Colonel, I agree with your concern re the Headline. Esther Comeau-Howard sent an email to Mr. Press to express her concern that someone of Mr. Press' stature would even consider such a headline and also to ask how he knows that the parties involved were Cajuns! He responded in a very flipant manner to Esther who sent the response to me. I'm posting the correspondence below at Esther's request and approval from Margy. I'm also posting my emails to Mr. Press. If you wish to send an email to Mr. Press, his email is billpress@aol.com I plan to send an email or letter to the San Diego Union Tribune and to any other newspaper that published the article. Stanley LeBlanc http://www.thecajuns.com ***Esther Howard's email to Mr Press, his response and her response*** Subj: "Cajun-style" Date: 12/5/2003 9:14:34 PM Central Standard Time From: EstHoward To: Bill Press Esther Comeaux Howard (Of Acadian Descent) San Antonio, TX Sir, How do you define "Cajun?" Just because this happened in Louisiana doesn't mean that there was even one "Cajun" involved. Please know what you are talking about, before you start throwing words around. You're worse off then the kids that didn't know what "Gay" meant. ------------------------------------------------------------------- December 5, 2003 I have a confession to make: I am a card-carrying member of the ACLU. That doesn't mean I always agree with that bunch of lefties. Concerned about the easy access for children, for example, I never bought into their broad defense of pornography on the Internet. But I stood up and applauded when they forced Roy Moore to move his monument to the Ten Commandments out of the Alabama state (State) courthouse. I love the Constitution. I treasure the Bill of Rights. I recognize that federal and state governments, under both Democratic and Republican leaders - and especially this administration - are constantly trying to chip away at our freedom. So I love the fact that there is one organization whose sole purpose, night and day, is to fight for and defend the basic rights of all Americans, liberal and conservative. Yes, even the rights of a 7-year-old kid from Louisiana. Here's one more case where the ACLU is dead right. Call it child abuse, Cajun-style. The ACLU's against it. We all should be. It happened at Gallet (Not a "Cajun" name) Elementary School in Youngsville, La. Second-grader Marcus McLaurin (Not a "Cajun" name) was lined up with his fellow students for recess when a friend asked about his mother and father. In a scene that's happening more and more in schoolyards across the country, Marcus said he didn't have a mother and father, he had two mothers. Understandably confused - remember, we're talking about two 7-year-olds here - his friend asked why he had two moms. Marcus said, because my mom is "gay." When his friend still didn't understand, Marcus explained: "Gay is when a girl likes another girl." Now, let's stop right there. If you ask me, this kid showed a lot of cool under fire. He also showed that he'd been taught by his mother how to deal with this situation. And that she'd given him just enough, but not too much, information: all a 7-year-old needed to know or tell other people. Seems to me both mother and son got it just right. But that's not how school officials reacted. His teacher berated him in front of the entire class, telling him "gay" was a bad word he should never say again - and sent him to the principal's office. From there he was sent to the school's behavioral problems clinic, where he was ordered to write 100 times: "I will never say the word 'gay' in school again." (What are their "Cajun" names?) What a horrible thing to do to that little kid! Publicly humiliated by his teacher in front of his classmates. And then forced to repudiate his mother in writing. He didn't even know what he had done wrong - and, in fact, he had done nothing wrong at all. How could an elementary school teacher and principal be so cruel, and so ignorant? (Are you impleying the "Cajuns" are ignorant?) (What are their "Cajun" names?) While poor little Marcus was being tortured, authorities (What are their "Cajun" names?) turned on his mother. She received a phone call saying her son was being punished for using a foul word: a word so foul, the principal told her, he dared not utter it over the phone. Marcus would bring home a note, he said, spelling out his crime. What planet are these people living on? In case school officials (What are their "Cajun" names?) in Youngsville, La., don't know it yet, "gay" is not a bad word. Neither is "homosexual." And neither is "lesbian." Enter the ACLU, with a very reasonable request. They're not demanding the teacher be fired, or the principal sent to jail. (What are their "Cajun" names?) They're simply requesting that the school erase this incident from Marcus' disciplinary record, that teachers never again prevent him from exercising his freedom of speech (or talking about his mom) and that school officials apologize to him and his mother. Frankly, I think the ACLU is letting them off the hook too easily. They should make two other demands of school officials. First, they should require the teacher and principal to spend a couple of days in New Orleans, Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, Boston, Washington or any other American city where they might actually meet a real live gay man or lesbian and discover that they don't look any different, don't have horns and don't have one eye in the middle of their forehead. Then, on their way back to Youngsville, the chastened school officials (What are their "Cajun" names?) should have to write 1,000 times: "Gay is not a four-letter word." Let Marcus have his revenge. Copyright 2003 Union-Tribune Publishing Co. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ His response Subj: Re: "Cajun-style" Date: 12/6/2003 10:46:55 AM Central Standard Time From: Bill Press To: EstHoward Hey, lighten up. Lafayette, Baton Rouge and suburbs is definitely Cajun country. I've been there many times. And that is where this sad incident occurred. Bill Press @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ My response Subj: Re: "Cajun-style" Date: 12/6/2003 1:33:44 PM Central Standard Time From: EstHoward To: Bill Press You don't know it yet, but you have inflamed a lot of others of us. It may be "Cajun Country," but you need to find out what you are talking about before you generalize. Esther Comeaux Howard in San Antonio, TX ***my emails to Mr. Press*** Mr. Press: Your response to Mrs. Howard [copied below] seems a little flipant. She is making a good point. Lafayette and Youngsville are defintely Cajun Country but Baton Rouge isn't officially part of Acadiana or Cajun Country - it is part of The Plantation Parishes! Also, not everyone in Cajun Country is a Cajun. There are even some Texans there! Since you've been to "Cajun Country" you know that "child abuse" is not a built-in Cajun trait! The seriousness of the issue shouldn't be addressed lightly with words such as Child Abuse Cajun-Style which apparently is a subconcious derogatory statement on your part. I am a member of the Acadian-Cajun Mailing List which has thousands of members world-wide and the owner of a website on Acadian-Cajun-Louisiana Genealogy, History and Culture that has over 20,000 hits a month worldwide. I would be happy to post an apology from you on both re your inappropriate use of the term Cajun-Style. I'm sending a cc to Ms. Howard who is a very nice lady who is very proud of her Acadian-Cajun heritage; and to Ms. Bousman who is the Coordinator of the Acadian-Cajun Mailing List. Stanly LeBlanc A Cajun living in Dallas Texas ***2nd email*** Mr Press: The Acadian-Cajun Mailing List learned of your article in the San Diego Union Tribune. You didn't mention sending the teacher and the principal to San Diego. Aren't there any gays in San Diego? It would seem more appropriate that the teacher and principal be required to engage in a "sensitivity session" with the two gay mothers who are living right in their community. They may be from one of the cities you mention or from Houston, Dallas, San Diego, etc. etc... Stanley LeBlanc ***excerpt from your article*** Frankly, I think the ACLU is letting them off the hook too easily. They should make two other demands of school officials. First, they should require the teacher and principal to spend a couple of days in New Orleans, Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, Boston, Washington or any other American city where they might actually meet a real live gay man or lesbian and discover that they don't look any different, don't have horns and don't have one eye in the middle of their forehead.