Here's your turkey!

h/t: GrrlScientist over at Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

Some thankfulness

It's the day before Thanksgiving, so naturally thoughts turn towards self-reflection and thankfulness. One particular thing stands out this year. My sister-in-law is currently sitting in a hospital bed, 35 weeks pregnant, about to undergo an amniocentesis to determine if the baby's lungs are developed enough to be delivered.

I am thankful that we live in a time where science, and particularly medicine, has developed to the point where a potentially life-threatening situation can be averted. I realize there are lots of valid concerns about the rate of c-sections and other interventions in birth; concerns which I share and have been vocal about. But what it really comes down to is that we all want our mothers to give birth to a healty baby in the safest way possible.

I am thankful that we have enlightened midwives, home-birth advocates, lactivists and others championing the cause of the mother and baby. And I am also thankful for a sophisticated and advanced medical establishment that can, in many cases, snatch life from the jaws of death and provide a net to catch those that would otherwise fall.

So to my sister-in-law, who will be sitting in the hospital this Thanksgiving, I give thanks that you are alive and well and for the minor miracles of technology that let you listen to that tiny little heart beating inside the tiny little being inside of you. I'm thankful that I am fortunate enough to be able to visit you this christmas and to meet my little niece.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno ... Finally!

Our intrepid heros, having been denied a raunchy good time by Kirk Cameron and Jesus, decided that they would attempt a mad dash across the battlefield (well, really just a couple of exits up the highway, but I'm trying to create dramatic tension here) to try to make the 10:25pm showing of Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Will they make it? Will the Fireproof conspiracy follow them to another theater? Will the ticket taker be a complete dick and not let them bring in their soda and popcorn? Let's find out...

The minivan flew down the highway like a, um, like a minivan flying down the highway. At exactly 10:25, Mrs. CyberLizard threw on the parking brake and slid the van into a parking spot with a squeal of tires (dramatic tension, remember?). We dashed inside the mall, popcorn and soda clutched in our hands and breathlessly ordered two tickets for Zack and Miri. The ticket seller was quite appalled to hear what had happened at the previous theater and found it quite amusing when Mrs. CL brandished the popcorn and declared our intent to bring it inside. Actually, the ticket taker didn't say anything either. So no new confrontation :(

Once in the actual theater, we discovered that they were playing Fireproof! that we had only missed half of the first preview! Within a few minutes we were finally watching a movie about people making a movie about people fucking, and we were laughing our asses off.

So the evening ended in success after all. And it gave me a chance to do a couple of really cool cliffhanger blog entries. In fact, it was such a good ploy that I'll do it again.

Tune in tomorrow night to read the CyberLizard's amazing, fantastic, awesome review of Zack and Miri Make a Porno!

There's hope for Florida after all!

'Gay' adoption ban ruled unconstitutional
Judge allows homosexuals to become legal parents of boys, 4, 8

Amazingly, I read about this in the WorldNutDaily, which I keep in my RSS reader for the lulz.

A Miami-Dade circuit judge today ruled Florida's 30-year ban on "gay" adoption unconstitutional, allowing a homosexual man to adopt two foster children who have been in his care since 2004.

Judge Cindy Lederman issued a 53-page order allowing Frank Gill, 47, and his "gay" partner to legally adopt the 4- and 8-year-old boys they've been raising, the Miami Herald reported.

''This is the forum where we try to heal children, find permanent families for them so they can get another chance at what every child should know and feel from birth, and go on to lead productive lives,'' Judge Lederman told the court. "We pray for them to thrive, but that is a word we rarely hear in dependency court.''

She continued, ''These children are thriving; it is uncontroverted."

[...]

I'm beginning to suspect that they stole this piece from the AP or something. Where's the sniping? The irrational claims? The Chuck Norris commentary?

Never mind. Regardless where I heard it from, this is fantastic news!

Lederman said children have "fundamental" rights to have permanent adoptive parents if birth parents are no longer in the picture.

''The challenged statute, in precluding otherwise qualified homosexuals from adopting available children, does not promote the interests of children and, in effect, causes harm to the children it is meant to protect,'' she wrote. "There is no question the blanket exclusion of gay applicants defeats Florida's goal of providing [foster] children a permanent family through adoption.''

Lederman said sexual orientation is no indicator of a person's ability to parent.

"Sexual orientation no more leads to psychiatric disorders, alcohol and substance abuse, relationship instability, a lower life expectancy or sexual disorders than race, gender, socioeconomic class or any other demographic characteristic," she wrote. ''The most important factor in ensuring a well-adjusted child is the quality of parenting.''

Well, duh! The only sad part of all this is that it took 30 years to get this right.

Zack and Miri make a ... Fireproof marriage?

So Mrs. CyberLizard went out a couple of nights ago with a girlfriend to see Zack and Miri Make a Porno. She came back raving about what a fantastic movie it was and how I had to go see it with her. Apparently it's a Kevin Smith movie, a fact I had somehow missed. Since I thoroughly enjoy his films, I agreed and we secured a little Lizard sitter last night and snuck out to catch the 9:45 showing at the local mall theater. After grabbing a popcorn and a coke, we get into the actual theater at approximately 9:47, expecting the previews to have started. Instead, the lights are on and the screensaver image is up. After a couple of minutes, I go to find out what was up. I was told that they were finding someone to start the movie. Um, ok... one would have thought that the presence of the required personnel would have been secured prior to the actual start time of the movie, but, whatever.

Finally, the previews start rolling and we sit back, expecting to laugh our asses off. Then the film starts. We did indeed laugh our asses off, but not at what we expected.

Instead of a raunchy, hilarious, offbeat movie about people making a movie of people fucking, we get to start watching Fireproof.

Now, in case you missed the hype (I, myself, had only heard about it third-hand), this is a new movie featuring Kirk Cameron. It's a Christian morality tale about how Jesus can save your marriage. We come to see the hilarity surrounding the making of bad porn and instead we get preached to? Can you say WTF?

From the first moments of the film, the entire audience was cracking up. I haven't seen dialog and acting this bad since the days of high-school theater. Actually, that's insulting to my high school theater. This was bad. Have you ever watched bad porn? I mean really bad, cheap porn? That was the kind of acting and writing I'm talking about. This thing would have been too crappy for an after-school special. It made Hallmark TV movies seem like blockbuster Hollywood features by comparison.

I couldn't resist. From the first lines, I was MST3K-ing the hell out of it. This film would have been right at home up on the Satellite of Love. Here are some brief reviews from Rotten Tomatoes:

Fireproof isn't merely preaching to the already converted; it's helping to further alienate the unconverted and the skeptical.

People like Kirk Cameron apparently require Scriptural instruction about how to not act like a complete **** to your wife.

The writing and directing Kendrick brothers, Alex and Stephen, have raised blandness and narrative predictability to the level of high art.

And my personal favorite, which is almost identical to what I was thinking during the few minutes I was forced to endure this "movie":

With the production values of a straight-to-video cheapie and the script of a mediocre soap opera, Fireproof is good for just about one thing: dousing whatever flames might be left in your marriage.

I was having so much fun heckling the piece of crap that I was tempted to just keep watching. Instead, I decided that I wanted to actually get some value for my money and see the movie that I had chosen. So after I and numerous other people complained, the manager shows up and apologizes. It's too far into the movie, she says, I can't change it. WTF?!? She then goes on to explain that it is too heavy, she can't physically switch the movies. I immediately volunteer to assist, but that idea was shot down. Instead, they're going to give us double free tickets. Oh, and as a bonus, they can move us to a different theater and show us Role Models.

Actual picture of me raging

Now, I'm not normally a confrontational person IRL, but I'm pissed off. Outside the theater, the manager is waiting with our comp tickets.

Me: Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a babysitter so that my wife and I can come out to watch a movie?

Manager: I'm sorry, sir, I've got double comp tickets here for you.

Me: What, so I can come back to this place and have you screw it up again?

Manager: These tickets are good for any Regal Cinema's, sir. Here you are. Have a good evening.

Do you remember Yosemite Sam muttering all kinds of unintelligible curses under his breath as he stalked away? That would be me as I stomped out of the theater.Maybe I was a little rough on her, but dammit, she's the manager. If one of my team fucks up, who's fault is it? Mine. My boss is going to chew off a piece of my ass. That's what we manager-types are for.

Mrs. CyberLizard is none too pleased with the situation either. With a determined look on her face, she marches back out to the van. There's another showing of the movie in 10 minutes at another theater nearby. We are damn well going to go see it AND bring our popcorn and soda in with us. And nobody better fuck with us about "outside food and drinks".

Tune back in tomorrow to see if the CyberLizard finally saw "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" and to find out how many times he can use "fuck" in a sentence.

P.S. Credit where credit is due, this all took place at the Regal Cinema at the Seminole Town Center in Sanford, FL.

Carnival Time!

I've been lazy busy lately and haven't entertained y'all for a while.  The Carnival of the Godless #105 will help tide you over.

Link: http://cyberlizardscollection.blogspot.com/2008/11/hello-and-welcome-to-november-23-2008.html

LEGO goodies: Issue 1

So I've gotten off my lazy arse and actually took pictures of some of the LEGO creations I've been working on. I'll start you off with this one. Look for more in the coming week.

For the NoVVember Vic Viper celebration:


Here's a top view:


If you want just the pics, you can view my Flickr photostream.

Shuttle Musings

Mood music

It still gives me a thrill to see that amazing display of human engineering climbing to space atop a column of flame. I was sitting on the bank of the Indian River on the morning of April 12, 1981 watching the very first shuttle mission, STS-1. I remember where I was when Challenger exploded. And Columbia. We have seen humans standing on the Moon. We were able to watch live as one of our creations actually landed on Mars. There are probes gathering astounding information from the outer reaches of our solar system. There is a space station orbiting our planet. A space station. Think about that for a moment.

As a child I marveled at the night sky, recognizing it for what it was; the vastness of the universe expanding to infinity around us. I fantisized about travelling in space. Science fiction has entrenched the ideas of interstellar travel firmly in our collective psyche. And here we are, extending our trembling fingers into the unknown, reaching for the unknown, trying desperately to know.

There are many things happening in the world, some horrible and some beautiful. Human creativity, imagination and determination gave us the opportunity to actually see the entirety of our planet and it is humbling.

Link: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

Since I'm already ranting...

... here's another piece of dumbfuckery to beat your head against your desk about. Apparently the bus companies in Ontario are feeling a little threatened by people using teh intertubes to arrange carpools.

Online Carpooling Service Fined For Unregulated Transportation

from the how-dare-you-ride-with-someone-else dept

One of the great things about the web, obviously, is that it allows for much more efficient communication that opens up new and useful offerings. For example: the web offers the ability to find other people traveling to the same general place you're heading and to set up a convenient carpool. It's good for the environment. It's good for traffic. It just makes a lot of sense. Unless, of course, you're a bus company and you're so afraid that people will use such a system rather than paying to take the bus. That's what happened up in Ontario, as earlier this year we wrote about a bus company that was trying to shut down PickupPal, an online carpooling service, for being an unregulated transportation company. TechCrunch points us to the news that the Ontario transportation board has sided with the bus company and fined PickupPal. It's also established a bunch of draconian rules that any user in Ontario must follow if it uses the service -- including no crossing of municipal boundaries -- meaning the service is only good within any particular city's limits.

It's better than being shut down completely, and the service can still operate elsewhere around the world, but this is yet another case where we see regulations, that are supposedly put in place to improve things for consumers, do the exact opposite. Just like we've seen elsewhere, you get regulatory capture, where an established industry uses the regulations not for their intended purpose, but to actually drastically limit the competition.

*sigh* Why can't we all just... aww, screw it.

Link: http://techdirt.com/articles/20081112/1845132812.shtml

Pure Rant

I hate the fucking United States Postal Service. I know, I said I don't include "hate" in my personal ideology, but I hate the fucking United States Postal Service.

First off, we've got those stupid community mailboxes in my neighborhood. Not an apartment complex, but free standing houses. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I thought the purpose of the Post Office was to deliver my mail to me. Not make me go fetch it. If I wanted to drive somewhere to get my mail, I'd just get a post office box.

Secondly, our entire life is handled online. We don't receive a single paper bill anymore. Magazines only come once a week. Birthday cards come once a year. Damn near everything else is either trying to get me to buy something or trying to get me to apply for their credit cards (side rant: I thought we were in a credit crunch? Why the hell am I still getting these ridiculous offers? I even get home equity offers! Can't they read the damn headlines?)

In other words, we don't get our mail on a daily basis. Sometimes it's more than a couple of days. Occasionally we've gotten a note from the letter carrier saying that our mailbox was full and that we had to go to the post office to pick it up. Fine, whatever. But not this time. We got a note that said we hadn't picked up our mail so they were returning it to the senders. WTF?!?

So I call the number given for my local post office. After navigating their mindless automated system, I get to speak to an actual human almost immediately. Apparently they're able to get someone to answer the phone promptly, but they can't be bothered to actually deliver my mail to my house.

Anyway, the end result is that I've got to go physically to the Post Office and see if my mail is still there. They can't even tell me over the phone if my fucking mail is actually there or not. Security reasons, they tell me. Yeah, 'cause al Queada could call and find out if my coupons and magazines are waiting at the post office for me and could use that information to infiltrate the government network and destroy the world!

So I hate the fucking United States Postal Service. And this image pretty much sums up my day:



Thanks to the Rev. BigDumbChimp for the pic. I'm right there with you, bro.

Go listen to this. Now. Seriously.

This is just really cool. Uber-cool. Especially if you're an old chorus geek like me. Radiohead never sounded better.

h/t Enemy Combatant Trailmix Club

Link: http://enemycombatanttrailmix.wordpress.com/2008/11/11/radioheadnow-with-added-holy-shit

Where I Stand

I have been accused recently of "hating" religion and its followers. I'd like to make something clear. I don't hate anyone. This is sincere. I have tried to purge the idea of hate from my own personal ideology. I believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every human being. One of the biggest things that I am trying to teach my children is to love everyone. Now, that doesn't mean you have to go have gay sex with just anyone on the street, but it does mean that we humans are all stuck together on this big mud ball flying through space, and we all are interdependent. There's no way around this fact. We're stuck with each other and we depend on one another.

As far as religion goes, I fully support everyone's right to believe anything they want. The first amendment means a lot to me. I will defend to the death your right to believe in whatever god(s) you want. I will also defend your right to NOT believe in any god(s). Freedom of religion == freedom from religion. You want to believe that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Light? That's all right by me. I don't believe in that, but unless you want to engage in debate, I'm not gonna try to talk you out of it. And I'd thank you to not try to change my mind, unless I express an interest in hearing your point of view. You also have every right to put your opinions on religion out there, for public perusal. But you have to accept that there will be others who don't believe as you do and they have the exact same right to express that as well. Public expression implies the possibility of public contradiction. Just because it's called "religion" and invokes the sanctity of a god doesn't exempt it from scrutiny and that includes the possibility of ridicule. Deal with it.

Here's what I DO NOT respect: individuals and groups attempting to legislate their religion into my life. Contrary to what some people think, religion is not the sole repository of all Truth with regard to morality and ethics. Just because you believe that a fiery pit in hell is reserved for you for all eternity if you violate the principles of your religion, that does not mean that you have the authority to impose your moral structure on the rest of us, especially when your ideas of "right" and "wrong" take away fundamental human rights.

When people try to rob the citizens of this (or any) nation of their freedoms in the name of their god(s), that's when I get angry. I don't go trolling around christian sites looking for people to ridicule. I don't make it a point to make an example of every logical fallacy that exists in religious belief. But when you bring it out into the open and try to force your beliefs on others, that's when I open up with both barrels. Sarcasm and ridicule are potent weapons in the battles of thoughts and ideas, and I don't hesitate to use them. If you are willing to try to change the laws of this country, if you are going to try to subvert science and medicine in the name of your god, your religion then you are fair game for response. And the response is going to be something you don't like. I'm going to point out the ridiculousness of your position, the inherent hatred and bigotry in your policies and the absolute lack of any foundation in reality that your religion possesses. I will ridicule it. I will mock it. I will give it the respect it deserves, which is none.

So if the basic tenets of what you are trying to impose on the rest of us is based on the principle that you are in possession of The Truth, that you (or what you believe) is superior to the rest of us and must be imposed on us, well, in short, fuck you.

More desire

Me wants!

Link: http://shop.lego.com/Product/?p=810002

And the world moves on

Oh, oh, oh, I wanna go! This can be my birthday present!

via The Brothers Brick:

We have received word, from Steve Witt, that there will be a Master Builder Event at the Downtown Disney LEGO Store in Orlando, Florida. The dates are November 7 – 9. What can you do? Help build a LEGO Pirate, 8 feet tall! Dan Steininger, a Lego Master Builder, will be building this new model with the help of the whatever LEGO fans are present! All participants will receive a free Certificate of Achievement (while supplies last), $5 off coupons, and special offers in the store. They will also be holding a raffle for a $50 Gift Card. Hours are 11-7 on Friday, 10-6 on Saturday, and 11-6 on Sunday. Be there or be square!

Link: http://www.brothers-brick.com/2008/11/05/pirate-master-builder-event-at-downtown-disney-news/

Don't let us down this early

I mean, you're going to let us down at some point, Mr. President-elect. You're human. It's inevitable. But you don't have to do it this soon! I mean, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as head of the EPA? How much more anti-science can you get than an antivaccine wingnut and a thimerosal /mercury conspiracy theorist?

As Orac points out:

...he has been launching despicable attacks against anyone who dares to call him for his antivaccine winguttery, accusing them of "hating mothers," all the while cherry-picking studies, conspiracy-mongering, and ignoring the great mass of evidence that does not support his viewpoint.

So what's the big deal? you say. EPA doesn't deal with vaccines.

True enough. But RFK, Jr. has demonstrated himself on this issue not only to be prone to dubious science, but to have become a true believer in one of the most outrageous and dangerous forms of pseudoscience out there: antivaccinationism, or vaccine rejectionism. If you're trying to build an administration ostensibly devoted to using the best science as the basis for public policy, and the EPA is one agency where that is incredibly important, you do not want someone who is so prone to pseudoscience and promoting misinformation not just when it comes to mercury in vaccines, but when it comes to the very area where he claims expertise, the environment, where he blames Katrina on global warming, for instance (not even Al Gore does that). Indeed, his assaults on fact and science are legendary, right up to describing the small Cuyahoga River fire (which lasted only 30 minutes and was never caught on film) as "exploding in colossal infernos." Apparently, any "science" is good to him, as long as it appears to support his agenda. Add to that his "not in my backyard" hypocrisy in opposing wind power proposal off of Martha's Vineyard, and it's hard for me to comprehend how Obama could consider him for a post even for a moment.

Let us at least pretend that we've got a pro-science president for a little while longer. *sigh* I guess the political machine wears you down quickly. I'll just keep my fingers crossed that he'll change his mind. Stranger things have been known to happen.

Link: http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2008/11/say_it_aint_so_barack_say_you_aint_serio.php

Possummamma's Back!

She (Possummamma, aka Atheist in a minivan) was temporarily off the air due to some particularly nasty shit being spread around, but she's fought back to the surface! Good on ya'! Apparently hope and change are in the air.

So stop on by and say "welcome back"!

Link: http://cyberlizardscollection.blogspot.com/2008/11/return.html

Congratulations, America!

Obama Wins!!!

Nation, you've restored my hope. I had honestly begun to think the majority of people in this country were idiots. I'm grateful to be proven wrong. Even the nation's wang great state of Florida proved their non-stupidity. Except for one little thing: the "Marriage Protection" amendment passed with over 60%, which means that bigotry is now written into my state's constitution.

Can't have it all, I guess. The fight still goes on.

The single greatest threat to home education

Oh, boy, here we go. Get ready for a long one. Once again the stupid has reared its ugly head in the homeschooling community. A "concerned" parent posted a letter to a homeschooling list from the Home Education Foundation (HEF) that reads, in part:

If the Democrats take the US Senate and the White House, one of the first things they will most likely do is to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. President Clinton, actually signed it, but did not take it to the Senate because the Democrats did not have the majority at that time needed to pass it. However, if during the upcoming election, the Democratic party takes control of both the US Senate and the White House, it will most likely pass. Some news reporters are saying that Republicans may not win enough seats in the US Senate to even filibuster.

Good lord! The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child? We can't give those little crumb snatchers rights!

This is the greatest single threat to home education we have ever faced in this country. The teacher's unions pour millions of dollars into Democratic campaigns and as you know the Unions do not like home schooling. In fact, their platform usually has a plank opposing home education or requiring parents to be certified teachers. I have never used fear to motivate people and I am not doing it now. I am just reporting the facts.

Go to www.hslda.org, type in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and read until you are convinced this is a serious threat. If you are not sure that HSLDA is reporting the truth, go to http://www.un.org/children/conflict/keydocuments/english/theconventionont6.html and read the actual document. I did that about 14 years ago. It is very disconcerting. This treaty would strip parents of their rights and give them to the child. Ask the question who will decide what is in the best interest of the child?

Riiiight, not using fear. Suuuuure. So, of course, I have to go have a look. I'm a masochist that way. Let's start with the basics. The HSLDA, or Home School Legal Defense Association, is " a nonprofit advocacy organization established to defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children and to protect family freedoms." So far, so good. How about some details. According to their FAQ:

4. Is HSLDA a Christian organization?

Yes; however, HSLDA’s mission is to protect the freedom of all homeschoolers. Although our officers and directors are Christians, HSLDA membership is not limited to religiously based homeschoolers. We respect parents' rights to make the appropriate choices for the upbringing of their children. We have no agenda to make all public and home-based classrooms religious or conservative. Our primary objective is to preserve the fundamental right of parents to choose home education, free of over-zealous government officials and intrusive laws. We do put on a national conference annually and invite the board members of state organizations with whom we have worked for many years. Most, if not all, of those organizations have Christian leaders, but many serve all homeschoolers regardless of religious affiliation, as we do.

Hmmm. A couple of entries down the all-inclusive facade begins to crack:

6. What is HSLDA’s relationship to Patrick Henry College (PHC)?

HSLDA’s board of directors founded PHC as a college that emphasizes the apprenticeship model of education and will positively impact our culture.

Patrick Henry College opened its doors on September 1, 2000 to prepare and develop leaders who will fight for the principles of liberty and our home school freedoms through careers of public service and cultural influence. The College's distinctives include a deliberate outreach to home schooled students; practical apprenticeship methodology; financial independence; a general education core based on the classical liberal arts; a dedication to mentoring and discipling Christian students; and a community life that promotes virtue, leadership, and strong, life-long commitments to God, family and society.

The College’s board of trustees is completely separate and distinct from HSLDA’s board of directors and the College operates independently of HSLDA. Michael Farris is chancellor of the College, and is General Counsel of HSLDA directing litigation and federal legislative efforts.

Although Patrick Henry College and HSLDA are separate and distinct organizations, our board’s purpose for founding the College remains the same and HSLDA continues to support Patrick Henry College financially and structurally. Specifically, HSLDA donates use of facility space and a portion of revenue earned from interest income to the College. This support is based upon our belief that it is not enough to rely solely on the defense of homeschooling in the courts and in the legislatures in order to maintain our freedom to homeschool and control the upbringing of our children in the future. We must be proactive in providing virtuous leaders in government and other key spheres of influence in order to preserve our freedoms.
[emphasis mine]

I've touched on the subject of Patrick Henry College previously, when the president was on The Colbert Report. Basically I said, "This school is apparently primarily a place for religious homeschoolers to send their kids to college after preventing their children from actually learning anything factual about the nature of the world around them."

But don't take it from me. Here it is from the horse's ass mouth:

8. Why does HSLDA support efforts to constitutionally define marriage as between a man and a woman?

The following answer is an excerpt from a letter written by HSLDA Chairman of the Board and General Counsel Mike Farris:

. . . We are a Christian organization (see answer to question number 4 above). This colors our way of thinking about many things. Fundamentally, it is reflected in what we believe is truth.

All truth is God's truth. Man's knowledge is limited. We think we know something only to find that future generations have found that we really didn't know what we are talking about.

The truth is that God created the family. It is God's view of the family that is reflected in our western civilization and in our law until very recently. If we tear down this God-based view of the family, then all of the God-based principles in our society are ultimately at risk.

The masturbation over the sky-daddy continues for a while. Here's the crux of the matter:

It is impossible to say that the God of the Bible would sanction rights of homosexual marriage. Thus, there is no such right in a God-based theory of rights. Any man-made theory of rights is no theory at all. ... HSLDA is not willing to move into an era of human privileges. We believe this would jeopardize our liberty to teach our children at home and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Blessings,

Michael Farris

Soooo, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights; they don't mean squat, right? Because they're man-made rights? Or are you cool with them because they allow you the freedoms to spout your totalitarian, theocratic, dominionist bullshit?

So now we've seen a little bit about where this group is coming from.

The letter concludes:

Whoever wins the White House could detemine whether we continue to
enjoy the freedom to home educate our children or not.
The following is taken off the HSLDA website. Please read this and
consider the consequences before you vote in this election.

Thank you,
Brenda Dickinson
Oppose the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Oppose the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child?!? Who would want to oppose something like that? Those UN bastards must be trying to sneak all kinds of nastiness in there, hoping the title of the convention would distract us. Let's see what HSLDA has to say about this horrible abomination:

After years of debate within the international community, child's rights activists reached an agreement in 1988 which created a comprehensive charter advancing the agenda of the children's "liberation" movement. What the child's rights advocates have for over two decades been unable to accomplish through the normal legislative process, may now be realized in one sweeping blow.

If ratified by the U.S. Senate, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child would undermine families by granting to children a list of radical "rights" which would be primarily enforced against the parents. These new "fundamental" rights would include "the right to privacy," "the right to freedom of thought and association," and the right to "freedom of expression." Such presumptions subvert the authority of parents to exercise important responsibilities toward their children. Under the UN Convention, parental responsibility
exists only in so far as parents are willing to further the independent choices of the child.

OMG! How dare they suggest that children are deserving of such disgusting rights as "the right to privacy," "the right to freedom of thought and association," and the right to "freedom of expression." What subversion! The fabric of society will be ripped apart if we treat children as humans!

Although several of the treaty's provisions offer generally positive, nonoffensive platitudes, a substantial portion of this charter undermines parental rights. Some of the more relevant provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child are summarized below.

Severe Limitations Placed on the Parents' Right to Train Their Children

Because children are no better than dogs and need to be trained rather than taught.

Under Article 13, any attempts to prevent their children from interacting with material parents deem unacceptable is forbidden. Children are vested with a " freedom of expression" right, which is virtually absolute. No allowance is made for parental guidance. Section 1 declares a child's right to "seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of the child's choice."

I'm beginning to see why they object to such "radical" notions. I mean, who wants their little brats darlings to express themselves? Or to "seek, receive and impart information"? Next thing you know, they'll be demanding that we let kids think. Oh, the horrors!

In Article 14, children are guaranteed " freedom of thought, conscience and religion." Children have a legal right to object to all religious training. Alternatively, children may assert their right
against parental objection to participate in the occult.

Whoops, there it is, disguised as "freedom of thought". Those tricky devils, trying to force us to let our kids think. Is there no end to their subversive tactics? Apparently not:

The Convention Would Entrench the Right of Teenagers to Abort Their Babies

Oh, noes, the liberals are coming for our fetuses!

Under Article 16, the "right to privacy" is ranted to children. This UN sanctioned "privacy" would seemingly establish as the child's right to obtain an abortion without parental notice, the right to purchase and use contraceptives, and the right to pornography in the home.

God forbid we let them use contraceptives and prevent the situation in which abortion becomes an option. (My reserves are sarcasm are running low. I don't think I can keep this up much longer. OK, just one more section.)

Mandatory Outcome Based Education

The American Bar Association's 1990 publication Children's Rights in America: U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child Compared to U.S. Law states that Article 29 will force public and private schools in America to adopt "federally prescribed curriculum content." Each child
must be prepared to be a responsible citizen by having "the spirit of understanding, peace, toleration, equity of sexes, and friendship [for] all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups of indigenous origin." All children must be taught the principles of the treaty. This is OBE mandated curriculum of the worst sort.

I don't know what OBE is, but, dammit, we can't let them force us to give our children "the spirit of understanding, peace, toleration, equity of sexes, and friendship[for] all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups of indigenous origin." They might become friends with teh blacks. Or teh A-rabs. Or worse, they might consort with *shudder* atheists.
[/sarcasm]

My bullshit barrier has overloaded. This is one of the most twisted interpretations of a document since the christian fundamentalists co-opted the bible for their own purposes. I would heartily recommend that you all read the original UN document. It sounds like a pretty damn good idea to me. "This is the greatest single threat to home education we have ever faced in this country" my ass. I'd say the single greatest threat is religious wingnuts like you ruining it for the rest of us. But then, I'm just a fetus-eating, devil worshiping, "spread-the-wealth" democrat communist. What do I know.