Your Children Are Property of the State

You may think you have the right to raise your children as you see fit, but you don't. Your children are property of the state, as this recent story demonstrates:

A Montgomery County couple has been arrested on child endangerment charges for failing to register their children with the school district as they were home-schooled, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said Monday.

Richard Cressy, 47, and Margie Cressy, 41, both of the town of Glen, never registered their four children or their home-schooling curriculum with the local school district, said the Sheriff's Office.

The Superintendent of the Fonda-Fultonville Central School District, Richard Hoffman, confirmed the four children, ranging in age from 8 to 14, had not been registered with the school district for the last seven years.

"From what I can gather, it sounds like there was education going on, so I don't know if they really slipped through the cracks," Hoffman said, "[but] they didn't fulfill their legal responsibility to file with the school district to be home-schooled."

Just business as usual in this once-free nation.

The problem with compulsory education laws, like most laws in this country, is that they force otherwise law-abiding citizens into the position of having to take action in order to prevent themselves from becoming criminals. There was once a time when it had to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that one intended harm when committing a particular act. Today, that isn't good enough.

Those in government love such laws because they no longer have to prove motive. The mere act itself is criminal. The end result is that you are considered a criminal if you do not first seek the state's permission for what was once accepted as a God-given right.

We Don't Need No Education

Just when you think public schools couldn't dumb things down any more than they already have, you run across a story like this:

Berkeley High School is considering a controversial proposal to eliminate science labs and the five science teachers who teach them to free up more resources to help struggling students.

The proposal to put the science-lab cuts on the table was approved recently by Berkeley High's School Governance Council, a body of teachers, parents, and students who oversee a plan to change the structure of the high school to address Berkeley's dismal racial achievement gap, where white students are doing far better than the state average while black and Latino students are doing worse.

Paul Gibson, an alternate parent representative on the School Governance Council, said that information presented at council meetings suggests that the science labs were largely classes for white students. He said the decision to consider cutting the labs in order to redirect resources to underperforming students was virtually unanimous.

If you wanted more proof that the main purpose of the public school system is to indoctrinate rather than educate, there it is.

Yet Another Problem in Our Schools

Here's reason number 5,723 to keep your kids out of the local government-run indoctrination center:

It's a disturbing game with devastating consequences, and a new WTHR survey suggests it is rampant in Indiana schools.

"Ball tapping" is the act of intentionally hitting or kicking a male in the genitals. Earlier this month, an Eyewitness News investigation showed the game has become commonplace in some area schools, resulting in serious injuries for students.

As part of the investigation, WTHR also conducted a statewide survey of school nurses. The results are in, and they show the problem of ball tapping is more common and widespread than many school officials had realized.

Full story and video here.

Child Porn in Our Schools

Yes, your kids could be exposed to child and gay porn at school. But it's OK, because it's all in the name of "tolerance":

Safe Schools Czar Kevin Jennings was the founder, and for many years, Executive Director of an organization called the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). GLSEN started essentially as Jennings' personal project and grew to become the culmination of his life's work. And he was chosen by President Obama to be the nation's Safe Schools Czar primarily because he had founded and led GLSEN.

GLSEN's stated mission is to empower gay youth in the schools and to stop harassment by other students. It encourages the formation of Gay Student Alliances and condemns the use of hateful words. GLSEN also strives to influence the educational curriculum to include materials which the group believes will increase tolerance of gay students and decrease bullying. To that end, GLSEN maintains a recommended reading list of books that it claims "furthers our mission to ensure safe schools for all students." In other words, these are the books that GLSEN's directors think all kids should be reading: gay kids should read them to raise their self-esteem, and straight kids should read them in order to become more aware and tolerant and stop bullying gay kids. Through GLSEN's online ordering system, called "GLSEN BookLink," featured prominently on their Web site, teachers can buy the books to use as required classroom assignments, or students can buy them to read on their own.

Read more about it here. (WARNING: very sickening, explicit content)

Schools or Prisons?

From the web site:

Blame for problems with schooling in America is often assigned to insufficient funding or the inherent failings of today’s kids. In rare cases, parents, teachers, and administrators are also implicated. However, all efforts to improve the quality of education are doomed to fail if the system itself is not examined and understood to be the most significant impediment. After over six years in the making, THE WAR ON KIDS reveals that the problems with public education ultimately stem from the institution itself. Astonishingly all efforts at reform consistently avoid even considering this to be a possibility and the future for children and American democracy are at stake.

In 95 minutes, THE WAR ON KIDS exposes the many ways the public school system has failed children and our future by robbing students of all freedoms due largely to irrational fears. Children are subjected to endure prison-like security, arbitrary punishments, and pharmacological abuse through the forced prescription of dangerous drugs. Even with these measures, schools not only fail to educate students, but the drive to teach has become secondary to the need to control children.

Can we please start calling public schools what they are: government-run indoctrinations centers?

President Obama to Address Students on Opening Day

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent a letter to the principals of America's government-run indoctrination centers, encouraging them to tune in to Barack Hussein Obama's special webcast on September 8. Along with the letter were some suggested classroom activities.

For preschool to 6th grade teachers those included getting their students to:

• Write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president. These would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals.
  
• Write goals on colored index cards or precut designs to post around the classroom.
  
• Interview and share about their goals with one another to create a supportive community.
  
• Participate in School wide incentive programs or contests for students who achieve their goals.

Teachers for grades 7 through 12 could get group discussions going with question like:

• What are the three most important words in the speech? Rank them. What title would you give this speech? What's the thesis?
  
• What is President Obama inspiring you to do? What is he challenging you to do?
  
• What do you believe are the challenges of your generation?
  
• How can you be a part of addressing these challenges?

While these things are seemingly harmless, it's just another example of how far the tentacles of Washington extend. Secretary Duncan even drew attention to the historic significance of this upcoming speech, noting that it will be "the first time an American president has spoken directly to the nation's school children about persisting and succeeding in school." Seriously. Is that the president's job?

Parents, I would encourage you to do your kids a favor and keep them home on September 8.

Poor Sportsmanship?

By now most of you have probably heard about the Dallas Academy girls' basketball team losing their last game to The Covenant School by a score of 100-0. Don't worry. They're taking the defeat in stride. Hardly aspiring WNBA stars, these charming young ladies were probably just happy to get together for a few hours after school each week to chat about boys and homework and lob a few airballs. They were just having fun.

Still, you can't help but feel sorry for these girls. I mean, 100 to zip! They couldn't make so much as a single free throw. To say that they were outmatched would be an understatement.

The reaction to this story has been virtually unanimous: "How could any team with even a shred of human decency run up the score like that? How dare they!"

OK, here's where I'm going to rub a few people the wrong way. I would have expected nothing less from the team that won. In fact, if I had been their coach, I probably would have wondered why they couldn't win by 200 points.

Now, before you think I'm being heartless, look at what the losing coach, Jeremy Civello, had to say:

"My girls never quit," he said. "They played as hard as they could to the very end. They played with all their hearts at 70-nothing, 80-nothing and 100-nothing. I was really proud of them. That's what I told them after the game." ...

... The Bulldogs play, Civello said, for more than the final score. They play in hope of improving skills, learning teamwork and picking up whatever life lessons athletics may bring. ...

... Against Covenant, Dallas Academy was surprised to see an obviously superior team keep the pressure on until it scored its 100th point in the fourth quarter. "I'm sure they could have won by 30 points and still had just as good a time," Civello said.

The reason I'm having such a hard time sympathizing with Dallas Academy is that coach Civello contradicted himself when he complained that the Covenant girls could have had just as much fun winning by 30. If the whole point is to have the girls playing "with all their hearts," who cares what the final score was, be it 100-0 or 200-0?

The fact is that he was embarrassed. And who can blame him? This kind of a loss -- not to mention the fact that Dallas Academy hasn't won a game in four years -- is hard to live down.

Still, we are left with the impression that Covenant coach Micah Grimes and his players are mean-spirited brutes because the team was still playing hard until the final buzzer. But isn't that exactly what we would expect of any team? Look at it from their perspective. Coach Grimes spends the entire season trying to get his players to give 100%. Do we expect him to go against everything he's been teaching them and suddenly try to get them not to play their best simply because the opposing team stinks?

When asked about the game, Grimes responded:

"It's unfortunate we got to 100 points in the game against Dallas Academy. It just happened, and we are not happy about that.

"Please know Covenant intended no harm against them. I see this as a real learning opportunity, so we can prevent this from happening in the future."

This coach is now made to feel guilty for daring to inspire his team to play competitively, as if it's his fault the girls of Dallas Academy have no basketball skills.

Because we live in a politically correct society that abhors competition among kids, we must see to it that hard work doesn't pay off. We must condemn teams like Covenant because their display of superior skills might damage the self-esteem of those who aren't quite as talented. That's why Covenant has been shamed into issuing a formal apology and forfeiting the game.

What I find extremely interesting is that not one person has dared to criticize coach Civello for allowing his team to be humiliated for four quarters. He could have called an end to it at any point during the game, but he didn't, and yet no one expects him to apologize.

Again, if the whole point is to get the kids to play their best, then it shouldn't matter what the score is. Period. But if we're more worried about fragile egos and hurt feelings, then perhaps parents should be a little more discerning when it comes to their children's extracurricular activities.

Faith in Government Is the Root of the Problem

So writes Paul Ibrahim:

Most Americans are raised by the government. They are usually raised for more than 12 years in public schools that they are forced to pay for, and, for the financially restricted, forced to attend. Even if they are lucky enough to have a choice in education, they grow up bombarded by pervasive laws -- and not just the necessary types that regulate traffic and criminal activity, but the types that ban certain "unhealthy" cooking, prohibit smoking on private property and order the use of helmets and seatbelts.

It is therefore not surprising that many -- too many -- Americans reach adulthood with a built-in, assumed, inherent faith in a notional all-knowing and compassionate government. For these Americans, questioning the role of government in certain areas is very much like questioning the essence of life itself. ...

... Too many Americans have grown up believing that it is the government’s job to play a big activist role in society and in the economy. This ideology is more or less dependent on the (false) assumption that government is an inherently good institution filled with inherently good people who wake up everyday wondering how they can act to improve a constituent’s life.

We Need More Guns in Schools

From Reuters:

A Texas school district will let teachers bring guns to class this fall, the district's superintendent said on Friday, in what experts said appeared to be a first in the United States.

The board of the small rural Harrold Independent School District unanimously approved the plan and parents have not objected, said the district's superintendent, David Thweatt.

School experts backed Thweatt's claim that Harrold, a system of about 110 students 150 miles northwest of Fort Worth, may be the first to let teachers bring guns to the classroom.

Thweatt said it is a matter of safety.

"We have a lock-down situation, we have cameras, but the question we had to answer is, 'What if somebody gets in? What are we going to do?'" he said. "It's just common sense."

Yes, such a solution makes so much sense that a lot of people are bound to have a problem with it.

Another Confederate Flag Flap

Three seniors at Bloomington Kennedy High School have been barred from their graduation ceremony for committing genocide. Well, they might as well have committed genocide. They drove to school with Confederate flags flying from their trucks.

The enlightened school government-run indoctrination center believes "that the Confederate flag represents hatred, bigotry, intolerance, slavery, civil rights issues and discrimination." Forget the fact that slavery existed under the U.S. flag for 89 years (1776-1865) and under the Confederate flag for only four (1861-1865). I mean, a public school is the last place you'd expect to learn anything about history, right? It's all about keeping up appearances.

Thankfully, not everyone is intolerant when it comes to the Confederate flag.

The State Owns Your Children

When California's Second District Court of Appeal declared that "parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children," they were simply confirming what many of us have known all along: The state thinks it owns your children. This alone is reason enough to keep your kids out of government indoctrination centers.

Judge H. Walter Croskey, who presided over the case, reached a chilling conclusion -- which, again, came as no surprise. He ruled that a "primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism, and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare." There is nothing implied here. Judge Croskey is telling California parents that the state's interests come first.

The saddest part of it is that the vast majority of parents see nothing wrong with the concept of public schools. Sure, they will throw the obligatory hissy fit when free condoms are given out to students, or when evolution is taught in lieu of intelligent design, but most of them just can't pass up the opportunity to give their kids a "free education." As a result, virtually all of them fail to address the real problem.

In essence, those in political power believe that they are the true benefactors (as well as beneficiaries) of our children and will raise them in the manner they see fit. After all, that which the state funds, it also controls. Do you really think that you as fathers and mothers matter to them? No. You are nothing more than foster parents for wards of the state.

Now, you can either get used to that idea, or you can choose to do something about it. What's it going to be?

Home-Grown Athletes

It's a common stereotype: Homeschoolers miss out on so many opportunities by not attending regular schools, such as socializing with other kids and participating in sports. Try telling that to the members of the 300 teams competing in the National Christian Homeschool Basketball Championships in Oklahoma City:

Only a decade ago, home-school athletics was considered little more than organized recess for children without traditional classrooms. Now, home-school players are tracked by scouts, and dozens of them have accepted scholarships to colleges as small as Blue Mountain in Mississippi and as well known as Iowa State.

Sorry, California's Second District Court of Appeal. I realize this isn't the kind of report you like to hear.

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

Coming to a theater near you...



For more information, visit www.expelledthemovie.com.

Accommodation at Any Cost?

Just how far should a school go to accommodate its students? Do the needs or wants of the minority outweigh the needs or wants of the majority? And must such accommodations always come at taxpayer expense?:

Yet another reason why I won't be sending my kids to a government school.

Tools of the State at Work for You (or Why Ron Paul Would Make a Lousy President)

Despite our president's best efforts to force all local schools to adopt arbitrary national standards, children are being left behind. And even with the increase in the use of Tasers against unarmed citizens, criminals are taking over our neighborhoods. At times, all seems hopeless.

Then, something extraordinary happens that restores your faith in both education and law enforcement. You may recall this story from a month ago:

A 10-year-old Ocala girl brought her lunch to school and a small kitchen knife to cut it. She now faces a felony charge after being arrested. The school and the sheriff's office disagree on the reason for the arrest.

School officials say the 5th grader was brown-bagging it. She brought a piece of steak for her lunch, but she also brought a steak knife. That's when deputies were called.

It happened in the cafeteria at Sunrise Elementary School. The 10-year-old used the knife to cut the meat.

"She did not use it inappropriately. She did not threaten anyone with it. She didn't pull it out and brandish it. Nothing of that nature," explained Marion County School Spokesman Kevin Christian.

But a couple of teachers took the utensil and called the sheriff. When deputies arrived, they were unable to get the child's parents on the phone, so they arrested her and took her to the county's juvenile assessment center.

"And we didn't handcuff her or treat her like a criminal. But we took her to the assessment center to be assessed," said Capt. James Pogue, Marion County Sheriff's Office.

What compassion! That's the nice thing about living in the Land of the Free.

I have to admire the courageous officers involved. How in the world were they able to apprehend an unarmed 10-year-old girl without tasing, handcuffing, clubbing, choking, and/or shooting her? They should all receive commendations for bravery.

The suspect, on the other hand, should be counting her blessings. According to a follow-up report, she's getting off rather easy:

After reviewing her school record and interviewing her, investigators with the Department of Juvenile Justice recommended that the State Attorney’s Office not prosecute the child. The attorney’s office agreed.

"She has an excellent school history, no disciplinary problems, good grades and nothing whatsoever to suggest she was a troubled child," Assistant State Attorney Ric Ridgway told the Orlando Sentinel.

The state, after all, isn't above showing mercy. Even hardened criminals like this elementary school student get a second chance.

But the main lesson to be learned here is that we are extremely blessed in this country. Our ancestors had it rough, what with all that freedom and responsibility. Today, we have a benevolent government looking out for our best interests. I mean, who needs parental involvement in schools when teachers are willing to do the parenting for you? Who needs to cower in fear behind that Thin, Blue Line when you can be suffocated by a Thick, Blue Blanket of protection?

Sleep well, America. The state has its best tools working for you! Remember that in November.

Why Many Atheists Are Scared of Ron Paul

Andrew Sullivan received an e-mail from a reader who was concerned about Ron Paul's skepticism of evolution. While this reader admits that he does admire Paul, as an atheist he finds it "absolutely mind-boggling that so many people in the United States, in this day and age, can still deny that evolution is real."

Here is the video in question:

Shocking, isn't it? I can see why atheists would be scurrying for the hills.

Please. Atheists have nothing to fear from Ron Paul. In fact, he is perhaps the best friend atheists have in politics. He is a Christian who actually believes in the Romans 13 command to submit to governing authority -- in this case, the Constitution of the United States. And that means he would not use government to impose his religious beliefs on the masses. In other words, he wouldn't push the teaching of creationism in public schools because he views a federally controlled, taxpayer-funded education system as unconstitutional in the first place.

But then that's the real problem atheists have with Paul, isn't it? Atheists have relied on a federally controlled, taxpayer-funded education system to force their agenda and beliefs down the throats of American children for decades. Perhaps they are afraid someone will finally neutralize the most effective weapon of proselytization in their arsenal.

Government Schools, Forced Immunization, and the Police State

It's bad enough that parents and children are subjected to tyrannical compulsory education laws. Now, parents in a Washington, D.C., suburb are facing fines and jail time for failing to immunize their children so that they can attend school. From the Washington Post:

The parents of more than 2,300 Prince George's County students who failed to get needed vaccinations could face fines of $50 a day and up to 10 days in jail if their children do not meet the state's immunization requirements, county officials said yesterday.

The threat of legal action is a last resort after months in which Prince George's has struggled to get its 131,000 students immunized for chicken pox and hepatitis B, as mandated by the state. More than 2,300 students have not been immunized and have been barred from attending schools, almost two months after a Sept. 20 deadline for meeting the requirement.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way, but it's got to get done," Prince George's State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey (D) said at a news conference in Upper Marlboro. "I'm willing to move forward with legal action."

But what's even more disturbing is that it isn't the health of children that these bloated bureaucrats are worried about. They simply don't want any child to slip through the cracks and somehow escape being assimilated into the collective:

Schools officials said they were sorry the crisis had gone this far, but that it needed to be solved immediately.

"This has really, really been a difficult time for us," said Betty Despenza-Green, the school system's chief of student services. "It hurts us when any child is out of school because he needs to be immunized, and so we felt we needed to be creative. We need those students immunized. We need them in schools."

This is exactly the kind of draconian measures we can expect when you give up your rights to a group of arrogant fools who think they know better than you how to raise your kids. What more evidence do we need that these government indoctrination centers, along with their brutal intimidation techniques, are tools of the police state?

And Now for This Important Message...

I received this via e-mail this afternoon:

Hello,

My name is Gary Franchi, the National Director of Aaron Russo's RestoreTheRepublic.com. Formerly known as the AFTF Network, Restore the Republic is the organization dedicated to educating and activating the people of this great republic with the message of Aaron's film, America: Freedom to Fascism. I am mailing you today to let you know of some developments in this great grassroots organization.

Aaron's film has had rampant success in raising awareness and activating the people to the vital issues affecting America today. Ron Paul even credits much of the success of his presidential campaign to the film. In case you didn't know, the movie is now available for $1. That's right, $1! Available in bulks of 100. Jump directly to the DVD sales page and get your copies to continue helping spread the word (www.AFTFMovie.com).

On another note, I and other key people in the organization have launched a publication called Republic Magazine. It's dedicated to the ongoing campaign to wake the people with the message of America: Freedom to Fascism. Like the movie, it is available for $1 per copy in bulks of 25. This issue is featuring presidential hopeful Ron Paul. Republic Magazine is another excellent tool to spread the truth, You can order your copies at www.RepublicMagazines.com

We have also recently teamed up with www.VoteRonPaul.com, a new website run by filmmakers, artists and activists who are dedicated to promoting Ron Paul and his run for the White House, please check out their site for exclusive content and gear to promote Ron Paul.

There are many exciting developments to come and many battles to win in the historic effort to "Restore The Republic". We may have had some victories fighting the REAL ID, but it is not over yet by any stretch. Please remain vigilant for our Constitution and continue spreading the word about America: Freedom To Fascism, one of the greatest tools since Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense. Your continued dedication to the Truth makes more victories possible.

Yours In Freedom and Truth,

Gary Franchi
RTR National Director
www.RestoreTheRepublic.com

If you haven't seen Russo's film, you definitely need to check it out and share it with your friends and family.

Another Victory for Home Schoolers

From the AP:

WASHINGTON - Having spelled "serrefine" to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Evan O'Dorney is ready to tackle an even more unusual challenge for a 13-year-old boy.

"In the fall," said his mother, Jennifer, "he'll be taking calculus."

Evan, a home-schooled eighth-grader from Danville, Calif., breezed through the competition Thursday night to become the nation's top speller. He said he knew the winning word -- a noun describing small forceps -- the moment the pronouncer said it, but he was more enthusiastic when he spoke about an upcoming math camp this summer and the calculus class he'll be taking at the University of California at Berkeley.

See the video here.

HT: Izzy, over at The Homeschooling Revolution

More Government School Bullying

This is yet another example of what happens when parents decide to allow the government to educate indoctrinate their children:

Bill to Fine Parents for Skipping Teacher Meetings

(AP) AUSTIN, Texas - Parents in Texas could face a $500 fine and criminal record if they miss a meeting with their child's teacher, if a new bill passes.

A Republican state lawmaker from Baytown, Texas has filed a bill that would charge parents of public school students with a Class C misdemeanor and fine them for playing hooky from a scheduled parent-teacher conference.

Excuses are allowed, but be prepared to have a good one. In a state that allows corporal punishment, this could subject parents to a good spanking.

Rep. Wayne Smith said Wednesday he wants to get parents involved in their child's education.

"I think it helps the kids for the parents and teachers to communicate. That's all the intent was," Smith said, adding he talked to teachers, including his daughter, who teaches in junior high, before filing the bill.

"The concept is to get parents in the classroom," he said. ...

This kind of crap has been going on ever since the advent of draconian compulsory education laws.

You know, dads and moms used to tell their kids that if they would just stand up to school bullies, they would be left alone. Bullies don't like it when their victims fight back. I'm still waiting for America's parents to heed their own advice.