Are there enough tears to weep for these innocent soldiers at Fort Hood?

People are so quick to say that because the shooter was Muslim it must be Terroism!

We, at The Gorp Group, predict it will turn out to be plain old BULLYING that finally

drove the shooter to do the unthinkable. Gorp’s mission is ever so clear….in order to have

peace, we must create a new generation of Peacemakers…..sigh.

Another senseless, heartbreaking death.  This time at Wilson High School in Long Beach CA.  Imagine being the parent of 16 year old Melody Ross and learning that your daughter was killed by two ‘monsters’ shooting into a crowd of teenagers after a football game.  As Dylan wrote: “When will we ever learn?” We’ve got to start changing things, and especially keeping guns out of the hands of irresponsible ‘people’ (and I use that term loosely.)

I wish sending my sympathy could heal, but how does a family heal from this?

Just saw previews of this powerful new movie. Wish Precious could have

read Gorp’s Secret and empowed herself.  I also wish that in doing so she could

have then knocked her predator father into oblivion instead of being forced to give

birth to his child at age 12!!  Unthinkable!!!

Now, it’s a Boy Scout Master, himself an Eagle Scout, who’s been accused of molesting

three boys…..why am I always shocked when it’s those who work closest to the kids who

are doing the bad deeds? And in Minnesota…my home state!!

It broke my heart to hear Rosie on CBS Sunday Morning tell the world that as an 8 year old child “someone would come into her room at night,” and her mother wouldn’t believe her!

Yes, the same thing happens in Gorp’s Secret, a child’s picture book that empowers our children to be able to deal with such things.  Wish Rosie were 8 again and had read the book and then she’d know:

“…and if you try to touch me

please understand this well..

I won’t stay quiet

I’ll start a riot

And tell, and tell and tell!!!!

Yep, gotta tell until someone believes you.

Wish we could make it up to you, Rosie.

We’d love to send her a book….can anyone help?

A video on this horrific day was to have aired on Oprah’s show on

the 10 year anniversary. She pulled it off when she realized that it spent

too much time on the killers.  GOOD FOR YOU, OPRAH!!! We, at the

Gorp Group think that often people are motivated to do evil because of

the attention they get…..if you can’t be famous, be infamous!!!

For those of you who have used Gorp’s book on gun safety these past 12 years, we want you to know that in a few months the revised book will be printed in both English and SPANISH!!!

This is in response to many requests and we hope will further empower our youngest kids with the right information on what to do if they encounter a gun.

Gorp’s Gift has engendered thousands of pledges from our kids committing to not touching a gun if they see one, to telling an adult, to remember that ‘all guns are loaded’ and to not ever, ever ‘play’ with a gun!!

Gorp is really proud to be a part of the Day of Concern and Student Pledge Against Gun Violence each October. We wish we could somehow display these pledges and the letters kids have written to us on this dire subject. Their ideas and concerns bear heeding. (And some will break your heart.)

Later,

Sherri and Gorp

Because Gorp’s new book on child sexual abuse is now here, I asked Google to alert my website when any news stories on the subject appeared.

As a mom myself and someone who’s worked with and for kids all my life, I was unprepared for this list.  When I finished slobbering on my keyboard, wiped the mascara (darn that ‘waterproof’ stuff) off my cheeks and thru bleary eyes tried to absorb the words in front of me, I could only  sit here and ask the question:  “What are we, as parents, as teachers, as caring citizens going to do about this problem?”

It appears to me that more time is spent on the abusers than the children. We need to be more proactive…..how?  who?

I’ll be thinking……

Sherri Chessen and Gorp

The Los Angeles Times, Friday, September 19th, page B4, in a column called California Briefing had two items that made me feel fantastic! One told of a 5 year old girl who was playing outside with her 7 year old brother when a man picked her up, took her to an alley behind an apartment and proceeded to undress and abuse her…BUT the little girl screamed and the man fled.  (The abuser was identified by a witness and caught) Hooray for this child who felt empowered enough to protect herself!  Gorp sure agrees!!!!!!

The other item told of a teacher at Our Lady of Holy Rosary School who was charged with sexually molesting two female students.  How did they find out?  One of the girls TOLD a counselor at summer day camp. That led to an investigation of the teacher and the knowledge of the molestation of still another girl.  Yep, Gorp says TELL, TELL, TELL.

We’re proud of both these young girls.  It’s not an easy task to be brave enough to stick up for your rights in cases like these.  Once these egregious, sub-human perpetrators find out they’re facing a new generation of empowered kids they may reconsider their despicable actions!  Let’s hope so.

Yes, that Pope.  When He visited the US this summer, I remember most the three adults who, after many years of silence, had an audience with him and confessed to abuse by their Catholic priests.  It tore my heart apart to see middle aged people so affected by these egregious acts.

I’ve been thinking of somehow sending our new book to the ‘powers that be’ in the Catholic church so that we can help the children of today and tomorrow prevent the  heart-breaking scenes we saw this summer.

Gorp’s Secret is proving itself to be an excellent resource for empowering our kids, getting them to understand that they can stand up for themselves and helping to ward off these despicable acts.

Question:  Advise, anyone?  How do we get to the right people? We know nothing about the hierarchy of the church.  We certainly are grateful for your leads, and/or suggestions.

Gratefully,

Sherri Chessen

Thank you!!!