“Dear Janet, It was
a moving, inspiring documentary. You accomplished the mission of getting
everyone to care about this issue and wove the faces of so many different
people into the film. Wonderful job.
Congratulations on such fine work.”
-Kathleen Dunn, Wisconsin Public Radio
“My name is Roxanne
Steeber. Myself and 3 fellow mothers (Kathy DeRuyter her sister Mary
Jo Mueller and my best friend Audrey Halfmann) drove from Sheboygan
Wisconsin to Washington D.C. for the MIllion Mom March.
It was what
we told our family we wanted that year for Mothers Day. I will never
for the rest of my life forget what that trip or especially what that
warm Sunday morning felt like.
When we walked up from the Metro on to
the Mall and saw all the people not just Mothers who were there for
the same purpose as us. To get some changes and or some laws past. Not
to take the guns away from law abiding people. But to keep them safer
around children and away from those who would use them in a reckless
or unlawful manner.
Watching Dear Rita made those feelings all come
back. It was very well done.Hopefully it will help bring us to those
changes this country so desperately needs. I would also like some information
on were I could see or buy the other two movies that were made by New
Moon Productions on the Million Mom March and the gun issue. Thank You
for your time and keep up the good work.”
-Roxanne Steeber
“Watching "Dear
Rita" on Monday on Channel 10, I was so moved.
The family and all
in their circle (teachers, children,etc.) are to be lauded for sharing
their story with all of us. I can not even begin to imagine what the
death of Rita must have been like for all of them. I do know that by
sharing with us the beauty of the life of their child, sister, granddaughter,
student and friend, that one of the strongest points made was the senselessness
of acts that are committed with guns.
If each of us can speak up a little
louder when laws are pending, support community groups that help children
grow up with a sense of value, make the family unit stronger, find good
role models , we may make a dent in the problems of society.
I am dedicating
myself, personally, to find a way that I can speak out. I don't know
what it will be yet, but it is for "Rita" and all the others.
Thank you for the production."
-Katharine Ann Ulat
“Many congratulations
on your documentary. It was so well done.
What I personally liked best
about it was that you made Rita and her family so real that by the end
I felt they could be members of my family. I think this, in particular,
is what your documentary has to offer since it's easy to live in denial
and to think, "it can't happen to our family".
Thank you for
this powerful contribution to a cause I consider a priority. I'd just
about given up on this one but your documentary has given me some renewed
hope. I hope you spend your day basking in the warmth with which the
documentary and its message were received.”
-Rochelle Riley
“Both Dear Rita and
your Website are GOLD and will be a positive step in our effort to hold
youth accountable and to reduce crime.”
-Patricia Koehler, Ethan Allen School
“It was great! Just talked to someone who watched on TV--she thought
it was great also. Go for the national--it deserves it! Also let us
know timing and any redo's here. I would love to let League of Women
Voters folks around the state know."
-Jan Martin
“I just caught the last
half of Dear Rita on Monday night. I must commend you for producing
one of the best documentaries I have ever seen, and I've only seen half
of it. I'm not normally so effusive but I believe this work needs to
be entered in next year's Academy Award competition. I would very much
like to see the entire documentary. Can you tell me if it will be repeated
soon or whether I may purchase a
copy of the video.
I am a teacher at
The Milwaukee High School of the Arts; I teach advanced journalism in
our Creative Writing Department. Your film would be a great, inspirational,
teaching tool for my class, many of whom are aspiring to be documentary
film makers. I believe that through studying "Dear Rita" they
would better understand all of the steps that go into researching, writing,
and producing such a work, either in print or in video. I'm also going
to be a bit presumptuous in asking if you or any of your team would
be available to talk to my class about the process of filming "Dear
Rita." We have recently been studying how being a police and fire
reporter can provide one with the material for feature stories and films
of the
stature of "Dear Rita."
Your film would really bring
home that point and provide the motivation and inspiration they need
to make this future a real possibility for them.
Sincerely,
-GlenScott Copper
Milwaukee High School of the Arts
“Hi janet it's me andrea,
cindy's cousin monday night i felt so bad, i wanted to be there for
the showing i couldn't get out of work early enough, but i did get alot
of positive feed back, from co workers
who watched it.
they said it
dosen't affect you that much until it happenes to some one you know
and that is so true ..you can't believe it's this close to home.. i
went to pass out flyers at work they already had them. they said someone
sent them.. anyways the point is they were alredy up and i wore rita's
shirt that day and people were saying how an innocent life could be
taken for anothers stupidity.
i was thinking while they were talking
to me you know some one should make the inmates watch that before they
get out of prison so they could see what they put families through.
and one day it may happen to them if they continue in there ways.
It's
so weird it happened a year ago, and it seems just like yesterday...
the video was beautiful - how sad that we have to watch her making headlines
this way instead of happy headlines...
I cannot tell you how much you
have helped our family out, just being there for them so they could
have someone to talk to and to let out how they feel and for that , i
am ever so grateful to you and your staff ..I canot thank you enough..”
-andrea (Felipe)
“Janet, Your production
of Dear Rita was a first rate professional presentation. I watched the
entire show but had to busy myself with other things and avoid listening
when Rita's mother described the wrong order of losing a child. I know
that perspective all too well.
Also most telling was Rita's sister's
revelation that things like this don't happen to people like us. The
essence of the family came through in your movie. You did a wonderful
job."
