Robyn Coburn

I received this from another list. You may see it on other lists also I
expect. CBS just keeps on being in the homeschooling news I guess.
Robyn Coburn

> Subject: RE: [Michiganhomeschool] Awesome News: The government sends a
> letter to CBS!!!!!
>
> http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Akin102703.pdf
>
> 33 House Republicans sent a letter to
> CBS News President, Andrew Heyward, to say that they were "deeply
> offended" by the recent "Eye on America" presentation of
homeschooling.
> I think it would be a terrific idea if homeschoolers took the time to
> personally thank these congressmen, who took the time to address this
issue,
> particularly if you live in their district. Below I've copied the
entire
> letter along with the names of each congressman having signed the
letter.
>
> Congress of the United States
> House of Representatives
> Washington DC 20515
> 22 October 2003
> Mr. Andrew Heyward
> President
> CBS News
> 524 West 57thStreet
> New York, New York 10019
> Dear Mr. Heyward:
> As members of Congress who either home school our own children or
support
> the right of parents to homeschool, we were deeply offended by the
recent
> "Eye on America" dealing with homeschooling.
>
> The October 13th segment, which aired on the CBS Evening News, implied
a
> tragic murder-suicide in rural North Carolina was somehow evidence of
a
> "dark side" of homeschooling, which justified further government
regulation
> of home education. The tenuous connection between this two-year-old
tragedy
> involving a single family, which happened to homeschool, and millions
of
> law-abiding mothers and fathers who successfully and safely educate
their
> children at home everyday is absurd.
>
> What your correspondent, Vince Gonzales, failed to mention in his
segment
> was the numerous child protection laws already exist that could have
been
> used to safeguard the children in question. In point of fact, North
Carolina
> Social Services had repeated contact with the family and had even
removed
> the children from the home for a time. Despite numerous laws and the
> involvement of State agencies, this tragedy occurred.
>
> Yet, Mr. Gonzales solution is to shackle homeschool parents across the
> country with further laws and regulations that would not have
prevented
the
> tragedy in question.
>
> Today American parents, following a tradition that is as old as the
Republic
> itself, are teaching an estimated 1.6 to 2.0 million children at home.
The
> number of families choosing to homeschool is growing at an estimated
annual
> rate of seven to fifteen percent.
>
> It is worth noting that homeschooled children score, on average, 80
points
> higher on the SAT (an aggregate of 1100) than does the overall
population.
> And as Time Magazine noted in its August 27th,2001, issue, "Today
Harvard
> admissions officers attend home-schooling conferences looking for
> applicants, and Rice and Stanford admit home schoolers at rates equal
to
or
> higher than those for public schoolers."
>
> Rather than focusing on such a rare and remarkable case in a report on
> homeschooling, CBS News could have done itself and its viewers a great
> service in reporting the success parents have had in educating their
> children at home. Instead, you chose to take a handful of tragic
incidents
> and, from them, cast aspersions on the entire homeschool movement.
Your
> report was unfair and indicative of both bias and ignorance. We
sincerely
> hope reporting of this kind is the exception and not the rule at CBS
News.
>
> Sincerely,
> W. Todd Akin (MO-2) Member of Congress
> W.J. (Billy Tauzin (LA -3) Member of Congress
> Mike McIntyre (NC-7) Member of Congress
> John Shimkus (IL-19) Member of Congress
> Peter Hoekstra (MI-2) Member of Congress
> John A. Boehner (OH-8) Member of Congress
> Trent Franks (AZ-2) Member of Congress
> Lee Terry (NE-2) Member of Congress
> Stevan Pearce (NM-2) Member of Congress
> Steve King (IA-5 ) Member of Congress
> John Sullivan (OK-1) Member of Congress
> John N. Hostettler (IN-8) Member of Congress
> Joseph R. Pitts (PA-16) Member of Congress
> Donald A. Manzullo (IL-16) Member of Congress
> Robert B. Aderholt (AL-4) Member of Congress
> Mike Rogers (AL-3) Member of Congress
> Mike Pence (IN-6) Member of Congress
> Curt Weldon (PA-7) Member of Congress
> Jim Ryun (KS-2) Member of Congress
> Ed Whitfield (KY-1) Member of Congress
> Joe Wilson (SC-2) Member of Congress
> Virgil Goode (VA-5) Member of Congress
> Lincoln Diaz-Balart (FL-21) Member of Congress
> Maria Diaz-Balart (FL-25) Member of Congress
> Darrell E. Issa (CA-49) Member of Congress
> Barbara Cubin (WY) Member of Congress
> Dana Rohrabacher (CA-46) Member of Congress
> Frank R. Wolf (VA-10) Member of Congress
> Mark Souder (IN-3) Member of Congress
> Roscoe G. Bartlett (MD-6) Member of Congress
> Marilyn N. Musgrave (CO-4) Member of Congress
> Zach Wamp (TN-3) Member of Congress
> Mark R. Kennedy (MN-6) Member of Congress
>
> Please forward this to your homeschooling friends, so that we can
> acknowledge their fine efforts on our behalf.
>
> Thank you
> ~Annette M. Hall
>

[email protected]

In a message dated 10/28/03 10:39:20 AM, dezigna@... writes:

<<
> Subject: RE: [Michiganhomeschool] Awesome News: The government sends a
> letter to CBS!!!!! >>

BULLSHIT.

A bunch of republicans co-signing a letter is not "the government."

What about freedom of the press, people? Are you insane?

I'm really offended by this stuff, honestly, and I would personally prefer
not to have it on this list.

Threatening sponsors is blackmail. I thought the letter from Kraft or
whichever company it was was Right On. I don't think companies should bend to just
numbers pressure and threats. There are laws against cheating people out of
their livlihood. That's what Cheryl Seelhoff won a lawsuit about, when other
Christian publishers put her out of business with threats and lies because
they didn't like the fact that she left her abusive husband. A minister TOLD
her (as if he were God) to return to her husband and she did NOT because he was
beating her up and she wanted her kids safe and free from that, and so she was
put out of business.

If a person gives a reasoned, intelligent argument to an advertising
executive and the executive is moved by the argument and so changes company action,
that's great! But to go in as a mob making demands (especially when the people
didn't watch the show and didn't patronize the company ANYway) is just being a
mob. Joining a mob for the thrill of joining a mob is a very low form of
human thought, and not one to be proud of.

Homeschoolers joining Christian mobs make homeschooling look bad.
CBS did a thing for a political reason.
Christian homeschooling activists made a political response.
Some of the people hooting like monkeys over the joy of mob action are
NOTpeople understand unschooling.

In case anyone here IS really interested in all that, could those who think
it's peachy just list some other lists where they CAN go to feel mobbish?

Sandra

Tia Leschke

>
>
><<
> > Subject: RE: [Michiganhomeschool] Awesome News: The government sends a
> > letter to CBS!!!!! >>
>
>BULLSHIT.
>
>A bunch of republicans co-signing a letter is not "the government."

You're right that it wasn't "the government" sending the letter.


>What about freedom of the press, people? Are you insane?
>
>I'm really offended by this stuff, honestly, and I would personally prefer
>not to have it on this list.

Did you actually read their letter, Sandra? There was no blackmail in that
letter. They just stated their support of homeschooling and gave reasons
why, and they stated what they felt was wrong about the CBS show.

>I don't think companies should bend to just
>numbers pressure and threats. There are laws against cheating people out of
>their livlihood. That's what Cheryl Seelhoff won a lawsuit about, when
>other
>Christian publishers put her out of business with threats and lies because
>they didn't like the fact that she left her abusive husband. A minister TOLD
>her (as if he were God) to return to her husband and she did NOT because
>he was
>beating her up and she wanted her kids safe and free from that, and so she
>was
>put out of business.
>
>If a person gives a reasoned, intelligent argument to an advertising
>executive and the executive is moved by the argument and so changes
>company action,
>that's great!

That was my impression of this letter, a reasoned, intelligent argument
which they hope will move the advertising executive to change company action.
Tia

[email protected]

In a message dated 10/28/03 11:40:29 AM, leschke@... writes:

<< Did you actually read their letter, Sandra? There was no blackmail in that
letter. >>

The calls for homeschoolers to write to the sponsors and say they would not
buy their products and would tell their friends not to too if they didn't pull
their sponsorship of that program WAS blackmail.

One sponsor pulled, one didn't, and that sponsor's letter was brought as a
"shame-shame" example, when I thought the sponsor's letter was much more fair
and thoughtful than the blackmailers were.

Sandra

[email protected]

In a message dated 10/28/03 11:40:29 AM, leschke@... writes:

<< >A bunch of republicans co-signing a letter is not "the government."

You're right that it wasn't "the government" sending the letter.


>What about freedom of the press, people? Are you insane? >>

The letter, which was sent to homeschooling lists, and TO THIS LIST, said
that the government had written to CBS.

That is simply a lie.

And IF "the government" HAD written to CBS and tried to influence them as the
government, that would be a violation of freedom of the press.

Sandra

[email protected]

In a message dated 10-28-2003 11:53:58 AM Mountain Standard Time,
SandraDodd@... writes:
The calls for homeschoolers to write to the sponsors and say they would not
buy their products and would tell their friends not to too if they didn't pull
their sponsorship of that program WAS blackmail
****************
Nope, not this letter. It calls for citizens to write to the representatives
who signed the letter and thank them for their support. I plan to copy the
letter to my state's rep and ask him why his name is not on the list.

diana,
The wackiest widow westriver...
"You can follow your book and your map of wars, but I'll go and follow my
kids." -- Woody Guthrie


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

In a message dated 10/28/03 12:02:07 PM, HaHaMommy@... writes:

<< The calls for homeschoolers to write to the sponsors and say they would
not
buy their products and would tell their friends not to too if they didn't
pull
their sponsorship of that program WAS blackmail
****************
Nope, not this letter. >>

I'm talking about the entire batch of stuff concerning the CBS thing. The
whole set of things. They all came to this list, and I would rather those
interested had done it elsewhere because it doesn't have to do with natural
learning or unschooling.

Sandra

[email protected]

I think it's merely appropriate (not awesome) that lawmakers responded
to CBS. Obviously the stories were not "news" but overt political pressure
advocating regulation of homeschooling. Lawmakers tend to pay attention to
well-heeled lobbying launched from a national platform, for good or ill. That's
what they DO.

Still no news in this story! <g> JJ


> > Subject: RE: [Michiganhomeschool] Awesome News: The government sends a
> > letter to CBS!!!!!
> >
> > http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Akin102703.pdf
> >
> > 33 House Republicans sent a letter to
> > CBS News President, Andrew Heyward, to say that they were "deeply
> > offended" by the recent "Eye on America" presentation of
> homeschooling.
>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

In a message dated 10/28/03 12:02:07 PM, HaHaMommy@... writes:

<< Nope, not this letter. It calls for citizens to write to the
representatives
who signed the letter and thank them for their support. I plan to copy the
letter to my state's rep and ask him why his name is not on the list. >>

That list is a very, very small list considering all of Congress.

One guy from New Mexico is on there, out of five (two senators and three
representatives). Stevan Pearce is the one who signed it. He's new. He's from
Hobbs, in SE New Mexico (the corner surrounded by Texas. It's a very Baptist
town. Pearce is Baptist.

I *could* ask the others why they didn't sign it, but I already know. It
wasn't something put before the house as a vote. It's not a bill or a proposal
of the house of representatives. It was a petition passed around among
Baptists and similar conservatives, I'm sure.

SO... if any of you want to write to New Mexico's representative from the SE
oil fields and thank him for doing you a big favor, go ahead, but I can't see
how he'd care if you can't vote for him. Every letter that goes to them will
just be one more person they'll hit up hard for money next time they're
running for office.

And I think it would be well worth those of you who care about this checking
to see who's behind the proposed homeschooling legislation. Are some of the
same guys who are berating CBS some of those who will vote FOR the legislation
which CBS's story is going to help?

It has already been pointed out that it's very likely CBS ran their story to
pump up support of a federal homeschooling law. Double check your local guy
to see whether he's involved in that or will ultimately vote in a law (aft
Pete Dominici's from New Mexico. He's been a senator for a long time. He's
Catholic.

Tia Leschke

>
><< Did you actually read their letter, Sandra? There was no blackmail in that
>letter. >>
>
>The calls for homeschoolers to write to the sponsors and say they would not
>buy their products and would tell their friends not to too if they didn't
>pull
>their sponsorship of that program WAS blackmail.

I agree with you about that, but the letter Robyn forwarded didn't do that.
Tia

[email protected]

In a message dated 10/28/03 1:23:25 PM, leschke@... writes:

<< I agree with you about that, but the letter Robyn forwarded didn't do
that. >>

As often happens, I wasn't just responding to a single post, but to an entire
issue.

Sandra

Anne and Rob Pugliese

Sandra,
What kind of response would you suggest then?

anne, a curious lurker, eclectic educator at home...

Deborah Lewis

***What kind of response would you suggest then?***

Do you mean what kind of response to CBS? From homeschoolers?

Why respond to CBS at all? CBS doesn't give a flying fig what
homeschoolers think of their report.
Those kids *died.* Those cases are real and some of them at least
involved people who said they were homeschooling.

CBS said homeschooling helped those families hide abuse. That may have
been true in the Boss's case and the Edgar's case. But abusers hide
abuse. That's how it continues even in families being regularly visited
by social services, like the latest case in New Jersey, the Jacksons.

My question is why are homeschooler more outraged over the conclusion CBS
came to after real cases of abuse, than they are at the kind of
homeschoolers who beat and "discipline" and punish their kids?
On a lot of lists if you were to speak out against hitting kids you'd get
that "judgmental" word thrown at you and the "everyone knows what's best
for their own families" bull pucky routine.

Maybe everyone should get involved in making spanking and time out and
go-to-bed-without-your-dinner illegal.

Deb L

Robyn Coburn

I know that most of the folk on this list seem to be on other lists
also. However, I forwarded this letter so that those who are only here
would at least have the information that this letter has been sent.
There have been many interesting posts springing from the topic,
including about the role of media bias in our lives, and the efficacy of
different types of political action. Just as we should not attempt to
deny that fundamentalist Christian extremist parents exist, it seems
important to know what has developed. There is federal legislation
coming up that is directly aimed at homeschoolers. I suspect that this
letter is part of that debate (not the right word - scheme, discussion -
ack I seem to want to write "conspiracy") I know that there are a number
of other lists that are devoted to political discussions about
homeschooling, and message boards that focus on political debate also.
Perhaps this letter and the issues that Sandra has pointed out will spur
those people who are interested to check those out. (Doesn't mean you
can't be here too!)

I have to say that I agonized a little about forwarding it, because I
knew that Sandra would disapprove. However I also felt that putting
"FYI" in the subject line was a mitigating action, and that if it was
truly unwelcome it would be mediated away.

My final thought on this is that once again the theme that comes up here
repeatedly is clarity of language/clarity of thought. I thought I was
getting good with this stuff, but until Sandra pointed out that the
original subject line said "Government sends" completely inaccurately, I
hadn't noticed that.

Robyn Coburn








[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Robyn Coburn

<<Maybe everyone should get involved in making spanking and time out and
go-to-bed-without-your-dinner illegal.>>



Do any of you remember the movie "The American President" with Michael
Douglas? He portrays a President who is trying desperately to keep his
personal life private by not referring to his girlfriend (Annette
Benning) at all (to the press). His ratings slide into the toilet thanks
to the inflammatory tirades of his opponent. Finally his aide, portrayed
by Michael J. Fox, tells him words to the effect of (quoting from
memory):

"People want leadership. They are desperate for
it. In the absence of genuine leadership they will

follow the loudest voice."



Last week my dh showed me how to get Google news alerts - it is really
simple. I have three: "home school", "homeschool", and "unschool". Since
then every day - every single day - there has been at least one new
essay or press release or "weekly address" from HSLDA (including news
about this letter). Additionally there have been other articles from
local papers all over the country and Canada, that usually deal with
praising conservative religious school-at-homers. This mode of
homeschooling is so very much the "loudest voice". It is no wonder that
other voices (such as NHEN) are almost drowned out in the public
imagination. I rarely read the articles. When I see the HSLDA tag in the
web address, I know it won't help me in my journey towards being a
better parent.

Robyn Coburn



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

In a message dated 10/28/03 5:13:30 PM, robnanne1@... writes:

<< Sandra,

What kind of response would you suggest then?
>>

I would like to discuss unschooling on an unschooling list and let
fundamentalist political activists discuss their stuff on their lists.

People can be on several lists. But no one should expect every list to be
everything to everyone.

Unschooling responses.

Sandra

pam sorooshian

>
> Last week my dh showed me how to get Google news alerts - it is really
> simple. I have three: "home school", "homeschool", and "unschool".

Robyn and everybody --

NHEN sends out a weekly email newsletter called "In the News." It is
weekly round-up of homeschooling-related articles from newspapers and
magazines across the country. To subscribe to it go to www.NHEN.org and
look at the lower left column of the front page of the website.

-pam

Robyn Coburn

www.NHEN.org <http://www.nhen.org/>



Pam,

Thanks for reminding me. I have tried a couple of times to subscribe to
that service. I get an error message repeatedly.

Robyn Coburn



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

pam sorooshian

If anybody tries it and gets an error message, please send the error
message to our webmistress, Teresa Henderson. That's the only way we'll
know there is a problem and Teresa is just awesome and will get it
quickly fixed, I'm sure.

-pam


On Tuesday, October 28, 2003, at 11:31 PM, Robyn Coburn wrote:

> www.NHEN.org <http://www.nhen.org/>
>
>
>
> Pam,
>
> Thanks for reminding me. I have tried a couple of times to subscribe to
> that service. I get an error message repeatedly.
>
> Robyn Coburn
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
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>
> "List Posting Policies" are provided in the files area of this group.
>
> To unsubscribe from this send an email to:
> [email protected]
>
> Visit the Unschooling website and message boards:
> http://www.unschooling.com
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>

Fetteroll

on 10/28/03 8:47 PM, Robyn Coburn at dezigna@... wrote:

> When I see the HSLDA tag in the
> web address, I know it won't help me in my journey towards being a
> better parent.

I know searching on Google lets you eliminate hits with certain words by
putting a minus sign before the word. You might be able to add -HSLDA to
your list. (Unless, of course, getting a feel for how heavily influenced the
homeschooling reports are by HSLDA is useful for you!)

Joyce

Nicolas and Madeline Donck; Rains

11:31 PM 10/28/2003 -0800, you wrote:
>www.NHEN.org <<http://www.nhen.org/>http://www.nhen.org/>
>
>
>
>***Pam,
>
>Thanks for reminding me. I have tried a couple of times to subscribe to
>that service. I get an error message repeatedly.
>
>Robyn Coburn******

And my snail mail application (w/check) to join nhen was returned to me
saying that the address was wrong. I checked on the application and I had
written it correctly.
Madeline



>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
>ADVERTISEMENT
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>12fb9f0c.jpg
>
>"List Posting Policies" are provided in the files area of this group.
>
>To unsubscribe from this send an email to:
>[email protected]
>
>Visit the Unschooling website and message boards:
><http://www.unschooling.com>http://www.unschooling.com
>
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><http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>Yahoo! Terms of Service.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

pam sorooshian

On Wednesday, October 29, 2003, at 05:31 AM, Nicolas and Madeline
Donck; Rains wrote:

> And my snail mail application (w/check) to join nhen was returned to me
> saying that the address was wrong. I checked on the application and I
> had
> written it correctly.
> Madeline

Madeline - I'm so sorry you're having trouble with this. Maybe you
somehow got your hands on an old form with an old address? The correct
address is:

National Home Education Network 
P.O. Box 1652
Hobe Sound, FL 33475-1652

If that IS the address you're mailing to, could you let me know?

For those who want to participate in discussions of legislative and
legal aspects of homeschooling, the NHEN Forums are newly revamped and
active. Go to www.NHEN.org and click on "Forums" on the far right side
of the drop-down menus across the upper part of the page.

Discussion of HONDA (the omnibus homeschooling bill which is currently
going through a variety of congressional committees) is happening there
along with other topics.

-pam

Tia Leschke

>
>
>I know searching on Google lets you eliminate hits with certain words by
>putting a minus sign before the word. You might be able to add -HSLDA to
>your list. (Unless, of course, getting a feel for how heavily influenced the
>homeschooling reports are by HSLDA is useful for you!)

I signed up for the that Google service yesterday and got a page of
homeschooling items. I'd say 90% of them had HSLDA mentioned. Gag. They
really have made themselves the spokespeople for homeschooling. Scary.
Tia

Nicolas and Madeline Donck; Rains

Pam, I got the application at the SC conference and it had the Long Beach
address. I'll send it to the Fla address. Thanks.
Madeline


>Madeline - I'm so sorry you're having trouble with this. Maybe you
>somehow got your hands on an old form with an old address? The correct
>address is:
>
>National Home Education Network
>P.O. Box 1652
>Hobe Sound, FL 33475-1652
>
>If that IS the address you're mailing to, could you let me know?
>
>For those who want to participate in discussions of legislative and
>legal aspects of homeschooling, the NHEN Forums are newly revamped and
>active. Go to www.NHEN.org and click on "Forums" on the far right side
>of the drop-down menus across the upper part of the page.
>
>Discussion of HONDA (the omnibus homeschooling bill which is currently
>going through a variety of congressional committees) is happening there
>along with other topics.
>
>-pam
>
>
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>3ab897.jpg
>
>"List Posting Policies" are provided in the files area of this group.
>
>To unsubscribe from this send an email to:
>[email protected]
>
>Visit the Unschooling website and message boards:
><http://www.unschooling.com>http://www.unschooling.com
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the
><http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>Yahoo! Terms of Service.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

pam sorooshian

Darn - I think I was supposed to put stickers over that old address and
I forgot! My fault. Sorry about that.

Pam Sorooshian
National Home Education Network
<www.NHEN.org>
Serving the entire homeschooling community since 1999
through information, networking and public relations.



On Oct 30, 2003, at 5:04 AM, Nicolas and Madeline Donck; Rains wrote:

> Pam, I got the application at the SC conference and it had the Long
> Beach
> address. I'll send it to the Fla address. Thanks.
> Madeline