tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646306973717230649.post1896648943411962226..comments2023-04-16T07:28:26.105-05:00Comments on The Homeschool Apologist: The Guilty until Proven Innocent ActAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05358631883472544059noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646306973717230649.post-45038898911502047722011-12-02T14:53:25.183-06:002011-12-02T14:53:25.183-06:00By the way, Sleepless, your comment has been eatin...By the way, Sleepless, your comment has been eating at me a little. You said: "I've always maintained that if someone reports me to the authorities and I get a visit from DSS, I will not be angry about it because if they're looking at me, then they are more than likely also looking at someone who really needs it."<br /><br />Actually, what that means is that taxpayers are paying people to intrude on your life, and if they'll do it to you, they'll do it to anybody. It also means that you're getting sucked into a system that operates outside the law and recognized very few of your rights just because somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed and decided to malign your good name that day.<br /><br />It worries me to hear Americans with no more understanding of liberty than to think that government should be sending strangers into your home just because they have some idea they don't like the way you do things. I hope you'll grow a sense of outrage about these sorts of things.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646306973717230649.post-74801552801952895372011-12-01T13:21:03.111-06:002011-12-01T13:21:03.111-06:00Oh, dear. It never occurred to me that anyone woul...Oh, dear. It never occurred to me that anyone would think I was serious. I'm actually in favor of the abolition of "social services". They solve nothing, while creating a vast bureaucracy that punishes children as much as it does their parents--parents who are often not even offered the legal protections afforded by the constitution. In this country, if you're a parent, your 4th amendment rights are null and void just on the say-so of a spiteful neighbor. That is not ok. Not even "for the sake of the children".<br /><br />If crimes are committed against children, that's a legal issue and should be handled by police. "Communities" being what they are, of course, we've all decided we'd rather call social services than counsel our neighbors and lend a helping hand ourselves when families have problems, so social(ist) services is what we're stuck with until such time as we resume our spiritual responsibilities toward our families and communities that we laid down in the early 20th century.<br /><br />We don't need extra-legal authorities sticking their noses in our lives, regardless of how reasonable people can make said interference sound by citing outrageous offenses committed by one person out of several million. <br /><br />If we need that kind of oversight in our childrearing, then we'd better be sending in our bank spreadsheets so they can monitor us for financial wrong-doing. Maybe while we're at it we can let them put devices on our cars to monitor our speed and stop light obedience. Or periodically inspect our bathrooms so they can make sure no one tries to switch to one of those illegal, but fully functional high-flow toilets. Funny how it snowballs once you assume that individuals must be monitored by their betters in the government.<br /><br />But what makes the human beings who run government any more capable of making society work correctly than the human beings who are actually living their lives and not bothering anyone? We don't even trust these people to deliver the mail!<br /><br />My point was that the state has no business monitoring any family, let alone every family that opts out of public schools. Period. I can't believe that anyone would think that was a serious suggestion.GAHCindyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09468246525104936898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646306973717230649.post-51390086932646743212011-12-01T10:59:17.482-06:002011-12-01T10:59:17.482-06:00I have a few thoughts. ( yeah...that's a shock...I have a few thoughts. ( yeah...that's a shock, I know!)<br /><br />First, I believe that Cindy's comment was facetious. I know her to be one who believes strongly in the rights of the parent...NOT the system ...to decide how children should be parented. I believe (based on some things she has written on her own blog) that she would stand firmly for the rights of parents. Period. I do not believe she was seriously advocating for the need to have social workers visiting the homes of every American family...rather used this argument to point out the inconsistency of the law that is being put forward by this NJ legislator.<br /><br />I myself would (and I believe Cindy would as well) strongly oppose the intrusion of any government agency in the life of my family...even when it comes under the guise of "protecting the children." The definition of "safe" is becoming very muddy since what I as a parent deem "safe" and what my local DCFS worker deems "safe" may be VERY different things. Some in our government today believe that it is abusive to "force" religious beliefs or values on children. Some believe it is abusive to "control" a child's activities or relationships. Some believe it is abusive to teach my children what <em>I believe</em> the Bible teaches about sex, marriage, abortion, homosexuality, etc. This is a very disturbing trend. Our freedoms as parents ARE being eroded in our culture today...and unfortunately this erosion of rights is being allowed because it fits nicely under the umbrella of concern for "the best interest of the child." But whose gets to decide what the best interest of the child is? Increasingly it's the government, NOT the parent. That's incredibly troubling.<br /><br />Watch <a href="http://thehomeschoolapologist.blogspot.com/2011/11/are-we-losing-our-rights-as-parents.html" rel="nofollow">this video</a> I posted a week or so ago. It provides a little more insight on this very issue.Lindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08866617541381737602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646306973717230649.post-87942664793532899652011-12-01T08:57:22.562-06:002011-12-01T08:57:22.562-06:00Cindy's right, sadly. Teachers and other scho...Cindy's right, sadly. Teachers and other school workers are required to report child abuse if they know about it or suspect it, but for reasons unknown to me, they often don't do what they are supposed to. I am personally all in favor of a friendly yearly visit from a social worker who could assess the home environment of all children, home-educated and otherwise. Because yes, children being horribly abused away from the scrutiny of public employees is one of the reasons why some folks are against homeschooling. And if there is nothing going on in your home that shouldn't be, you should not fear a little mild scrutiny. I think a little mild scrutiny would go a long way towards reducing child abuse in our society.<br />And before anyone asks me, I've always maintained that if someone reports me to the authorities and I get a visit from DSS, I will not be angry about it because if they're looking at me, then they are more than likely also looking at someone who really needs it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646306973717230649.post-18585536588411145112011-11-30T15:03:22.473-06:002011-11-30T15:03:22.473-06:00Uh, NO WAY, GAHCindy! We still live in a country w...Uh, NO WAY, GAHCindy! We still live in a country where the Constitution says we are INNOCENT until proven guilty. I really hope you're being facetious. If you really mean what you say, though, I suggest you move to a police state. But God forbid your suggestion ever happen here in the U.S.Tina Hollenbeckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13694089806217921117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646306973717230649.post-12647297199189913432011-11-30T12:47:30.865-06:002011-11-30T12:47:30.865-06:00May I suggest that all parents, no matter where th...May I suggest that all parents, no matter where they send their children to school, should be subject to such scrutiny? Given the number of abused children I went to school with who were never protected by teachers, it seems only fair that public school parents be subjected to, at the very least, yearly parenting examinations in the home and lie detector tests to determine whether their children are being properly treated at home.GAHCindyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09468246525104936898noreply@blogger.com