Free Republic

Mrs. Frog, I sure hope you act on your urge to homeschool. It is a powerful legacy to pass on to your children — to protect them from smut and unnecessary peer pressures, and the disease of humanism taught in our public schools. My children (all four homeschooled by me) are healthy, happy, content, well-adjusted, well-socialized, and well-educated. Any sacrifice is worth it. I can give them no greater gift than that of my attention, my efforts, and my life experiences on a daily basis. I am free to teach them both sides of every issue, and I can answer their questions as openly as I want to, without fear of being audited by others. Good luck in your journey toward homeschooling!

My answer to anyone commenting to me about my concern for socialization is, “That’s why I homeschool — for proper socialization that public schools don’t offer.”

Nuf said...always makes them go blank.

My four are the poster children for good homeschooling, as for their attitude toward me, their respect for each other, the way they can quietly entertain themselves out in public at a restaurant, the way they don’t fuss at each other, and how happy they are. People approach us regularly (of course, not knowing they’re adopted OR homeschooled), commenting on how polite, happy and well-behaved they are when we’re out.

This article is indeed quite frightening. Honestly, though (I know — some of you will call me naive) — I just don’t see this happening here in California. If 160,000 children suddenly were forced to be enrolled in public schools here, the state education system would collapse. As much as they gripe about all the $$$$$ they lose per child for enrollment, they really don’t want the entire homeschooling population in CA showing up at the flagpole.

Oprah was a VICTIM of forcible rape twice, by family members. She became pregnant at 14, which I believe she says is a product of one of the rapes.

And I am a hopeful, joyful, single, homeschooling mother of four, who listens to Rush when I can. He is the family hero!!

Honestly, I haven’t paid any attention to all the furry over Obummer’s public school address, since I homeschool all four of mine (as a single adoptive mother — very sacrificially). I don’t need to whine or march or carry a flag against his communist propaganda, because I made the choice this country gives me to “opt out” altogether, by homeschooling. Home education is growing by leaps and bounds. Parents are losing the excuses — and are finding ways to make it work. All of this negative energy people are spending against what Prez. Obummer is doing is such a waste of precious resources. My focus and my energies are fixed and clear. I am building the next generation of thoughtful, right-thinking, polite, articulate young people who will go on to lead productive, contributory lives as American citizens.

I don’t have time for much else. But that’s just me...

Amen.

So what do you think it’s worth to be locked in a small bathroom for 20 years because of something you did NOT do?? HMMMM???? It is so easy to be indignant about someone’s fortunate when you think they don’t deserve it — until you think outside your little small world to the reality of being wrongfully convicted and locked up for a huge chunk of your life. That stigma upon release goes with these guys forever, regardless of being exonerated.

What is YOUR personal freedom worth? It’s impossible to put a price tag on it. We are not “worth” the sum total of our earning potential. We are human beings, with rights under God. How can you possibly say that one million dollars per ANYTHING is too much to pay to these men?

I personally know someone serving a life sentence for crimes he 100% did not commit. We’re working hard on his release through The Innocence Project. He has lost 20 years of his life, and yet remains hopeful and joyful as a human being in the face of injustice beyond what most of us can even fathom. He deserves every penny he can get when he’s released.

Don’t get me started, Yorkie. I have a Chi-mix, and I’ve never seen a headline saying “Chihuahua attacks and kills little boy” either.

Pit-bull owners are an interesting “breed” all their own.

There is a reason why you never see dog-fighting rings being busted up by the police that fight German Shepherds, or Labs, or cocker spaniels.

It doesn’t mean those dogs can’t be mean. It just means they’ve never been bred to be vicious. Too much inbreeding and cruelty over the years, and now we have an entire breed(s) that needs to be annihalated (in my opinion).

That is a very sanitized answer you give regarding a pitbull owner’s responsibility for owning an animal that has the potential to do such harm to others. This topic should remain about risk to the general public — to the innocent victims — weighed against the right people have to keep dangerous animals as household pets (just like we have laws against owning lions, tigers, etc.) It’s easy to blame the media, especially as a Republican who believes in personal rights. While it may be true that there could be unreported incidents of mistreatment of pitbulls who attack the innocent, I don’t know that it’s a logical argument to use to defend pitbull ownership. The number of attacks clearly show that pits (all breeds included in this) are many more times likely to be involved in unprovoked attacks on the public than what pitbull / dog owners are willing to ‘fess up to.

It is a human, rational response, when I see someone walking a tiger on a leash down the street toward me, to want to find refuge quickly. It is just as rational and logical to have the same response when approached by a pitbull on or off a leash, on the street.

My children and I just returned from a week-long camping trip, where we were confronted three times by pitbulls and their owners on the beach. Interesting conversations were engaged in between us. One guy (holding a simple leash attached to a thin collar on his huge pitbull) commented that my little tiny chihuaha mix puppy would do more damage than his “sweetheart of a pitbull”. I simply thanked him for keeping a very tight grip on his leash, and he smiled as he walked away from us. Thirty minutes later — as he and his wife were sunbathing 20 feet in front of us —he loosened his grip on his pitbull enough to where the dog got away from him, and ran toward another large dog (different breed), challenging the other dog in a very forceful stance. I was walking by the pitbull owner at that moment as he ran over to retrieve his bulked-up pit (it look like it was on steroids), and I heard him tell his wife “Honey, next time we come out, remind me to use the chain collar so I can control him better. This is ridiculous.”

The fact that many states (like Michigan) have a standing kill order for any and all pitbulls that the humane society takes in should tell you it is a HUGE safety issue in this country. I told one pit owner at the lake this weekend that regardless of “how harmless” his dog is with him, that there are people out there who are freaked out by big scary dogs, and who do not know how to act properly in front of them, thus potentially causing the animal to react in an uncharacteristic way. Also, I reminded him of what a litigious society we live in, and that it only seems to make sense as dog owners that we take every precaution possible to ensure that we do not end up on the wrong side of a lawsuit, or in the emergency room having to hire an attorney to respresent us when our sweet dog mauls some neighborhood child. Intent is great — but that animal doesn’t care much about your intent when it is provoked, or in a strange situation.

Just my 1.5 cents worth on the topic. I am confronted daily with pitbull issues as a mother of four, and I’m tired of feeling like a prisoner in my own home, even though we live in a very upscale neighborhood. There is something about pitbull owners that reeks of arrogance, immaturity, and an irritational outlook on individual rights. But this is just my own experience.

You must not have heard that Bill O’Really was present at the birth of Osama binHussein, and actually cut the cord, thus “knowing” that he was born in Hawaii.

End of controversy. Bill was there...saw the blood.

I don’t see anyone else asking this question, but I’m still going to do so. Can you define what you mean by “distance learning”??? Are you considering a boarding school for your child, or sending them away somewhere to school? I’m not sure what you mean. Others here are giving you input about online learning, which is a great way to go, but not at all referred to as “distance learning”.

If you ARE considering sending your child away someone, I would beg you to reconsider. If you’re looking to have them finish their education through online resources, that is a great idea. I’m not sure how you’re differentiating between homeschooling your two youngest, and schooling your older one somehow differently. I homeschool four children as a single mother, ages 7 to 15, and we have a wonderful life, so I know it can be done well. Good luck...

You really believe that it’s never the dog’s fault, in a dog to person attack? Really? How about all these pitbull owners who swear up and down their dog wouldn’t hurt a fly, right after it has mauled their child (or the neighbor’s child) to death????

Every pitbull owner I know says the same thing — until it ravages the life of someone else — or someone in their family. Regret is a terrible, and preventable, thing.

Last year we moved into our new house — we knew the neighbors across the street, who told us they were leaving on vacation, and that Grandma could park her car in their driveway. Within 15 minutes of her parking there, the police showed up searching the block and the neighbor’s house for robbery suspects — all because a nosy neighbor called the police. My poor Mother had to walk across the street to meet with police, prompting tripping right in front of them and falling down on the pavement. Needless to say, I wasn’t too happy with that neighbor, but I had to try to see things from their point of view. It was hard, though.

Dave, seriously — you need to get out more. If you’re a Christian, you should be careful not to judge whether this was done for the Lord or not. The song was perfect for starting a new marriage, if you listened to the lyrics. And yes, I would definitely do this at my wedding, and would crack up if my daughter did this at hers. Having choirs enter the church sanctuary singing a gospel song while dancing would be a breath of fresh air.

Hope I answered all your questions. As for potato chips, whatever makes you happy.

You’re asking if we always feel the need to dance when we are happy? Like that’s a bad thing???

We should ALL be so free and joyful in our everyday lives that bursting out into dance and song is something which frequently happens. If you can’t understand that, I truly and sincerely feel sorry for you. You are missing out on a happy life (despite realities that always come our way)!

You’re asking if we always feel the need to dance when we are happy? Like that’s a bad thing???

We should ALL be so free and joyful in our everyday lives that bursting out into dance and song is something which frequently happens. If you can’t understand that, I truly and sincerely feel sorry for you. You are missing out on a happy life (despite realities that always come our way)!

Seriously...I’m a committed Christian who is careful not to confuse what is sacred with what is not...but this video is wonderful! So refreshing to see people enjoying life instead of taking everything so seriously!

Rock on!!!

Let’s see — I’m just guessing here...but I have a feeling this “young lady” was never homeschooled....never worked a day in her life......and will never attend college of any kind, no matter how old she gets to be. I don’t understand how a young person like this could ever pass a high school equivalency exam, write a coherent paragraph, understand any kind of history, or ever know her world geography.

This is what public schools put out. She talks just like two of my nieces, who both have several years of college behind them and are in their 20’s. Very scary....reason number 3,068 way I homeschool all four of my children.

The Preacher and the Presidents
(Billy Graham in the White House)....

It’s very good, actuality — even though it’s written by Time reporters. It’s brushing me up on my current history, the way it chronicles Billy’s relationships with each of the Presidents starting with Truman. I’m a homeschooling mom, so it’s helping me with teaching. I’d recommend it.

I don’t know what your Scriptures mentioning the Ascension have to do with Jesus being the Son of God, and the Way, the Truth, and the Life — so that no one comes to the Father but through Him.

Not Mary...not Joseph Smith — not through anyone else is salvation given. There is no other Name given among men, whereby we must be saved. This is the beginning and the end of the gospel.