THE ELEPHANT IN THE CLASSROOM
by Mary Adkins, M.Ed.
I'm writing in response to a recent television news story
(Turn to 10/NBC News Brian Crandall) about North Kingstown teacher Shelley
McDonald. She is the teacher the
NK School Committee recently voted to fire, supposedly for
insubordination: http://turnto10.com/news/local/north-kingstown-teacher-says-shes-being-fired-because-she-believes-wifi-is-health-hazard
Contrary to the school's position, the fact pattern suggests
(and I'm sure every teacher attending the school committee meeting would
concur) that Ms. McDonald is actually being retaliated against for bringing
concerns about the health hazards of WiFi to the attention of the public.
I am intimately familiar with this issue (and the
retaliation that goes along with speaking out about it) as my own two children
were irreparably harmed after industrial strength wireless networks were
installed in their public charter and public district schools here in Rhode
Island. These installations were
accomplished without parental notification about the class 2b carcinogen
(electromagnetic radiation) being emitted by the WiFi access points and other
wireless devices (laptops, SmartBoards, etc.). Parents were never given the facts about these
installations, and as a result it took a long time to make the connection
between the progression of my children's symptoms and the radiation being
emitted by the wireless devices in their schools. Unfortunately by the time the pieces of the puzzle fit
together, the damage was already done and my kids had developed what I've been
told will be a lifelong, permanent and disabling sensitivity.
Potentially life threatening symptoms can result in a person
who is reactive to wireless radiation, including (but not limited to) an
allergic-like mast cell/histamine response which leads to excessive production
of thick mucus that clogs the airway and digestive tract, interfering with
normal respiratory and digestive functioning. Emerging evidences suggests cardiac effects from the mast cell response as well. The standard, knee-jerk public response
(promulgated by well funded industry spinmasters) include “tin foil hat”
comments and outright ridicule when it is suggested people can be made sick by
wireless radiation. The harsh
reality is that those who are affected—very often children and teachers,
because of their chronic exposure—are experiencing disabling asthmatic-like
episodes, immunological dysfunction, chronic sinusitis,
choking/anaphylaxsis, respiratory
infection, digestive problems, seizures, strokes, heart arrhythmia,
neurological damage and more after exposures of high enough intensity or duration. This is no laughing matter, and it's
not a matter of opinion but a matter of scientific fact, as inconvenient as
this may be for those who are helplessly addicted to their wireless gadgets.
The mast cell/histamine response to electromagnetic radiation
is well documented by Olle Johansson, PhD of the prestigious Karolinska
Institute, which awards the Nobel prize for medicine. Similar mast cell response symptoms have been reported by
parents across the country who claim the onset of their children's respiratory,
digestive, neurological, and/or cardiac problems began after installation of
WiFi networks in their children's schools. Onset of heart arrhythmia upon exposure to 2.45 GHz
radiation (same frequency as WiFi) has been noted by researcher Magda Havas,
PhD of Trent University in her published research, something that should give
parents grave cause for concern considering defibrillators are now a standard
fixture in all our schools.
Having worked for the Department of Defense as a conscientious
servant of the public trust, I grew deeply disturbed as I uncovered more and
more scientific studies disproving the common myth (perpetuated by the schools)
that WiFi is “safe,” research I undertook after my own children became sick. I realized very quickly that school
officials had not done their homework before rolling out this technology in our
schools. Just because something is
popular, convenient, and offered for sale does not mean it is safe—think about
the damage done by Big Tobacco, Lead Paint, Asbestos, and pesticides over the
last century. My personal research
confirmed what scientists worldwide have known for many decades—that the pulse
modulated, radio frequency/microwaves being emitted by these wireless access
points and other wireless devices (including cell phones and wireless utility
AMR and AMI “smart” meters) are not safe at all. These devices are actually, one could argue, emitting the
equivalent of weapons-grade
microwaves, and people are consistently reporting symptoms that would tend to
validate that description.
In the case of WiFi in schools those emissions are
effectively irradiating our children and school staff all day long, whether
wireless devices (laptops, iPads, SmartBoards, etc.) are in use or not because
the wireless access points emit radiation 24/7. And even more absurdly, these devices have been installed
(in the form of wireless routers/access points) literally over the heads of our
children and teachers in the classroom. After my two children were made
irreversibly ill from the radiation produced by the WiFi networks in their
school, I attempted to prevent others from suffering the same fate. I approached our Superintendent, the
School Committee, then-Commissioner of RI Department of Education, Deborah
Gist, as well as the RI Dept. of Health with stacks of research, imploring them
all to take action. ALL of these
individuals/agencies seemingly ignored my concerns, along with the overwhelming
evidence of harm I provided to them.
Instead of taking action they installed more WiFi, and sought out
additional taxpayer dollars to do it.
To the best of my knowledge, not once did any of these
school officials consult with the scientists whose contact information I
provided to them, with the exception of one former school committee member (a
scientist himself) who it appeared recognized the harm that was being done
after reviewing the studies I provided.
He said he would try to “mitigate the damage,” but subsequently lost his
bid for re-election. I was
eventually forced to remove my children from school after officials committed
what one could argue are unlawful acts, namely discriminating against my
children and refusing to accommodate their disability (a disability which one
could argue THEY created) in order that my children could safely access their
education.
Do you suppose this apparent local and statewide systematic
collusion to ignore the “canaries in the coal mine” is due to the fact that
these schools received millions in free federal funds as part of the Race to
the Top and E-Rate programs? Not
to mention all the local and state funds that were sought in support of the
Wireless Classroom Initiative, even though the fact pattern suggests that by
this time local school officials and former RIDE Commissioner Deborah Gist were
all well aware that the “canaries” were starting to fall. Why would any responsible public
official add more WiFi when children were already getting sick and there were
decades of research to substantiate the harm being done by this technology?
One could argue it was because school officials didn't want
to turn away those free funds, nor did they want to admit that they may have
been negligent in installing this technology in the first place. You see, many of these same officials
have received lucrative bonuses, promotions, and career accolades for building
up these “state-of-the-art” wireless networks. Most have built their career legacies on the premise that
wireless technology is “necessary” and “safe” (neither of which are true, based
on what I've learned). So while technology certainly has its place at school,
WiFi is simply a MEANS of access—it is NOT a necessity.
That access can be achieved safely, readily, and much more
inexpensively via hardwired computer connections that were already in place and
have been successfully used for many years. Yet the “modus operandi” amongst school officials seems to
be denial of the harm (is this to avoid liability?) as well as perpetuation of
the telecom-promoted myth that WiFi
is necessary and children can't be educated without it. Was this done to justify spending
taxpayer dollars for something our kids don't actually need, while reaping the
personal financial benefits that resulted from moving forward with these
wireless initiatives? One also has
to ask: Did RIDOH help perpetuate
this fraud because they mistakenly turned a blind eye during a pivotal moment
when the harm was brought to their attention and something could have/should
have been done? Or does RIDOH
really know better than all the top scientists in this field? Which ones did they consult? I'm guessing it was none of them, which
might explain why I've seen no signed affidavit from RIDOH to date that
confirms the unequivocal safety of WiFi.
This denial on the part of school and state officials is
happening all over the country as children and teachers continue to report they
are getting sick from WiFi. See
Child G vs. Fay School in Massachusetts, which will be headed to trial in
August: https://scoopfeeddotnet.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/complaint-childg-v-fay-filed.pdf
Electromagnetic hypersensitivity is obviously a growing,
nationwide problem, as evidenced by the huge numbers of organizations that have
sprung up in support of people who are suffering, as well as a special forum
recently held by our own RI Governor's Commission on Disabilities this past
August.
The RIGCD forum was specifically scheduled to accommodate
and hear the concerns of the growing numbers of people who have become disabled
by their exposure to wireless devices (many of them unknowingly exposed in the
workplace, like NK teacher Ms. McDonald).
People are becoming sick because most employers (particularly schools)
have NOT duly informed employees that WiFi networks emit potentially hazardous
levels of electromagnetic radiation, a notification that seems to be required
by law under the RI Hazardous Substances Right-to-Know Act (see R.I.G.L.
§28-21-2(13). When brought to the
attention of the RI Dept. of Labor, however (by myself), nothing was done. In the meantime I've watched Ms.
McDonald and countless children and teachers develop symptoms of
electrosensitivity.
Radiation generated by wireless devices is a class 2b
carcinogen, designated as such by the International Agency for Research on
Cancer (IARC). By the same token,
parents are not being informed of the toxic school environment that their
children are being subjected to
every day either, so they don't make the connection between their children's
symptoms and the exposure to WiFi.
See dosimeter results from a child's typical school day here and learn
about what kinds of symptoms can result from exposure: http://safetechforschoolsmaryland.blogspot.com/2015/12/122015-lawsuit-headed-to-trial-for.html
Who exactly is going to foot the bill for the incalculable
damage that is being done? I can
assure you it won't be the schools' insurance companies, as they will not cover
injuries caused by wireless electromagnetic radiation. No, it will be the
taxpayer who gets left holding the bag—taxpayers like you and me:
For the past six years, the fact pattern suggests there is a
systematic coverup taking place at a local and state level. This coverup is being perpetrated by
both local and state officials on the issue of WiFi in schools, not just in
North Kingstown but throughout the state and across the country. The public trust is being egregiously
violated as the equivalent of a slow-motion genocide is carried out in plain
sight, all under the guise of wanting to provide your child with a “21st
Century education.” Unfortunately
that “21st Century education” comes at a very steep price for our
children and teachers, one that is frankly not worth dying for.
“Alarming” rates of chronic absenteeism at the high school
have been reported in my local paper, and I'm aware there are growing numbers
of children being forced into home based instruction and/or dis enrolling
(attending home school or private school) due to illness and/or inability to
function in the school environment.
Rates of ADHD, learning disabilities, and autism spectrum disorders are
skyrocketing. I receive numerous
reports from other parents, as well as my children's friends (who are still in
school), that large numbers of students are suffering from headaches/migraines,
cognitive deficits, attention difficulties, heart arrhythmia, nausea,
dizziness, respiratory symptoms, digestive problems, fatigue, and more in our
schools—all are symptoms consistent with microwave
sickness/electrosensitivity. The
same symptom pattern is being reported by teachers, such as Ms. McDonald.
Along with growing reports of sick children, five
teachers/staff members have died in my local high school since I first brought
my concerns about WiFi to my local school district here in South
Kingstown. I want to know why
these teachers are dying, and why my tax dollars are being used to support a
technology that scientists worldwide claim is not safe. One of those teachers was my neighbor
(a 35 year old mother of three).
She relayed to me a long list of her symptoms that I clearly recognized
to be consistent with microwave sickness, but by that time she already had
cancer. She explained she had been
an amazingly healthy woman—that is, until the day she walked into the door of
our local school for her first teaching job, when all her symptoms began. She is dead now, and her children are
without a mother. And though many
have (and will) repeatedly chastise me for bringing up these dead teachers, I
would argue that they deserve a voice as they are no longer here to speak for
themselves. And in my mind, their
deaths are unacceptable and tragic, particularly in light of the data I
delivered on a silver platter to my local school officials. Data that I could argue my public
school district failed to act on.
There is a public health crisis in the making, and while
school officials ignore the obvious and stick their heads in the sand, the
telecom companies continue to reap record profits off the backs of our children
and teachers, and (one could argue) causing permanent damage in the process. Our kids and school staff are being
irradiated with a class 2b carcinogen for 6-8 hours per day—such an assault on
the human body is not without consequence. Electromagnetic radiation is pumping out of those
industrial-strength access points co-located throughout the school, along with
multiple wireless devices (laptops, iPads, etc.), all transmitting
simultaneously. Interestingly
though, I doubt you'll see one of those access points installed over the heads
of school officials inside THEIR offices. No, instead those access points are
in the classrooms, hallways, libraries, gymnasiums, and cafeterias—places where
children and teachers congregate and thus they bear the brunt of the
exposure.
It's my opinion these access points are configured,
installed, and operated in a manner that is not consistent with applicable
safety guidelines (guidelines which were never biologically based in the first
place). Scientists worldwide
agree, as does the American Academy of Environmental Medicine and the American
Academy of Pediatrics. I state my
viewpoint as an educated, intelligent person who has taken the time to do
thousands of hours of personal research on behalf of my children—without any
conflicts of interest. I come to
my conclusions in light of my professional background, having worked for DoD in
a capacity where I became accustomed to documenting how people bend the rules
and/or look the other way, taking shortcuts that could end up costing people
their lives. I state my opinion
(backed up by scientific fact) as a mother who has watched her children suffer
needlessly because people didn't take the time to do their jobs properly, and I
am understandably angry. And rest
assured, I and the Shelley McDonalds of the world are NOT going away.
Current safety guidelines are irrelevant because they are
not biologically based. Read that
statement again, because it couldn't be more clear. Additionally, there is a blatant ERROR in those guidelines
(namely, the omission of the fact that every human cellular process is
controlled by electrical fields).
This omission/error in current standards has been identified repeatedly
in the public domain, but public officials are failing to act despite
this. To make it
simple...people--namely, IT/engineer types without the proper, multidisciplinary
training which includes biological expertise--neglected to understand that
human cells are actually controlled via exquisitely sensitive electrical
fields. And yet those same people
who lacked the necessary skills/training developed guidelines for the rest of
us pertaining to human safety, without taking those human electrical fields
into consideration. Dr. Martin
Pall perhaps explains best what happens biologically upon exposure to wireless
radiation:
Omitting this key parameter—neglecting to consider the
electrical fields generated by every cell in the human body and how microwaves
affect those fields—renders it impossible to establish unequivocally “safe”
levels, especially in chronic exposure situations. The result is safety guidelines that are deeply flawed and
protect NO ONE, least of all our children and teachers who are sitting in this
toxic microwave soup all day long.
Those same IT/engineering types at our local schools (who also lack
expertise in the biological sciences) have blindly relied on those inadequate
guidelines (developed by their own kind) to proclaim it therefore “safe” to
irradiate your child for 6-8 hours per day, 180 days per year! Is there
anything more absurd than this?
Yes, sadly there is: The endorsement of their actions by our local
Superintendents, School Committees, RIDE, and RIDOH—all of whom are also
lacking in the appropriate multidisciplinary expertise, but yet don't bother to
pick up the phone to consult with world-renowned experts who DO have the
necessary training and decades of experience.
Despite Ms. McDonald, myself, and many other parents
bringing all of this information to the attention of school and state
officials, there has been a systematic denial of the overwhelming evidence of
harm. Stacks of scientific studies
(thousands of them) have been dismissed outright. School medical consultants with no expertise in the
biological effects of radiation are doing (what the fact pattern suggests) is
the equivalent of a 5 minute google search in order to back up their employers'
(the schools') claims that WiFi is safe for our children, all the while
ignoring mountains of decades-old as well as current research to the contrary,
as well as the insistence of scientists worldwide that we are in the midst of a
public health crisis like none we've ever seen: https://www.emfscientist.org/
Even SwissCom, one of Europe's biggest telecom providers,
admits in their own patent application that WiFi (as currently designed) is not
safe: http://stopsmartmeters.org.uk/major-phone-firm-patent-admits-non-thermal-exposures-to-wireless-radiation-is-genotoxic-causes-clear-damage-to-hereditary-material/
There is an elephant in the classroom, and it doesn't take a
rocket scientist to realize that school officials are playing Russian Roulette
with our children's lives. Now
they're railroading Ms. McDonald out of a job, too, simply for having the guts
to stand up and bring attention to their negligence. It's time for everyone involved to be held accountable and
to stop attacking the canaries, who are, quite frankly, already suffering
enough.
When this kind of collusion/coverup occurs within the ranks
of the Department of Defense, heads historically roll and the people
responsible are rightfully convicted of crimes and sent to jail. This is exactly where, in my opinion,
those who are responsible for perpetrating this terrible fraud upon the public
trust and these crimes upon our children belong—in jail. Every single last one of them,
including the seemingly unethical legal professionals who stood by and did nothing,
encouraging school officials to move forward with installing this technology
despite the mounting evidence of harm.
There is no excuse for the inaction of our public officials on this
issue. History will vindicate Ms.
McDonald, as well as the rest of us who stood up all along for the welfare of
our children and teachers.
Sincerely,
Mary Adkins, M.Ed.
Rhode Island Regional Director
Citizens for Safe Technology
(Former Configuration
Manager, Mark 48 Advanced Capability Torpedo Program, Dept. of Defense/NUWC)
[posted here with the author's permission]
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