, that might not have even happened. But why is the union seeking to help this pervert? They do not seem to be looking out for the children, the parents, or even the school system. The only choice left is that they are willing to befriend the guilty—but for what purpose—to decriminalize pedophilia? This is not a step that a nation already sunken low morally can afford.

This type of immorality should receive no encouragement whatsoever! Those who support such depraved behavior should be removed from positions of public trust. Only the will of the people can reverse the type of thinking displayed by the MEA. Do we possess the ability to be indignant and outraged anymore? We had better—before we lose all sense of conscience.