Faith Void

Well I couldn't sleep and was surfing the net, looking for inspiration
and discovered this group. I have been reading a bunch of recent and
older posts and liking the direction of the group discussions. I
haven't been able to find a group that mets my needs. I like the idea
of this being a group where you can come with concerns or issues and
have other more experienced folks talk you through this journey. I
feel so alone much of the time in our unschooling adventure. Kind of
lost and confused. I don't really know any other unschoolers irl. Our
family has been unschoolers in basic philosophy since birth (ap
parenting and then I never got into the "schooly" thing but not
necessarily radical) however I didn't discover there was a name for in
until my dd was older (6ish?) that was several years ago but still
have yet to met other unschoolers. I don't always feel confident in my
approach to life with my kids. I feel a lot of criticism from other
homeschoolers and question myself and our approach a lot lately. This
is our first year with other homeschoolers, in a co-op type thing.
Which I don't really like but my kids do and it is bringing up a lot
of confusion and issues for me. I don't really know how to articulate
things right now but I hope to try in the next few days.
I have a dd who is 10.5 and a ds who is 4.5 and this baby that's
*still* inside, coming any minute (wishful thinking) now.
Faith in PA

hbmccarty

Hi Faith-

I haven't been on this list too long but it has been SO helpful.

We went to our first day of the fall session at our learning center
yesterday- (we have belonged and be very involved for 2 years)
The kids choose their activities and have really enjoyed the community.
I think it actually has served as a much better option than school for
my son who was strongly considering school before we joined. There are a
lot of really great things about it and it is totally up to my kids
whether they attend on any given day. They are both very social and it
really is a good thing (I have to keep repeating this to myself.).

HOWEVER- I have quite a bit of difficulty being there at times. It seems
that the families are moving even more towards Waldorf homeschooling and
school at home. Especially parents of young children, which is difficult
to observe. My daughter attended one class of a Waldorf program- and
says- I don't think I am a Waldorf kind of person. (Me either!)

Yesterday I had one mom tell me her son was unhappy with the assignments
she gave him this week- as he had been choosing his own up until now.
Her reason was that he had to be prepared for college in case the draft
was reinstated. I told her my theory of college preparation which is
that my kids, if and when they decide to go to college will be able to
start doing any preparation needed at that point in time whatever it
might be, if anything. Probably should have kept my mouth shut. It is
completely amazing the rationalizations people will come up with for
controlling their children. Another mom whose older son in now in high
school told us that her son does his school work more readily now than
when he was home schooled- this is someone who had claimed to be an
unschooler. I walked away from this one!

I am involved in administration at the learning center so I think it
works to just stick with that subject and other neutral ones and stay
off homeschooling altogether. Of course I don't always do this.

Heather

Faith Void wrote:
>
> I feel a lot of criticism from other
> homeschoolers and question myself and our approach a lot lately. This
> is our first year with other homeschoolers, in a co-op type thing.
> Which I don't really like but my kids do and it is bringing up a lot
> of confusion and issues for me. I don't really know how to articulate
> things right now but I hope to try in the next few days.
>
>

trektheory

--- In [email protected], hbmccarty <hbmccarty@...> wrote:
>
>
> Yesterday I had one mom tell me her son was unhappy with the
assignments
> she gave him this week- as he had been choosing his own up until now.
> Her reason was that he had to be prepared for college in case the draft
> was reinstated.


The possibility of a draft being reinstated terrifies me. I have a
nearly 16 yr old son who plans on starting college f/t next year. He
has no desire to go into the military, and I suspect that it would be
truly devastating for him -- he is one who would be at high risk for
PTSD. He will likely have his BS at a young age -- and if there is a
draft, would he not then be draftable?

I don't know the details about that sort of thing, but I know I would
fight heaven and hell to keep my only child safe!

Linda

Sylvia Toyama

The possibility of a draft being reinstated terrifies me. I have a nearly 16 yr old son who plans on starting college f/t next year. He has no desire to go into the military, and I suspect that it would be truly devastating for him -- he is one who would be at high risk for
PTSD. He will likely have his BS at a young age -- and if there is a draft, would he not then be draftable?

*****
There is a lot of talk about a draft now. I'd be okay with that IF there were more options for non-military service, say for aid agencies and the like.

That said, here's what I've heard about draft potential recently, thru my Mom who has a friend on the local Draft Board (which still exists even without a current draft)

the current thought is that when a draft is instituted, this time around they'll choose older recruits -- starting with 22yo's and working down to younger people, so those in the 22yo age range are most likely to be drafted first (oh peachy - my oldest is 22!).

the only deferment for college will be to allow draftees to finish the semester -- no more staying college til the draft/war ends.

no marriage dependent deferments -- they won't care how many kids (or wives<g>) a draftee has. After all, his wife is likely to work, too, so no big deal there.

There will be CO (conscientious objector) status given still, but it's hard to get, and won't likely be given to men who chose not to register in the first place.

I've spoken a bit with a cousin of my dh who offered to help me set up CO folders for our younger boys (apparently the draft board wants to see a record of one's pacifist leanings) but haven't gotten around to it yet. Cousin is a Quaker and said their long history of CO status makes them a good resource for how to assemble a CO case for a draftee.

I don't worry so much about Andy -- we've never had him diagnosed, tho we know he'd land somewhere on the autism spectrum, but we'd happily have him labeled if that would keep him out of a draft. Dan, tho, is perfectly *normal* healthy, physically precocious -- an officer's dream! And of course, Will is already draftable age -- but we have a back-up plan in place for him already.

****
I don't know the details about that sort of thing, but I know I would fight heaven and hell to keep my only child safe!

****
Ultimately, tho, dh's plan is that we'd leave the country with our boys. He's even explored how he could find work in Canada soon. He grew up in the specter of Vietnam (had a draft card in '73, but didn't get called up) and in those days wondered whether he'd choose Mexico or Canada, because there was no way he was going to Vietnam. And he grew up the child of a career Air Force officer!

Sylvia



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Sylvia Toyama

From the Draft website at www.sss.gov/FSconsobj.htm -- this outlines
the Draft Board's definition of *conscientious objector*

The local board will decide whether to grant or deny a CO
classification based on the evidence a registrant has presented.

A man may appeal a Local Board's decision to a Selective Service
District Appeal Board. If the Appeal Board also denies his claim, but
the vote is not unanimous, he may further appeal the decision to the
National Appeal Board. See also Classifications.

WHO QUALIFIES?
Beliefs which qualify a registrant for CO status may be religious in
nature, but don't have to be. Beliefs may be moral or ethical;
however, a man's reasons for not wanting to participate in a war must
not be based on politics, expediency, or self-interest. In general,
the man's lifestyle prior to making his claim must reflect his
current claims.

SERVICE AS A CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR
Two types of service are available to conscientious objectors, and
the type assigned is determined by the individual's specific beliefs.
The person who is opposed to any form of military service will be
assigned to Alternative Service - described below. The person whose
beliefs allow him to serve in the military but in a noncombatant
capacity will serve in the Armed Forces but will not be assigned
training or duties that include using weapons.

ALTERNATIVE SERVICE
Conscientious Objectors opposed to serving in the military will be
placed in the Selective Service Alternative Service Program. This
program attempts to match COs with local employers. Many types of
jobs are available, however the job must be deemed to make a
meaningful contribution to the maintenance of the national health,
safety, and interest. Examples of Alternative Service are jobs in:

conservation

caring for the very young or very old

education

health care

Length of service in the program will equal the amount of time a man
would have served in the military, usually 24 months.

Sylvia Toyama

Here's are links to websites that advise individuals seeking CO status

http://www.objector.org/advice/contents.html

http://www.scn.org/IP/sdmcc/co.htm

from the Quakers:

http://www.quaker.org/visalia/CO/index.html

and the Universal Unitarians:

http://www25.uua.org/uuawo/issues/respond/military.html

the Episcopals:

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/50917_ENG_HTM.htm

and the Church for Reality -- billed as an option for Atheists:

http://marc.perkel.com/2005/11/15/church-of-reality-writes-conscientious-objector-status-policy/

Sylvia



Gary (dh)
Will (22) Andy (11) and Dan (6)

There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children ~ Nelson Mandela



http://ourhapahome.blogspot.com
http://myeverydaysacred.blogspot.com










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[email protected]

-----Original Message-----
From: trektheory <trektheory@...>

The possibility of a draft being reinstated terrifies me. I have a
nearly 16 yr old son who plans on starting college f/t next year. He
has no desire to go into the military, and I suspect that it would be
truly devastating for him -- he is one who would be at high risk for
PTSD. He will likely have his BS at a young age -- and if there is a
draft, would he not then be draftable?

-=-=-=-

Scare tactics.

First: the military doesn't WANT a draft. Draftees make AWFUL soldiers.
Not cohesive. Individualistic. Frightened. Self-serving. Downright
dangerous to the others in their units.

The VietNam draft was time-specific. There's no way in hell they could
make it stick in this day and age.

*I* would be the first to start the internet-based anti-draft movement.
I'm not afraid of saving my children. Not one bit.

I would tell you to send my proposal to every friend you have.

There's no way the government could make it work! There would be too
much backfire.

They could *possibly* get in touch with every able-bodied
soldier-to-be, but they could NOT make all of them show up for the
physical. If they didn't show up for the physical, they could*possibly*
arrest them all. But where would they put them? In the prisons after
letting out all the potsmokers? Then if they did take all the arrested
objectors off to train, how would they get them to participate?
Threatening them? Then how could they get them to march? With bayonets
at their butts?

If the objectors actually OBJECTED and simply SAT DOWN, there would be
nothing the government could do. They could even send them to war, but
a soldier who won't fight is not only worthless, but dangerous to
everyone with him.

No way a draft will be imposed. The world is too connected now through
the internet. Simply ignore the request. If *everyone* ignores the
draft, there's no way to enforce it. Even if they find a way to enforce
the actual draft, they can't make someone fight. Simply canNOT.


And last: Unschoolers have got to be THE worst draftees. <g> Too many
questions. Not enough "YESSIR!s" <g>

DON'T let this keep you up at night!!!





~Kelly

Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org


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[email protected]

In a message dated 9/25/2007 8:04:39 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
trektheory@... writes:


The possibility of a draft being reinstated terrifies me. I have a
nearly 16 yr old son who plans on starting college f/t next year. He
has no desire to go into the military, and I suspect that it would be
truly devastating for him -- he is one who would be at high risk for
PTSD. He will likely have his BS at a young age -- and if there is a
draft, would he not then be draftable?

I don't know the details about that sort of thing, but I know I would
fight heaven and hell to keep my only child safe!

Linda


____________________________________________________________

My son, James, just turned 18 on the 22 of this month. We talked about that
- how he has to register and what the consequences are if he does not - and to
be clear in his reasons to or not to register. I am hoping, to be fully
honest here, that I can raise Julian, who just turned 5, to be a Conscientious
Objector because of MY fears of the draft, war, death...and I know those are MY
fears. I'm not sure how to cope with that. I read an article/story in
Mothering Magazine about a child raises as such and they kept his peace activist
works and stuff he did in a portfolio, just in case. But would I be forcing my
ideas on my son? And yet, is it possible for me to raise a child that would
WANT to go...? (as in the way I am raising the kids, not "possible" in the
literal sense - I'm not sure I'm saying that right) Gosh, this brought up a lot
for me! Wow!

I have the site on registering, btw...and that story I think is online, if
anyone wants to see it, I'll be glad to hunt it down and post a link (to both).

As for your son, Linda, I *think* that certain "mental conditions" do indeed
save a person from the draft. What a phrase, huh? But your story above
reminded me of that Mothering article (which I can't remember the outcome, but it
may help you out). I'd also suggest just looking into reasons one can use
against the armed forces for not being drafted. There MUST be something out
there - and usually, it's information that helps calm my frazzled fears.

Oh geeze...lol...here it is:
_http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/family_society/avoid_draft.html_
(http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/family_society/avoid_draft.html)
(I can't resist a link, I'm a Link-a-holic)

Karen



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Sylvia Toyama

There's no way the government could make it work! There would be too
much backfire.

They could *possibly* get in touch with every able-bodied
soldier-to-be, but they could NOT make all of them show up for the
physical. If they didn't show up for the physical, they could*possibly*
arrest them all. But where would they put them? In the prisons after
letting out all the potsmokers? Then if they did take all the arrested
objectors off to train, how would they get them to participate?
Threatening them? Then how could they get them to march? With bayonets
at their butts?

If the objectors actually OBJECTED and simply SAT DOWN, there would be
nothing the government could do. They could even send them to war, but
a soldier who won't fight is not only worthless, but dangerous to
everyone with him.

No way a draft will be imposed. The world is too connected now through
the internet. Simply ignore the request. If *everyone* ignores the
draft, there's no way to enforce it. Even if they find a way to enforce
the actual draft, they can't make someone fight. Simply canNOT.

*****
I like this -- it's very Ghandi-esque, and so much warmer (at least here in NM) than moving to Canada (where it's probably already winter now, until what mid-June?)

Sylvia


---------------------------------
Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha!
Play Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at Yahoo! Games.

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