Happy Halloween!

I just love Young Frankenstein
and all those old horror movies. (so did my mom! she was a huge Sci-Fi fan)

Have Fun!

Tracking The Impact Of Illegal Aliens In The U.S.

Now here is an interesting website that demonstrates the impact illegal aliens have in this country.

It tracks illegal alien activities, arrests, crimes, legislation, and US border enforcement.

This from Global Security Analysis, LLC October 21, 2007 press release:

GSAC (Global Security Analysis, LLC) & The Publishers of GlobalIncidentMap.com Are Pleased to Announce the Illegal Alien Activity Tracking System (IAATS). A Free, Public Service Website, Displaying Ongoing Incidences of Illegal Alien Criminal Activity, Legislation, the Growing National Security Risk & Threat of Terrorism, & Other Significant News.

GSAC (Global Security Analysis, LLC) approached the publishers of GlobalIncidentMap.com with an idea of creating a free, public service website that allows everyone from your average citizen to law enforcement, and government agencies and officials, to have access to a resource that is continuously updated, and presents a visual display depicting the significant impact the United States suffers on a daily basis as a result of Illegal Immigration and the insecure, open, and porous northern and southern borders.

The new system is called The Illegal Alien Activity Tracking System (IAATS) and can be viewed at http://illegal.globalincidentmap.com/home.php. The IAATS will display a range of activities committed by Illegal Aliens including violent crimes, drug crimes, fatalities, border crossings, human smuggling, as well as activities involving border incursions, ICE and Law Enforcement raids on companies which employ illegal aliens, OTM’s (Other Than Mexicans) and Special Interest Aliens (illegal aliens from countries known to support terrorism). In addition, the system will link to significant news items relevant to the economic, political, and social impact of illegal immigration and the ever increasing national security risk posed by our insecure borders.

GSAC brings extensive media monitoring, cyber terror monitoring, and other intelligence gathering expertise to the project, while GlobalIncidentMap.com provides its patented database/mapping technology and hosting for the website. GlobalIncidentMap.com operates numerous free public service websites relevant to terrorism and security incidents, as well as builds custom incident tracking systems for law enforcement, military, government, and private sector organizations.

Enlightening is the term I'd use for such a service. Leave it to private individuals to inform the public in this manner where the government has failed to do so. This is incredible proof as to what happens when our borders have been allowed to be so porous for so long. Quite frankly, I am pretty tired of some people calling other people racists if they are anti illegal immigration, and if they want to see the government do something about it - like enforce the law.

This goes beyond the term "undocumented aliens".
We have a huge problem here.
This tracking tool proves it in numerous ways.

Quote of the day:

Calling an illegal alien an ‘undocumented immigrant’
is like calling a drug dealer an ‘unlicensed pharmacist’.


(Hat Tip: NE Republican whose quote eventually led me to the tracking website)

Sorry Al, But The Debate Is NOT Over

It is pretty disgusting to see school children brainwashed by this rubbish junk science. You ought to make sure that your child gets both sides of the debate. Don't allow your child to live in fear and worry, especially over this nonsense. It borders on criminal for Al Gore and his ilk to be brainwashing and scaring little school children! This is the same man whose own personal energy use dwarfs that of the average citizen.

What's worse is that scientists are being silenced and threatened.
Is this what the scientific community has come to?
I thought the church in medieval times was evil to stifle astronomical and scientific advances by people like Galileo, but now fanatic environmentalists and people in the IPCC are assuming that role.
They are blaming mankind, technology, and they are even changing the way science is practiced.
Bogus theories are allowed to be heralded as fact.
Case in point, Gore's timeline showing CO2 and temperature - he neglects to point out that rise in CO2 levels come AFTER temperature changes NOT BEFORE!
The scientific method is becoming bastardized for the sake of monetary gain.

Should we recycle and use resources wisely - sure.
Should we work towards clean water and air - certainly.
Should we minimize the number of trees we cut down - probably
But those are all facets of wise stewardship of our home.

Is climate changing?
Perhaps... but not because of mankind and CO2, or the result of modern technology.
It isn't because we fail to install the new mercury filled lightbulbs in our homes or drive an expensive Prius.

Climatic cycles have been happening for millions of years.
Species die and new ones evolve.
Land masses come and go.
Waters recede and then swell.
Ice caps melt and then they freeze again.
We have ice ages and then warm spells.
Mankind and technology were not the reasons for that happening.

The IPCC should be ashamed of themselves.
They should be ashamed of themselves for shutting down any debate on the issue.



The debate is far from over!

(H/T California Yankee)

From The Al Gore School Of Science

The Human race will 'split into two different species'

The human race will one day split into two separate species, an attractive, intelligent ruling elite and an underclass of dim-witted, ugly goblin-like creatures, according to a top scientist.

100,000 years into the future, sexual selection could mean that two distinct breeds of human will have developed.

The alarming prediction comes from evolutionary theorist Oliver Curry from the London School of Economics, who says that the human race will have reached its physical peak by the year 3000.

Wow, this is even better than "Global Warming because of human CO2 emissions"! Looks like Oliver Curry has read "The Time Machine" one too many times during his research.

And if we all listen to Al Gore, we just may end up like the Eloi, who live in small communistic communities within large, futuristic yet dilapidated buildings, doing no work and eating a frugivorous diet; devoid of the implementation of agriculture or technology, skills of which the Eloi seem incapable.

Perhaps H.G. Wells should be required reading with Gore's global warming movie in school science classes.

Happy Birthday To Me!

This was when photographers came to your home to take baby pictures
I must have been about 4 years old in this picture.

I was about 5 or 6 years old in this photo

See what a few years can do to a person?
LOL.

Nasty Kids In the Schoolyard Are Not The Only Bullies In CT Schools

The Hartford Courant reported on legislators who are pushing for tougher bullying laws in CT. Apparently there is going to be a push by some CT legislators to expand the four-year-old anti-bullying statute in the upcoming legislative session. The current statute requires that school officials report incidents of bullying to authorities.

Because the law defines bullying as repeated acts, school districts have a lot of latitude, and acts of aggression or threats that are not repetitive often go unreported, said state Rep. Andrew M. Fleischmann, D-West Hartford, co-chairman of the education committee who spoke at the conference. In the upcoming legislative session, there will be an effort to redefine bullying to include single acts, Fleischmann said.

Interestingly enough, with all the emphasis on bullying articulated by "my pal" Rep. Andy Fleischmann, he certainly doesn't seem to care much that parents have been bullied by the school system as well. The school administrators threaten, coerce and harass parents who have withdrawn, or are seeking to withdraw, their child from school to homeschool them!

Isn't it incredibly ironic that schools, and legislators like Fleischmann, say they want to do something to stop the bullying that goes on in schools and yet school administrators practice it themselves and are allowed to get away with it!

School administrators bully parents with threats of calling DCF to force parents into handing over medical records, or signing papers they don't have to sign, or otherwise coercing and harassing them into doing other things. They violate doctor patient privacy, they make illegal false complaints and referrals to DCF, and they have been caught fabricating unexcused absences - and there is no consequence for them! Coercion and harassment are crimes in CT, but try getting a policeman to arrest a school administrator for these crimes and you may have a rude awakening. Some parents are getting ready to start filing lawsuits.

Over 40 families have been threatened in CT so far this year by school administrators, and despite DCF's best efforts to change policy to prevent their agency from being mis-used and abused by intentional false reporting by these administrators,(which by the way wastes time and money and other DCF agency resources) the harassment has not ended.

Rep. Fleischmann has yet to support any effort by fellow legislators and the homeschool community to end this bullying and abuse of authority by school administrators. In fact, he has intentionally thrown roadblocks in the way of passing legislation that would have helped parents avoid bullying by administrators (see here and here).

It's nice that Fleischmann wants to make this calculated political move to do something about the bullies in the schoolyard - but how about the bullies in the principal's and superintendent's office?

It's not surprising though, because Fleischmann has done his share of bullying as well, using his political clout and control of government purse strings. Andrew Fleischmann used his political position to coerce Hartford Association for Retarded Citizens into becoming a union shop.

He joined with 15 other legislators in writing a coercive letter to the Hartford Association for Retarded Citizens in January 2006 saying that if they didn't vote "Yes" to bring in Union 1199, that his support of continued state funding to their agency might be in jeopardy.

Even the liberal Hartford Courant, who endorsed him as a candidate for office last year when I ran against him, had this to say about the issue:
(Hartford Courant: Mar 31, 2006. pg. A.6)

It's one thing for politicians to be ardent supporters of the labor movement. But when state legislators take the side of a union in an organizing campaign, they go too far.

Sixteen Connecticut lawmakers did just that recently when they wrote a letter to employees of the Greater Hartford Association of Retarded Citizens before a Jan. 13 vote on whether to join the New England Health Care Employees Union, District 1199. The legislators, all Democrats, suggested they have a strong voice in the level of funding the nonprofit agency gets from the state.

"We pay attention when District 1199 members talk to us about changing laws to protect clients and to increase the funding for developmental disability programs," the letter said. Agency workers voted 111 to 48 to join the union.

The letter was clearly inappropriate.

To their credit, Association of Retarded Citizens officials challenged the election before the National Labor Relations Board. Unfortunately, an NLRB administrative judge ruled against the nonprofit. A spokeswoman said the agency would file an appeal this week.

Had the elected officials written a letter threatening to deny or cut Hartford Association of Retarded Citizens funding if the employees voted to unionize, District 1199 would probably be the party complaining about unfair labor practices.

It's offensive for lawmakers to apply their strong-arm tactics on nonprofit organizations that rely heavily on state funding to provide services for the most helpless residents in Connecticut.

State legislators are elected to protect the interests of the taxpayers who pay their salaries, not the interests of a single labor union.

Also this from columnist Laurence D. Cohen (from LEGISLATORS MOONLIGHT AS UNION HEAVIES, Hartford Courant: Jan 15, 2006. pg. C.3)

Here are the 16 legislators who chose to leverage your tax dollars into a blackmail scheme intended to sabotage the union election at the Hartford Association for Retarded Citizens:

State Sens. John Fonfara, Eric Coleman, Gary LeBeau, Mary Ann Handley and Jonathan Harris.

State Reps. Minnie Gonzalez, Evelyn Mantilla, Marie Kirkley-Bey, Art Feltman, Douglas McCrory, Andrew Fleischmann, David McCluskey, Tim O'Brien, John Geragosian, Peter Tercyak and Margaret Sayers.

With Fleischmann's charge against bullying, could this be a grand case of "Hey pot...this is kettle ... you are black."

Andy - The homeschool community and parents all across Connecticut are waiting for you, and your co-chair of the education committee, to end bullying of parents. Will you continue to say it's ok for school administrators to be bullies? Are you going to continue to give school administrators a free pass to abuse their authority this upcoming legislative session as well??

Connecticut - Absentee Balloting And Voting With The New Scanner System

As you may or may not know, Connecticut has adopted a new voting system which requires the use of scanners and paper ballots, and has abandoned the traditional and trusty lever machines.

The absentee ballots are the same ballots that everyone else will use to vote, except they are yellow in color. The ballot is designed with bubbles to be filled in with pen or pencil to indicate your choice of candidate. In fact, in order to vote in Connecticut you must have your vote processed by the new scanner machines. There are no manual counts and there is no opportunity to avoid using a scanner machine. I personally do not trust that scanners will accurately count votes as well as mechanical lever machines. I also do not trust that the scanner machines are tamper proof. I am dismayed that I have no choice but to use these scanner machines to record my vote. I suppose the scanner's only redeeming quality is that there is a paper trail. How hard would it be though for some unscrupulous poll worker to slip in a bunch of pre-filled forms when no one is looking?

Anyway, I have to tell you that yesterday I assisted in a nursing home with absentee balloting and this new voting system is just awful for senior citizens.

These ballots are very hard for older people to read.
The older people and handicapped people that I assisted did not have the vision or small motor skills necessary to be able to fill in the bubble on their ballots easily. Now, the Secretary of State's office will tell you that they also have "vote by phone" available to handicapped persons, but these people that I assisted would most likely not be able to do that either, and the option was not offered to anyone that I know of.

How this new process is supposed to make it easier for these people to vote is beyond me. If anything, it was very difficult for them, and much more difficult then their being able to just mark an "X" next to a candidate's name - as was done on previous absentee ballots. For these people, it is much easier to indicate an "X" then to sit there and color in a bubble.

Well, the new voting system which CT has spent millions of dollars on is here to stay. I really hope that this will be proven to be reliable and worth the money spent. I'm not adverse to change or technology, but I am not convinced this was a step up.

In addition, while I believe that everyone who is a citizen and who is registered to vote should absolutely have the chance and ability to vote, I cannot understand how people who clearly do not have the mental faculties to vote, are allowed to cast a ballot (please, it is appreciated if you make no snide remarks to this comment; you know what I mean regarding issues of dementia, etc. in this regard).

Of course the Secretary of State's office is touting this new system as a success. Here's the instructional video:

Carnivals And Web Picks This Week

The Carnival of Homeschooling is at Home With Kris !

The Carnival of Education is over at History is Elementary

The Carnival of Freedom


Some Terrific Posts:

New England Republican offers this terrific post about Sexual Misconduct in Schools

Is Ron Paul Really A Second Tier Candidate?

Why Homeschool has a quick informational post about Britain's move to RFID tag school children's clothing.

Start 'Em Young

Campaign donors to the 2008 presidential elections are recorded to be as young as 2 years old.

Elrick Williams's toddler niece Carlyn may be one of the youngest contributors to this year's presidential campaign. The 2-year-old gave $2,300 to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

Now there's a politically saavy kid!
I wonder what kind of job she holds or how she came about making the crucial decision to support Sen. Obama.

Maybe she's hoping he'll swing by and kiss her.
But that would be illegal - you know, giving campaign money in return for favors.

Egads... this kind of nonsense really has to stop.
I think you can drive a truck through this campaign finance loop hole, and really...why do we have campaign finance reform restrictions again?

By the way ... care to see who giving what to who in this campaign?
Check out Open Secrets

Who Says Urban Students Can't Succeed?

Check this out

In Detroit there is a success story in the charter public schools.
It is called University Prep Academy.
Their stats are astounding when compared to their Detroit public school peers. On top of that they do it for less than $9,500 per student! In Hartford, the results are appalling and they spend well over $13,000 per student.

With the poor showing we had on Mastery Tests, clearly CT needs to get a clue about these Charter School models, and already we have Charter schools like Amistad and Jumoke Academy who are also doing very well.

Their Mission:
To prove that urban children can succeed in college through personalized learning and relentless commitment to their success.

Their strategy:
Learning is very personalized and for example, students do not pass from class to class every 50 minutes. You will often see them working with a group of other students on a group project, or working in front of the computer doing research on their individual project, or leaving on a school bus to visit the Detroit public Library or a museum to do research out in the field. They learn through doing projects. They work on developing and mastering skills and many times grades are not relevant.

Work is Engaging: The curriculum is customized through projects which capture students’ interests and pique their curiosities.

Work is Fun: When learning is fun, learners invest much more energy and imagination in getting through the hard parts.

Work is Rigorous: While learning is interest-based and individualized, all learning must result in the mastery of basic skills such as reading, writing, mathematics, scientific reasoning, social reasoning and critical thinking.

Some people just understand better by doing things first-hand than by sitting and listening. - Andre Brooks, Class of 2007

Gee... sounds a lot like homeschooling to me!

Portsmouth, VA, School Board Warns Parents About Drug Dangers

Last month in Virginia, the Portsmouth School Board voted to send a note home to parents about the “harmful effects” of drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). That got some groups in an uproar - mostly the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, the Virginia chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Tidewater chapter of Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Funny how the people who may benefit most from drugging kids got annoyed.
I didn't see a complaint from the Feingold Institute or folks who are educating people about the dangers of food additives and other junk in our food supply.

OK - OK - I know I'm gonna hear from parents out there who say drugs have helped their kids - that's fine - I am glad for you - but there are just as many, if not more, whose lives have been ruined because of mis-diagnosis or improper use of psychotropic drugs. The point is that parents should be warned about the dangers of these drugs. They might also do well to look into alternative therapies.

Some folks said this isn't an issue for the school to deal with anyway - and that health issues should be between the student and his doctor (and I agree with that on most counts).... well it seems to me if the schools are going to continue to push themselves into a child's health and well being then there is no reason for them not to send some sort of warning home to parents - I give them credit - at least they are trying to help the parents here by giving them more information.

Someone has to warn parents about the dangers of these prescription drugs: some doctors surely aren't. Some of them are making a fortune out of their prescribing drugs to kids, or out of their relationship with the drug makers.

Perhaps the school is merely trying to get themselves off the hook of any liability - especially if they reported that junior wasn't paying very good attention in class, which probably was the reason he has a doctor prescribe drugs in the first place. It behooves them to warn these parents about the dangers of these drugs before one of those kids shoots up their school, or commits suicide - right?

Apparently no one seems to really know how these anti-psychotics and other drugs affect the developing brain. Some have already seen the physical effects on children.
One article from the Providence Journal says this:

Side-effects, including diabetes, increased serum lipids, significant weight gain, sedation, and cardio-vascular effects, are frequently encountered with atypical anti-psychotics. Children may be more likely to develop these side-effects, and once the weight gain or diabetes occur, they may stay with the child for years into adulthood.

How many kids have to die or spend their childhood zoned out or develop other illnesses before someone speaks up?

And just think ... if we get socialized medicine in this country ... that just makes it easier for the money for prescriptions for kids to flow into Big Pharma's pockets and out of everyone else's!

By the way - have you signed the petition against mental health screening of kids in school? If not - watch the video and then decide.

(Hat Tip: Ken K.)

Today's Lesson - Countries Of The World

For Animaniacs lovers out there:
Countries of the World (ok it's a little dated)

MIT Splash Is Coming Up - Enrollment Starts October 31

My kids have all participated in the MIT Splash weekend program in Boston. It always happens the weekend before Thanksgiving. For a pre-registration fee of $30, this weekend long program is packed with lectures, workshops and seminars, with offerings that included subjects in math, science, languages, history, philosophy and much more!

The weekend is offered to kids of high school age and some kids younger than that. Since Splash doesn't provide for housing on campus, some kids travel to Boston with their families and stay in local hotels. There's tons to do in Boston for those in the family not attending Splash. One year, my son went up to Boston alone by bus and stayed with his brother in a Boston University dorm.

Splash is run by MIT students, alumni and other local college students and professionals who wish to share their interests and passions for their specialties with kids approaching college age. The Splash teachers are all volunteers. The Splash program is a project of the MIT Educational Studies Program which was started in 1957 and has been supporting experiments in education ever since. Splash was created in 1988 to bring students and teachers together for less structured and very exciting learning experiences.

The Splash program always runs the first weekend before Thanksgiving, and goes from 9am to 6pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

Now that you know a little bit about this program and why it was set up, I want to tell you why it is important to allow your child to experience this kind of program. It is a great opportunity for your child to get a feel for college - the campus - the classes and the overall environment as well as physically imagining where they may be in four years or less. The classes they take at Splash are very non-threatening, as there are no grades or pressures or papers to do - but just to attend and listen and learn and have fun. Another great reason is because the courses are so wonderful. Your child can take a course in a subject they always wanted to learn about - or do a more in depth study of something they are already interested in.

My kids have attended the weekend and they all had a blast. They enjoyed the classes on gaming theory and Boom (understanding the science of explosions) along with a classes on magic tricks, time travel, dissecting things and well... the list goes on! The course offerings were amazingly diverse and plentiful. Some are really very esoteric and others are just incredible fun (Like making clothing with Duct Tape).

I believe there are other colleges that do this type of programming - and I know some colleges that offer a one-week program for your child to see the kinds of classes that are offered. These experiences are so helpful when your child is trying to figure out what they want to study, and what school they ultimately want to end up in.

Speaking of homeschoolers and socialization, these kinds of college programs also allow kids to meet new people and instructors, and to see the social aspect of college life. Finding your way around a college campus is also an interesting experience in navigation and learning how to get around on your own.

Aside from the educational aspect of Splash, for my kids, it was a great adventure in independence and self-management. IMO, as long as they have a cell phone and a map they are "good to go" around campus.

Information about Splash can be found here and you can also
Email them
Their phone number is 617-253-4882. The MIT Educational Studies program is located at 84 Massachusetts Avenue,Room W20-467, Cambridge, MA 02139

Check the web for similar programs at other colleges as well.

For Moms Everywhere

You can find her here

Carnivals And Post Picks This Week

Carnival of Homeschooling over at The Thinking Mother

Carnival Of Education over at Education Wonks

Carnival Of Freedom over at Morning Globe

And here are a few really good posts:

Blogdial - Britain mirrors the US - check it out - and see what's making us all anxious.

Rhymes With Right - Those Who Lost The Nobel Prize To Al Gore.

Creative U Posts about NY State wanting to pay students to take AP exams - (Can education get any worse?)

Portland Maine Middle Schools May Be Handing Out Birth Control To Eleven Year Olds!

This sign is not for real - but it could happen

Proponents in this school in Portland, Maine, say only a small number of students are sexually active, but those who are having sex need better access to birth control. So they are floating a proposal to their School Committee to allow middle schoolers access to a full range of birth control prescriptions from the school connected health center with signed parental consent (of course).

Yikes... I'd say the children need access to better parenting and some self restraint!
Talk about enabling poor choices in behavior!
The schools teach these kids to say "No" to drugs and alcohol - but sex - well let's just give 'em total access because they are gonna "do it anyway".

Honestly this is what you get with more than 1,700 school-connected health centers in the United States; 27 school-based health centers are in Maine (20 of which are funded and overseen by the state, including those in Portland).

I wonder if any of those "educators" and "healthcare specialists" read the law in their state. It looks like they don't because if they did they would see that by allowing this proposal to pass they would be condoning illegal behavior:

Sexual intercourse with children under 14 is a crime of sexual assault or abuse in the State of Maine [See Maine Code Title 17A Chapters 11 and 12 especially Sections 253 and 254]. Both school and medical personnel are mandated (that means that they are required by law) to report to the state this type of abuse.

Egads...Your taxpayer funded sex education and healthcare dollars at work folks!

Rudy And The Attack Of The Space Aliens

This from LiveLeak

Sunday,during a town-hall meeting in Exeter, Giuliani assured a young questioner that preparedness will be key for all crises, including those from outer space.

"If (there's) something living on another planet and it's bad and it comes over here, what would you do?" a boy asked.

Giuliani, grinning, said it was his first question about an intergalactic attack.

"Of all the things that can happen in this world, we'll be prepared for that, yes we will. We'll be prepared for anything that happens," said Giuliani, who mayor during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Nevermind; I want to know what he plans to do about the illegal aliens attacking us in droves over our borders! (Rudy Giuliani favors "earned citizenship" aka amnesty. He spoke in support of Senate bill 2611). Subsequent immigration reform legislation (S.1639) actually failed this past June.

The fact is - New York City - "Rudy's City" - is a sanctuary city.

He could have used mayoral powers to discourage illegals from living and working in New York City - he chose to reissue the sanctuary city policy of his predecessors (Executive Order 124 limits the ability of NY city personnel to deal with illegal immigration). If illegals can't find jobs or get benefits, most can't remain in the city. To crack down on illegal activities at night, and supposedly enhance quality of life in the city,he used cabaret laws (which require bars and restaurants to get licenses to allow dancing by more than three people at a time). The question remains; Why didn't he use health, building, and safety inspectors and the laws already at their disposal, to crack down on illegal alien employment in his city?

Rudy - You want to protect us from space aliens - but how about protecting our economy and our jobs and our social welfare systems (which are becoming slowly bankrupted) from illegal aliens who have no regard for our laws and have no intention of becoming citizens?

Signs of The Times - Sad But True

Trick or Treaters should beware in Baltimore, or at least heed some signage.

Sex offenders now must put warning labels on their homes on Halloween, which say: "No Candy At This Residence".

For the second straight year, parole and probation agents plan to team with local police to dissuade sex offenders who are not allowed to have contact with children from participating in the holiday.

"We actually print out the signs for the offenders and hand them to them," said Elizabeth Bartholomew, a spokeswoman for the Division of Parole and Probation. "We expect them to post the signs."

In addition to the signs, all such offenders have been advised in a letter to stay home from 6 p.m. on Halloween until the next morning, leave their lights off and refuse to answer their doors.

Several states, including Delaware, New Jersey, Illinois, Virginia and Texas, ban registered sex offenders from handing out candy on Halloween, going to kids' parties, or being on the streets.

I'm not sure I know what to think about this sort of thing - it does seem kind of "Scarlett Letter-ish". We have had a whole "to do" about a serial rapist who just was released from jail in CT and is going to live in Southbury with his family. It's a really interesting issue - I mean these people have done time and are supposed to be rehabilitated and be able to integrate into our communities - and yet - we all recognize that these convicted criminals have an illness or weakness that cannot be easily dealt with, and there also is the possibility of recidivism. Maybe the best solution is to send them all packing to live in a retirement community in Florida somewhere - or otherwise isolate them like lepers once were. Who knows? Is there really a solution for people who commit such heinous crimes? Can they ever really live peacefully within our communities? What if criminals out on parole, or who have served their time, had to wear some sort of identifying bracelet forever. Or what would people say if drunk drivers had to forever post a sign on their car bumper warning people of their past crime and illness? How would that be any different? Obviously it's a loss of privacy. Perhaps that's just another consequence of their crime that they have to deal with. Another issue may very well be - why aren't we giving more thought to the victims of these crimes?

On the other hand, I also think that people do have the right to know about convicted sex offenders living in their community. The CT registry is here and other states have their registries available as well.

So, what do you think?

Homeschoolers - NHELD New Website Design!

National Home Education Legal Defense has a new look!

Of course it's a work in progress and we will continue to improve it and update our pages.

We are excited about it - and hope that you like it too.

Let us know what you think.

Also we have two new items for sale in the NHELD store Perfect for the upcoming new year! A 2008 Monthly Planner and a 2008 Pocket Sized Day Planner. The photos are here below, but not yet posted on the website store yet. The order form has the items listed, so you can still order them for the new year. They are only $3.00 each.


2008 Monthly Planner


2008 Pocket Sized Day Planner


Kudos goes to Hathaway Creative.

Dear Parent: Your Kid Is Fat - Sincerely, The Principal

Just in case Denver Public school parents hadn't been paying attention to their child's physique, their local school is letting them know that their kids are fat, and what's incredible is that the notices are being sent home with the kids in their backpacks.

Parents were concerned that such sensitive information was being sent home casually along with other notices. They could have been dropped on the street and picked up by other students. There has been much controversy about this practice.

"[One] mother does not have a problem with what the schools are trying to do. She says that type of sensitive information should be mailed directly home to parents, because kids are prone to reading letters sent home by the schools.

"If [my daughter] would have dropped this letter, a student may have found it and may have exposed it to other students," said [the mother]. "Anything specific to the child should be mailed. It should not be given to the child."

One child read the notice and got rather upset.

Gee, now that's could be a great way to create a bunch of anorexic kids.

Junk Food Science talks a bit about how wrong it is to make our kids so crazy over their weight, and that we shouldn't make them obsess over food. Here is one such post.

I am not disputing that childhood obesity - and even adult obesity - is a problem, but so is creating kids who are too mindful of their body image, and what they eat or don't eat. We also have too many young kids who are "on a diet". That's not healthy either.

Now the $64,000 question is this: Should the school be involved in a child's health in this manner at all? (Isn't it bad enough that they have gotten into the mental health business as well?) I wonder if schools can be considered practicing medicine without a license by doing these kinds of screenings.

I think we have an issue of whether or not schools should meddle in our children's health like this. Is it their place to do so? Do they think that parents do not know that their kids are fat - or even too skinny? Is this school also sending home notes to parents whose kids are too thin?

And here are a few other questions running through my head.
Whose job is it to raise your children? What happens to parents who ignore those notices? Is poor nutrition child abuse? Will it be considered so? What do you think?

Alfred Nobel - If You Were Alive This Would Surely Kill You

Al Gore has received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work stemming from his political Shockumentary "An Inconvenient Truth", which is designed to alarm the world about the calamity of global warming as a result of mankind's CO2 emissions and also makes way for justification of global taxation and punishment of countries that dare to contemplate modernization and industrialization.

Of Course Alfred Nobel stipulated that the prize should be awarded "to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between the nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses" - but why quibble with details - the committee obviously makes its own interpretation of what Nobel intended.

I have already posted about the sham called carbon offset credits, which Gore promotes. I also posted this piece about the global warming frenzy. It's an anti-business agenda.

Many renowned scientists and climatologists have already debunked Gore's claims and a judge from the UK has even made it clear that if this film of Gore's is played in schools that it must come with a warning and accompanying notes to make sure people do not take the film as complete truth, or mistake if for real science. Watch the BBC clip on that report.

The website Junk Science has more great resources from real scientists. They also promote Demand Debate - which seeks to eliminate environmental bias in education. Another site of interest is Global Warming Hoax.

Perhaps it is time we listen to real scientists instead of alarmist propagandists who wish to make a political statement or help push government grant money into targeted hands. We all know how Al Gore is making money on his own propaganda. Rumors are already flying about how Al Gore will most likely now be drafted into running for president of the US.

I think it is a shame how the Nobel Prize continues to be used for political purposes, and will most likely now be touted as some sort of vindication for Gore's propaganda.

Is there climate change - sure - but not for the reasons cited by junk scientist Al Gore. Here is one REAL inconvenient truth about global warming.

As I have said before: We've had doom and gloomers and alarmists in our midst before - some of them have also won awards and accolades: recall, it was over 200 years ago that Thomas Malthus began ranting about how the world was going to collapse under a sea of people, with no food to eat and nowhere to go. There always seems to be someone suggesting, under the guise of "science", that we are marching to global poverty and ruination.

According to lots of similar pessimistic thinkers and "scientists", we should have been extinct by now. Last I checked, we aren't, and in fact we have a wonderfully bright future ahead as long as we allow ourselves to develop it.

Too bad the Nobel Prize was wasted on such a person as Al Gore.. there are so many more worthy people who could have been lauded.

An Easy Out - Just Don't Take The Test

When Slovenia outperforms the United States in Math and Physics then perhaps it is a cause for concern. Apparently that happened in 1995, when the test, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS-A), was given.

The test is given to graduating high school seniors and covers geometry, algebra, calculus, mechanics, electromagnetism, heat and atomic physics. It compare performance internationally and assesses competence in those areas of study.

This time around the United States has decided not to participate in the test/study. Our government also argues that we wouldn't be adequately compared since we'd be in a group, or cohort, of countries along with Russia and Iran. (And we can't have that by any means!) And then there is the $5 to $10 million dollar entry fee to participate; a once in a decade cost.

Sounds like someone is making some grand excuses this time around.

The bottom line here is that we can't show poor performance or do poorly if we don't participate in this study - right?

What's our government really afraid of? or what does it really know about the state of our education that it doesn't want to readily admit? Government education in this country is a failure - and the folks in Washington D.C. just want to be spared further global embarrassment. That has become pretty evident with this piece of news.

Never mind No Child Left Behind... what about No Country Left Behind?

Read the excellent op ed from Robert M. Thorson

Trade You My Sandwich For A Chair Please

File this under yet another reason to homeschool your kids if you live in New Jersey!

Bergen County parents were shocked to learn that hundreds of students at Mahwah High School were forced to eat their lunch on the floor in school.

The cafeteria holds around 300, some outside picnic tables are provided, and seniors can leave for lunch. But parents and some students were quick to speak out to school leadership against hundreds left to floor dining -- and got nowhere.

"Kids should not be eating on the floor," one mother said. "Nobody should be eating on the floor. Animals eat on the floor."

Added a student named "Samantha": "It's dirty. It's disgusting."

And more than that, the findings suggest students are eating on dangerous surfaces.

Renowned microbiologist Dr. Philip Tierno warns 80 percent of all infectious diseases are spread through contact. So when a child touches the floor to sit, then touches a sandwich, whatever is on the floor can then be ingested.

"I would categorize it as stupid," Tierno said. "I would characterize it as primitive, and the scourge of third world countries.

"You may be stepping on the fecal matter, sputum, blood, urine."

The reason for this unsavory policy:
In order for Mahwah High School to lengthen its teaching time, they opted to push all 1,000 students through a single, 43-minute lunch period, "allowing teachers to go into greater depth in their discussions," Superintendent Montesano said.

And apparently since the issue was brought to the public's attention, the school says it now forbids the "floor dining", and has now is opting for gym bleachers and other seating.

Well it was a bonehead policy to begin with.
So... wanna trade sandwiches? or schools?

Please, No More Buddhas On Pelosi's Lawn

I had to chuckle after reading this piece from the Washington Post about how Nancy Pelosi is getting annoyed with those pesky anti-war protestors. When asked about the fact that the Democrat base is very angry with her for not being able to end the war in Iraq, which was supposedly what Democrats were sent to Washington last election to accomplish, Pelosi said this:

"Look," she said, "I had, for five months, people sitting outside my home, going into my garden in San Francisco, angering neighbors, hanging their clothes from trees, building all kinds of things -- Buddhas? I don't know what they were -- couches, sofas, chairs, permanent living facilities on my front sidewalk."

Unsmilingly, she continued: "If they were poor and they were sleeping on my sidewalk, they would be arrested for loitering, but because they have 'Impeach Bush' across their chest, it's the First Amendment."

..snip..

"We have to make responsible decisions in the Congress that are not driven by the dissatisfaction of anybody who wants the war to end tomorrow," Pelosi told the gathering at the Sofitel, arranged by the Christian Science Monitor. Though crediting activists for their "passion," Pelosi called it "a waste of time" for them to target Democrats. "They are advocates," she said. "We are leaders."

Hmmm.. looks like the Democrats in Congress are having a dose of reality - and apparently they cannot effectively communicate to their base the reasons why we just cannot pull out of Iraq tomorrow.

Polls show the confidence in Congress is the lowest in years -
it's at 11%
That means 89% of those polled are not at all happy with the job that Congress is doing. That is a stunning statistic. I don't think it is just because of the handling of the Iraq war though.. I think people are very upset with the poor response to illegal immigration and Border control (or lack thereof) and the manner in which Congress is spending our money (like drunken sailors) and that they are making more pork than Iowa.

Anyway, please remember to stay off Pelosi's lawn, apparently she's had enough of whiny anti-war liberals. She'd have you all arrested if you weren't there to exercise you freedom to protest. On second thought, perhaps she'd consider doing away with freedom of speech all together.

Homeschoolers For Ron Paul

Check out this great website Homeschoolers For Ron Paul.

Republican Candidate Ron Paul has repeatedly supported homeschooling, as well as choice in education overall. None of the other candidates have really mentioned much about homeschooling, or the freedom to home educate. If anything, they want more school oversight by the government, or legislation like No Child Left Behind. (Well my child is not left behind - we homeschool!)

I will digress a bit here just to say this:

Frankly, education needs to be kept out of the federal arena all together. I believe Ron Paul agrees with this, as he has said that the Federal Department of Education should be abolished, and he certainly doesn't believe in federal government controlled education. Here's why - The 10th amendment says:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved for the States respectively, or to the people.

The 10th Amendment, makes explicit the idea that the federal government is limited only to the powers it is granted in the Constitution...education isn't one of them.

Yes, there are already many federal laws attempting to regulate education. However, the primary means that the federal government uses to regulate education is through its power enumerated in the Commerce Clause of the Constitution. The courts have interpreted the Constitution to allow the federal government to give money to the states. So, the federal government, through Congress, adopts a law that, in essence, says, "If states adopt a law that provides for all of the things listed in this federal law, then, only under those conditions, the federal government will give the states money." The states, in turn, wanting the federal money, adopt laws that mirror the federal law. Through the years, this has become so commonplace that often the distinction between the authority of the federal government to regulate and the authority of the state government to regulate is blurred sometimes to extinction. It is also important to note that while Congress may adopt whatever laws it chooses, not all of those laws are constitutional. Far too many of them are not constitutional. However, until and unless the constitutionality of those laws is challenged, they remain in force.

Until recently, most federal laws have not affected the rights of homeschoolers. When the popularity of homeschooling grew in the 1980's, some urged homeschoolers to consider themselves as private schools under state laws. Connecticut homeschoolers rejected that appellation fearing that state governments, already having some laws in place regulating private schools, would include homeschoolers among those regulated. Homeschoolers in other states, however, were persuaded to consider themselves private schools and, for the most part, those homeschoolers are regulated to some extent by their state governments. Still, no homeschoolers were regulated by the federal government, until now. We are seeing proposed legislation which include the term "homeschool".

Please consider that even if states are not forced to create legislation to enact the intent of federal laws that include homeschooling in it's language, those laws are still dangerous for the following reasons:

(A) When legislation is made nationally we lose control of it. It is far easier to speak with state legislators than with federal congressional leaders. When was the last time you spoke face to face with your state Congressman?

(B) If there are federal laws regarding homeschooling they will be difficult to amend and difficult to expunge. You have no control over congressional leaders in other states, and precious little input into your own state Congressman's office.

(C) Dealing with issues affecting homeschoolers is much more manageable on a statewide level. Additionally one can not control the process of making laws in Congress. There is also no guarantee that amendments or other undesirable wording will creep into a congressional bill as it wends its way through Congress?

Federal legislation of homeschooling is not the way to answer problems homeschoolers face. NHELD had written some bulletins and articles about this issue as well.

Anyway - getting back to Ron Paul and homeschooling - you might be interested in this blog

(H/T Shana K.)

This Week's Carnivals, Etc.

More great reading is featured at these carnivals this week:

Carnival of Prinicpled Government

Carnival of Education

Carnival of Homeschooling

and here are some terrific posts elsewhere:

From Liberty Papers - Atlas Shrugged and the Modern Libertarian Movement

From New England Republican - SCHIP Will Save This family (You know, this one's about how a family with a nice sized home - kids in private school - and a healthy family business who is looking for taxpayers to help them pay for medical care and how that wonderful bill which furthers government socialized medicine was vetoed)

From Blogmeister - Take The Quiz - Wow! - I was almost surprised.

A Lesson For Today

I just love this and want to share it.
Tom Lehrer - The Periodic Table

Homeschoolers: Elections Will Be Here Soon - Here Are Some Questions To Ask Your Local Candidates

Questions For Candidates And Elected Officials

As November elections approach, homeschoolers should try to find out the positions of the candidates on the issues of most importance to parents. NHELD has compiled a short list of suggested questions. Whether you use these questions, or make a list of your own, the important thing is to pin down all candidates regarding what they stand for and why homeschoolers should vote for them. Make them specify their positions, don’t let them equivocate. If they do equivocate in their responses to your questions, send them another list of questions. Repeat the process until you have your answers. After a few letters back and forth, whether the candidate specifically answers your questions or not, you will have a much clearer understanding of why, or why not, the candidates deserve your support.

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS TO ASK CANDIDATES

1. Do you favor or disfavor homeschooling and why?

2. What is your position regarding implementation or repeal of laws affecting the rights of homeschoolers?

Frequently, candidates are not aware of what the state law is regarding the rights of parents to instruct their children. They may not be aware of federal law regarding homeschooling either. Depending on the candidate and the political climate, the question could be posed broadly leaving the candidate to expound from his basis of knowledge, or the question could be posed more specifically to obtain a direct answer concerning whether the candidate favors or disfavors laws regarding homeschooling. The question could be: “What do you know about the laws regarding homeschooling? Or, the question could be: “Do you support legislation to require parents to obtain approval from a local public school board before they homeschool?” The strategy regarding broad versus specific questions, of course, holds true for all of the suggested questions.

3. What is your position on government funding of homeschooling and why?

NHELD doesn't support any federal, state or local government funding of homeschooling either directly or by supplying resources. Any funding comes with strings attached, and results in regulation.

4. If the government provides funding or publicly funded benefits to homeschoolers, what is your position on government accountability regarding the funding or benefits?

This type of question is designed to elicit the candidate’s opinion as to whether the candidate favors government regulation of homeschooling in return for the government funding or benefit.

5. Do you understand the difference between homeschooling and doing a public school curriculum at home?

6. What is your position on homeschoolers participating in the public school system and why?

Leaving this question in general terms might elicit unexpected, yet, very useful responses. Does the candidate favor the participation because the school administration would have more control over homeschooling, or, does the candidate favor participation for some other financial or emotional reason?

7. What is your position on lowering the compulsory school attendance age and why?

Leaving this question in general terms might elicit unexpected and useful responses as well. If the candidate favors it, what is the reason for the support? Does the candidate want the public school district to exercise more control over parents?

8. What is your position on compulsory public pre-school (universal pre-school) for infants and toddlers?

9. What is your position on mental health screening of children from infancy through adulthood?

10. Do you believe homeschoolers should provide instruction that is equivalent to the instruction in the public schools?

11. What is your position on “conditional withdrawal”? Do you favor allowing the public school administration to refuse to take the children off the “enrollment books” unless the parents comply with school district non-statutory demands, even though the parents legally withdrew their children from the public school in accordance with state law?

The Hadley School For The Blind

After my mother was declared legally blind, as a result of macular degeneration, she desired to finish her high school degree.

I found out about the distance learning program offered from Hadley School For The Blind. My mother enrolled and worked through the coursework, but unfortunately she died before completing it. I'd like to share some information with you about their programs.

The Hadley School for the Blind offers more than 100 distance education courses free of charge to those who are blind, their families or blindness professionals. Students can select from a variety of courses and study anytime, anywhere.

What a great resource for learning!

It is certainly a wonderful program for visually impaired homeschoolers!

There website says this:
Hadley School For The Blind promotes independent living through lifelong, distance education programs for blind people, their families and blindness service providers

Hadley has a course for you if you are:

* A blind or visually impaired individual 14+ years of age
* A relative of a blind or visually impaired child
* A family member of a blind or visually impaired adult
* A professional in the blindness field

The Hadley School for the Blind offers a wide range of distance education courses to eligible students completely free of charge. Study in the comfort of your own home at a time convenient for you. Course materials arrive in the mail or online and for students in the U.S. and Canada, instructors are just a toll-free call away.
Quick Facts

* More than 10,000 students enrolled annually
* Tuition-free
* Single largest worldwide distance educator of blind and visually impaired individuals
* Courses offered in braille, large print, audio cassette and online
* More than 90 courses in four program areas

I plan to send them a donation so that they can continue the wonderful work that they do there.

Unusual Hotels Of The World

Beckham Creek Cave Haven

This is one cool website.
Simon Penn and Steve Dobson are the Co Founders of Unusual Hotels of the World, and apparently this endeavor started over a pub lunch, after a few beers!

If you are looking for something different in your travel plans I am certain you'll discover it here.

Fantasy themes, caves, tree houses, log cabins, eco-resorts, igloos ... you name it.

Wow, What fun!

(H/T Helen H.)

A Few School Stories To Amaze And Amuse

For these first two stories, it never ceases to amaze me how our taxes are being spent - I mean we pay these people's salaries! Who hires these people anyway? These are supposed to be kids' role models.

Indiana Teacher Charged With Being Drunk At School
In Indiana, a Valparaiso first grade teacher was arrested with a blood alcohol limit twice the legal limit (.20 percent) and two cans of beer inside her purse.

Vegan Teacher Dave Warwak Was Terminated After Giving Lectures On Veganism
In Fox River Grove, Illinois, a vegan middle school teacher was fired after officials complained he had turned his art classes into lectures on veganism. The teacher said he would not return to the classroom unless the school served only lunches free of animal products. After that, District 3 school board members voted on Sept. 24 to fire him while also stating that meat would remain on the menu.

and here is this one about a University of Massachusetts at Amherst College Student who took his "C" to federal court
The judge dismissed the case. The story began when the student got really angry when he got a "C" instead of an A-minus and then went on to make a federal case of it.

Marquis, a 51-year-old paralegal seeking bachelor's degrees in legal studies and sociology, filed a 15-count lawsuit in US District Court in Springfield in January after a teaching assistant graded a political philosophy class on a curve and turned Marquis's A-minus into a C. Marquis contends that the university violated his civil rights and contractual rights and intentionally inflicted "emotional distress."

Well, that last one is an interesting article.. and can you imagine if he won in court? Every student from here to the moon would be dragging teachers to court. I do agree that this guy was probably given a questionable grade, but sometimes you just have to deal with a bonehead instructor - or worse yet, their student teaching assistants. I never really liked the fact that instructors pushed off their work to others - after all you pay good money for these college classes and you should be taught and graded by the professor you signed up with. I also never agreed with grading on a curve. That's just bogus.

So who is teaching your kids?
Moreover, what are they teaching them?

Homework Insanity - How Homework Is Hurting Families

Great Post here by Janice Campbell.
Homework Insanity

One of the reasons why my family left the government school system was because it was monopolizing my children's lives, and in fact our family's life. Everything revolved around school and school schedules and meetings. The kids literally had no time to develop their own interests and passions. The sad part was that the homework that they were given was really just busy work or was work that they should have been doing during class time. Teachers spent class time with student behavior problems or with other distractions, or with review of material. I found that presentation of new material was done in a fairly cursory manner. On top of that, it wasn't unusual for kids to be removed from class for assemblies or other "specials", and subsequently they had to make up the work at home.

It also seemed to us that no meaningful time was spent in class to delve into subjects at any real depth, and so the kids ended up having to do that at home if they really wanted to learn about a subject. I mean what can you really discuss in any depth in 30 or 45 minutes? If meaningful discussion did happen in class then it was usually interrupted by the bell. Most times kids have to use homework time to try to make sense of what was "covered" in class. Parents often have to help decipher what was "presented".

Is it really fair to have kids in school all day and then have to come home to face 3 or 4 hours more of homework? I don't think so.

But for me, when the school started to send homework home for ME to do (read a story with the kids or do some other activity) I told them, "No way". I wasn't about to spend time with my kids "on the school's terms", and in the way in which they wanted me to spend time with them. It just seemed so insane.

So for your homework, please read this really good editorial about how homework is hurting our family.

This Week's Carnivals

Now here is a lot of interesting reading!

The Homeschool Carnival is over at Tami's Blog this week.

The Education Carnival this week is over at Greg Laden.

Then there is the
Carnival of Entrepreneurs

and there is also the
Carnival of the Decline of Democracy

Happy Sweet Sixteen To My Dear One!

CT Homeschool Network Conference This Weekend!

Come to the CT Homeschool Network Conference if you are in CT this weekend!

Conference 2007:
Empowering, Encouraging,and Exciting Home Educators

Saturday, October 6, 2007
9:30 am till 6:00 pm
USNH, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden, CT

Keynote Speaker: Peter Kowalke

Peter Kowalke is the producer, videographer, and editor of Grown Without Schooling. Released in 2002, Grown Without Schooling was one of the first documentaries produced about homeschooling. Peter currently writes about grown homeschoolers for Life Learning Magazine. He has also been a columnist for Home Education Magazine and Home Educator's Family Times, and speaks regularly at homeschooling conferences. In 1997 was the subject of a feature article in the New York Times Sunday Magazine.

There will be many great panels and presentations, and of course:
Legal Updates: What do we need to know?
Speakers: Judy Aron and Deborah Stevenson (NHELD)

Yet Another Reason To Homeschool - Security Guard Brutality

Where there are security guards in schools there are bound to be altercations of one sort or another.

In this California school a tussle erupted into a melee and students were beat up and injured while another student was told not to video tape the incident. (A similar incident also happened in a school in my town!)
There is something inherently wrong about security guards and police beating up on kids in schools.

In this California school the altercations were videotaped by students at a birthday celebration during the school's lunch hour. At some point, birthday cake was tossed around and landed on the floor, sparking a series of events.

A female student who is shown on the video being held down by a guard said she had dropped cake and bent down to clean it up. She said when the security guard told her to clean up part of the mess that had been overlooked, a verbal altercation erupted -- and quickly turned physical.

The security guard grabbed her by the arm as she headed out, the student said. She said the security guard was overzealous in twisting her arms and, despite her pleas, he broke her wrist, which was later put into a cast.

School violence is one thing - but when the authorities are doing the bullying it is quite another.

Update: Oh my gosh - then there is this story.

A Lesson From Burma

The aftermath of peaceful pro-democracy protests by Burmese Monks is reported to have brought about the sad and sickening events of the carnage and the slaughter of those Monks and other freedom loving people in Burma. There are reports of people being corralled like animals into monasteries and slaughtered, and their bodies dumped into the jungles by the military junta. Those not yet murdered are being rounded up and sent to prisons.

British papers say that this action is supported by China too - the very same China which is selling their cheap trinkets and electronics in our stores. The very same China who is gearing up for the Olympics. Think about that the next time you see "Made in China" stamped on an item.

People all over the world are standing by silently while Burma conducts this massacre of their people.

Where is the global outrage?

And what is the United Nations doing about this?
A whole lot of nothing - just like they have been doing for Darfur.

Personally I am tired of the U.S. being the world's policeman...but when will we as a planet work together to stop this type of oppression and murder? What countries, what leaders, will step up to the plate?

Their eyes are on the international community, their only hope is that the world will see their plight and help them
- A Buddhist activist

And really folks...here is a lesson our Founders knew all too well:
This is precisely why we need the right to keep and bear arms.
This is why we need to protect freedom of speech
This is why we need all of the Bill of Rights - intact and operational.
This is why our rights are important enough to fight for and to die for.
This is why we need to be aware and keep watch over our government and what it does as well as what it does not do.

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government. – Thomas Jefferson

Yet Another Reason To Homeschool - School Bans Hugging

This is just incredible.
School bans hugging.

"Last year we would see maybe as many as 10 students on one side (of the hallway), 10 on the other and then, going in opposite directions, would sort of have a hug line going on and you could see where that would be a problem," said Victoria Sharts, principal of Oak Park's Percy Julian Middle School.

So this year Sharts decided to draw the line on hug lines by banning all hugging among students within the building.

Sharts said, "Hugging is really more appropriate for airports or for family reunions than passing and seeing each other every few minutes in the halls."

Sheesh.. how about we just make these kids into little robots with no feelings.

Most likely if "hug lines" were getting annoying, then someone ought to have just told the kids to cool it. However, it looks like the hammer of authority had to be brought down on these kids.

Principal Sharts is probably just jealous that no one gives her a hug.

Somehow I don't think this ban is going to fly and I'd encourage every kid in that school to hug and see what the school will do. Yup - I think a huge "hug-in" is in order.

Well, in my homeschool hugs are given freely.

Anti-Depressants Are Killing Our Children

This is a compelling video about Anti-depressants.

Aside from the message of this video, many people have been uncovering the truth that mental health screening programs are funneling students into anti-depressant use, especially as it is being reported that these "screening tools" have been developed with money from Big Pharma.

This is certainly an issue of huge concern to any parent, especially if your child's school does mental health screening, and/or if your state legislators are considering making mental health screening mandatory (like in Illinois).