Mother’s Day: Tis the Season to Fund Abortion???

When I think of Mother’s Day, it brings to my mind happy thoughts of the memories I have shared with with the Mothers and Grandmothers in my family. It brings to my mind images of the special moments I have had as a Mother myself, with my own children. It brings to my mind pictures of newborn babies, children’s songs, and books read snuggling close together on the couch.

Apparently, it brings something else to the minds of the people at Planned Parenthood. Unbelieveably, they see Mother’s Day as the perfect opportunity to fund-raise for their organization. You know, raise money to squelch family growth and to pay for the murder of innocent babies. Do you think that is a bit of a stretch? Do you even have a hard time believing that they could come up with the nerve to use the day set aside to honor motherhood for their evil practices? Please, read more below, it is eye-opening to be certain.

This article can be found here:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=63846

The story follows:
Abortionists use Mother’s Day for fundraising
‘You have to admire the utter chutzpah of the people at Planned Parenthood’

Posted: May 10, 2008
12:30 am Eastern

© 2008 WorldNetDaily

Planned Parenthood, the U.S. abortion industry’s biggest presence, is using Mother’s Day to promote its conferences and raise funds, triggering a jaw-dropping reaction among those who battle its agenda.

“You have to admire the utter chutzpah of the people at Planned Parenthood,” said statement on the American Life League website, which has a specific STOPP program to reveal Planned Parenthood’s activities.

“You would think that of all the holidays of the year, this organization that kills the babies of more than 255,000 mothers a year, would find little to celebrate on Mother’s Day. But you would be wrong,” the group said.

The organization said it had received e-mails from several Planned Parenthood corporate divisions “asking for donations to Planned Parenthood in honor of mothers on Mother’s Day. Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C., brazenly says:”

“You can show your appreciation for your mother’s love and devotion by making a gift in honor or in memory of her to Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington. Mother’s Day is one day we can honor the women who have shaped our lives. … Making a gift to PPMW helps generations of women, mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, nieces, and daughters…”
ALL noted the New York City office has written:

“With Mother’s Day just around the corner … you’re probably thinking about how to show the special women in your life how much you love and appreciate them. Well, we’ve got a great idea for you! Why not honor the special women in your life by taking one simple action to help empower women all around the world? It’s easy - click here to join us in urging Congress to increase funding for international family planning programs…”
LifeNews.com reported on another from Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Richards shared part of an editorial her daughter wrote saying she got her pro-abortion views from her mother and grandmother, former Texas Gov. Ann Richards.

“It’s true that I have had lots of rewarding moments in my career. So did my mother,” Cecile wrote, according to LifeNews. “But knowing that my daughter is carrying on the legacy of fighting that my mother passed to me trumps ‘em all.”
Part of a promotional message from Cecile Richards of Planned Parenthood, seeking donations to the abortion industry leader on Mother’s Day
It took her all of three paragraphs to ask for money.

That fund-raiser has been posted on the website of Jill Stanek, who also serves as a columnist for WND.

“As Mother’s Day approaches, I am grateful for the opportunity to make a difference and hope you’ll join me,” Richards wrote.

“These pro-abort lunatics from Planned Parenthood are really out of their minds. Let me see if I’ve got this … we should ‘celebrate’ mother’s day by aborting (killing) babies?” wrote a blogger at A Catholic View.

“This pathetic woman is so psychologically and emotionally invested in abortion she has no semblance of conscience left,” Stanek wrote. “If and when she has grandchildren, I’m sure she’ll use them too.”

She called the “Happy Mother’s Day” greetings as “grotesque” as the organization’s much-criticized “Choice on Earth” campaign at Christmas.

The American Life League said it has a response.

“We encourage all of our readers to take action and call attention to this latest outrage by Planned Parenthood. Write a letter to the editor. Or demonstrate outside Planned Parenthood…” the group said.

At Silent No More Awareness Campaign, a campaign of Priests for Life and Anglicans for Life, spokeswoman Janet Morana said the solitications are “beyond appalling.”

“This is an organization that has turned Mother’s Day into a painful reminder of terminated children for millions and millions of women. To ask for money on this day so that it can traumatize even more women is the ultimate in insensitivity,” she said.

The Planned Parenthood corporate branch for North and South Dakota and Minnesota was using a different angle, promoting its “Making the Connections” conference on Mother’s Day weekend at a charge of $90.

It’s promoted as a retreat “where mothers and their 10-12 year old daughters have tons of fun together while learning about puberty changes…”

Judie Brown, president of American Life League, said the solicitations have a morbid message.

“It’s simply horrifying to think that anyone involved in abortion – even Planned Parenthood – could have the audacity to claim any association at all with a day designed to salute a mother’s selfless love for her children,” she said.

She cited the words of Jatrice Gaiter, the Washington PP chief, urging supporters to support her business, which is “to ensure that every child is wanted, nurtured, and enormously loved.”

“Can Planned Parenthood be serious?” Brown asked. “Ms. Gaiter’s words have a ghastly ring to them. How is it that a beautiful baby, which she describes as ‘nurtured and enormously loved,’ can be violently put to death in the offices that she overseas…”

 

God Created Male and Female…But They Are NOT Interchangeable!

Have you ever read an article, heard a story, or seen an event that made you so glad that you are a homeschooler? If you are like me, this happens a lot. I don’t need world experiences to convince me that our decision to home educate our children was the right one, I have the Bible to tell me that.

It doesn’t hurt however, that when I run across an article like the one below, I feel a nice affirmation of our choice. My daughter will be in the third grade this Fall, and I am SO glad that she is not one of the students dealing with this issue at such a young and tender age. You can read more about the day and age of our school and educational system below.This has no place in the classroom, or anywhere for that matter!

This news story can be found at the following location:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=63978

The article follows:

3rd-graders asked to help classmate in gender change
Parents given 1-day notice of presentation explaining boy would now wear girl clothes

Posted: May 10, 2008
6:55 pm Eastern

© 2008 WorldNetDaily

A Pennsylvania elementary school has angered parents by giving them one-day’s notice of planned counseling sessions with 100 third-grade students to explain that one of their male classmates would soon begin wearing girls’ clothing and taking a female name and to ask that they accept him as a girl and not make unkind remarks.

The exercise in “social transition” was initiated by the boy’s parents who approached the administration at Chatham Park Elementary School in Haverford Township asking that the school help in having their child’s female identity find acceptance among his peers. After consulting experts on transgender children, the Haverford School District sent letters to parents advising them the school guidance counselor would meet with their children, reported the Philadelphia Inquirer.

While some parents contacted the principal asking that their children be excused, others took their anger out online.

“Why is the school introducing this subject to 8- and 9-year-olds?” wrote an angry parent who started a discussion on the Haverford Township’s blog site. “Why were we not notified sooner. We received the letter today, the discussion at school is tomorrow.”

The Haverford Township blog is not currently viewable.

In the letter to parents, Chatham Park principal Daniel Marsella assured parents the counseling would use “developmentally appropriate language” to explain “how we need to help this student make a social transition in school.”
“This is something that was going to come out,” said Mary Beth Lauer, district director of community relations. “Isn’t it better to be proactive, and let people know what is happening and how we’re dealing with it?”

According to Valerie Huff, whose daughter is a friend of the boy, he had started wearing girls’ clothes and an upcoming school event would have made his gender identity public.

“I did not think that the letter needed to go out,” Huff said. “The kids don’t make any big deal about it at all.”

But not so the parents. Postings to the community blog have upset the boy’s parents, the Inquirer reported.

WND reported a pediatric endocrinologist at the renowned Boston Children’s Hospital has launched a new program to drug transgender children to delay puberty so they can decide at a later age whether they want a male or a female body.

The Haverford boy has not received medical treatments to change his sex, but has told others he sees himself a girl.

WND has reported previously on some of the controversies prompted by the belief that a man can be born in a woman’s body, or vice versa, including in Montgomery County, Md., where county officials have adopted a law that precludes those who provide public accommodations from discriminating based on that “gender identity.”

Voters there have petitioned to have a vote on that law because they fear men who “decide” they are female walking into women’s restrooms and locker rooms.

Paul McHugh, a psychiatrist and professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, was critical of the school’s handing of the issue.

“They do not have a right to stop the child, but it’s different when they gather everyone around and say, ‘Johnnie is Jeanie,” he said.

McHugh, who has studied sexual reassignment surgery for 30 years, particularly in the 1970s when Hopkins was a leader in the field, said society should not support decisions of immature persons.

“People came to us saying that if we changed them, we’d solve all their problems,” he said. “So we changed them, and their problems remained.”

Chatham Park guidance counselor Catherine Mallam said the students she spoke to seemed to be accepting of the boy’s change of identity.

 

Happy Mother’s Day!

Well, for all of you mother’s out there, I hope that you had a lovely Mother’s Day on Sunday! We had a nice weekend here, it is always good to spend time together as a family. I am sure that many of you have heard about the Jim-Bob and Michelle Duggar family. Well, here is a nice article with some good news that they have to share! Enjoy, and remember that the job you do, raising your little ones for the Lord is a worthy one, with an eternal return!

The source for this article can be found here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080509/ap_on_re_us/18_kids

The story follow below:

Happy Mother’s Day: Woman pregnant with 18th child

By JILL ZEMAN, Associated Press Writer
Fri May 9, 5:25 PM ET
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - It’s a happy Mother’s Day for an Arkansas woman — she’s pregnant with her 18th child. Michelle Duggar, 41, is due on New Year’s Day, and the latest addition will join seven sisters and 10 brothers. There are two sets of twins.
 
“We’ve had three in January, three in December. Those two months are a busy time for us,” she said, laughing.

The Duggars’ oldest child, Josh, is 20, and the youngest, Jennifer, is nine months old.

The fast-growing family lives in Tontitown in northwest Arkansas in a 7,000-square-foot home. All the children — whose names start with the letter J — are home-schooled.

Duggar has been been pregnant for more than 11 years of her life, and the family is in the process of filming another series for Discovery Health.

The new show looks at life inside the Duggar home, where chores — or “jurisdictions” — are assigned to each child. One episode of the new show involves a “jurisdiction swap,” where the boys do chores traditionally assigned to the girls, and vice versa, Duggar said.

“The girls swapped jurisdictions, changing tires, working in the garages, mowing the grass,” she said. “The boys got to cook supper from start to finish, clean the bathrooms,” among other chores.

Duggar said she’s six weeks along and the pregnancy is going well. She and her husband, Jim Bob Duggar, said they’ll keep having children as long as God wills it.

“The success in a family is first off, a love for God, and secondly, treating each other like you want to be treated,” Jim Bob Duggar said. “Our goal is for each one of our children to be best friends, and everybody working together to serve each other makes that happen.”

The other Duggar children, in between Joshua and Jennifer, are Jana, 18; John-David, 18; Jill, 16; Jessa, 15; Jinger, 14; Joseph, 13; Josiah, 11; Joy-Anna, 10; Jeremiah, 9; Jedidiah, 9; Jason, 7; James, 6; Justin, 5; Jackson, 3; and Johannah, 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictures of Brotherly and Sisterly Love!

Here are some pictures of my little ones having fun together. It is great to always have a friend available to play with! These are older pictures from back before our youngest was born, so they are only of our oldest 4. When I transfer more pictures over to this computer I will post some more pictures of all 5 of them together.
Kaitlyn, Kyle, and Kassidy hanging out in the tree-house.
Kyle and Kassidy having some park fun.
Kaitlyn, Kyle, and Kourtney in the weather exhibit at the Children’s Museum.
Kaitlyn, Kyle, and Kourtney playing in the pioneer gallery of the Children’s Museum.
Kaitlyn, Kyle, and Kourtney having an indoor picnic together for their snack.
Kaitlyn, Kyle, and Kourtney enjoy the butterfly garden at the zoo.
Kaitlyn, Kyle, Kourtney, and Kassidy are all ready for a nice summer walk!

Kourtney gives Kyle a helpful push in the swing.

Kyle and Kassidy blasting off to space in a rocket!

Sibling Friendship Instead of Rivalry!

My last entry was a picture of all 5 of our children sitting together smiling on our couch, with words describing that it is possible for brothers and sisters to be friends-best friends in fact. A new reader, Jana, asked me how to make siblings friends and said that she is facing sibling rivalry at the moment. So, I decided to respond to this question in a new entry. Now, before I begin, please know that things are not perfect around here. We still deal with the typical day-to-day interactions just like everyone else does, some pleasant and some not. But I like to think that we have been able to foster an attitude in our children to regard one another much differently than they are encouraged to in society and culture these days. So, here are some things that have worked for us.

•  We have spoken to each child about their siblings from an early age-when they were still babies. From the very beginning, we have told them that their brothers and sisters will be their best friends. Simply verbalizing this really does make a difference. It is so different from what they many times here from other children. It flies directly in the face of the usual “I HATE my little brother”.Or, “My sister is SUCH a pest”.  For us, it is not just, Mommy is having a new baby. It is, Mommy is having a new play-mate. Mommy is having a new friend to join in the fun when he/she is old enough to. The older children are encouraged to be involved in each new little one’s life from the start. They are not disappointed either. It goes from a baby who adores them, to a toddler who adores them, to children who have only grown up knowing a deep and profound love for each other. Now THAT is a bond!
• We teach a servant’s heart. This can be revealed even in the small things, like sharing. It is not always easy, especially in the beginning, but the older children almost always think of how they can share something with each other before indulging. Perhaps they are given a treat by someone. You are more likely to see them deliberating over how to break a candy bar up into the appropriate number of pieces so everyone gets some, than fighting over it. My two oldest children participate in Bible Quizzing. This year, the leadership gave each child a piece of candy for every Bible Verse they memorized. Both of them deliberately selected some candy that they enjoy, and some special pieces that they knew the younger children would like. I did not ask them to do this. It brings them joy to do so.
• We practice the “buddy system” around here. This couples well with developing a servant’s heart. We pair an older child with a younger to be special buddies. Not to the exclusion of others, just to foster a special relationship. Mom and Dad are the authority figures, but an older buddy helps a younger when possible. Maybe helping with getting shoes on/off, filling a sippy cup, looking out for them when playing. Just yesterday, we went to a park to have a picnic lunch after Church. My oldest child was following our one year old around while he explored. She is deathly afraid of bees and a couple of bumblebees started buzzing around in their area. Well, she started to cry, but she stayed right with the little one until I got there to “rescue” them. To me, that kind of commitment is a big deal for an 8 year-old, and we made sure that her selfless love did not go un-noticed. All of our children learned a lesson from that incident.
• We tend to limit peer influence. Our children play with other children. Our children make friends with them as well. We think that this is good and important. However, we keep it on our terms. One thing we NEVER allow is for peer friendship to usurp our authority or to trump a sibling relationship. None of this, “Let’s go over here to get away from your sister so we don’t have to include her” kind of thing. Some people think that kind of singular relationship is necessary, we do not. If we do not allow it now, it is a lot less likely to become a problem in the future.
• We encourage the children to share interests. We all have things that excite us or that we like to do. Those things are not always the same as what others like. Knowing this, we try to help the children share interests. A simple example. One of our children adores frogs. All things frogs, especially tree frogs. Who knows why. She just does. Her brothers and sisters go out of their way to find books, stuffed animals, pictures, you name it, for her, about frogs. They don’t care about frogs that much. It is enough that it brings her such happiness. We all want to feel special. Making others feel special is a fast-track to a great relationship.
• We want our children to encourage each other. I mentioned earlier that my two oldest are in Bible Quizzing. This is a competition based program, and this year was the second year of participation for my oldest, and the first for my second-born. At their first quiz of the year, my second-oldest did better than the oldest, even though it was his very first quiz. I did not know how that would play out, but I was happy to see my oldest jumping up and down cheering for her brother for his achievement, even when it took the spotlight away from her.
• We expect more from an apology than just saying “Sorry”. Around here, if you offend or hurt another, you must apologize, identify what you did wrong, and ask how you can make it better. This may simply mean a hug or pat on the back. Or it may mean, some special time is needed to re-build connection, like playing a game of the offended’s choice or helping with a chore. The words “I’m sorry” mean nothing if they are just empty, solitary words. Apologies and writing wrongs can be surprisingly good relationship builders. Especially if the one in the wrong can put themself in the place of the one who was hurt. Great lessons learned to carry throughout life!

These are a few examples of things that we do that I think make a difference in the relationships our children have with one another. The fact that we homeschool is an added benefit because they get a lot more time to practice what we teach them, being together pretty much 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I want our children to have lasting memories of a happy home life filled with a safety net of people who care. Brothers and sisters are an important part of this!

For more information and some great practical advice, I recomment checking out the book ”Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends” by Sarah, Stephen and Grace Mally. It is a book you can read-aloud with your children and show them a clear vision of what you want their relationship with each other to be! You can find out more about this book here: http://www.visionforum.com/search/productdetail.aspx?search=mally&productid=83524 . It is well worth a look!

 

Brothers and Sisters Are Best Friends!

 Here are my sweeties smiling for the camera! Teach your children that their siblings are their best friends and they will believe you! Seeing my children playing and working together happily fills my heart with joy. This Fall, there will be another little boy added to our crew. I think we are going to have to get a longer couch soon! I love being at home with my children! And we all love it when Daddy comes home to join us at the end of the day!

I Can’t Do That! (Addressing Homeschooling Excuses)

I am a second-generation homeschooler. As a result, I have heard many, if not all, of the excuses people offer up as to why they cannot or will not home educate their children. Most times these “reasons” are flimsy at best, and not very well thought out. I have found a great article that addresses some of these issues, and shows how homeschooling many times can solve the very problems that make people think they cannot teach their own children.

This article is located here:

http://www.homeschooloasis.com/art_anti-homeschooling_excuses.htm

You can read the article below:

Anti-Homeschooling Excuses: Are They Valid?

  
by Tamara and William Eaton

  

Here are the “Top 10″ excuses not to homeschool as collected and then answered by Tamara and William  Eaton.  But be ready…  these ten common excuses ~ which anyone who has been homeschooling for even a few months has heard over and over ~ are actually some of the very best reasons to homeschool!
 
 
1. My kids drive me crazy.
  
Then maybe it’s time you do something so they don’t drive everyone else crazy, too!  It’s easier to ignore problem areas if you send your children off to school each day ~ you don’t have to put up with it all the time. Let the teacher and other students do it instead.
  
But who must answer to the Lord for how you taught and trained your child? Not the teacher but the parent. Homeschooling isn’t a “cure-all” for poor behavior but it does give us time together to work out any problems instead of ignoring them, and it eliminates the negative role models and peer pressure which often influences negative behavior.
  
Or maybe you feel that they DO respect others, just not you? You can tell them when to brush their teeth, get dressed, go to bed ~ just not when to do their math! There is really no difference ~ it’s all a matter of obedience and respect.
  
Ephesians 6:1-2 “Children obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”
    

  

  
2. I don’t have enough patience.
    
Patience comes through overcoming trials and learning to yield to the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25) instead of the fruit of flesh. You’ll never develop patience if you continually avoid opportunities that would require you to put it into practice. But you might be surprised how quickly it grows with frequent exercise ~ homeschooling can be that vehicle the Lord uses to work patience in you!
  

  

 
3. I’m not highly educated.
  
Fine ~ here’s your chance to learn right along with your children! There are tremendous resources available to help us teach our own children. Studies have proven time and again that the success of homeschooling is not dependent upon the level of the parents’ education. According to Dr. Brian Ray’s recent study, “Home educated students’ test scores remain between the 80th and 90th percentiles, whether their mothers have a college degree or did not complete high school.” [from National Home Education Research Institute.  And there's lots more "proof in the pudding" where that came from!]
  

  

  
4. I love my job.
  
What’s more important during this season of your life ~ your children or your job? Your job can wait. Your children can’t. Your decisions and priorities are already influencing them every day ~ either for good or bad. I’ve never heard older people say that they wished they had spent more time on their job. I have heard them say they wished they had spent more time with their children.
  
If you love your job more than spending time with your children then maybe this is a sign that your priorities need reevaluating.
  

  

 
5. I don’t have time.
   
There is always time to do the will of God. Is He calling you to homeschool? Then He will provide the time. As a result of homeschooling our children, we have limited outside activities and found a simpler lifestyle. We’re not forced to succumb to the modern pressures and stresses of our society with its hectic pace ~ instead we are able to slow down enough to enjoy time together as a family, embracing a slower paced lifestyle without sacrificing the modern conveniences of our microwaves, washers, dryers and computers!   

  

  
6. I’m selfish ~ I need my privacy and space.
  
Jesus said unless we take up our cross and die to self, we can’t be His disciple. (Luke 9:23-24, 14:27) Good parenting requires sacrifices during this season of our life. However, choosing to homeschool doesn’t mean that you can never have any privacy anymore. When the children are young, we have regular naptimes and bedtimes so that gives us time apart. Older children are trained to respect the need for quiet time in the afternoons and evenings. The children also have their own activities and playtimes apart from mom during the day at times, too.     

 

 

 
  7. I can’t afford it.
If it’s God’s will that you homeschool, you can’t afford not to! And He will provide all your needs if you trust Him. (Matthew 6:33) We have never been a “high income” family but God has worked in the most unexpected ways to provide our needs over the years. Think of how much you spend now by sending your child off to school ~ don’t forget to include the “hidden” expenses of special school wardrobes to keep up with the peers. Homeschooling curriculum can cost as much or as little as you like ~ it all depends on what you choose to do. The public library is free and full of helpful resources for your homeschooling! We have always chosen not to purchase a full packaged curriculum and saved so much money by putting together our own curriculum. 

  

  
8. I never liked school.
  
Homeschooling will help you see how enjoyable learning can be in a relaxed, pressure-free atmosphere at home! You don’t have to structure your homeschool like a public or private school ~ so don’t let your past experience with school hinder you from committing to homeschool your children. Give them the opportunity to experience what you missed out on in your childhood and see how much fun you can have while learning together!
  

  

  
9. My children are too sociable ~ they’d get lonely homeschooling.
  
An EXCELLENT reason to educate them at home so you can make sure their “socialization” experiences are positive instead of negative. Homeschooling doesn’t require your children to become hermits, but you will have the freedom to select the activities and make sure they are blessings and not hindrances. 
  

  

  
10. I could NEVER do that!
   
If we had known in advance and in detail all the negatives and challenges we’d have to face as parents, who among us would have been brave enough to have children? God gives us the grace, strength and wisdom we need when we need it ~ not in advance! I find great encouragement in scriptures that remind me that I must yield and abide, then He is sufficient to take care of all the needs and enable me to fulfill my responsibilities.
  
II Corinthians 3:4-5 “And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God…”
 
John 15:4-5 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.”
 
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
 
 And the following scripture has always encouraged me when I’ve been tempted to dwell upon my inadequacies:
  
1 Corinthians 1:27-31 “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God had chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are: That no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

Homeschooling, like parenting, requires faith ~ faith that the Lord will give us wisdom and grace as we need it. In His infinite wisdom, He has designed us so that we MUST rely upon Him! Why doesn’t He give us all the wisdom we need to be parents right at the start when the child is first conceived? Instead, He allows wisdom and maturity to develop as we grow through trials, the study of His Word, and experiences ~ all the while, pointing out our need of Him daily in order to walk in His ways. Thus, He receives ALL the glory!
  
May the Lord direct your family in His Ways and give you clear wisdom and direction in the education of your children!
  
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”    

©Copyright 1997 by Tamara Eaton

 

What Is It Going To Take?

What is it going to take to wake people up that traditional schools are turning into nothing more than a breeding ground for violence and evil? What is it going to take to get parent’s to pull their children out of these dangerous cesspools, where the primary thing they are learning is either to beat others up or to be the ones who are beaten?

Over and over people tell me that “these are isolated cases, and most schools are not like this.” WHATEVER. Practically every day I run across a story just like this one or worse, from schools located in big cities, small towns, out in the country, everywhere! Add to that all of the abuse that happens to these children that doesn’t even make it into mainstream media and you have an epidemic.

This incident involves a 1st grader. In fact, the attacks he has suffered began when he was just in Kindergarten. Come on people, children that little are still practically babies. Nobody should be subjected to such treatment, but to allow it to happen to a 7 year old? This whole system has gotten completely out of hand. Something needs to be done to stop this NOW. Please bring or keep your children at home. They deserve to live a life free from violence, either experienced or witnessed. Situations like this do not make children stronger like some people claim. Situations like these ruin lives.

The source for this news story can be found here:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/23/MNPC10AK04.DTL&tsp=1

The article follows:

Oakland: When school bullies get out of hand

Nanette Asimov, Chronicle Staff Writer

Thursday, April 24, 2008

  (04-23) 22:51 PDT Oakland — Anthony Cataldo of Oakland first raised concerns about aggressive bullying at his son’s elementary school last year after Zachary lost four teeth on the playground - but he said he received only a verbal assurance that things would change.

Cataldo said he complained again when some boys at school kicked 7-year-old Zachary in the stomach three months ago but got no response.

Now - two days after an older student slammed Zachary against a tree, fracturing his skull and sending the first-grader to intensive care - Cataldo is hiring a lawyer, and school officials are paying attention.

“This is the only way they’ll listen,” Cataldo said. “I’m scared for my son.”

State records show that Piedmont Avenue Elementary is Oakland’s second-most-violent elementary school, recording 97 suspensions last year for violence - including nine involving a weapon.

That level of danger is higher than at most middle and high schools in the district as well.

“It’s a major concern,” said Denise Saddler, an Oakland Unified School District administrator in charge of elementary schools in North and West Oakland.

Saddler said she will address Monday’s violence at Piedmont Avenue, but she called it a personnel matter and declined to discuss details.

She said that an investigation of the incident that sent Zachary to Children’s Hospital is under way and that no student will be punished until the facts have been gathered.

Principal Angela Haick declined to comment on Cataldo’s assertions that his complaints fell on deaf ears or to discuss Monday’s incident.

It happened after school as Zachary waited for a ride. As he tells it, “a fifth-grader picked me up, and he body-slammed me into a tree.”

Moments later, Zachary’s after-school caregiver, Arhonda Morris, drove up and saw him. She also saw an older boy running for a bus, said Cataldo, a single father who works as a receiver for Safeway in Oakland.

A girl who witnessed the attack said it was unprovoked, Cataldo said.

Unaware of how badly Zachary was hurt, Morris drove him to her home and called the school to report what had happened, Cataldo said.

“While she was doing that, she noticed that Zachary was sitting on the floor passing out - that’s when she called me,” he said.

Zachary was clammy and lethargic. Morris put him in her truck and picked up Cataldo. At the hospital, Zachary began vomiting. A CT scan revealed a skull fracture, so doctors whisked him into intensive care, hoping to avoid surgery.

It wasn’t the first time the boy had been hurt at Piedmont Elementary.

His father said that in kindergarten last year, Zachary was on the playground when some fifth-graders who had been sent out of class for disciplinary reasons approached him and lifted him up.

“One was spinning Zachary around,” Cataldo said. Then he let go.

Zachary lost four teeth.

“I got reassurance from his principal that nothing like this would happen again,” Cataldo said. But three months ago, “he was kicked in the stomach by an older kid.

“That raised my concerns again,” Cataldo said. “This has been an ongoing problem. Once school lets out, there is absolutely no supervision while the kids are waiting to be picked up. This is when these (older) kids are preying on them.”

He said he has also seen unsupervised youngsters running around wildly in the morning before school when he has dropped off Zachary a few minutes early.

Saddler confirmed that elementary students across the district are often unsupervised unless they are enrolled in before- or after-school programs.

“We don’t have the finances to cover parents before the hours that school starts,” Saddler said. “And after school, we do not have supervision for students who are not enrolled in after-school programs. We are very, very clear with parents that they need to make arrangements for their children.”

She acknowledged that for many parents, such arrangements are not always possible to make.

Cataldo, meanwhile, said he was stunned to learn that Piedmont Avenue’s suspensions for violence last year were among the highest of the district’s 59 elementary schools. Only Preparatory Literary Academy in West Oakland, with 106, had more.

“I just find that astounding, because we’re talking about elementary kids up to the age of 11,” he said. “It’s scary, is what it is.”

Doctors released Zachary on Wednesday, his headache gone and his appetite restored.

His aunt, Janine Cataldo, said she has tried to get Zachary enrolled in the school where her children go but was told there was no room. That school, Chabot Elementary, reported no violent suspensions last year.

Under the circumstances, Saddler said, moving Zachary out of Piedmont Avenue is a conversation she’s ready to have.
Danger zones
Piedmont Avenue Elementary, with an enrollment of 344 students last year, had the second-highest number of violence-related suspensions among Oakland’s 59 public elementary schools (kindergarten to fifth grade).
The top five are:

– Preparatory Literary Academy - 106 suspensions.

– Piedmont Avenue Elementary - 97 suspensions.

– Webster Academy - 77 suspensions.

– Lockwood Elementary - 52 suspensions.

– New Highland Academy - 42 suspensions.

Source: California Department of Education

E-mail Nanette Asimov at nasimov@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page A - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

I feel the need to add a note to this entry. I for one, hold the parents of this child responsible as well. To allow your little son to be repeatedly attacked and leave them at the mercy of a situation like this is inexcusable. This was not the first incident of violence against this child. He had already had 4 teeth knocked out, and been kicked in the stomach prior to this current attack.

Now, we will see if a fractured skull and a trip to intensive care is enough to result in some action. I feel deep sorrow for this poor child and his family and for what they must be going through. But I cannot help but believe that this was a preventable tragedy. It is time for the children to come back home. I pray that people’s eyes will be opened wide to the truth. Our children are worth any perceived inconvenience. NO MORE EXCUSES!

 

 

2008-2009 Homeschool Curriculum

Lately here on my blog,  I have been addressing some important but heavy topics. So, I think it is time for a more light-hearted, albeit equally important entry. Fresh from our recent local Home Education Convention and lots of research, we have now determined what curriculum we will be using for our 2008-2009 school year. It is always exciting to have these plans in place, and look forward to starting another year of learning! So, for those who are interested, here is our upcoming plan:

Kaitlyn will be in the 3rd grade. Her curriculum will consist of:

• My Father’s World: Creation to the Greeks
• Math-U-See:Alpha
• Serl’s Primary Language Lessons #83-164
• Spelling by Sound and Structure:Grade 3 (Rod and Staff)
• MFW Cursive Handwriting Package

Her extra-curricular activities planned thus far will include:

• Bible Quizzing: Exodus
• Caravan’s Christian “Scouting” Program
• 4-H

Kyle will be in the 2nd Grade. His curriculum will consist of:

• My Father’s World: Creation to the Greeks
• Math-U-See: Alpha
• Serl’s Primary Language Lessons #1-82
• Spelling By Sound and Structure:Grade 2 (Rod and Staff)

His extra-curricular activities planned thus far will include:

• Bible Quizzing: Exodus
• Caravan’s Christian “Scouting” Program
• mini-4-H

Kourtney will be in the 1st Grade. Her curriculum will consist of:

• My Father’s World: 1st Grade Program
• Saxon Primary Level Manipulatives supplemented w/ worksheets
• Sing, Spell, Read, and Write Readers, Eclectic Readers, Pathway Readers, Abeka Readers

Her extra-curricular activities planned thus far will include:

• Bible Quizzing: Exodus
• Caravan’s Christian “Scouting” Program
• mini-4-H

Kassidy will be 3 years old. I will probably do some pre-K work with her in the 2nd Semester. If so, we will use the following curriculum:

• Sing, Spell, Read, and Write Pre-school Program
• Read-Alouds with older children, music/art with older children
• Puzzles, games, various learning manipulatives

Kory will be 1 1/2, and the new baby is expected to be born in late August, so we will be busy and times will be exciting! We always throw in several family field-trips to keep things fun and captivating.  It looks like it will shape up to be a great year!

A Connection Found Between Vaccines and Autism

Professionals and lay-people have been going around and around about a possible link between getting vaccinations and the potential for developing autism. This has resulted in difficulty for parents trying to determine what is in the best interest of their children.

 My husband and I have found enough compelling evidence to not allow our children to be vaccinated at all, based upon our extensive research. For us the cons heavily outweigh the pros. If you are currently undecided,  than I hope the following information will help you to figure out how you wish to protect your children and their health.  If you are decidedly pro-vaccination, this may cause you to reconsider your position. Or at least reconsider the ridiculous schedule/program currently recommended for shots, which includes multiple doses being given combined or at the same time. Your children are depending upon you!

                Head of CDC Admits on CNN that Vaccines can Trigger Autism

 

Recently Julie Gerberding, the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), appeared on Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s show House Call and explained that vaccines can trigger autism in a vulnerable subset of children. This is the claim that many parents have been making since at least the 1980s, and they have been dismissed and even mocked for making it.

Related information can be found at the following location:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/04/22/head-of-cdc-admits-on-cnn-that-vaccines-can-trigger-autism.aspx
The article follows below:

The U.S. government has now gone on the record saying that childhood vaccines can contribute to the symptoms of autism. They have then backtracked and stated that there is no association.
So which is it?
Well, by the time your child starts school he or she will have received more than 36 injections, including four doses each of vaccines for Hemophilus influenzae type b infections, diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis — all of them given during the first 12 months of life.

 

And by then it may be too late for the CDC to make up their mind about whether or not vaccines can be dangerous.

 
In 1976, children received 10 vaccines before attending school, and in the early 1980s, the incidence of autism was 1 in 10,000 births. Today it is 1 in 150 births and still climbing.

 
Is there a connection between autism and vaccines? I’d say so. And a pretty obvious one at that. If you are interested in the science behind this connection, Dr. Russell Blaylock has written an excellent paper that provides a connection between excessive vaccination and neurodevelopmental disorders like autism that is definitely worth reading.

 
The Blame Game

 
It seems clear from watching the CNN video with Dr. Julie Gerberding, the CDC’s director, that they are looking to put the blame for rising autism rates on anything other than their overzealous vaccination schedule.

 
While they have admitted that vaccines can trigger autism, Dr. Gerberding is quick to say that it’s only in children with a “rare” mitochondrial disorder. Referring to the landmark Hannah Poling case, Dr. Gerberding claimed that Hannah’s case was a rare incident with little relevance to the other autism cases pending in the federal “vaccine court.”

 
Since then, however, Dr. Gerberding and other CDC officials were made aware of a Portuguese study reporting that 7.2 percent of children with autism had confirmed mitochondrial disorders. Some now estimate the rate of mitochondrial dysfunction in autism to be 20 percent or more, and the rate among children with the regressive sub-type of autism is likely even higher.

 
If mitochondrial dysfunction can convert into autism in large numbers, then the connection between vaccines and autism could clearly be quite strong.

 
So much so that the CDC acknowledged they are aware of this situation and are “immediately taking measures to address the current national vaccine schedule.”

 
Yet, Dr. Gerberding made no mention of this on CNN.

 
She also did not mention that the current vaccination schedule has never been proven to be safe.
Health officials consider a vaccine to be safe if no bad reactions — like seizures, intestinal obstruction or anaphylaxis — occur acutely. The CDC has not done any studies to assess the long-term effects of its immunization schedule.

 
So no one knows whether injecting children with 14 vaccines in their first 24 months of life, plus the meningococcal vaccine, which is to be administered between the age of 2 and 6, is enough to overwhelm their systems and lead to neurological and immune system disorders. They don’t know, yet they are very adamant about keeping your children on this schedule — and they make anyone who dares to question their logic out to be a quack.

 
Yet here’s something to chew on. One vaccine injected into a 13-pound, 2-month-old infant is equivalent to 10 doses of the same in a 130-pound adult.

 
This is an assault on your child’s nervous system and immune system, neither of which is fully developed. It’s no wonder, then, according to Dr. Russell Blaylock, that multiple vaccines given close together over-stimulate your brain’s immune system and, via the mechanism of “bystander injury,” destroy brain cells.
What else wasn’t mentioned in the interview?

 
Oh yes, that members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) — the one that promulgates a self-serving, one-size-fits-all vaccine policy — are known to have ties to vaccine makers. And their compulsory vaccination schedule, that’s required of nearly every U.S. child who is entering public school, has made many of these vaccine makers rich beyond their wildest imaginations.