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PiscesDiscriminating Against Recovered Addicts Is Just Wrong!
Jennifer Ginsberg: Six years ago, Jessica Gianfrocco was convicted of heroin possession. She served her time and has been on the straight and narrow ever since. Because she failed a routine background check, however, she has now been banned from volunteering at her daughter's elementary school. She has enlisted the support of the ACLU and is suing the Cranston, Rhode Island, school department for discrimination.
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“She probably has an amazing story about her road to recovery”
I prefer the stories and role models like my own - a woman who grew up dirt poor and chose NOT to use drugs and better herself and put herself through college and not commit crimes. Those are the stories I want my children to hear. Those stories about strong people who strive to do better - not those who do drugs, commit crimes and then want everyone to praise them for finally behaving themselves like they should have in the first place.
It’s really great that some people make it through hard times and situations in life and never use drugs and drink. But for those who do make those bad decisions it is really great to hear a story about how they recovered and have been able to do great things since they have been clean and sober. I totally disagree with some of you and I think all parents and childeren would benifit from hearing more stories about how people can over come addiction and become great people who enjoy and want to spend their free time with their kids. Gives those who are still fighting addiction hope! Sure this woman made a bad decision but surly none of us can say that we never made a single bad decision. And personally I don’t want my childeren growing up to think that just because they do make a bad decision they can’t get back on track! When my two daughters who are now 3 years old and 5 months old get old enough to understand I will explain to them all about thier fathers battle with drugs and alcohol and how he got clean and sober! I will also teach my childeren to understand that just because you make a bad decision doesn’t mean youre a bad person.
Usually I don’t article on blogs, but I want to say that this article extremely forced me to complete so! Thanks, really nice article.
To Leah, When a person is a true addict the drugs no longer make them high, they take them to get through the day without life threatening withdrawls. Its no longer a choice but a must. Of course if they knew the drug would do that to them they wouldn’t have ever started in the first place. Addiction doesn’t care what colour you are or how much money you have.
“It’s no longer a choise but a must”
Nope - it was a choice in the first place - there is absolutely no argument against it. Additionally it IS there choice to continue using just as it would be their choice to quit, go to rehab, etc.
“Of course if they knew the drug would do that to them they wouldn’t have ever stated in the first place”
Once again, wrong. EVERYONE know what drugs will do to you - they just CHOOSE to try them any way.
I have been volunteering at my daughters school for the past 2 years.My criminal check has come back fine. Now, I just received a letter that I am denied for what I did in my college years….mind you no drugs, weapons. Nope, a fake Id back when I was 16 1992 trying to obtain alcohol. Loud ordinance ticket when I was 17 1993 at a house I lived in college. Speeding ticket at age 21 - year 1996. I guess there won’t be hardly any volunteers in N.C. public school system since they are going to deny great community people with speeding tickets and fake Ids from 14 years ago. I though we are trying to make a change in the school system, not destroy it by denying great parents who want to better their children education. I guess I will have to resign PTA, no more field trips and tell the teachers I will not be volunteering because the state thinks I am a threat for bad college judgment 14 years ago. Once again, no drugs, no arrests.
Background checks are a wonderful tool and they serve their purpose. Sometimes those in charge get tunnel vision and overlook what’s right in front of them. The town I live in resembles a cross between a Norman Rockwell painting and an LL Bean catalog. Every morning you see the mommies with their perfect hair and make-up standing outside the school holding their coffee mugs waving goodbye to their kids. Those same mommies can be seen on the weekends drinking themselves sick and doing more drugs than you would expect to see in a dive bar. People just don’t expect it because of the area. These are the same people who volunteer in the classrooms and chaperone dance class, field trips, etc. They are able to pass a background test because they’ve never been arrested for anything.
I think the key point here is that this woman is a FORMER addict. She has been clean and sober for six years. Her crime was a non-violent one, and should have no impact on her ability to volunteer (as would, for example, someone who had committed a crime like embezzlement). By refusing her the chance to help out, the school is sending the message that no matter how hard you try to clean up your act, you’ll continue to be punished for the mistakes of your past. Great thing to teach our kids.
I am a 50 yr old mom who was diagoised with cancer2004, the drput me on narcotics for my severe pain that was caused by the dr via surgery (nerves etc).I have been on the narcotics for 7years and I am physically addicted, the dr said I will neverget off them. Problem, I made a so called friend who worked at a new chool district,(2004) she told the whole school I was ignored for everything I asked to do in the way of volunteering, I was so discriminated , everybody scattered-WORSE, My son is bullied made no friends in the past three years, what hypocrires to take it out on an 8 yr old child. But now it seems they are not going to get away with this now more!
YOU GO GIRL! REOVERING MYSELF.
I just came across this blog I was I am getting a 404 page not found when trying to access other posts I hope it gets fixed. Thanks
Thanks for some quality points there. I am kind of new to online , so I printed this off to put in my file, any better way to go about keeping track of it then printing?
It is difficult to make a man miserable while he feels worthy of himself and claims kindred to the great God who made him.
I have been searching the google for such info and just wanted to say thanks to you for the post. BTW, just off topic, where can i download a version of this theme? – 10x
I cannot believe some of these comments. Leah and Anna.. i wish I never took the time to read them because its sad theres so many people that can think like you.If you havnt been there then you have no idea whats its like. You really need to educate yourself on addiction.. Go sit in an AA or NA meeting, it would be really good for you, you will meet some the nicest and most caring people you ever will in your life. You are the kind of people that just make people suffering feel worse then they already do. Good luck educating your children when you find out they are experiencing with drugs because I highly doubt they will be interested in listening to your views on it. Recovered addicts should be educating kids in schools everyday, they will listen to someone who has gone through it and dosnt want to go back. Nobody chooses to be a drug addict, most start at a really young age because other kids are doing it and then they realise they can escapse their problems in life, maybe this person lost a parent at a young age and seen no point to life anymore, or got presribed opiates (painkillers) after an accident and became dependant on them, heroin and the pills the doctors are prescribing are all the same thing. You should take 10 seconds and have a look at yourself, try working on being a better person like Jennifer is doing.
you people making the ridiculous comments should lock your kids inside if you dont want them around a person like her. Most people you see in a day are recovering addicts and you would never know. Just recently a school teacher in my town was found in the school parking lot passed out in his car with a needle in his arm and bottles of pills..so hide ur kids!! haha
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Rita - I don’t lock my children away, I just don’t tell them it’s okay or acceptable to drink/drug. I am not “naive” and know that of course they will encounter these things and we have had an open conversation about sex/drugs/drinking since they were toddlers.
And BTW smoking pot when you were younger doesn’t make you a great mom. I have more respect to the people who stood by their beliefs and didn’t partake.
This case is about a felon who wants the rules bent for her. It is about a person who made the choice to use heroin which is just insane in the first place. That type of person is NOT who I would use a role model for my children.