Respecting Rights vs. Tolerating Beliefs

That family with a lot of kids who are homeschooled and very fundamental Christian in their religious ideology has been in the news a bit lately.  There was the snafu of the '1st kiss' pictures on their facebook page where folks from the LGBT community posted their own kiss pictures with their partners and then there was the robocall the matriarch of this clan put out that likened transgender human beings to pedophiles.  As expected, facebook, twitter, etc BLEW UP with posts, comments, and memes either in support of the clan's statements and beliefs or opposing them.  I, myself, crawled out from under the evolutionary rock from which I sprang to post a comment or two, share a meme, and give rise to my ire at the offensive implication that was made toward the LGBT community.

It was through these exchanges that I was banned from one facebook page with all my comments deleted.  So many others also commented that the owner of the page felt the need to delete all such remarks, ban all who opposed the discriminatory ideology, and make this post:

..."I am finding that people are coming here attacking Christians and saying that we need to be "tolerant" of their beliefs, but not vice versa. I find it repugnant that my beliefs, faith and morals are NOT tolerated. I find it repugnant that freedom of religion continues to be trampled upon in this nation, something that was so very important to our founding fathers. I find it repugnant that the Constitution has become irrelevant and disrespected. It is beyond words that people have redefined freedom of speech to fit their own narrow definition. It applies to EVERYONE, no matter what. That is what my husband has fought for in 2 wars, and hundreds of thousands before him. I will not stand silent while his sacrifice is demeaned and my faith attacked. I will have to tolerate the beliefs of those I disagree with and demand that the same be done in return. That is civility. And so many here on FB have proven that they lack their quality."

Hey, it's her facebook page - she can do as she wants.  I have, upon rare occasion, banned a few folks from the IH facebook page.  The ones I ban are the ones that post such obscene and offensive hate speech or  just religiously repugnant ideology, that I literally can't stomach having their comments on my facebook page.  So, I support her right to delete commentary and ban people.  It's her page.  But it did get me to thinking about rights and tolerance...

Is Homeschooling Under Attack by the US Government?

Have you seen the petition for the German homeschooling family going around the homeschooling community?  I have.  It's eveywhere!  It is so frustrating to me that homeschoolers are falling for this fear mongering hook, line, and sinker!!  Before you sign the petition......before you fall prey to the idea that homeschooling is under attack in this country, which the HSLDA (of whom I'm not a fan) is propagating, let's review the issues from a place that isn't about causing fear and panic. The Romeikes didn't get kicked out of Germany, they were asked by the HSLDA to come to Tennessee to homeschool.

In a nutshell-

- Family claims that the schooling in Germany goes against their religious beliefs. Though they do not actually state their religious beliefs only that they disagree with science, sex ed, and other academic lessons being taught. The HSLDA attaches the term "evangelical Christian" to them, although I have also heard them referred to as "fundamental Christian."

- Family decides to homeschool instead of choosing a private school that aligns with their beliefs. Homeschooling is illegal in Germany in most cases. I've seen conflicting information so I'm just leaving it at that.

- The family is fined, has issues with local authorities, and a number of issues because they decide to homeschool. Right or wrong, the law in Germany does not allow homeschooling for religious reasons no matter what.

- The family could have gone to the U.K. or France which are both homeschooling friendly, instead, they follow the advice of the HSLDA and come to America. They are given a visa, but overstay that visa by several months, then decide to seek asylum on the grounds of "Persecution for their religious beliefs." The family is initially granted Asylum, however, the DOJ appealed that decision and it was overturned by the BIA on appeal. Thus, the family was informed that they would have to leave the country and go back to Germany.

- The family is now appealing the decision of the BIA to strip them of asylum to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. Part of the reason the asylum was removed is because Germany is a western, Democratic country, and most asylum seekers from countries like Germany are denied asylum. A big reason though is that they did not meet the qualifications for Asylum because German Homeschool Law is applied equally and does not single out homeschoolers based upon religious beliefs. However, the HSLDA in the current appeal claims that it is applied unequally and that Secular homeschoolers have no problem homeschooling in Germany as many are given waivers that allow them to homeschool. Whereas religious homeschoolers are denied outright no matter what. The HSLDA claims in the briefs that secular homeschoolers often receive these waivers as they claim they are travelers, do not have a permanent residence or other reasons like medical or psychological issues.

-The HSLDA has failed to mention that they advised this family to move to the USA instead of advising them to go to the UK of France where they could have homeschooled without issue and could have gone without the need for Asylum. The hslda has used this issue to further promote the belief that the US government hates homeschoolers, is going to ban homeschooling, and all sorts of propaganda that preys upon the fears of many homeschooling families.

The rights of homeschoolers are NOT under attack from the US government. They are under attack from groups like the HSLDA who helped write some of the strictest homeschool laws in the country- N.Y. and P.A. - and now they spend thousands defending homeschoolers against the laws they helped write! Laws they felt the rest of the country should be modeled after. The HSLDA is no friend to secular homeschooling families and/or families that have chosen the best homeschooling approach for their children, which may not adhere to the supposed "standards" of the HSLDA.   (This includes unschoolers and relaxed/eclectic homeschoolers).

I support the right to homeschool for ALL families. Which includes Same-Sex families, Virtual school families, Unschooling families, Atheist families, Pagan families, Jewish families, Muslim families, Pastafarian families, Taoist families, Deist families, Agnostic families, Catholic families, and more. I do not support HSLDA's contention that only Christian Families should homeschool and that the rest of us are not worthy of homeschooling or the so-called "protections" offered by the HSLDA. I do not support the infringement of our rights, as Secular homeschoolers, by a group who would love nothing more than to have no one allowed to homeschool except for religious reasons.

If anything, supporting this family, signing the petition, could make things worse for secular homeschoolers. HSLDA's basis for declaring this a human rights violation is based on religious freedom. HSLDA wants homeschooling to be more narrowly defined to include Christian homeschoolers using approved curriculums. That doesn't help any of us who are Secular homeschoolers, unschoolers, or even relaxed schoolers.

~Mari B.

with contributing writer:  Gayle Miller

Wake Up, America!!!

The fact that our President is using the military, veterans, and social security recipients as his 'hostages' in order to blackmail Congress to raise the debt ceiling is so reprehensible to me that I could literally throw up. He is the Commander-in-Chief and the fact that he, basically, said he was willing to throw his employees under the bus makes him a traitor against his own troops, in my eyes.  Should he actually prove good on his threat, that would be an act of treason, according to our Constitution, and he should be tried for it.

The fact that he talks out of both side of his mouth and is a freakin' two-faced hypocrite doesn't surprise me. It appears to be a requirement for the job of politician to be such.

"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. … Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that “the buck stops here.” Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better."

~Senator Obama in 2006.

Now, just this week he introduces a new gun bill.  Sure - let's pass this new bill that will ONLY cost $500,000,000 (and gives nothing to law enforcement to afford enforcement of the bill) - we can afford it - we are going to just raise the debt ceiling OR not pay the military and veterans - SO NO PROBLEM!!!

There's nothing worse than the government doing something to you and you having no say or control. Our first paycheck came in after the country went off the 'fiscal cliff'. Thank YOU Mr. President and Congress. My husband not only doesn't get a DIME of his measly 1.7 military pay increase but you are also taking an additional $60 a month away from us! Just using the figures from our single-family, middle class income that equals roughly $1400 a year we do not get - but the government does.

Let's play this out to the entire 240 million middle class working Americans. You are now taking in an additional $336,000,000,000 a year in revenue. Yep, $336 BILLION. But you can't lower the debt ceiling, decrease spending, or guarantee that after February you will be able to pay the Military, Veterans, of Social Security recipients.

An 8th grader with a rudimentary civics lesson would be able to see the ludicrousness of your leadership, Congress' theft and moral bankruptcy, and the joke the USA has become by claiming to be a world leader.  The entire US government - President, VP, Congress - the whole lot of them are now officially asstwats in my book. I wish they would start coitusing themselves instead of the American people

I never thought I'd see the day when I would actually lose faith in my government. So congratulations, Mr. President and Congress. You all also accomplished that as well.

I hate to be a downer, but clearly we are well encased in our basket on our way to hell and we are too busy keeping up with the Kardashians, Honey Boo Boo, Duck Dynasty, and all the other mindless pursuits we pursue to numb ourselves from the drudgery of our lives to clearly see the erosion, rather the decent, that is taking place. They are going to take away all our rights and control us completely. We will be a bad sci-fi novel come to life, one day.

They want our weapons - taking away our ability to protect ourselves from those who want to rule over us. They want to take away our other freedoms, including freedom of speech - and with the media's help, already have in so many ways. They want to tax us to death - and beyond.

I'm so disgusted with the United States of America - and mostly because even though it will be too late, the day will come when we look back and realize we had no one to blame but ourselves!!

There is one thing the President has said that I totally agree: "Americans deserve better." 

We should demand better. Our government caused these problems with their greed, selfish legislation, regulation, and continuing compromises that put us in a worse and worse position. They all need to be voted out, every last f*cking one of them. We need to start anew....making sure the newly elected understand we won't put up with the game being played the way it has been for the last 70 plus years!

~Mari B.

For All Americans: One Moderate's View

 

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.  People are so angry!  People are so happy!  I’m not thrilled with last night’s outcome for President, but neither would I have been thrilled if the ‘other guy’ had won.  The reason is that both candidates are too polarized.  When you have that great a divide between candidates you end up with a country divided.  Each side is looking to win, entirely, instead of looking to choose someone who is best for this country….in all her polarity.  It shouldn’t be a ‘our side wins, your side loses’ game.  It can’t be if we are to remain a great country.

I’m upset with the American people.  We are so concerned with focusing on our differences that we aren’t seeing our similarities and electing people to public office who will move those similarities into the spotlight and then move us forward as a United States.  It’s clear, just from facebook, that the Democrats believe they won last night and the Republicans believe we are headed to hell.  Sigh.  Yes, a Democrat won the election last night.  Congratulations.  However, his win is a loss for America because we are still stuck on being divided as a Nation.  We are up a creek.  Yet, had the Republican won, we’d be in the same creek, just with a different paddle.

Here’s what Democrats and Republicans need to do in order to restore America, in my very humble, average person mind:

1)  Realize that we can’t afford to pay for everything. 

  Just as you run your household budget (if you aren’t living in massive debt, that is) you have to pick and choose what you can afford and so does this country.  What you deem important may not be what the majority deems important. 

2)  Realize that the American dream was never sitting on your couch watching the ‘Jersey Shore’ in a house that was paid for by others, providing you free food.

3)  Realize that equal rights are supposed to be just that, equal.   

In this country everyone is allowed to pursue their happiness and that should include getting married and electing to not have a child.

4)  Realize that if you have enough faith in your God to post facebook statuses that say “God is the real leader” and so on, that your God is powerful enough to deal with folks that violate His ‘laws’ in His own way.  You don’t need to be judge and jury.

5)  Realize that we shouldn’t be policing the whole world for our own personal gain and interests.  But, in turn, realize that when the shit gets serious enough in some other part of the world that it can affect the USA we will need to send competent, well-trained, well-equipped, well-paid military service members to do a job that you would never dream of doing.

6) Realize that as long as you keep voting along party lines, the party is never going to expand and grow to meet the needs of the many.  Democrats will still say anything to appease their base and Republicans will be doing the same.  Find a moderate position on issues that you can live with and then vote accordingly.

Then, maybe then, we’ll have a better selection of politicians to elect into office and then, and only then, will we have a snowball’s chance of getting our country back on track for all America.

7)  Lastly, realize that you are not going to be happy with policy all the time.  Decisions will be made that will upset or anger you.  The folks in office aren’t gods.  They don’t have crystal balls.  Mistakes will be made.  Maybe if we learn to elect more moderate individuals into office, who truly know how to lead, and we learn to not be so quick to viciously attack, our elected officials will not be so afraid to speak the truth to us, instead of hiding behind political rhetoric and lies.

Moderation isn’t weakness.  We know how to be strong and show force, clearly.  It just isn’t always the time or issue to do so.  When you are a hammer you see every problem as a nail.

In the end folks, we have what we created.  We are all responsible; we are all ‘to blame’.   

I predict that four years from now one side or the other will be saying, ‘I told you so!’

I predict that four years from now, we’ll be finding ourselves right back here, because we refuse to find the middle ground.  

‘Everything in moderation, including moderation.”  ~Emerson

‘The ideas are louder when there are fewer of them.”  ~David C. Day

~Mari B.