Imagine with me, if you will, that you just bought a new home. You are so excited. The rooms are spacious, the neighborhood lovely, and the surrounding community is spectacular. The area is loaded with restaurants, museums, orchestras, and cultural opportunities galore. All to entertain and educate you and your children. You wander around your new dwelling staring at boxes and dreaming of the future.
Suddenly, your dream is interrupted by a knock at the door. Wondering who it is, you peek through the door. It's a face you don't recognize. You greet the stranger warmly. He, however, appears to be all business. "Are you Mrs. Jones the new homeowner?"
"Why, yes I am. Is there a problem? Did my dog get loose? Buster come back!" You yell out the door. "Oh, he loves to explore. Just like my children. That's why we bought this house, you know. There's so much to see and do. It's just wonderful. I can't wait to take them on Monday to the Chinese restaurant down the road. Have you been there?" You ramble on hoping to snag his interest and ease the tension in the air.
"No, I haven't and that's just what I'd like to talk to you about." He proceeds to explain that because you have purchased the home at 123 Maple you are only allowed to do certain things. You are only permitted to eat at one restaurant. - the Italian restaurant across the road. The only grocery store you can frequent is Jack's Pack N Save about 10 miles away. The only entertainment venue you can visit is the Starlight Theater that shows second run movies and hosts an Elvis week once a month. He also informs you that the foreign model car currently parked in your driveway is not permissible on county roads. But don't worry, there is a bus available to pick you up at a designated time if transportation is a problem.
"What do you mean?" You howl in protest. "I can't eat there. I"m allergic to tomatoes! In fact, I don't like any of those choices you have selected for me. Why should I have to eat, shop, and entertain my family at those selections simply because I bought this house? And I can't drive my car? That's ridiculous. It's down right unAmerican. Isn't there anything I can do about it?"
The man smiles slightly and replies, "Sure, you can go pay each of those businesses assigned to your address a fee. We have set up a seamless deduction system where the money is taken out of your pay each week. You won't even notice its gone. We have found that to be the best way to make sure that everyone's needs are taken care of equally. Then as long as your fees are paid up you are free to visit any other establishment you choose."
Outraged, you furiously attempt to refute his absurd suggestion, "If I pay those establishments I will have very little money left for my own choices. I can't afford both."
"Sorry, that's the way it is. Congratulations on your new home." He hands you a form to sign and leaves.
Questions: If we would never accept this in any other area of our life...why do we accept it in something as important as the education of our children?
(I borrowed a camera for the pictures, so I had to wait for my copies before I posted)
How I spent my NEW YEAR'S EVE:
You've got to be REALLY careful with these...The wire that the computer triggers to launch the firework burns at a rate of 60 feet per second, and is about 3 feet long.
This is what the fireworks are launched from. The black bar laying in front of the green tubes is the computer panel that each firework was eventually connected to.
LATER THAT NIGHT:
The pyrotechnician sets off the fireworks from a safe distance of about 100 yards via computer.
Here is a close-up picture from where I was standing that night. The black circle is around the stand of green tubes you saw me help set up a few pictures earlier.
All these pictures were taken with the camera zoomed as wide as it could go...
I have decided this is definitely the way to watch a firework display!
The next four years will reveal if Mr. Obama will be successful in achieving the campaign promises that brought him the election....the promises summarized in this less than four minute video:
Only time will tell if this election will lead our nation in a direction of more government regulations, programs and oversights...or truly bring about much needed change.
However , no matter what your political tenancies, I think we can all agree that Ikey is quite an adorable kid!
CHANGE ... what you'll have left after I raise taxes.
CHANGE ... your gas prices upwards, but gradually
CHANGE ... my hat size because every day my head gets bigger
CHANGE ... the national motto to: In Obama We Trust.
CHANGE ... what I do to my story depending upon whom I'm talking to.
CHANGE ... what I do every day to my foreign policy
CHANGE ... what I do to my trade policy depending upon whom I'm talking to
CHANGE ... your lifestyle because the rest of the world doesn't like you
CHANGE ... my friends when they turn out NOT to be "The person I knew"
CHANGE ... what my radical left-wing ideologue handlers have in store for you
CHANGE ... what I do to facts to suit my needs.
CHANGE ... my previous position in favor of gun control was 'inartful language'
CHANGE ... my pastor's screed is OK, yours isn't
CHANGE ... FISA line that we crossed but I have now moved back
CHANGE ... from public to private campaign financing because I can raise more money
CHANGE ... I'll debate John McCain anytime, anywhere; except when and where he asks me.
CHANGE ... the words of others and claim they're mine, because words count.
CHANGE ... the meaning of Bible verses to meet my own liberal world view
CHANGE ... more of you into victims of something and build government programs to take care of you
CHANGE ... you into a ward of the state so that I OWN you and your vote
CHANGE ... your mind and believe in me for I am the Obamessiah come to save you
CHANGE ... into giggling sycophants; liberal mainstream media do under the spell of the Obamessiah
CHANGE ... the chant I use to control the weak-minded Obamanized masses
CHANGE ... into an Obamatron; join the cult, repeat the chant: CHANGE, CHANGE, CHANGE ...
CHANGE ... what I plan to do to America because it's the greatest country on the planet.
CHANGE ... the national anthems of all the nations of the world to Kumbaya using my messianic foreign policy skills
CHANGE ... into mumble-mouthed idiot when I don't have prepared speech to read.
CHANGE ... historical facts to agree with my life story
CHANGE ... I said the DC gun ban was constitutional, but now I agree with Supreme Court ruling it unconstitutional.
CHANGE ... what I said because my rhetoric was overheated and amplified
CHANGE ... I mocked Hillary during the primary, now she “rocks”.
CHANGE ... I respect McCain's service to his nation, so I sent Wesley “looser” Clark out to demean him
CHANGE ... but not for us, not the left-wing liberal elite, CHANGE is for YOU.
CHANGE ... anything and everything I've said or done in my life if it will help me win
CHANGE ... the definition of change to: What I say, when I say it, to whom I say it.
CHANGE ... I can CHANGE when it suits me
CHANGE ... you can believe in for a day or two
CHANGE ... you can't keep up with
Yeah, I'm a bit behind in blogging this update, so I'm sure you all have heard by now that on March 25th the CA granted a Petition for Re-hearing. Wooo hooo; great start! Many thanks to all those who are working hard to right this wrong.
Assembly Concurrent Resolution ACR 115
Author: State Assembly Member Joel Anderson
WHEREAS, Some thirty years of experience with the modern homeschooling movement in California demonstrates that home school graduates take up responsible positions as parents, as students in and graduates of Colleges and Universities, in the workplace, and as citizens in society at large; and
WHEREAS, Homeschooling by California families with diverse backgrounds has historically given children a quality education through proven, independent approaches that nurture valuable family bonds and support successful student development; and
WHEREAS, Private homeschooling has a long and rich history in the State of California, currently estimated as involving 200,000 students in the State of California, and 2,000,000 students nationwide; and
WHEREAS, The United States Supreme Court has ruled that parents have a fundamental constitutional right to direct the education and upbringing of their children (Wisconsin v. Yoder, Pierce v. Society
of Sisters, Meyer v. Nebraska); and
WHEREAS, On February 28, 2008, the Court of Appeals for the Second Appellate District in Los Angeles issued an opinion in the case of In Re: Rachel L. holding that homeschooling without a teaching credential is not legal; and
WHEREAS, This misguided interpretation denies California parents' primary responsibility and right to determine the best place and manner of their own children's education; and
WHEREAS, The fair opportunity of California families to educate their children should not be undermined; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, By the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, that the Legislature hereby calls upon the California Supreme Court to reverse the opinion.
RESOLVED, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
. . . if I don't at least mention the In Re: Rachel L. (PDF) decision from the California Court of Appeals. I don't really have anything to add that hasn't been said already, and I'm sure my regular readers are all already familiar with this case .
To sign HSLDA's petition, go to
www.hslda.org (They updated their homepage to take you directly to the petition). CHEA also has information about this case.
The problem with so-called "emergency orders" in cases of alledged child neglect is that social workers can say whatever they want to support their demands for permission to invade a family's privacy, and judges are basically required to believe them without anything more then the social worker's unchecked accusations. Parents are essentially never given the opportunity to defend themselves at this stage, and by the time "due process" kicks in, the damage has been done.
You can't unring a bell.
You can't unbake a cake.
You can't take away this 11-year-old boy's memory of being forcably removed from his parents by a SWAT team because of a bump on his head. A bump that was so awful the medical treatment required was ice and tylenol...and apparently a SWAT team.
That is the problem with emergency orders.
"A fully armed SWAT team broke into our home, slammed my children to the floor face down with their hands behind their backs and shoved a gun in my daughter's face…"
...I love you girls.
I will fix this, just hang in there.
It's almost over.
I am a Christian homeschool mother of three daughters who believes ideals are like stars...Although I may never be able to reach them, I can use them to guide the direction of my life. Sharing the journey of my family through this blog has been put on hold during this trying season in our lives. Please pray for my daughters.
