Fun for the family: FEMA coloring book includes WTC attacks

[seemslikeadream]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/04/29/2009-04-29_fema_pulls_a_scary_thing_happened_kids_coloring_book_which_depicts_911_scene_of_.html
FEMA pulls 'A Scary Thing Happened' kids coloring book which depicts Sept. 11 scene of WTC burning

[SidDithers]

1. Around kids, we should just pretend it never happened?...

Or would you prefer real pictures, like The Falling Man, be used to educate young children?

Sid

[seemslikeadream]

2. "I feel like it was happening in the world and kids saw it," she said. "It is life."

sorry sweetie the kids using that coloring book weren't even born yet

[SidDithers]

3. And you didn't learn about anything that happened before you were born?...

soory, toots, that event was a part of history, and history is taught to kids in many ways.

Sid

[seemslikeadream]

6. Would you give a 5 year old child a coloring book with scenes of the Holocaust

to teach them about Hitler?


"that event was a part of history, and history is taught to kids in many ways."

[SidDithers]

12. I repeat, History is taught to kids in many ways...

my son has brought home graphic novels about WWII. (Graphic novels, as in comic books, not as in novels that are graphic in their depiction of violence) He's 8. It's an age appropriate way for kids to learn.

It might not be appropriate to introduce some topics, like the Holocaust, to kids at age 5. But some kids are exposed to some difficult topics at an early age, and it's good to have age appropriate tools to help answer their questions.

Weren't you the one promoting the idea that "information is good" with your swine flu spamming of GD just a few days ago? Well, information is good for kids too, when it's presented in an age appropriate manner.

Oh, and now I invoke Godwin.

Sid

[seemslikeadream]

19. So whatever! Tragedy is cute!

http://wonkette.com/408182/fema-censors-weird-911-coloring-book-for-kids
For god knows how many years, the evil shadow government FEMA had this weird terror-coloring booklet, for kids, available as a fun PDF download. Then, due to …. hmm, body bags? Domestic concentration camps? Formaldehyde trailers? Black Oil? Bees? Let’s say bees ….

Due to the bees, FEMA has now censored itself and the whimsical coloring book of 9/11 plus the dreaded “laptop tornado” can no longer be downloaded, unless you go to the Smoking Gun website, and download it there, NEVAH FORGET.


The plague:

Ring around the rosy
A pocketful of posies
“Ashes, Ashes”
We all fall down!

Spanish Flu:

I had a little bird
Its name was Enza
I opened the window
And in-flu-enza

So whatever! Tragedy is cute!

[SidDithers]

26. Look at all these kids who found comfort...

by expressing their feelings about disaster through colouring.

http://www.fema.gov/kids/k2k_sch1.htm

Your fucking insensitivity and mocking of these kids is noted, slad.

Sid

[seemslikeadream]

27. I don't see the burning towers comments

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LARED]

4. FEMA coloring books? -

Don't they have something better to do?

[greyl]

8. The book was created during the Bush admin, for what it's worth.

Removed during the current admin.

[seemslikeadream]

23. Once again, heckuva job, Brownie.

But some therapists warn that it's best to let the kids pick the images—because thrusting a graphic image of traumatic events "like the 9/11 attacks could spark anxiety in adults, let alone in young children."
http://www.theweek.com/article/index/95976/FEMAs_911_coloring_book

[LARED]

33. Back to incoherent posts?

What does this have to do with my comment that perhaps FEMA could spend it's time better if it wasn't creating coloring books.

[SidDithers]

34. To clarify...

the colouring book was created by the Freeborn County (MN) Crisis Response Team, as a resource to help kids cope with disasters, including a tornado that had touched down shortly before. A .pdf version of it was hosted on the FEMA site. FEMA didn't create the book.

Cheers.

Sid

[LARED]

36. Ok, I knew that, but FEMA is still in the coloring book business

I just happen to think they have better things to do.

But this is hardly an issue I'm going to lose sleep over either.

[bottomtheweaver]

7. Terrorizing children, yeah.

Way to go bushlers. And I don't think this is some kind of SNAFU. I think terrorizing children is part of the plan, and has been for years.

[achtung_circus]

10. You ARE a piece of work

go right here

look at the entire book and tell us that this is about terrorizing children.

[SidDithers]

14. Thanks for posting the link to the actual colouring book...

It seems like an entirely appropriate tool for helping kids cope with disasters. Perhaps the OP should have taken the time to check the original source material, instead of parroting a sensational story from the NY Daily News.

Sid

[achtung_circus]

15. You're welcome Sid.

woulda, coulda, shoulda...

check sources??? OP?? :rofl:

:banghead:

[seemslikeadream]

16. It is true they pulled the picture You want better sources?

http://www.startribune.com/local/south/44005837.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUJ


http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/04/30/fema-removes-911-coloring-book-for-children-from-website/
If that letter came from Brownie, she might just want to move on…

Blogosphere

Not everyone agrees with the decision to pull it down.

The conservative PowerLine blog sees this as a troubling trend.

“It isn’t hard to see where this is going. It started with the television networks imposing de facto censorship on all footage of the September 11 attacks. The pace of revisionism is accelerating as Obama’s executive branch reviews everything produced by “the previous administration.” Eventually the only public legacy of the September 11 attacks will be photos of American soldiers brutalizing detainees.”

But a blogger on the conservative Lew Rockwell website says the government is too “obsessed” with 9/11.




http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/news/ParentsUpsetOverFEMAColoringBook

"They like to color happy pictures not pictures like that I don't think I would like to give my child these kids of pictures to color," said parent Brandy Greer.

Another parent, who was from New York, couldn't believe the scene was in something intended for such young minds. She said she thinks the picture might actually scare a child, since most might now understand the horror of 9/11.

"I think there could be better solutions, for a small child that's coloring. How would they color that to be honest? That's not something I'd put in a coloring book," she said.

She said if you feel your kids need to know about what happened the best way she can think of is how she handled it when 9/11 happened right in her backyard, "To talk to them, that's the best way to talk to them."

Just recently, the National FEMA site took the coloring book down. There are others that don't include anything with 9/11 still on the site.

FEMA officials released this statement:

"We removed the content from our website after reviewing www.FEMA.gov for appropriate material. FEMA for kids assists children in understanding disasters and we will continue to post appropriate material that supports its mission," said John Shea with FEMA.

[Bolo Boffin]

20. "To talk to them, that's the best way, to talk to them."

But that's what the coloring book says for a child to do, to talk to a grownup about how they feel.

This is gotcha journalism from Fox News. Thanks, SLAD, for bringing this tacky news report to our attention.

[Grateful for Hope]

38. This quote

from the 2nd article:

Now, from the same guys that brought you the Katrina rescue effort….. comes the 9/11 coloring book.

pretty much says it all about this coloring book, IMO.

[Bolo Boffin]

39. What did a 68-year-old grandmother of 10 have to do with the Katrina response? n/t

[Grateful for Hope]

40. Fortunately

the Obama Administration appears to be questioning FEMA-related decisions made under Bush (and, Browne). The author of the coloring book is irrelevant.

[Bolo Boffin]

41. The coloring book came from the grandmother and the response team she's associated with.

When you think that the statement "From the same team that brought us the Katrina response" says everything that needs to be said about this, then you are dealing with where the coloring book came from. It came from the grandmother. Now you say where the coloring book came from is irrelevant.

Make up your mind.

[Grateful for Hope]

42. Correction

What I should have said is, "The characteristics of the author of the coloring book are irrelevant".

I stand corrected.

[Bolo Boffin]

43. But how did the author of the coloring book bring us the Katrina response?

You have yet to explain this.

[Grateful for Hope]

44. Bolo

I was quoting from an article that was posted. You would know this is if you read the article. Take your questions up with the author of the article.

I happen to agree that an agency that obviously has made very bad decisions in the past is fully capable of current and future bad decisions when no change is made in upper management. This is particularly true when the agency is under the control of an idiot like "heckuva job" as it was when the Katrina response was made, and the decision to use this coloring book was made.

Ultimately, it is the FEMA head who is responsible, and, again, the characteristics of the author of the coloring book are irrelevant.

[Bolo Boffin]

45. Translation:"I will hate on who I want regardless of the actual facts of the situation."

Got it. Understand. Continue on.

[Grateful for Hope]

46. Obviously the Obama administration also disagrees with you

I guess they are also "hating on who I want regardless of the actual facts of the situation".

But, please do carry on.

[snooper2]

47. You were quoting and commenting...

"Now, from the same guys that brought you the Katrina rescue effort….. comes the 9/11 coloring book."
THE QUOTE


"pretty much says it all about this coloring book, IMO."
YOUR COMMENT



That pretty much says it all
"SNOOPER2 "COMMENT"" :rofl:

[seemslikeadream]

17. Hey Sid I hear they are going to replace that page with bloated drowned bodies from Katrenia

floating face down of course

OMG I forgot the sarcasm thingy :sarcasm:

[Bolo Boffin]

18. Your information is inaccurate.

Your projection is as ill-met as always.

[SidDithers]

24. How did you help your kids deal with tragedy, slad?...

These books are not intended as an introduction to bad events, but to help young kids who've gone through disasters cope with their feelings about them.

Sid

[seemslikeadream]

31. When you witness your 14 month old grandchild die in his mothers arms

get back to me, I watched my father take his last breath and my mother also, I've had more tragedy in my life than you will ever know and yes I had to deal with explanations and never once did I stick a coloring book in their faces, hand them some crayons. NEVER crossed my mind

[Bolo Boffin]

9. A 68-year-old grandmother and Red Cross volunteer drew the pictures.

It was concieved after a tornado touched down. It was used for children who had just survived disasters.

And now it's got a guest starring role in the evil fantasies of conspiracy theorists.

[Orrex]

11. Sesame Street featured a segment about 9/11

Big Bird's nest was destroyed, and Gordon tried to comfort him afterwards. Big Bird tried to understand why people would do such a thing, and Gordon admitted that he didn't know.

I'm not kidding--it was actually a rather powerful segment.


A child old enough to ask a question about an event is old enough to deserve a respectful response, especially if the question is a way for the child to articulate her fears.

[SidDithers]

13. Agreed...

Bad things happen to kids too, and they need age appropriate tools to help them understand and cope in these situations.

Sid

[seemslikeadream]

22. See kids, this is what happens if you don’t stay within the lines.

http://wonkette.com/408182/fema-censors-weird-911-coloring-book-for-kids

[seemslikeadream]

21. If you color the Katrina victims white, a rescue copter appears.

http://wonkette.com/408182/fema-censors-weird-911-coloring-book-for-kids

[SidDithers]

25. Well, that's kinda racist, isn't it?...nt

Sid

[Bolo Boffin]

29. A disaster relief organization had a coloring book for kids to help them cope with disaster

and it had a picture of a famous disaster in it.

What's the big deal?

[SidDithers]

28. FEMA's 9/11 Coloring Book Aims to Teach Kids About Tragedy...

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Story?id=7462652&page=1

Marla Brassard, an associate professor of psychology and education at the Teacher's College at Columbia University in New York, said that she saw nothing wrong with the images depicted in "A Scary Thing Happened."

"Kids who have been through a hurricane or a terrorist event or a car wreck are going to have seen much worse than what they're coloring in the book," said Brassard.

"I certainly don't think this will be frightening to kids," said Brassard. "That's a false worry."

<snip>

Olmsted added she hopes FEMA decides to re-post the children's book.

"I believe it's an excellent recourse if used properly with children and I would still argue that it's a useful tool with kids who have been traumatized," she said.

But, due to ignorant, knee-jerk reactions like yours in the OP, a "useful tool" has been taken away. You're way, way over the line on this one, slad.

Sid

Edit: fixed link to Page 1 instead of Page 2 of story

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[seemslikeadream]

32. FEMA removes 9/11 coloring book for children from THEIR website

Rh

[vincent_vega_lives]

35. I guess you won huh? (n/t)

[BeFree]

37. I love it!!

And I love you too, Seems like a dream. You are a real treasure!

Some one pinch me,
seems like I'm dreaming.
But I know it to be,
'cuz I am alive and I am living.