There are too many letters for one blog post now.
I've moved them here
Keep them coming. It's time to fight back.
*Update*
I've emailed the two Kent newspapers that ran the story and asked for their comments about the reaction. Heres hoping.....
Medway Messenger
Sarah Clarke. Senior News Editor
sclarke@thekmgroup.co.uk
This Is Kent
Christine Raynor. Editor
christine.rayner@krmmedia.co.uk
33 Comments:
Just a note to say that despite the sanctioning by local law enforcement, the activities of some of your students - i.e. the 'ciggy busters' lot - is illegal. Any argument about public health is quite frankly asinine when you consider that these students are encouraged to harass, rob and assault innocent, law abiding individuals indulging themselves in a habit that, whatever these self-righteous students may think, is still legal!
This stunt is nothing more or less than a fascist rally; whipping up excitement and emotion and curtailing the freedom of citizens. You are encouraging bullying, segregation and close-mindedness. I thought institutions such as yours were supposed to create individuals who were critical in the search for knowledge, not merely vessels to lap up the personal crusade of an individual and attack people in the street!
Yours in deep disgust,
Hmm, could've been worded better I guess but that's what happens when you go off on one at work. . . gets the job done though, I suppose
Dear Ms. Gramegna
I understand the "Ciggy Busters" video stunt was an idea incepted by yourself.
Does manipulating impressionable teenagers into the theft of a perfectly legal product, and - what is near enough the assault of law abiding members of society - seem at all reasonable to you? Bearing in mind, that £10 million per annum is collected in duty on cigarettes, yet only £2.7 million is spent by the NHS on treating smoking-related illnesses, I'd suggest that perhaps, smoking is not such a bad thing for wider society. Be very, very careful what you wish for.
So, seeing as you're so keen to eradicate any choices but the ones you approve of, how would you feel if say, someone who didn't like Islam decided to approach a woman wearing a Niqab in the street, remove that Niqab, and claim to be doing great works for physical and mental wellbeing, on the offchance that the woman is forced into wearing a Niqab? I suggest you wouldn't be so keen at at all, Ms. Gremagna...
I would like you to confirm that nobody who wasn't a plant was harrassed or stolen from in this video. I would also like you to confirm exactly when you next plan to re-run this event (should you decide to do so).
I will be contacting Medway Police on the matter. And I have copied in the school as I'd like to hear their views on your advocation of harassment and theft from the general public.
Yours sincerely
A very concerned individual
Oh, go on then (sent @ 11:58). ;)
Dear Ms Gramegna
I have just seen the article on the 'This is Kent' website about your 'Ciggy Busters' initiative.
http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/news/Students-bust-smokers-action-packed-movie/article-2489342-detail/article.html
In the article, you are quoted as saying:
"We were going down the street grabbing cigarettes from people and running off. It was so funny."
I would be interested in your thoughts as to how this practice is any different from mugging, or steaming? Do you really believe it is appropriate for a school to teach children how to steal?
Regards
Richard Puddlecote
Yep, they were using vegetables, Bucko.
Dear Mr Atherton
Thank you for your email of 19 August 2010.
As your letter refers to policing matters involving the Medway Policing Area, I am
forwarding your correspondence onto Chief Superintendent Corbishley, the Area
Commander, with responsibility for policing in Hoo. Please be assured that he will
arrange for your concerns to be dealt with appropriately, ensuring that a response
is sent directly to you on this matter.
Kent Police are committed to meeting public expectation on service delivery and we
aim to respond to all letters regarding our service levels within 20 working days.
If you have not heard from us within this time, please do not hesitate to contact me
Regards
Enquiries Support
Chief Constable's Executive Support Office
Force Headquarters
Sutton Road
Maidstone
ME15 9BZ
'Protecting and Serving the people of Kent'
P please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to.
>>> 19/08/10 11:08 >>>
Dear Ms Gramegna and Medway Police,
I trust you are well.
Freedom2Choose are pro choice smoking organisaion and Alex Deane of Big
Brother Wath has brought to my attention your recent 6th Form Media
Studies project on smokers. From the article it says that pupils "have
been running up to smokers in the street, shouting "ciggy busters" and
snatching their cigarettes from them. And filming themselves doing it."
Also "Kent police in Medway were made aware of the planned filming, prior
to the event taking place."
Finally "I knew we could not really go and film in public and attack
people in that way and take goods off of them, so we devised a cunning
plan.
We planted some people and we started with them. People were watching and
following us and at the end we tried with some other people."
I find this a criminal act of common assault and theft, it is also
offensive. I find it beggars belief that police have not advised you that
on unwilling subjects an illegal act has taken place and have not advised
this to be stopped. If these attacks were carried out on ethnic minorites
or gays there would be a justifiable outrage. Can I ask you what is the
difference between your actions and a "happy slapping" filmed by yobs?
I also understand that this stunt maybe repeated in September, I ask that
it be stopped immediately.
I look forward to your reply.
David Atherton
Director
Freedom2Choose
No answers as of posting this.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: P JH
Date: Thu, Aug 19, 2010 at 11:47 AM
Subject: Fwd: Ciggy Busters
To: enquiries@kent.pnn.police.uk
Sirs,
I would be interested on Kent police's take on this particular incident detailed below.
In particular I would like to know:
1) Were you in fact made aware of the filming, as stated in the second article mentioned?
2) If so, were you made aware of the nature of the filming?
3) Have any members of the public made (first-hand) complaints about being assaulted during the filming?
4) How many non-first-hand complaints and enquiries, thus far, have you received about this?
Thank you in advance...
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: P JH
Date: Thu, Aug 19, 2010 at 10:14 AM
Subject: Ciggy Busters
To: margheritagramegna@yahoo.co.uk
Cc: office@hohschool.co.uk
Ms. Gramegna, and whoever gets this at 'Hoo' School (I'd like an answer from the headmaster if possible):
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway_messenger/news/2010/august/2/ciggy_busters.aspx
==========
“The final idea was to go out and literally ambush smokers and take their cigarettes off them. The adverts don’t work, so we are going to
make you stop smoking.”
==========
http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/news/Students-bust-smokers-action-packed-movie/article-2489342-detail/article.html
==========
"We planted some people and we started with them. People were watching and following us and at the end we tried with some other people and
they were very happy."
Kent police in Medway were made aware of the planned filming, prior to the event taking place.
One shopper, Dan, a smoker, said: "If it happened to me I would probably slap them.
"I know the damage it is doing but at the end of the day, it is my own choice."
==========
1) Just who do you think you are to dictate to others in this fashion?
2) How on earth did you manage to persuade the local plod that mugging people for their possessions was at all legal?
3) How much of tax-payers money has been/will be spent on this little exercise in thuggery?
"SENT ON BEHALF OF CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT CORBISHLEY
Dear Mr V,
I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your complaint, which has been forwarded to Chief Superintendent Steve Corbishley by Enquiries Support, the contents of which are noted.
I have passed your email to Chief Inspector Peter deLozey who will look into the issues raised in your email. You will be contacted again in the near future when we are in a position to give you a detailed response.
Regards
Steve Corbishley
Chief Superintendent
Area Commander
Medway
Billi Skingsley
Management Secretaries
Medway
"Rachel Noxon, Medway's tobacco control strategic co-ordinator also gave her approval for this stunt. You can contact her as follows:
Rachael Noxon, Tobacco Control Strategic Coordinator
Medway public health directorate
telephone: 01634 331074 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
email: rachael.noxon@medway.gov.uk
It is interesting to note that Medway Council is cutting funding for before and after school clubs for children and for library books whilst retaining the "services" of the Tobacco Control Strategic Coordinator and the spy cars featured on this blog a couple of days ago. Medway Council is a Tory council and it gives an interesting insite into their take on Dave's proclamation about smaller government and getting the state off our backs."
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: P JH
Date: Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 8:23 AM
Subject: Fwd: Ciggy Busters
To: rachael.noxon@medway.gov.uk
Cc: customer.first@medway.gov.uk
Ms Noxon,
It has been drawn to my attention that you, also, have condoned teaching children to steal from adults. (Second article linked in the
original email below.)
May I ask for your input as to why you think this is a good idea and, as I asked the headmaster, to ask how much of tax payers money is being spent on this little exercise.
Thanking you in advance...
[Message from Mail from above attached]
I see they've removed all photos and videos from their Facebook page. Just hoping this makes them think....
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/topic.php?uid=135367909827483&topic=154
Hey we can all play your game.
Anon - Your atmosphere? Care to explain? And do you also care to explain your desire to kill, out of intolerance?
I am sorry to have popped off at the wrong target but I am ready to pop off at the rightoud bastards.
Again sorry about the friendly fire.
ps, I am not on facebook either
We have all seen the red mist descend I think.
I am sure I would get off if I was to batter one of the ciggybusters. I am up for testing my hunch at the first oppertunity.
Your mate in the the Rebellion, anon
Grrrr.
Yes, scurry back to your holes you Nazi vermin. They only do this stuff because they think they can get away with it. Show them that they are in fact the minority and that most people think they are twisted fascists and they soon scurry back into the shadows.
A message to us all on how we should treat ASH and the like, eh?
Not Anon, Lysistrata here.
“Ciggy Busters” Facebook site taken down by 19.00 this evening. I’m rather disappointed.
While it was up today I had a good research. Most of the “members” (Facebook calls them friends) turned out to be older academics/ public health workers with a few innocent teenagers.
The kids are ok. Even the rather young photographer Ollie(?), has some good artistic stuff on his own site. He’s thoughtless in his comments, obviously terrified of the working class (chavs/smokers) but currently choosing to observe them at a distance as fodder for his portfolio, and will be a bit embarrassed by this when he’s older, but I really don’t feel we should be going for him or the kids. They will learn that many great artists (Cartier-Bresson, Picasso, Hockney) and their own grandparents smoked and that really it’s not that big a deal. So, please let’s leave the kids and budding artists alone.
But the professionals are another matter. We pay taxes for them. This woman – Rachael Noxon – is just one example. She posted a “suggested friends” on Ciggy Busters to the Truth site. (So sorry but it’s late and I can’t be bothered to find the link.) It’s USA and they do WEIRD and deeply disturbing anti-smoking ads including small children eating glass and bleeding mouths and it’s totally horrible. I am a pensioner, and I have never come across anything as poisonous as this since the false satanic abuse incidents 20+ years ago. This is top-grade cult stuff. Seriously.
However, nobody has mentioned WHY this ciggy busters stuff happened. It’s all to do with MONEY. They really don’t care about the cheeeldren. The Italian “multi-media-artist” needs money. The photographer Ollie needs money. The school (which is indeed in special measures) needs money. And the health service – via Rachael and her colleagues – have earmarked LOADS of money for anti-smoking stuff and need to reach their targets.
Seriously, if the local health people had had grants available for cultivating allotments, Rachael and Ollie and the kids would have starred in an “edgy” film featuring the growing of cabbages and carrots. I suspect the anti-smoking budget was the only pot of money left and the “Ciggy Busters” incident pressed all the right buttons.
You know, I hadn’t realised until today, and this tiny little incident, how serious and nasty the anti-smoking people have become. They are lulu! I have become more committed to freedom to choose today than at any other time – I really had no idea how bonkers anti-smoking had become. Anything I can now do to help....
A tiny postcript: as the little “Ciggy Busters” thing went semi-viral amongst freedom for choice people, there have been a couple of angry comments about a woman called Carol on the CiggyBusters Facebook site who promoted “FatBusters”, “AlcoholBusters” and “BadArtBusters”. I know Carol well, and I suspect she was joking. As was an unknown ally Margarita.....
La Lutta Continua
email i sent her.
Dear Rachael Noxon, i have reported you and ciggybustyers to kent police for your appalling discrimination and attacks on a minority group (smokers) and possible assault and theft.
Of course the people in the video were plants however your group has been quoted as saying you did to this to real people too and its your intention to force people to stop smoking by "making you".
It beggers belief that in this day and age people like you are given tax payers to unlawfully persecute a minority group and show such open such discrimination and bigotry which is unlawful and could well end up with you in court.
It has been noted that you have some fat students in your group, and as obesity is far worse a problem for society than smoking why dont we have "fat busters" where a crazed mob runs up to fat people and scream fat busters in their face and steals their pies or crisps or whatever. That be be unlawful and would land people in court and is no different to what you are doing. Its exactly the same and would have to viewed as the same by any court.
Worse still people who quit smoking are so insensed about your criminal mob that i have read of about 6 people at least who say they would start again just so they can have a confrontation with your group and i quote "give them a right slapping if they tried that on me" from comments on youtube and blogs so you are putting these students in danger if you plan to carry on with your illegal persecution against a minority group.
There is nothing more offensive or such a filthy habit than anti smoking bigots who act like like Neo Nazis and non smokers are as shocked at your persecution and discrimination against a minority group as smokers are.
While the planet is being systematically destroyed by pollution and toxins by big business you want to blame and attack smokers for the evils of the world, this is sociopathy and you clearly have a mental health problem by showing such wicked and evil bigotry against a minority group.
Yours.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heJpxeSHSfY&feature=player_embedded
However i don't think this will happen, it seems Authority in general is run by sociopaths who have an agenda so i won't be holding my breath.
The law is clearly on the side of the smokers at present though so they will sulk for a while.
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