Youth Suicide Prevention : A Question of Credibility : Part II

The development of a  “Prevention Industry”

With so much confusing and misleading information over the years  by various self-serving and even  unscrupulous interests, there is surely every likelihood that, instead of preventing  suicides, some such information could actually be fuelling the problem.

In  Part I of this subject (1) I recounted the highly questionable involvement of  homosexual political activists, plus colluding media, in the development of the now-burgeoning youth suicide prevention issue in New Zealand. Also the deceitful pretext upon which such publicly-funded activists originally  managed to infiltrate our schools, purportedly for suicide prevention. This, because utterly unscientific figures “showed” that young homosexuals were supposedly three times more at risk of suicide than young heterosexuals.

I had also quoted from a 1986 warning from Auckland psychiatrist Professor John Werry, that “Suicide prevention programmes do not work…large scale public examination of suicide had much in common with pornography…it used young people for adult gratification.” etc.

By 2003 came similar concerns from Christchurch Psychology Professor David Fergusson. He believed untested social programmes were “dangerous, and a waste of time and money.” He cited controversial anti-suicide campaigns in secondary schools as “Misplaced, because the majority of youth suicides involve 18-24 year olds with significant mental health problems, rather than school children.” (2)

A developing “prevention” bureaucracy

Such concerns as those of Professor Fergusson would surely have been understandable, because by then, as well as homosexual activists, a burgeoning bureaucracy was emerging around the problem of youth suicide, as well as other highly suspect youth-oriented initiatives, such as :-

In 1993 : Family Planning Association’s (FPA) Dr Sue Bagshaw of Christchurch calling for ready access to contraceptives for all high school students. (3). Also, TV1 News reported that Christchurch FPA  was going twice weekly into Papanui High School to give contraceptive advice to children as young as 13, and without parental knowledge or consent. “A pilot scheme” according to FPA’s Sandra Kirby.(4)

By 1999 Dr.Bagshaw was bemoaning the “huge” youth suicide and teen pregnancy rates, and calling for government funds. (5) Two years later, in 2001, as Southern Medical Director for FPA, she was reported discussing NZ adolescents having “extremely high rates of clamydia compared with other countries”. (6)

In 2001 a letter to the NZ Herald editor scoffed at the idea of Cabinet Ministers Marion Hobbs and Laila Harre to set up a youth music radio station “to help prevent youth suicide”. The writer pointed out that today’s  youth music “is dominated by songs encouraging depression. Bands shouting  out how the world is too depressing to live in.”(7)

In 2001 Australian euthanasia activist Dr. Philip Nitschke (“Dr. Death”) was calling for a suicide pill for “emotionally troubled” teenagers. He : “At a certain age you become old enough to understand about death, and if your life is no longer worth  living in your estimation, you have the right to give it away.” (8 – emphasis added)

In 2001 Australia’s Health Policy Unit sponsored the Cotterell Conference on Youth Suicide Prevention, with 33 participants, 18 being from NZ, including Dr. Sue Bagshaw of Christchurch FPA. (9)

In 2001 an advertisement appeared in the homosexual Express newspaper : “Youth suicide worker wanted…sought by Suicide Prevention Information NZ (SPINZ)…to educate people about youth suicide and address the role that sexuality and homophobia [sic] can play in this.” (10)

By 2005 the co-director of SPINZ was Merryn Statham, formerly director of Rainbow Youth.(11). That organization, incidentally, had been described by Aaron Hockly, a Board member in 2000, as being about “Youth saying ‘F--- off! I am who I am!’.”(12) News of Statham’s SPINZ appointment was reported in the NZ Herald. (13)

The NZ Ministry of Youth Development Budget  announcement for 2004/2005 was for the funding of four “suicide prevention” initiatives over the next 1-4 years, one being to expand the SPINZ project  with $M2.8 accross all age groups. Another $60,000.00 over two years was for suicide prevention guidelines for schools. One of many groups so involved was named as Youth Suicide Prevention, and part of it is OUT THERE, a high powered homosexual website initiative www.outthere.org.nz, and youth arm of the NZ AIDS Foundation, in conjunction with Rainbow Youth.. The stated aim : “To improve the wellbeing of Queer youth (sic)….and counter the negative effects of being a minority group” etc.

Working in conjunction with Massey University College of Education, trainee teachers are instructed at, among other things, special “Cultural Safety Workshops for People Working With Young People” (WWYP). As OUT THERE  workshop notes record, “in order to develop true cultural competency those WWYP must begin with an examination of personal values and stereotypes. Unless they are aware of their own bias, they will not be available to another’s point of view….” etc. Also this ominous note from a Workshop Abstract on “Young People, (Queer) Sexualities and the Educator’s Role”: “As educators you are helping to construct the society of tomorrow – your role in this process of social change should not be underestimated.” (Emphasis added)

In 2005 there was a government-funded Northland ANZAC Weekend camp for homosexual youth. Among other organizers named were the NZ Police, the NZ AIDS Foundation and Rainbow Youth.(14)

Also in 2005 “Pamphlets on suicide in four languages…SPINZ is the non-governmental organization providing the resources….co-director Merryn Statham says research found many Pacific communities had little knowledge of suicide prevention..(the information) delves into sexual orientation issues and  suicidal behaviour…the National Pacific Suicide Prevention Group is working with SPINZ.” etc. (15)

Still more bureaucracy

By this year of 2012 a virtual industry has evolved around “suicide prevention”, and a prominent part in this is “fighting bullying”, which includes name calling/teasing etc. of homosexual or heterosexual students. Indeed “fighting bullying” has become a veritable career for many, not only  in NZ but also internationally. So the “prevention” industry has become a veritable Pandora’s Box., as an example the following:-

The homosexual-oriented SPINZ service is administered by the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) as explained by CEO Judi Clements : “Suicide prevention is a core function of the MHF’s work”. Also this : “SPINZ recently appointed a Maori Resource Development Officer….working to design suicide prevention information relevant to  Maori communities” – whatever that means. “We also have partnerships with the national Kia Piki te Ora  network of Maori suicide prevention  coordinators, and other organizations working together  under the government’s NZ Suicide Prevention Strategy 2006-2016 and NZ Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2008-2012.” (16) Some may recall that it was the MHF, of course, which supplied the bogus sex abuse figures for the fraudulent 1988 Telethon publicity campaign.(17)

Then we have homosexual activists such as American “sex advice columnist” and supposed saviour of suicide-prone homosexual youth Dan Savage, with his perverse  and deceitful “It gets better” campaign, and his vilifying of  Christian parents who oppose homosexual activism in schools. Nevertheless, with his “messages of hope” to young homosexuals described  by the Listener as “heartfelt”.(18) 

Conclusion

I see a bitter irony in the current parlous situation : with so many dubious influences, and  with so much confusing and misleading information over the years about suicide prevention,  there is surely every likelihood that, instead of preventing youth suicides, such information and influences could actually be fuelling such a problem.

However, the good news is that a most promising movement is now afoot in NZ, focusing upon youth at risk, and coming from a far more positive, open and grassroots approach than has been the case up to present day. It is CASPER, Community Action on Suicide Prevention Education,  (http://www.casper.org.nz) and I hope to discuss it shortly  in a third part on this subject. The sixty four dollar question is, however, will it ever be possible to dismantle such an unwieldy, costly  and  culturally subversive  system?

References

1.        “Youth Suicide Prevention : A Question of Credibility” Part I on my KiwiCredo blog 9^th September 2012

2.        “Telling Us about Ourselves” by Amanda Cropp, in Canvas, NZ Herald, 7-8^th June 2003.

3.        Radio NZ News 25^th March 1993.

4.        TV1 News 29^th March 1993

5.        Radio NZ News 14^th March 1999.

6.        Radio NZ News 12^th Feb. 2001

7.        Michael Parker of Kingsland, NZ Herald 25-26^th August 2001.

8.        Radio NZ News 11^th August 2001.

9.        Report from the Cottrell Conference website.

10.     Express 30^th August 2001.

11.     Merryn Statham on homosexual radio G & T Show 13^th Sept. 2001, discussing  the new Rainbow House

12.     In “Meet the Rainbow Youth Executive Board members”, Express 31st August 2000.

13.     “South Island Town faces up to Suicide”, NZ Herald 27^th August 2005.

14.     “Supportive Camp on Sexual Identity”, NZ Herald 2^nd April 2005.

15.     North Shore Times, 6^th May 2005.

16.     “Relationships can help prevent Suicide”, North Shore Times, 23^rd August 2012.

17.     Alluded to in my blog “Introduction”, Part I, “Looking Back” 27^th August 2012.

18.     “It’s Getting Better” : Hamish McKenzie, Listener 13^th Nov. 2010, pp 24-26.

Youth Suicide Prevention : A Question of Credibility

Part I   :   Looking Back

The words “youth suicide prevention” have a positive ring to them, yet all is not what it seems with this issue. Some so involved have a quite different agenda from their stated one, such as exploiting the problem for personal or ideological ends.

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The tragedy of youth suicide is a most worrying issue in New Zealand. Moreover, although not widely known,  it is associated with a burgeoning and exploitative bureaucracy, and all in the noble and compassionate name of “suicide prevention”.

I want to discuss the present-day aspect  in a later, Part II,  blog, but first thought a brief historical background would be useful, even vital if one is to appreciate what is really going on with the present day situation.

As long ago as 1986 youth suicide cases in NZ apparently were uncommon, yet emotive newspaper articles on the subject began appearing. This brought a stern response from Auckland Psychiatry Professor John Werry, who warned against “scaremongering….not mentioned is that suicide is uncommon among adolescents”.(1) All to no avail however. So in 1988 he also warned :-

            “Suicide prevention programmes do not work….extreme caution is needed before NZ rushes in to a large-scale  public examination of suicide…(such examination) had much in common with pornography….it used young people for adult gratification..While I  sympathise with do-gooders…I cannot condone the expenditure of public monies….for such purposes except as properly constructed research projects.”(2)

There Professor Werry was  reacting to news that a 1988 Telethon grant of $150,000 had been made to homosexual activist Barry Taylor for his National Youth Council’s new “Mental Health Project”.(3) Although not overtly homosexual at that time, nevertheless he was on record as expressing on homosexual radio a “Utopian dream of a society with no distinction between homosexual and heterosexual.”.(4)

By 1991, despite appearing to have no relevant qualifications, Taylor was employed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs, which was sponsoring a major NZ-wide series of “Youth Suicide Prevention Workshops” for Taylor to run, and much at State expense. This was  justified by vague reports of  “soaring” youth suicide rates in NZ.(5)

With this and much more also in mind, in February 1991, as secretary of Credo Society, I wrote to the (then) Minister of Youth Affairs, expressing concern at this development, where about 30 workshops were planned, and with 1200 professionals to be “trained”, presumably by Taylor. Chief Executive Dr. Jocelyn Quinnell dismissed  our concerns as “a negatively biased approach”.

Yet we were not alone here. On 17^th July 1991 the NZ Herald  reported that the State Services Commission had accused the Ministry of Youth Affairs of “lacking in credibility and accountability” etc. Two days later  came a damning Herald leader, “A Case for Infanticide” :-

            “….neither the Minister (of Youth Affairs, Roger McClay) nor his bureaucracy, has  so far produced convincing evidence that it even has a legitimate role…Mr. McClay should confront the reality of the situation and administer euthanasia to his sole Ministy.”

Four days later the Herald went even further, reporting high spending by Ministry personnel on meals, travel etc.

Molding the “expert” image

Despite such criticism the Ministry remained, as did Taylor, with the costly exercise proceeding all that year of 1991. Also highly supportive news media reports of “soaring” youth suicide figures, and much emphasis on  his supposed status as a youth suicide “expert”. Earlier in the year a highly pretentious story  was headed “Workshops to curb teen suicide rise”.(6) Also a Radio NZ Maggie Barry interview with Taylor about suicide being “on the rise”, “latest suicide boom” etc. and his  implausible theories about likely causes : the nuclear issue, a sense of fatalism from the Gulf War etc. (7)

In another Radio NZ item Geoff Robinson effusively described Taylor as “a national authority”…  “a recognized authority”(8) etc. There was even a five part Radio NZ October series on youth suicide, where Diane Stogre-Power described Taylor as “The country’s foremost authority…probably NZ’s expert on youth suicide” etc.!

Homosexual politics finally revealed

By 1992 Taylor was being lauded in a January homosexual publication Hero 2, where he was described as “a very out gay man, and he’s done a lot for young gay men in NZ in terms of his work in youth suicide prevention.” Also, in an interview there, homosexual lawyer (and now Labour M.P.) Charles Chauvel expanded on this : on how significant and valuable Taylor’s “research” had been to the homosexual political cause.

Chauvel also lobbied there on behalf of the emerging young homosexual activist group Auckland Lesbian Gay Youth ALGY), now known as Rainbow Youth. In rationalising why they should be permitted Lottery Board funding to speak in schools, he offered this highly devious reasoning :-

            “We have a right for our groups to be funded….(and for them) to go around and try and prevent youth suicide among our young people, because at the moment statistics [i.e. only Taylor’s highly unscientific ones] show that young gays and lesbians are three times more likely to kill themselves than young heterosexuals.” etc.

So then it became more clear to me the far-fetched and shaky basis upon which the case had been  made  (a) for ALGY to initially go into schools, and (b) for their “right” to Lottery Board funds to do so.

No wonder they were greatly indebted to Barry Taylor in this matter. No wonder, also, there was such media manipulation to make an issue out of youth suicide in the first place, and then  to make him appear such an authority on it : so that they could get into schools on the  deceitful pretext of suicide prevention!

 The above Part I is based upon excerpts from Credonews 13, dated February 1992, newsletter of the (then) Credo Society,  and edited by me. Next time, Part II : the present situation.

References

1. Letter to editor, Auckland Star 23^rd May 1986
2.     “      “     “    NZ Herald 5^th March 1988
3. NZ Herald 1^st March 1988
4. Access Community Radio Auckland, 18^th June 1989
5. Radio NZ News 20^th February 1991
6. Auckland Star 28^th February 1991
7. Radio NZ News 14^th February 1991
8. 8^th October 1991=

Classroom Politics

Whangarei’s  Pompallier catholic College has created a rumpus for a  recent newsletter article “Keeping Marriage Sacred”. The NZ Secondary Teachers’ Union, the PPTA, is “in discussion” with the Principal and  the school’s Board of Trustees.

So Richard Stanton, Principal of Whangarei’s Pompallier catholic College, is in hot water for his recent newsletter article “Keeping Marriage Sacred” (1), and for the 29^th August  suspension of science teacher Nigel Studdart.. This of course was  at the time of the heated Parliamentary debate about the homosexual “marriage” bill.

Studdart had taken issue with the Principal’s contention that “Gay parents would be lesser parents”. Also, he had supported some students in the wearing of rainbow wristbands as a protest against the Principal’s opposing stance on the issue. (2)

I found this news disturbing but also fascinating, coming as it did only hours after I had read from a lengthy article by Bill Lind, a U.S. specialist on the topic of  Political Correctness, A few sobering but highly relevant quotes :-

            “For the first time in our history, Americans [read New Zealanders] have to be careful of what they say,  of what they write, and of what they think. They have to be afraid of using the wrong word…..a word denounced as offensive, or insensitive, or racist, sexist, or homophobic…..

            “This situation….we call it ‘Political Correctness’ [PC] – it’s deadly serious….it is cultural Marxism – Marxism translated from economic into cultural terms…..

            “Both are totalitarian ideologies….The totalitarian nature of PC is revealed nowhere more clearly than on college campuses, where the student or faculty member who dares to cross any of the lines set up by the gender feminist or the homosexual-rights activists (etc) or any of the other sainted ‘victims’ groups that PC revolves around, quickly find themselves in judicial trouble.

            “In the cultural Marxism of Political Correctness certain groups are good – feminist women (only feminist women, non-feminist women are deemed not to exist), blacks, Hispanics, homosexuals….(they) are  determined to be victims and therefore automatically good, regardless of what any of them do. Similarly, white males are determined automatically to be evil…”(3)

Now back to the Pompallier College controversy. Just as Bill Lind points out in that article,  College Principal Richard Stanton, has committed the grave error of expressing non-politically correct thoughts, and has invited the wrath of various “forces”,  but  perhaps unsurprisingly,  most criticism is simply ineffectual, such as :-

            *College students writing on a Facebook page, and supporting teacher Studdart.

            *Neil Lambess, clearly a local homosexual political activist, who has run “anti-homophobia” workshops….he believes the Principal “was acting on blind faith” etc.

            *The NZ PPTA, represented by Junior Vice President Angela Roberts, quoted thus : “The Union is in discussion with the school and its Board of Trustees” etc and this: “The union hoped the passage of the ‘marriage equality bill’ would go some way towards ending the marginalisation of gay teenagers in schools.” (2)

While such barefaced PPTA politicking for the homosexual cause may surprise some, it really was entirely predictable, given certain facts. Apparently keeping a low profile in this lamentable charade is PPTA President Robin Duff, who has over 30 years experience as a homosexual political activist.

In 1977, as a Christchurch Secondary School teacher,  he helped establish the (then) NZ National Gay Rights Coalition (NGRC) . It helped to distribute to some  Secondary School students a pamphlet “On Being Homosexual”, which even listed eight “advantages” of being homosexual – a far cry from today’s “victimhood” stance.(4)

The pamphlet also contained this attack on marriage, the absolute converse of the present day fanatical  cry for “marriage equality” :-

            “Marriage, apart from restricting your emotional and sexual experience with other people, can also be very destructive for the two people involved.” etc.

Also, back then the NGRC was promoting the message that “you can choose to be gay!” So Robin Duff and the homosexual political movement has  now come full circle, presumably from detesting marriage to demanding it for homosexuals; also from holding that one can choose to be homosexual – that it is even an advantage (over heterosexuality) to holding that one is  always born that way. Thus one can play the “discrimination” card and condition young people who believe themselves to be homosexual into regarding themselves as victims of marginalisation and bullying etc.

No wonder Duff appears to be keeping a low profile on this highly contentious issue, and no wonder the PPTA will want to have Nigel Studdart reinstated at the College. Over recent years the Union  has been led by homosexual political activists, with lesbian Judie Alison preceding Duff, and handling awkward correspondence from people such as myself by simply ignoring it.

In 1999 Alison, Duff and  six others from the Gays, Lesbians Everywhere in Education group – GLEE – set up a “Safe Schools Task Force” which implied in its literature that there was no link between homosexuality and child sex abuse. On 30^th March 2001 I wrote in protest, but despite several letters all were ignored.

So the Pompallier College Principal and Board of Trustees would do well not to allow themselves  to be intimidated by the crusading ideologues of the PPTA.

I wish them well.

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References :-

1. On http://www.pompalliercollege.school.nz/newsletterc.php

2. Northern Advocate. 1^st September 2012. “Suspended teacher secures union    backing.” http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz Also in NZ Daily News, GayNZ.com where the Principal, Richard Stanton, is referred to five times, yet without naming him.

3. Bill Lind : “The Origins of Political Correctness”, in Accuracy in Academia, 5^th Feb. 2000. http://www.academia.org

4. See documentation for this in my blog’s Introduction.

5.  Ditto