Parents group is sensitive to interests of all kids

D211 Parents for Privacy (P4P) is an organization of compassionate, caring parents and community members whose only motivation is the protection of children. P4P is not a hate group. It is with great care we wish to set the record straight regarding false statements made Monday in a letter attacking P4P. We have deep empathy for children struggling with their gender identity. We have sincere compassion and concern for all the children growing up in our community.

P4P has not disclosed the name of any child. We understand the need for protecting the children involved. One of our children was the subject of an online attack using his full name, so we are indeed sensitive to parents’ concerns about protecting the identity of minors.

The goal of P4P is to find a balance that prioritizes safety and dignity in private and intimate environments. These environments create vulnerable circumstances for the most fragile of our society. All vulnerable children need to feel safe at school and to have their voices heard when policies are made and practices put into place.

P4P welcomes open, respectful dialog with everyone and has always been careful with words and names. Name calling at the local Board of Education meetings, spreading false information in letters to the editor, and online attacks do not help the community or our children. We must lead by example with an open mind and a big heart. P4P is challenging our school boards to stand up for all vulnerable children. We ask those intent on creating more division in our community to please consider a more productive dialog that finds common ground for all students and moves away from the inaccurate portrayal of good people.

We also ask them to allow the American government to function on behalf of all citizens. Without hate and with compassion for all, we can move toward providing a more loving educational environment for all students. There are reasonable, sensitive, compassionate solutions available that protect the safety, privacy, and dignity of all students.

Vickie Wilson, Spokesperson

D211 Parents for Privacy

Palatine

Illinois is No. 1

I just read in a real estate industry news source that, according to the Allied Van Lines Magnet State Report, in 2016 Illinois reclaimed the title of the state with the most outbound moves, after having been nudged out of the last place spot in 2015. We barely beat out California, which was the No. 2 state for outbound moves and which has three times the population of Illinois. When are Gov. Rauner and the Illinois General Assembly going to stop playing ideological warfare and start getting serious about actual solutions to our state’s fiscal woes? Real people are being caught in the crossfire. Pretty soon, we’ll start seeing those signs on the border: “Will the last one out please turn off the lights?”

Bob Dohn

Schaumburg