Here Comes Big Brother

Home Visiting Laws Threaten Parental Rights Nationwide

April 8, 2019

by Karen R. Effrem, MD

From The National Pulse

This story is bad news for freedom lovers in America. Here is the disturbing part:

"Any parent knows that there are a myriad of views on a whole range of parenting issues from discipline to if, how and when children are evaluated and treated for social, emotional issues when the screening instruments are admitted to be far from reliable. These differences are exacerbated by cultural differences among the many ethnic groups that may be receiving home visits."

Related information:
Iowa House Bill H.F. 272

Victory for Homeschool Family Facing Deportation ~ By Jason Devaney

“When we lost at the Sixth Circuit [in 2013], I told Uwe that he would go back to Germany over my dead body,” Farris said in the HSLDA release. “I’m glad that wasn’t necessary! This is a courageous family and one that deserves to stay here. They are modern day Pilgrims.”

Monday’s Supreme Court ruling all but sealed the family’s fate before Homeland Security stepped in.

“Our entire family is deeply grateful for all the support of our friends and fellow homeschoolers and especially HSLDA,” Uwe Romeike said in the HSLDA release. “I thank God for his hand of blessing and protection over our family. We thank the American government for allowing us to stay here and to peacefully homeschool our children — it’s all we ever wanted.”

The HSLDA says the Romeikes were granted “indefinite deferred action status” and can stay in the U.S. for the foreseeable future. Monday’s Supreme Court ruling showed that the U.S. government does not consider home schooling a fundamental human right; the Department of Homeland Security’s decision goes against that.

Still, the family will not be U.S. citizens. The Romeikes will remain in the U.S. as, essentially, refugees.

“As long as we can live at peace here, we are happy,” Uwe Romeike told the HSLDA.

Post by Johnny2k's America.

Victory for Homeschool Family Facing Deportation

By Jason Devaney

Tuesday, 04 Mar 2014 08:35 PM

From Newsmax.com

A homeschooling German family that was granted asylum six years ago and was on the verge of being deported after the Supreme Court rejected its final appeal on Monday will be allowed to remain in the country after all.

The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday the Romeike family could remain in the U.S. — without receiving citizenship.

“This is an incredible victory that I can only credit to Almighty God. I also want to thank those who spoke up on this issue — including that long ago White House petition,” Home School Legal Defense Association Chairman Michael Farris said in a press release.

“We believe that the public outcry made a huge impact. What an amazing turnaround — in just 24 hours.”

The case stems from the family’s belief that its children should be home schooled. Germany would not allow that practice, and Uwe and Hannelore Romeike — who have raised their children as devout Christians and began home schooling three of them in 2006 — feared they would lose custody of them after German authorities visited the family’s home and began issuing fines. Attending state-approved schools is mandatory in Germany.

~~~ READ MORE on Newsmax.com ~~~

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Don't be afraid!

WE the PEOPLE

are the MOB
ONE NATION UNDER GOD

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
johnny2k's Tea Party Gear

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Time 2 Escape WIFLI for Friday, Feb 3, 2012

Let's start out with some great wisdom for you to ponder over this weekend. It's a great way to end the week for me, as it coincides perfectly with some life lessons I had this week:

The fulfillment you seek is something you must create as a result of your own responsibility, commitment, discipline and efforts. Get focused, get busy and experience the outstanding joy of living life on your own terms.

— Ralph Marston, from "On your own terms"

I only wish some of the GOP Presidential Pretenders, I mean contenders, would have taken the above advice. It seems that the other two candidates (Newt and Mitt) do not quite get it quite as well as do Ron Paul and Rick Santorum, who I give credit to for their commitment to their beliefs.  I'm just sayin'...

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The News Stories:

Another good reason for homeschooling, even here in Iowa:

Is This Iowa High School Teaching Students Communism Is Better Than Capitalism? See the Flyer
From THEBLAZE.com ~ Posted on Feb 3, 2012 at 9:25 a.m. by Mike Opelka

This curious flyer was handed out to students studying the history of the Cold War at Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, Iowa.

What do you think the lesson was supposed to be?

From a flyer discovered by a parent of a student at Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, Iowa

The CAPITALISM side of the flyer shows workers in tattered clothing, chained to a machine that delivers all of the money produced to a cigar-smoking man who is also much better dressed.

Over on the COMMUNISM side, there is no boss and the smiling workers are better dressed, don’t have chains on their legs and the money goes back to them.

This gem was discovered by Simon Conway of Iowa’s Who Radio. A listener who is a parent of a student at the high school, sent the hand out to the radio host.

READ MORE ...

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EDITOR'S Note: If you are a parent, and you find out that your children are the lucky recipients of hand outs such as the one spoken of above, they have been exposed; immediate inoculation is necessary: You should immediately sit your children down and have them watch the following cartoon. Make sure that they are aware of the real differences between capitalism and communism.

Watch it now!



I was able to find this cartoon in my Time 2 Escape blog archive in the following post:
Cruising toward destruction ~ By Patrice Lewis
From WND Commentary ~ By Patrice Lewis ~ Published: Sep 25, 2010 at 1:00 AM 

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Catching you up on the current state of affairs with Iran:

Iran Vows Support to Anyone Confronting ‘Cancerous’ Israel
From THEBLAZE.com ~ Posted on February 3, 2012 at 12:32pm by Buck Sexton

(AP) — Iran will help any nation or group that confronts the “cancer” Israel, the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Friday.

The Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
(Supreme Dictator of Iran!)

He also said in remarks delivered to worshippers at prayers in Tehran and broadcast on state TV that the country would continue its controversial nuclear program, and warned that any military strike by the U.S. would only make Iran stronger.

Khamenei also warned that Tehran would reveal a letter that it says U.S. President Barack Obama sent the Iranian leadership in an attempt to end the nuclear stand-off. He said it shows that the Americans cannot be trusted. The White House has denied that such a letter exists.

Iranian officials have consistently reacted defiantly to indications by the U.S. and Israel that they might at some point take military action against Iranian nuclear facilities.

(Related: Defense Sec. Panetta says Israel could strike Iran within months)

READ MORE ...

Iran warns world of coming great event
Says 'evil hegemony' soon will be defeated by power of Allah
From WND.com ~ By Reza Kahlili ~ Published Thursday, Feb 2, 2012

Reza Kahlili is a pseudonym for a former CIA operative in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and the author of the award winning book, A Time to Betray. He is a senior Fellow with EMPact America and teaches at the U.S. Department of Defense’s Joint Counterintelligence Training Academy (JCITA).

Amid crippling sanctions over its nuclear weapons program, Iran is continuing to prepare itself for war against the West, and now is warning of a coming great event.

“In light of the realization of the divine promise by almighty God, the Zionists and the Great Satan (America) will soon be defeated,” Ayatollah Khamenei, the Iranian supreme leader, is warning.

Khamenei, speaking to hundreds of youths from more than 70 countries attending a world conference on the Arab Spring just days ago, told a cheering crowd in Tehran that “Allah’s promises will be delivered and Islam will be victorious.”

READ MORE ...

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Columnists and Their Commentaries:

Ron Paul: Ahead of his time
Pat Buchanan agrees that foreign 'freeloaders' should defend themselves for a change
From WND Commentary ~ By Patrick Buchanan ~ Published Feb 2, 2012

Patrick Buchanan

After his fourth-place showing in Florida, Ron Paul, by then in Nevada, told supporters he had been advised by friends that he would do better if only he dumped his foreign policy views, which have been derided as isolationism.

Not going to do it, said Dr. Paul to cheers. And why should he?

Rep Ron Paul (R-TX)

Observing developments in U.S. foreign and defense policy, Paul’s views seem as far out in front of where America is heading as John McCain’s seem to belong to yesterday’s Bush-era bellicosity.

Consider. In December, the last U.S. troops left Iraq. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta now says that all U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan will end in 18 months.

The strategic outposts of empire are being abandoned.


Uploaded by ThePartysOverParty on Feb 1, 2012

READ MORE ...

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From the Blogs:

On your own terms
From The Daily Motivator ~ By Ralph Marston ~ Published Feb 3, 2012

It’s your life, so be willing to be fully responsible for it. Take charge of your own destiny.

Don’t sit around hoping somebody will give you a break. Get busy and do the work that will enable you to live life fully on your own terms.

Avoid falling into the trap of blaming others for your situation. For when you assign blame to others, you are putting yourself under their control.

Instead, put yourself and your life under your own control. You know what’s best for you, so do what is necessary to make that happen.

READ MORE ...

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Don't be afraid!

WE the PEOPLE

are the MOB
ONE NATION UNDER GOD

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
johnny2k's Tea Party Gear

A fuddy-duddy speaks on the generation gap ~ By Patrice Lewis

I think that I noticed a level of intensity in this Patrice Lewis column that stood out to me. And I really had to ask myself if there are enough of those kind of kids in existence that could eventually collapse our system of society. Just hearing Glenn Beck talking about what is going on with the "Occupy Wall Street" demonstrations, and I have to wonder.

I was struck by several of the points that Patrice makes in this column. For example, Patrice wrote, "Fifty years ago, manners and courtesy were drilled into children from infancy. That practice began its decline in the '60s, and it's been downhill from there." I have to agree with Patrice that the turning point was in the 1960's, especially somewhere during the latter half of the decade. There was a lot of social upheaval - chaos - from about 1967 to 1972. And everything changed.

If you are an old "fuddy-duddy" like me, you may have the same reaction that I experienced when reading this column. One of my first thoughts was that the spontaneous combustion of the Occupy Wall Street movement is made up with a bunch of dumb-downed useful idiots that were easily manipulated to be the foot soldiers in the "American Autumn." Or should that be the "American Fall"? (Or the "American Fail?")

Do those of us that respect others, that have some decency left, still outnumber those that don't? I'm pretty sure that we do. I do not disagree with the assessment in this column in that there is a disgusting number of people that just don't care about their ability to contribute positive influence on our society. There are not a lot of hard workers like Steven Jobs available at the moment. There is influence from the media, and from the schools, that tend to make some want to rebel against authority, especially the authority of parents. I'm not sure that we can blame parents for the problems we are facing.

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A fuddy-duddy speaks on the generation gap

PATRICE LEWIS

By Patrice Lewis

September 30, 2011 ~ 2:49 pm Eastern

© 2011

A seemingly minor incident happened this week, which left me thoughtful.

I was in the city with my younger daughter. We needed to swing into a post office to mail a letter. The post office had a dedicated lane in its parking lot for cars to drive up to the mailboxes. The street was busy so I needed to swing into the parking lot quickly, not slowly … except I couldn't, because two teenage boys were walking across the driveway.

Well, can't be helped. They were there first, after all, and pedestrians have the right of way.

Except they wouldn't move. They deliberately stopped and just stood in my way, so that my car stayed half in the street, blocking traffic.

After a few moments one of the boys moved, but the other started walking toward the car as if daring me to run him over. He wasn't being threatening or dangerous. He was just being a jerk.

I managed to pull the car to one side and nip past him, and that was that. I mailed my letter and drove away. In my rearview mirror I saw them laugh. The incident left me fuming.

The boys were the typical teenagers we often see these days – slouching, insolent, eyes half closed in a perpetual sneer at life. The one boy's reaction to my presence – I dare you to run me over – was spontaneous and arrogant.

"If this is the future of America," noted my 13-year-old daughter, "we're doomed."

My anger turned to sadness and concern. Multiply these boys by millions, and you do indeed have the future of America. These boys had no sense of social courtesy, no understanding of civic consideration and apparently no desire to obtain either. Get a bunch of these types of kids together, and the situation is ripe for flash mobs and other social chaos.

I realize this sounds like the classic fuddy-duddy generation-gap thing, but in point of fact I'm not the only one to note the changing face of young people in our society. Fifty years ago, manners and courtesy were drilled into children from infancy. That practice began its decline in the '60s, and it's been downhill from there.

READ MORE on WND.com

Don't be afraid!

WE the PEOPLE

are the MOB
ONE NATION UNDER GOD

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
johnny2k's Tea Party Gear

Occupied Nation ~ By Patrice Lewis

When one nation takes over another, that second nation is considered "occupied." That's currently the situation of We the People. We are occupied by the Government of America. An efficient parasite weakens and sucks blood from its host, but doesn't quite kill it. The Government of America has become a parasite on the body of the People of America.

And so this is why a thoughtful study of our founding documents is actively discouraged in government schools. Studying these documents puts students in opposition with the occupying force. The Declaration is considered inflammatory because students might recognize that the whole purpose of it was to put limitations on the Government, not to feed the beast.

Yet gullible parents continue to send their children into the lair of the beast. After all, "all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed."

As we enjoy barbecues and fireworks on this Independence Day, let us ask ourselves whether we remain worthy of the gift of freedom our founders gave us. We will never regain our once-great status as a nation until Occupied America is freed. To that end we must pledge "our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

Hi, it's just me, John Kubicek, otherwise known as johnny2k. There are a few things that we need to discuss regarding this outstanding article by Patrice Lewis.
 
Who could argue with what Patrice writes in this commentary? As one reader, Deb Ross Mueller, says in her comment (the first one written for this column), "There's really nothing to say. Patrice is absolutely, completely, totally right. Only an ignoramus, a fool or a liar would disagree with her." I have to say that I must agree with Deb, being that in the last 24 hours, it has been difficult to find a way to expound on this outstanding column.

Patrice hit it on the nose by telling us how the schools weren't teaching the kids about our Declaration of Independence, and why they aren't. As I was saying, I found it difficult to find something to expound on with this column. While taking some more time to mull it over, I decided to watch the rest of Glenn Beck's last Fox News broadcast that I had recorded. That is when it hit me. There is actually something else that is important to consider!

When you read this column by Patrice, you will find some compelling elements that will illustrate the government's diabolical plan to dumb down the people's knowledge of America's founding documents, and it has been succeeding. There is definitely evidence that supports the argument that the government has a motive. If We the People don't know about the principles that this country was founded on, we would be apathetic about the gradual decay of our freedom. I think Obama called it "transformation."

What Glenn Beck's closing statements on June 30, 2011 reminded me of is that solving the problem is going to have to be up to us, We the People. We are pretty much stuck with a public indoctrination - sorry, I mean school - system, for now. Not every one can homeschool or send their kids to private schools. It seems that it is going to be up to us to educate ourselves, our children, and each other, at least for now. So, I guess that will have to mean making some sacrifices, to take time past the work and school day to teach your children what you believe that they need to know. It is truly a burden that we must be willing to bare in order to keep our freedom. We must rely on ourselves and each other in order to make this happen.

And in the mean time, there was a Harvard study that says that parades and fireworks for the Independence Day celebrations is just a bunch of Republican propaganda! I can not make that up, folks! I could prove it with video evidence, but I have something even better to show you for now. This is just part of what we are doing, and the social networks like Facebook are great tools to share INFORMATION.

Really, we can have a good laugh about the Harvard scholars that feel our celebration of freedom is just another right-wing mind-control plot... So, here's some great right-wing propaganda for you! Please enjoy the following video, and know that I am appealing to your emotions, as in the Patriotic Spirit, and why we love our freedom. I'm just sayin'...

Video provided by BestWaterInAmerica on Jun 28, 2011

RELATED STORIES:

• The translation of the Hawvawd study? DUH! (Bring on the Fireworks!)

• Schooling Time mag on the Constitution ~ By Thomas Sowell

• Harvard: July 4th Parades Are Right-Wing

UPDATED Jul 3, 2011 - to add the link to the Harvard study story.
UPDATED Jul 7, 2011 - to add the link to "The translation of the Hawvawd study story"

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Occupied Nation

PATRICE LEWIS

By Patrice Lewis

July 02, 2011 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2011

I have a confession to make. Until I was an adult – as in, until a few years ago – I never completely read the Declaration of Independence.

Oh sure, I was familiar with the basics. I knew what it said … sort of. But somehow I just never got around to reading it.

This isn't surprising. I am, after all, a public skool gradjuate. And public schools, as everyone knows, hardly go around emphasizing such things.

But now that I'm a homeschooling mom, I was darned if my kids were going to be as ignorant as I was. Our children have grown up knowing America is unique due to its God-given freedoms. But now that our girls are teens, it was time to launch them into a serious study of the founding documents so they can understand just what those documents mean – and what they cost.

About this time a gentleman named Bruce Gordon approached me about advertising his self-published book on my blog. We told him we would have to review it first. When the book arrived, I was astounded at its clear and thorough coverage of the roots of our country's foundation, as well as its excellent study aids. It was the civics guide I was looking for.

So our girls have embarked on a comprehensive study, starting with the Declaration of Independence. They are memorizing key portions so that they always have the wording at their fingertips. Unlike me, I don't want them growing up ignorant about the importance of this document.

And the words therein are almost as beautiful and magnificent as the words in the Bible.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. …

Doesn't this just send chills down your spine?

Over the past two months, we have analyzed the Declaration line by line, word by word. The power and majesty of its language ring as clear and strong today as it did 235 years ago.

Video provided by foxsports on Feb 6, 2011

And because of this – that the Declaration is still applicable today – it is held in contempt and roundly despised by those in power, because our government officials know damned good and well they have equaled or even exceeded the atrocities of George III.

This explains, of course, why I was never taught the founding documents as a student. Public schools are agents of the United States government. And that government is no longer recognizable as the limited entity it was meant to be.

READ MORE at WND.com

Don't be afraid!

WE the PEOPLE

are the MOB
ONE NATION UNDER GOD

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
johnny2k's Tea Party Gear

The tyranny of socialization ~ By Patrice Lewis

Naturally, homeschooling parents who want to protect their children from some of the negative socialization that takes place in schools are viewed as sick, twisted and controlling. Apparently, no one has ever bothered to actually ask homeschooled kids whether they regret not mingling with their publicly schooled peers.

Now that my girls are both teens, I believe homeschooling socialization skills are more important than ever. In a few short years, they'll be leaving the nest and facing the job market in the real world. In this tough economy, it's important for young people to possess basic manners, have vocabularies greater than 800 words, know how to dress neatly and speak respectfully, and have solid academic credentials. It is not important that they know how to use drugs, hook up, get on welfare, or create more children to be dumped into school-day care to complete the cycle.

Call me weird.

Are we crazy? Why are we allowing the socialists to socially engineer our children in the public schools to be the way they are, as discussed in this amazing column by Patrice Lewis? Is there a way to stop this nonsense perpetrated by the Left?

Well, of course there is. But do we have the courage to make the necessary changes? What kind of changes would need to be made? An end to public education? Yes! That would be a great start! But just how would we ever get that done? I really don't know. I am not sure any of us know the solution at this time, but, don't you think we should start considering it?

I refuse to say that we can't turn it around. However, to be honest, the situation seems to be pretty bleak. The teachers' unions are very powerful. The Democrats will continue to give them strength by their actions in order to get their votes. Was that not obvious when the State Senate Democrats went AWOL in Wisconsin?

We know what mass "re-education" of the the people, one generation at a time, by "educators" that have been indoctrinated in the left-leaning "higher learning" institutions, will lead to: Tyranny. I'm just sayin'...

RELATED STORIES:
The altar of indoctrination ~ By Patrice Lewis

• Click here for more related stories!

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The tyranny of socialization

PATRICE LEWIS

By Patrice Lewis

May 14, 2011 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2011

Have you ever noticed that socialization has now become – apparently – the sole and exclusive purpose of education? Every single homeschooler on the planet, it seems, has heard the question: "But what about socialization?" (The proven quality of homeschooling be damned.) The implication is that unless children attend public schools, their socialization skills will atrophy to the point where they will become drooling blobs unable to mingle with their coworkers at a cocktail party when they grow up.

And naturally, the ONLY place where "correct" socialization is possible is in government schools.

We have elevated this mythical necessity for "socialization" into an oracle-like status. What child can exist without government-approved social skills? How will they learn to chat, volunteer, work, shop, date, marry, or partake in any other activity unless they're inculcated with the values taught in school?

Many years ago I heard a radio interview between a homeschooling advocate and a bewildered host who asked that age-old question, "What about socialization?" The guest gave an answer I'd never considered before: "What is the purpose of school? Is it to teach academic basics, or is it to teach socialization?"

The answer, it seems, is very much the latter. To this observation I'll add that the apparent emphasis on socialization is presumably because the public schools are failing in every academic aspect. But since socialization is hard to quantify, it's therefore easy to demand.

An extreme case in point for the emphasis on socialization came out of Quebec recently in which a judge ordered three homeschooled children (ages 5, 7 and 9) into public schools so they could be socialized. In what seems like a tyrannical abuse of power, the judge then ordered the family's 3-year-old son into day care so he, too, could be socialized.

I know nothing more about this particular case except what was reported through the article. But the specifics are not the focus of this column. The tyranny of socialization is.

According to the dictionary, socialization is "a continuing process whereby an individual acquires a personal identity and learns the norms, values, behavior and social skills appropriate to his or her social position."

That sounds great. I have no objection to this definition. What I object to is the type of socialization found in public schools with which government officials seem entranced and without which they feel homeschooled kids will be unable to function.

READ MORE at WND.com

Are you part of the MOB?

WE the People?

Then check this out now:
johnny2k's Tea Party Gear!

1 size fits all (whether you like it or not) ~ By Patrice Lewis

If we follow the one-size-fits-all road of micromanagement to its logical conclusion, the result is slavery, not citizenship. This is, of course, precisely what the government wants. Remember what George Washington said: "Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." In exchange for (cough) security, we have given up our unalienable rights to a fearful master that has long since exceeded the lengthy list of abuses outlined in the Declaration of Independence.

This is why the State cannot tolerate any challenges to its authority. This is why homeschooling is so roundly damned. This is why housewives are classified as domestic terrorists. This is why Obamacare is so necessary to impose on this nation.

Children are, of course, the most critical pawns in this progressive game. Their brainwashing is essential. Parents are only grudgingly permitted to influence their kids. The government tells us how we must raise our children in almost every respect: what they should eat, what they should wear, what they should learn and what they should worship (hint: it's spherical and has continents). At what point do we just hand the baby over at birth? The old science-fiction horror stories about children being raised in state-run institutions in order to turn out clones bred for the State (think Nazi Germany) is closer than we imagine.

To conclude this outstanding column, Patrice quotes C. S. Lewis:

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

Patrice Lewis could not have chosen a better quote to make her point even more clear. "Omnipotent moral busybodies" defines the modern day progressives to perfection. And do you want to know what really galls me? The progressive "one-size-fits-all" vision applies to everyone... but "them" (the Elite).

And here's the thing. This isn't a bipartisan problem when it comes to the progressive elites tormenting us with their absolute belief that they know what is best for you and I. These people who are eroding our liberty can be (most) Democrats as well as (too many) Republicans.

Patrice may have started out this great column with the story about the Chicago elementary school that is going to ban kids from bringing their own lunches, but the deeper issue in the commentary is the fact that we had been allowing the State to get to where it is. It is way too big, way too powerful. And when I say, "the State," I mean any government entity from federal down to the most local.

We have to ask this pertinent question: Is it still going to be possible to reign in the amount of power the State has gained over us? Could it be too late? No, it isn't, fortunately. Patrice is still allowed to homeschool her children. We are still allowed to write our columns and blogs. Joseph Farah is still allowed to run WND without the government censoring the news and columns that he provides to us.

It is up to many of us that will take the time to educate ourselves and then pass what we learn on to our children, friends, and neighbors. But I can understand anyone who hesitates. It takes courage, because you are not always going to get a positive response from people. In fact, it doesn't take long before enemies start coming out of the woodwork, so to speak. But, decide what you are going to do now. Because there could be a time when it is too late. Just sayin'....



1 size fits all (whether you like it or not)

PATRICE LEWIS

By Patrice Lewis

April 16, 2011 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2011

Doubtless you've heard about the elementary school in Chicago that implemented a draconian policy forbidding students from bringing their own lunches from home. Instead they must purchase lunches from the school cafeteria or go hungry.

The patronizing justification given by the administration focuses on the superior nutrition of the school lunches compared to the soda-and-candy-bar meals some of the students were bringing. But here's the thing: It's not the school's concern if students bring junk food for lunch. Stupid as the parents may be who provide their children with that kind of meal, it's not the school's business. Helloooo?

The government loves nothing more than to punish the many for the sins of the few. A few students bring junk food for lunch, and bang! Everyone is guilty. All the moms who take the time to pack healthy food are lumped with the same people who think Coke and Snickers provide optimal nutrition.

This is another small example of the trend over the last 50 years, a trend that illustrates the progressive's desire to dispense with the Constitution and Bill of Rights. After all, these troublesome documents insist upon limited government interference and maximum individual rights and responsibilities. Instead, the state prefers to impose one-size-fits-all policies on all citizens, forcing them to comply with draconian regulations. Please tell me by what authority the government can control what children eat? Progressives will cite the cost of childhood (and later adult) obesity levels. But obesity is only the concern of government if the government controls health care … and government-controlled health care is another profoundly unconstitutional power grab.

In our homeschool civics class, we are currently doing a thorough study of the Declaration of Independence with the aid of an excellent study guide. It is captivating to go through our founding documents line by line and discuss their meaning. It reminds us of the ideals these brilliant men installed in our nation – as well as how far we've fallen. The Founding Fathers put restraints on government because they were prescient enough to know "a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism …" which would result in such monstrosities as Obamacare and (in miniature) forced cafeteria food.

But here's the thing: We asked for it. We ask the government for security and then act surprised when it gives us tyranny. A friend wrote an excellent blog post outlining this.

READ FULL STORY at WorldNetDaily.com

Be sure to check out
johnny2k's Tea Party Gear!

The Dumbest Generation ~ By Patrice Lewis

Bauerlein's concerns are that the ignorance of our young people will result in the nation sliding into apathy. I will add, do you think it's all a giant plan? Is this plethora of electronic marvels designed specifically to distract the younger generation from developing an interest in civics or politics or history? I'm not one for conspiracies so I won't take it that far, but it does make me wonder sometimes.

I have my own concerns. Into what kind of world will our homeschooled, literate girls be launched? Our daughters will be square pegs in round holes. Indifferent to the exploits of Hollywood dribble, unconnected with "friends" through Facebook or Twitter, deprived of cell phones (because they don't need them) … what kind of freaks will our kids be when they leave for college?

It is a terrific column by Patrice Lewis, as always. But, I don't quite agree with it.

I understand the concerns that Patrice and Mark Bauerlein have about the detriment of our children's intelligence because of technology. Electronic devices offer a great deal of time away from the distressing events of the world. You know, a "Time 2 Escape." However, I believe that there is another side of this story that should be discussed.

What I believe is the REAL problem with the children comes down to parenting, and not the tools of technology as Mark Bauerlein suggests! And, when it comes down to it, what Patrice wrote in her column actually supports my opinion. Okay, so Patrice is actually educating her children without the "highly anticipated benefits of technology" that were supposed to be the "cutting-edge intellectual stimulants for young minds." But, even Patrice admits it: Her children will be "freakishly" technologically illiterate when they attend college: "Into what kind of world will our homeschooled, literate girls be launched? Our daughters will be square pegs in round holes."

Well, Patrice continues on to say, "Whatever freaks our girls turn out to be, they won't be dumb ones. They'll be literate ones. If that makes them freakishly different, so be it."

What I am suggesting: If people depend on the public indoctrination system as the lone educator of our children, and then the kids go home and play with their electronic gadgets for the remainder of the day, should we expect them to be intelligent? The solution is parenting. How about limiting the time the kids can play with their electronic toys? How about getting kids to play outside now and then, without the gadgets, but with just their own imagination and creativity? A little game of kickball, perhaps? Badminton? Volleyball?

And then, when it comes down to educating our children, let's start with limiting the amount of power the federal government has in deciding what they learn. Let's just go back to the three R's: Reading, 'riting, and 'rithmatic.

Patrice has had the right idea all along. She developed her children's interest in literature and learning by being a great mom and homeschool educator. But, let's not be like Bauerlein and blame technology for the diminished intelligence of our kids. The technology of today and the future really CAN be used for the good. The true issue is how the new technological tools are used.

The Dumbest Generation

PATRICE LEWIS

By Patrice Lewis

March 12, 2011 ~ 1:00 am Eastern

© 2011

Our younger daughter (age 12) recently saw a movie called "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen." The plot involves a Victorian-era man played by Sean Connery (swoon, thud) who gathers together some of the most famous characters from literature, including Dorian Gray, Dr. Jekyll, Tom Sawyer, Captain Nemo, etc. on a secret mission to fight a technological madman.

My daughter loved the movie and decided she wanted to read all the books concerning the characters. So far she's read "The Portrait of Dorian Gray," "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." We have all the volumes in our personal library of 5,000-plus books, so she can just pick them up as she wishes.

Now let me jump subjects a bit. Occasionally I am in a position to hear a friend's 11-year-old son read out loud. This boy comes from a stable, intact family and there's nothing wrong with his intelligence – except he is, for all intents and purposes, illiterate. He can read, but barely; and he has no comprehension of what he's reading. This puzzled and concerned me for the longest time. How could a kid from such a great family be effectively unable to read? Then it dawned on me: Books are not a part of his life. There are none to be found in his home. He lives in a cyber-world of technological excess.

The reason I've been thinking about the contrast between my daughter's devouring of the classics versus the other child's functional illiteracy is because I'm currently reading a book called "The Dumbest Generation" by Mark Bauerlein who argues that this generation's wired-in and connected lifestyle leaves young people unable to think, work, read, or form real (versus cyber) relationships.

Originally these modern technological marvels were hailed as cutting-edge intellectual stimulants for young minds. But this has not turned out to be the case. "If the young have acquired so much digital proficiency, and if digital technology exercises their intellectual faculties so well, then why haven't knowledge and skill levels increased accordingly?" asks the author. "If the Information Age solicits quicker and savvier literacies, why do so many new entrants into college and work end up in remediation?"

Bauerlein describes the constant and ever-improving technology as "prosthetic," a chilling term when applied to the minds of children and young adults.

Most of the early and highly anticipated benefits of technology on the intellect of students have turned out to be negative – so much so that some schools are actually disconnecting or discouraging the use of digital media they had encouraged with such high hopes five years before in an effort to "unplug" kids and increase test scores.

The trouble, apparently, is while kids are frighteningly savvy when it comes to all electronic media, those skills do not translate into actual knowledge. They do not retain the material they study. "When the fifth-grade teachers assign a topic, the kids proceed like this: go to Google, type keywords, download three relevant sites, cut and paste passages into a new document, add transitions of their own, print it up, and turn it in. The model is information retrieval, not knowledge formation, and the material passes from Web to homework paper without lodging in the minds of the students."

READ FULL STORY at WorldNetDaily.com

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Patrice Lewis is a freelance writer and the author of "The Home Craft Business: How to Make it Survive and Thrive." She is co-founder (with her husband) of a home woodcraft business. The Lewises live on 20 acres in north Idaho with their two homeschooled children, assorted livestock, and a shop that overflows into the house with depressing regularity. Visit her blog at www.rural-revolution.com.

Let's hear it for the teens! ~ By Patrice Lewis

Commentary from WorldNetDaily

By Patrice Lewis Posted: December 19, 2009 ~ 1:00 am Eastern © 2009 Our older daughter woke up crying one morning this week. "I dreamed about Gypsy and Hopi," she sobbed, referring to the pets we lost in the last few months. "They were good dreams, but when I woke up they weren't there." We snuggled in front of the wood stove on that snowy morning while I comforted her. And I thought, here's a kid who still has a tender, unhardened, uncynical heart. What a blessing. Today is that kid's 14th birthday. When I was pregnant with her, I had the extraordinary experience of being told by a stranger that I would hate my child. No kidding. A woman sitting next to me at a craft fair, instead of congratulating me on my pregnancy, told me I would hate my baby. "I have six kids, and I hate them all," she said. Being a captive audience (I was manning our craft booth and couldn't leave), she poured poison in my ear for half an hour before departing. By the end of her diatribe I felt beaten until I was able to shake off her influence. "It's no wonder you hate your kids," I thought. "You're a hateful woman." Then, on Dec. 19, 1995, I brought forth our firstborn child and we named her after a woman in the Bible. What a Christmas present! And no, I didn't hate her at all. Not even a teensy little bit. But we did wonder what lay in store as she, and later her younger sister, grew older. We knew these gifts from God were too important to entrust to a succession of strangers for their education, so we decided to homeschool. We didn't realize at the time that homeschooling would result in not just an academically sound education but a morally sound one as well, because there were no significant outside influences to dilute their training. Some people don't like this idea. They accuse us of child abuse, of isolating our kids because we try to limit what we see as damaging outside influences. The relatively recent "reality show" mentality of our modern culture is designed to introduce children to adult concepts at younger and younger ages. These "real world" proponents don't seem to understand that parents are supposed to protect their children and keep them from growing up too fast in an often harsh and merciless world. In what could only be called twisted logic, we are sometimes criticized that since our girls are polite and respectful, we must therefore be beating them into submission in order to present a false and polite façade. These people can't seem to wrap their minds around the idea of decent teens. Whenever I suggest that some adolescents are being raised as civilized young men and women, I get snarky comments about how these teens must be whupped by their parents. Some folks are judgmental of how my husband and I are raising our kids, suggesting dark and devious explanations to justify their polite behavior. They dismiss the concept that because the kids aren't locked in a classroom with 30 other children for seven hours a day, they might actually learn real-life skills rather than guerrilla-survival skills. These critics are certain that because our girls spend the majority of their waking hours with us, they'll grow up with the social skills of, say, wood lice. READ FULL STORY >

Government-school 'edjikation' ~ By Patrice Lewis

From WorldNetDaily

By Patrice Lewis Posted: October 24, 2009 ~ 1:00 am Eastern © 2009 A few months ago, a homeschooling friend called in tears. The curriculum she'd purchased for her three children was patently unsuited to her 16-year-old daughter, Jane. Jane was rebelling for the first time. "She tells me she doesn't want to learn physics," my friend sobbed. "Does Jane know what she wants to do when she grows up?" I asked. "Yes. She wants to be a paralegal. She's wanted to do that for years." "What's wrong with being a paralegal? That's an excellent career choice." "Nothing. I'm proud of her. But she won't know any physics." "What does a paralegal need with physics?" I asked. My friend was silent a moment. "Nothing," she admitted. After a lengthy discussion, my friend decided her daughter was mature enough to choose her own studies, which she could tailor toward her career choice. End of rebellion. This conversation led me to give some serious thought about the purpose of education, especially for older teens. Is it to cram every subject down every adolescent's throat, despite his natural talent, interest, or future career plans? Or is it to prepare a teen to enter the adult world as a useful, productive member of society? Needless to say I'm inclined toward the latter, not the former. Obviously, there are things children must know. I happen to think it's useful if a 12th-grader knows where the United States is on a map and can multiply 12 x 12. I believe a working knowledge of history and science come in handy no matter what career they choose. I believe the ability to communicate in English, verbally and in writing, is critical. These are the foundations for education. But most children eventually reach an age – like Jane – when the foundations are achieved. What's left is higher learning in various subjects. Then what? If your daughter wants to be a paralegal, is it necessary – really necessary – for her to know physics? If your son wants to be a physicist, is it really necessary that he knows the imports and exports of Zimbabwe? I know a lot of you are sputtering right now, particularly the physicists. Doubtless some of you think I'm an unedjikated troglodyte, unappreciative of the finer points of a sound education. Let me assure you that my husband and I both have master's degrees in the sciences and a passion for history. Our admiration for academics is second to none. But I believe most kids, given sufficient time to think it through, have a pretty good idea what they want to be when they grow up. After the foundations are achieved, why not let them decide what areas they should study? Why make them miserable forcing them to "learn" subjects they may grow to hate because they're being, well, forced? [CLICK HERE TO READ MORE]

Raising drones of the state ~ By Patrice Lewis

From WorldNetDaily

By Patrice Lewis Posted: October 17, 2009 ~ 1:00 am Eastern © 2009 President Obama is pressing to increase the number of hours students spend in the classroom, both per day and per year. He says "American kids spend too little time in school, putting them at a disadvantage with other students around the globe. … But the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom." The president wants schools "to add time to classes, to stay open late and to let kids in on weekends so they have a safe place to go." My my. Who needs parents when the government is willing to take over the job? Our schools are unquestionably failing, especially compared with other countries. Therefore, in a typical government solution, Obama's proposal involves taking this failure and multiplying it. Of course, these extra hours would deprive children of any semblance of family time. Which, come to think of it, might be precisely the point. Parents can be so annoying about wanting to impart their own personal values on their children. Three hundred more hours of non-parental supervision per year ought to quash that quaint notion. Besides, with the flood of sexually-transmitted diseases rampant among our young people, it's clear they're not spending enough time learning to put condoms on bananas. With all the proposed extra school time, the possibilities for acquiring new "skills" are endless. I'm certain other students around the globe have achieved such high academic standards because of their military precision in applying prophylactics to fruit. As usual, there are some parents who welcome the idea of extra school time. These are the parents who blindly send their children to government indoctrination centers for most of their waking hours, then seem surprised when their kids emerge from high school unable to read or cipher with any competency. But at least they will possess an inflated self-esteem and a superb grasp of manufactured environmental calamities. I think this is because a lot of parents have visions that school still consists of diligent children sitting obediently at their desks, heads bent over math and science books, dutifully absorbing important information that will lead to superior performances on tests. Think of the descriptions of schools in the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and you'll get the idea. Schools are places of discipline, respect and high academic standards, aren't they? NOT. [CLICK HERE TO READ MORE]

The decline and fall of private education ~ By Chuck Norris

Parents deserve educational choices. Government control and monopoly of education or anything else is just another avenue for usurping power and control on the slippery slope to socialism. Just remember, the private choice of homeschooling was outlawed by the Soviet State in 1919, by Hitler and Nazi Germany in 1938, and Communist China in 1949. Coincidence? read more | digg story

Homeschoolers' greatest fear ~ By Patrice Lewis

So, when you're inclined to feel hopeless about the state of affairs in this country, when you're feeling depressed that nothing you do or say can change the course of the "interesting times" we're witnessing, remember these humble heroes of the homeschooling movement. When the dust has cleared and our country is in ruins, we will still have hope. read more | digg story

Playing God with homeschoolers - By Patrice Lewis

A judge ordered three normal, well-adjusted, academically superior children into public school, because, I don't know, he was having a bad hair day or something. To add insult to injury, the mother was ordered to undergo a mental evaluation, assumedly because she holds conservative Christian beliefs...

Read it for yourself. A judge ordered three normal, well-adjusted, academically superior children into public school, because, I don't know, he was having a bad hair day or something. The bizarre thing is the mother was not in court for anything having to do with school, home or otherwise. She was in court for some divorce proceedings, and the judge decided that decent, well-behaved Christian children are a bad thing and ordered them to get their beliefs and values "challenged." He wanted them to have a more "well-rounded" education. I assume his definition of well-rounded includes teaching children to put condoms on bananas, learn a sailor's vocabulary, and discover that rebellion against one's parents is a preferred state of affairs.

But it gets even better... Oh, I'm sorry, I meant to say - emphatically - worse:

To add insult to injury, the mother (not the father, even though he's the one allegedly having an affair) was ordered to undergo a mental evaluation. This is assumedly because she holds conservative Christian beliefs, thus implying that being Christian and conservative is a mental condition that should be overcome. May I suggest the judge be next in line? As in, can we get this guy's head examined?

Patrice makes a final plea to "let this judge know your thoughts". Read this column digg story