Ms. Kevitt presents Ms.Linda Bierman of the Warner Center Rotary Club with a “What are Human Rights?” booklet.

Los Angeles: Fourteen-year-old Claire Kevitt, the Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) Youth President briefed a chapter meeting of Rotary International members on the importance of teaching youth human rights.

The Master of Ceremonies introduced Ms. Kevitt with a strong statement of support for the human rights work being done by YHRI. He also voiced support for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — pointing out that leading members of the Rotary Club Rotary Club had been instrumental in forming the United Nations.

Ms. Kevitt outlined the purpose and recent activities of YHRI. She also played the emotionally packed UNITED — a music video and theme song for YHRI, which was met with enthusiasm from the attendees.

Youth for Human Rights International Inc. (YHRI) is a non-profit corporation dedicated to teaching youth around the globe about human rights, thus helping them to become valuable advocates for the promotion of tolerance and peace.

YHRI was founded by educator and school principal Mary Shuttleworth in August 2001. Having spent 30 years working with children, Mary, an active member of the Church of Scientology for the last 20 years, decided to launch a campaign catering solely to educate youth about human rights.

The Church of Scientology International, an active campaigner for human rights for the last four decades, has adopted Youth for Human Rights as its program to ensure human rights of all children. The Church has sponsored thousands of copies of YHRI’s educational booklet, “What are Human Rights?” in 19 different languages and the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International has partnered with YHRI on its biggest projects.

The Church is concerned that today millions do not have simple rights as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which forms the core of the YHRI campaign. Protecting and promoting human rights for all is an intrinsic part of the teachings of the Scientology religion as laid out by founder and humanitarian, L. Ron Hubbard, who stated, “Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.”

I came across a website for a fabulous caricature artist - Jim van der Keyl. He has "How to Draw Caricatures" instructional videos and a wonderful gallery.

The site includes caricatures of Tom Cruise, Clint Eastwood, Jennifer Lopez -- these caricatures of actors are really fun!

The site is one of the best Flash sites I've ever seen - totally fun, all the way around!

International Award Winning Artist Leonardo Pereznieto Supports Tom Cruise´s Declarations Against Mind-Altering Drugs

Leonardo Pereznieto, who was recently awarded by the International Art Festival in NYC, sensors psychiatric abuse and supports statements given by superstar Tom Cruise.

NY, NY (PRWEB) July 3, 2005 -- Pereznieto, who has won two recent international prizes and who will appear at the Florence Biennale in Italy next, declared in an exclusive interview that Tom Cruise is taking responsibility to create growing public awareness about the national crisis of children and adults being prescribed mind-altering drugs, with his remarks on NBC's Today Show (Friday, June 24). More than 8 million children in the United States now take these drugs; millions more abuse them.

Pereznieto stated: “Psychiatry is indeed a pseudoscience as Mr. Cruise correctly declared in his interview. It can not scientifically prove what they claim with such authoritative terms. In the end even the American Psychiatric Association had to admit it.”

The artist is referring to the explosive admission American Psychiatric Association President Steven Sharfstein did with a 180-degree turnaround from his TODAY show interview (June 27) and admitted that there is no way to test for a "chemical imbalance" as the cause for mental disorders. PEOPLE magazine (July 11), quoted Dr. Sharfstein conceding, "We do not have a clean-cut lab test."

Dr. Sharfstein is not alone. Elliot Valenstein, Ph.D. says, "[T]here are no tests available for assessing the chemical status of a living person's brain."

Ten-year-old Shaina Dunkle collapsed and died from toxic levels of the psychiatric drug she was prescribed. "Shaina looked into my eyes as her life ended and I could do nothing to save her. It's been two years and I relive those last few minutes every day. Believe me, it is a nightmare no parent should ever have to live with, said Mrs. Vicki Dunkle.

At age 7, Matthew Smith was diagnosed with ADHD. His parents were told he needed to take a stimulant to help him focus and that non-compliance could bring criminal charges for neglecting their son's educational and emotional needs. The parents acceded to the pressure and put Matthew on a psychiatric drug and on March 21, 2000, while skateboarding, Matthew suffered a heart attack and died from the effects of the drug. "I cannot go back and change things for us at this point. However, I hope to God my story and information will reach will reach the hearts and minds of many families, so they can make an educated decision," said Mr. Smith.

"It is a monumental injustice to these families," said Filidei. "Psychiatrists must be held accountable for these horrific crimes."

Leonardo Pereznieto explained that since the 1980s, Citizens Commission on Human Rights has exposed the dangers of stimulants prescribed for the psychiatric invention, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). And How for years psychiatry has promoted the notion of a “chemical imbalance” to prescribe psychiatric drugs to over eight million schoolchildren - a $1 billion dollar a year industry - despite the fact that no medical or scientific test has ever validated psychiatry’s theories about chemical imbalances. Medical experts say there is no evidence that ADHD exists as a physical, neurobiological disease and that prescribing cocaine-like stimulants for something that cannot be physically diagnosed is child abuse.

On June 28, 2005, The FDA finally ordered labeling changes to methylphenidate [Ritalin] products, including Concerta to warn that these drugs can cause “psychiatric events.” These are described as “visual hallucinations, suicidal ideation, psychotic behavior, as well as aggression or violent behavior.” (DOW JONES NEWSWIRES)

Thomas Szasz, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus gave testimony: "There is no blood or other biological test to ascertain the presence or absence of a mental illness, as there is for most bodily diseases."

"Since psychiatry is a pseudoscience, it is not surprising that psychiatrists are especially eager to be accepted as scientific experts. Since they obviously cannot bring this about by discovering the causes and cures of mental diseases which—tragically for psychiatrists no less than for patients—do not exist, they have to do it by producing great quantities of gibberish. That is indeed the most constant and most frequent thing psychiatrists do, in speech as well as in print."

Fred Baughman, M.D., pediatric neurologist, Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, and author of the upcoming book The ADHD Fraud—How Psychiatry Makes "Patients" of Normal Children

"Psychiatry has yet to validate a single psychiatric condition/diagnosis as an abnormality/disease, or as anything 'neurological,' 'biological,' 'chemically-imbalanced' or 'genetic.'"
"The fundamental flaw...is that Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have never been proven to be a disease, or anything physical or biological."

"The invention of diseases satisfied medical-economic needs. Additional income for growing numbers of psychologists and psychiatrists is generated.... Presently, child psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors and special educators in and around the U.S. public schools nearly outnumber teachers...."

Pereznieto, who is also a member of the Church of Scientology, concluded: “I hope public awareness on the dangers of psych drugs keeps increasing as this abuse has got to end.”

For further information visit:
www.cchr.com
www.leonardopereznieto.com

###

Phone Etiquette

I normally don't mind too much the idiosyncracies of others. If somebody chews with his mouth open, or picks his nose while driving the car... well, I can put up with those things.

There are a few things that really bug me, however, and one of those things is poor telephone etiquette.

It's up to the parents to teach their children how to answer the phone!

I have been making some phone calls for a volunteer activity lately. And sometimes the conversation will go like this: "Hello?"

"Hi, may I speak with John?"

"Yeah."

Then nothing... no pause while the person answering the phone gets John for a few moments, then a "Hello?" from John... I'm either to assume that THIS is John, or the person is off getting John... for forever.

Or, worse yet...

"Hello?"

"Hi, may I speak with John?"

"Who's this?"

"This is Sue."

"Sue who?"

"Sue Smith."

"Yeah?"

"May I speak with John?"

"What do you want?"

Now -- I'm either to state my business to this person - not knowing whether this is John, or his dad, or the plumber come to work on his kitchen sink, or I'm to hang up.

It's so rude!

And, it leaves me to wonder -- is the person hiding from creditors? Or from somebody else that he doesn't want to speak to? (That's truly what I think must be the case...)

It comes across as very rude and strange, and puts me on the spot. Now, I know that in these days of telemarketers, people get lots of calls they don't want. But making the person at the other end of the line - when you have no idea who they are or why they are calling - uncomfortable, is just plain rude. It's the opposite of good manners.

My mother-in-law is a great example of someone who exhibits good manners all the time. She is very gracious and very considerate. She just may be the most considerate person I know! (How lucky for me as her daughter-in-law!!)

And, in examining what it is about her that makes her such a shining example of this, I realized that it's her consideration of the other person's feelings. She NEVER wants to make another person uncomfortable. She has never stated this - but I can see it in her actions - that to her, the best way to behave is to make sure the other person is COMFORTABLE.

As a result, she is a wonderful person to be around. I strive to emulate her!! (What a testament from a daughter-in-law, too! That I would hope to be more like her!!)

Well - that is my little rant for the day! Here are some good links about manners and consideration of others, AND telephone etiquette:

How do people treat you?


for Receptionists

Granting Beingness