
						       ISSN 1084-5585

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THE CAT CHRONICLE
-----------------
					* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
					*  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  *
					*    November 10, 1995    *
					* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Children's Animated Television (CAT) is a 501-C-3 non-profit
organization that produces educational videos for children and teens
on contemporary social issues such as AIDS, diversity, violence and
GLB teen self esteem. As a public service, CAT provides a BBS, a
weekly newsletter and a Web site for the Family of the Future:
http://www1.usa1.com/~furball/

Through the use of all available technology, CAT's mission is to
become the center for progressive family values, thinking,
philosophy, ethical commerce and education.

* Please note a full color version of this newsletter is
  available on the World Wide Web:
  http://www1.usa1.com/~furball/newslett/newslett.html/

Quote of the Week:

"Grass of intellect not grow
    without water of education..."
 ---Quai Chang Furball <G>

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CAT Currents...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CAT is proud to announce an endorsement from Congressman
Joseph Kennedy of Massachusetts. Please read his endorsement, 
followed by a biography of our newest CAT friend.

A traditional "Hat's off!" to Congressman Kennedy...

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November 2, 1995

Ms. Bessie Hadley
Children's Animated Television
1492 Highland Avenue, Suite 3
Needham, Massachusetts 02192

Dear Ms. Hadley:

I want to thank you for sending me the information about your project
to prevent suicides among our gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth.

By providing this information you are allowing young people, who may
be scared and thinking about doing a most terrible thing, to find
information and support and letting them know they are not alone.

Preventing suicide among our nation's youth is so important. Anything
we can do to help our young people realize their own self-worth is
indeed a noble endeavor and worthy of everyone's support.

Please accept my best wishes and keep up the good work.

Sincerely,

Joseph P. Kennedy II
MEMBER OF CONGRESS

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Biography of Joseph P. Kennedy II

U.S. Representative Joseph P. Kennedy II, elected to Congress in
1986, is currently serving his fifth term from the 8th Congressional
District in Massachusetts.

Congressman Kennedy, the eldest son of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and
Ethel Kennedy, was born on September 24, 1952, in Brighton,
Massachusetts, where he currently resides.

Before beginning his service in Congress, he headed Citizens Energy
Corporation, a non-profit energy assistance company founded in 1979.
Kennedy launched the firm to provide cut-rate heating oil for
low-income residents. Under his guidance, Citizens Energy expanded
its operations to include seven separate companies providing natural
gas, electricity, energy conservation services, and prescription
drugs for low-income people. The companies, annual gross revenues
currently exceed $1.5 billion.

The 8th Congressional District, one of the most diverse in the
country, covers over half the City of Boston, as well as Cambridge,
Somerville, Chelsea, Watertown, and Belmont.

Kennedy won election to Congress after the retirement of House
Speaker Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr., who had represented the 8th District
since Kennedy's uncle, President John F. Kennedy, gave up the seat to
run for the U.S. Senate in 1952. Congressman Kennedy's
great-grandfather, John "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald, a former Mayor of
Boston, represented the 8th Congressional District earlier in the
century.

Committed to looking out for the working people of his district and
the nation as a whole, Congressman Kennedy has worked hard to improve
health care for veterans and older Americans, create affordable
housing and stimulate job growth.

Congressman Kennedy is a member of the House Banking and Financial
Services Committee and serves as the ranking minority member of the
Housing and Community opportunity Subcommittee.

During the 103rd Congress, he served as Chairman of the Subcommittee
on Consumer Credit and Insurance, which passed legislation
strengthening the Community Reinvestment Act, increasing the flow of
capital to small businesses and inner-city communities, and offering
protection to consumers from predatory lending practices.

As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Congressman Kennedy
has fought to improve health care for veterans by restoring budget
cuts to VA hospitals and passing legislation to upgrade the payscale
for VA nurses. He helped to establish a landmark shelter for homeless
veterans in Boston that serves as a national model for providing
social services as well as refuge. He has also sought investigations
of ailments plaguing veterans of the Gulf War.

A lead co-sponsor of the Balanced Budget Amendment, he has authored
legislation to place health warnings on all alcohol advertising,
establish indoor air quality standards, coordinate anti-stalking
efforts from state to state, finance environmental technology
development, and set aside federal transportation funds to construct
bicycle and pedestrian paths.

Other legislative initiatives signed into law include the Community
Housing Partnership Act, the Low-Income Housing Preservation and
Homeownership Act, and the Youthbuild Act.

In the banking arena, Kennedy ushered a landmark bill through
Congress that requires banks to record and disclose information on
home mortgage applicants according to race, gender and income. The
bill has had a significant impact on opening up lines of credit to
low-income and minority communities suffering the ravages of
disinvestment. He has filed similar disclosure legislation for the
insurance industry. He has also been active in efforts to ease the
credit crunch, and has sponsored legislation to make it easier for
consumers to correct mistakes in their credit reports.

As a member of the House Aging Caucus, he has supported increased
health benefits for the elderly, including the provision of
long-term and catastrophic care.

Kennedy's long-time commitment to human rights has taken him to
Northern Ireland, Haiti, Germany and Armenia to speak out against
oppression.

Kennedy, a 1976 graduate of the University of Massachusetts at
Boston, is the father of twin boys, Joseph and Matthew, who were born
in 1980. Kennedy was married to Beth Kelly in 1993.

Parent's Corner...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tip of the Week: Child-proof your kitchen

Accidents CAN happen and this week, I had one in my own kitchen.
Here are a few helpful safety tips for the kitchen to remember:

 * Toddlers can choke on refrigerator magnets! Keep them out of
   the reach of toddlers. (Those colorful letters and numbers are
   not good for your 2 year old to play with!)

 * Unplug countertop appliances when not in use

 * Install latches on all low cabinets and drawers. Think about
   using two different brands at the same time. (My kids can figure 
   out ANY cabinet latch, but they can't seem to do two at the same
   time)

 * Keep sharp knives, dangerous utensils and matches out of reach

 * Turn pot handles INWARD on the stovetop so children can't spill
   the contents. Cook on the back burners as much as possible

 * Keep cleaning substances in locked cabinets

 * Be aware that crawling babies and toddlers can pull a dangling
   tablecloth and spill whatever is on the table to fall onto
   themselves

 * Use outlet caps to prevent children from sticking fingers or
   common kitchen utensils into electrical sockets

 * If your oven has front knobs, remove them when not in use. There
   have been cases where a toddler can turn on the oven and start 
   fires or cause gas explosions 

 * Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. Make sure YOU are
   familiar with it's operation and effective uses

 * NEVER throw water on a grease fire. If a grease fire starts on
   your stove-top, put a lid or cover over it. If inside the oven,
   keep the oven door shut and turn off the oven

 * Do not let children use kitchen appliances until they are
   competent to operate it when it works and when it doesn't work.
   (My 7 year old knew how to use the toaster, but didn't know what 
   to do when the bread got stuck in it and caught on fire!)

 * Do not let children operate the garbage disposal

 * Think about making a special drawer for your child to keep for
   their own use. I gave my 2 year old his own drawer in the kitchen.
   (It currently doubles as his spare toybox and hiding place 
   for the stuff he borrows from the rest of the family). Now he 
   doesn't go into the other drawers or cabinets in the kitchen!

Jeff Sam
Volunteer Child Safety & Parents Coordinator,
Co-Sysop of Dr Furball's BBS and CAT's Co-Webmeister
Internet Address: jsam@usa1.com
Please visit Jeff's Sam's Child Safety and Parenting Web page:
http://www1.usa1.com/~furball/jeffsam/jeffsam.html/

GLB Youth Advisor:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CAT's current video project is on GLB teen self esteem. Our goal
is to help put a stop to the unacceptably high rate of GLB teen
depression and suicide. We also believe there is a direct correlation
between low self esteem and unsafe sex practices. To this aim, as a
public service we present to you the GLB Youth Advisor...

This week I would like to share a press release forwarded to
CAT by the P.E.R.S.O.N. Project...

    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

LAMBDA LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND
PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 8, 1995
Contact: Patricia Logue (312) 759-8110, David Buckel (212) 995-8585

First Federal Appeal Challenging Anti-Gay Violence in Schools

(CHICAGO, November 8, 1995) -- In the first known federal appellate
case challenging anti-gay violence in public schools, Lambda Legal
Defense and Education Fund filed an appeal this week to a ruling by a
Wisconsin federal judge dismissing a lawsuit by a gay student against
his former school. The student, Jamie Nabozny, suffered years of
brutal verbal and physical harassment at the hands of his classmates,
leading him to attempt suicide, to drop out of school, and to be
diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.

"Our public schools cannot shirk their responsibility to protect gay
and lesbian students from violence and harassment -- no teenager
should have to endure abuse to get an education," said Patricia M.
Logue, Managing Attorney at Lambda's Midwest Regional Office, and
counsel to Nabozny. "With the federal government reporting that
one-third of teen suicides are by lesbian and gay youth, it is
imperative that schools show zero tolerance for anti-gay attacks."

Nabozny suffered multiple physical assaults from seventh grade to
eleventh grade in an Ashland, Wisconsin school district. Students
trapped Nabozny in the hallways or the bathroom and beat him,
punching, kicking, and even urinating on him. During one assault,
several boys pinned Nabozny to the floor and acted out sexual acts on
him, with the class looking on. In addition to the beatings, during
the four-year ordeal Nabozny also suffered relentless verbal abuse.

Throughout the years of abuse, Nabozny's parents stood by their gay
son and unsuccessfully attempted to get the school to effectively
discipline the boys who abused Nabozny, but no meaningful discipline
was ever imposed. Instead, school officials scoffed at Nabozny,
telling him that "boys will be boys." Notably, the school has
recognized the need to eliminate harassment based on gender rather
than sexual orientation.

"All students are entitled to a safe learning environment," said
David Buckel, a Lambda Staff Attorney working on the case. "Schools
cannot justify violence against lesbian and gay students with cliches
like 'boys will be boys.'"

Lambda is seeking review by the federal Court of Appeals for the
Seventh Circuit in Chicago. The appeal is from a grant of summary
judgment on October 5, 1995 in the Western District of Wisconsin,
which denied Nabozny an opportunity to take his case to trial. Lambda
was not involved in the district court proceedings.

    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Mike Reddin
Volunteer GLB Youth Advisor
for Children's Animated Television
Internet Address: wxman@pcix.com
Mike has an area on our Web site dedicated to GLB youth:
http://www1.usa1.com/~furball/glb/glb.html/

"The problems faced by GLB youth
    are a national disgrace and tragedy"
 ---Claude DiDomenica

What if???
~~~~~~~~~~
Our President, Claude DiDomenica writes this weekly column to
stimulate the minds of our youth and adults who haven't lost
their "youthful imaginations..."

What if I could only teach ONE thing to children???

As far as I am concerned, the greatest threat to our freedom and
survival as a species is our inability to think for ourselves.
What I would teach kids is critical thinking...

I would start by asking children to look at the world from the macro
"big picture" perspective. I would make them understand that EVERY
action they take has an impact on our society as a whole. I would
tell them that there are people and groups on our planet that wish to
control their hearts, minds and pocketbooks. I would point out that
we are constantly being diverted from addressing our planets critical
problems such as war, the destruction of the rain forest and
overpopulation. I would teach them to be critical of anything they
are exposed to, even from me.

Take for example the dangerous Christian Coalition et al's attempt to
convince congress to censor the Internet under the guise of
"Protecting children from pornography and exploitation." On the
surface, it may seem like a good idea. No one wants children to be
lured into dangerous situations by pedophiles. Few would want their
kids exposed to graphic depiction's of sexual acts...

The problem is the REAL motive has nothing to do with pornography or
children. I would teach young people to ask the following questions
before making up their minds on any issue:

1.) What is the real motive and intent of those involved???

I believe the true motive is to censor all types of freedom of
expression and thought. As we all know, the radical right is heavily
involved in attempting to keep information about sexuality,
particularly sexual orientation, out of the public schools. With the
explosion of the Internet and Web, it will be impossible to keep this
information from kids, UNLESS this information can be challenged as
"offensive" or "obscene." The proposed law would not only regulate
images, but WORDS, and therefor THOUGHTS as well. For example, I could
publish an article on safe sex... A well funded group could go after
CAT and tie us up in court and put us out of business. A conservative
federal prosecutor and jury could put me in jail. After all, the
truth, love and compassion are powerful threats to those who wish to
manipulate us. The "controllers" as I call them, are scared to death
of the Internet. Groups like the Christian Coalition will be defeated
by a free and open exchange of ideas. Surely they realize this!

For the first time in history, an individual or small group like CAT
can publish for almost no money. The Internet is the last bastion of
freedom on our planet. An empowered and educated individual will not
fall for the hate and bigotry of the fundamentalists. We already have
existing laws protecting children from exploitation... Surely they
know this as well...

2.) Do the people involved profit in any way from their actions
    or ideas???

In the case of the radical right, you betcha. It seems easy for them
to beg for money to "protect our children." That's great, except if
you are a GLB youth... Need I say more???

3.) Is the group involved inclusive of all people???

Obviously, Lou Sheldon, a signer of the letter to congress urging
censorship, is NOT inclusive of all people. He and his "Traditional
Values Coalition" have made an industry out of homophobia. Little
does he realize that he is ultimately going to lose his own freedom.
Many people find his position on GLBT people OBSCENE... <G>

It is too easy to join the "Family Values" bandwagon... Many of us
would love to see the return of the stable family... But at what
price??? If you really think about it, the smoke and mirrors are
obvious ONLY if you view the situation critically. This is what
I would teach kids...

The "right" will be defeated only if more groups like CAT focus on
teaching critical thought... The truth will prevail. Taking them on
issues by issue is important, but is only a band-aid approach to an
open and cancerous wound of ignorance, seperatism and bigotry.

Claude DiDomenica <didom@usa1.com>

The CAT Credo...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Children's Animated Television (CAT) believes in a positive future
for all children...

CAT's philosophy is to help solve today's complex social problems
through honest and open dialogue, education, information and
compromise...

CAT will produce video programs for pre-teens and teens to stimulate
their minds, harness their creativity and imaginations to cultivate
long-lasting answers to problems in their world...

As a public service, CAT will also provide educational information
using all available technology including a computer bulletin board,
World Wide Web site and other electronic media. CAT will supply this
knowledge for children, parents and educators to enable our society
to develop ideas and solutions for a better tomorrow...

Claude DiDomenica & Bessie Hadley
Founders of Children's Animated Television
July 15, 1995

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NOTE: The opinions expressed in this newsletter are not
necessarily those of Children's Animated Television. Use any
advice or information at your own risk.

To subscribe to "The CAT Chronicle" via E-Mail:
E-Mail to didom@usa1.com  Subject: Subscribe CAT Chronicle

CAT is a 501-C-3 non-profit organization and all donations
are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Contact Information:
Bessie Hadley
Executive Director
Children's Animated Television, Inc.
1492 Highland Ave, Suite 3
Needham, MA 02192 USA
Voice:            617-449-9699    FAX:  617-449-2238
Dr Furball's BBS: 617-455-8415  node 1  617-433-0026 node 2
Internet:         hadley@usa1.com
Claude DiDomenica
President of CAT and Sysop of Dr Furball's BBS
Internet:         didom@usa1.com
CAT's WEB Home Page!!! http://www1.usa1.com/~furball/

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Copyright 1995 Children's Animated Television, Inc.
	       All Rights Reserved
This newsletter may be freely distributed as long as it remains
intact and this notice is not removed. Please do not post on USENET,
FIDONET, WILDNET etc. without permission of the conference moderator.
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