In recent news, a mother beat and suffocated her adopted child to death. In the article you will find references to the notorious Debi and Michael Pearl. I refuse to link to their site or products from this blog. Go Google it yourself, or look up the books on Amazon.
BOYCOTT! In a nutshell, among other dubious parenting advice, the Pearls advocate criminal abuse of children. Strong words? Yes, but accurate. Directly copied from their website :
Q.:Please give me a description of the switch or rod of which you so often speak. I wish you could send me one so I could see it.
A.:The rod we speak of is a plumbing supply line that can be bought at any hardware store or large department store. It is a slim, flexible, plastic tubing that supplies water to sinks, and toilets. Ask for "¼ inch supply line." They cost less than one dollar. I always give myself one swat before I swat the child to remind myself how much force to exert. It stings the skin without bruising or damaging tissue. It’s a real attention-getter. Michael demonstrates its use in our new Seminar videos.
In many of the US states and every province in Canada, this kind of "parenting technique" is considered a criminal offense.
BOYCOTT SOME MORE! Additionally, I would ask that you boycott both Homeschool Blogger and The Old Schoolhouse magazine. Why? Because Homeschool Blogger (and Homestead Blogger) is run by Gena Suarez, the owner/editor of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. Both blog sites and the magazine are supported by ads from No Greater Joy Ministries (the Pearl's organization -- no greater joy than child abuse?) Also, because Gena Suarez, gives not only public support of the Pearls in the previously linked story, but also runs ads for the Pearls and their materials, and in her own blog (on Homeschool Blogger) continues to defend the Pearls. From Gena's blog:
When [the reporter] asked me something along the lines of whether the Pearl books and the use of "pipes" in discipline could lead to abuse/murder, I responded with the quote you see in the piece, that sure, anything could be used to kill a child if that is what one is after. Interesting that a thirty minute conversation boiled down to a quote meant to caution her to report objectively. In fact, I had to remind her that the child was suffocated, not beat to death with pipes.
... I warned her to be careful about bad journalism, and that she would appear silly if she tried to draw a connection between homeschooling and abuse since the public school/child abuse connection is much more commonplace. Darn, apparently I failed to mention that a Pearl/child abuse connection is just as silly.
Personally, I find nothing silly in connecting child abuse to the Pearls. Their entire existence is based on dungeonesque terror tactics and habitual criminal abuse of children.
GO ALTERNATIVE! Some sects of the xtian community are jumping on the Pearl's bandwagon and trying to offer any number of "scriptural" justifications for the Pearl's criminality. However, not all xtians adhere to such abhorrent tactics. The following is a very brief list of sites offering xtian discipline alternatives, none of which advocate criminal abuse, corporal punishment, whacking, spanking, or the like. If you know of other sites like these, please let me know and I will add them.
A Christian Perspective on Corporal Punishment - specifically Catholic
Parenting in Jesus' Footsteps - Hey, it's Jesus! Aren't you supposed to ask WWJD?
TAKE ACTION! If you are in the US, there is a petition available at Stop The Rod. The site is devoted to ending corporal punishment. If you are outside the US, I encourage you to take a look at the Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children.
SUPPORT! If you have a blog, I urge you to blog on this issue and call for the boycotts. The following roll call contains other blogs that have joined the boycott. If you would like your blog added to this list, just let me know.
Doc's Sunrise Rants
HE & OS
Evil Missy
Being Bridget
No school, just learning
O'Donnell Web
Dante's Virgil
Kitchen Table Learners
Wisteria
A last word : What your mother told you was true. Just because everyone else around you is doing it, doesn't make it right.
11 comments:
If you can see this, it means that blogger has temporarily been unfucked-up enough to allow you to post. Apologies for any hassle.
Audrey, I vote that you write the letter that we can email to all the companies that support HSB and TOS. :)
What the fuck is up with the stupid blog maintenance?
This is right on Audrey! I second that vote from Bridget.
Blogger is driving me nuts with all of this maintenance. Let's hope they are finished for a long time!!
add me to your list -- if you can. I tried emailing you but it bounced back.
I'm to "hot" right now to write any letters, but I will be.
AWESOME posts girl! You've done a wonderful job on this post and the one right after it as well.
For some reason my link to you isn't working but I'm off to fix it now. I am too pissed to write anything eloquent so I just made sure I included everyone's links.
I DID have a lady post on my blog that she is removing herself from homeschoolblogger so that's one for our side!! ;)
Keep up the great work.
This is my letter to the FPEA:
"Dear Sir and/or Madam,
I am writing you today to ask that you consider my request as heartfelt as it sounds. Currently, your roster of "speakers" at the May Convention includes one "The Old Homeschool House" (TOS) magazine. I wanted to let you know that because they will be in attendance, I will not be attending this convention, nor will I be renewing my FPEA membership, as I had planned to do this year.
Recent news about the death of young Sean Paddock of North Carolina has highlighted an issue that is very near to my heart -- that of child abuse. It seems that Sean's mother, Lynn, was a devout follower of Michael and Debi Pearl and their book To Train Up a Child. This book, masquerading as parenting advice, actually advocates parents to hit their children with a short length of plumbing line as a disciplinary measure. In their own words:
"A swift whack with the plastic tubing would sting but not bruise. Give 10 licks at a time, more if the child resists. Be careful about using it in front of others -- even at church; nosy neighbors might call social workers."
Quoted from the Pearls' own website at www.nogreaterjoy.org
Clearly, this is not simple instruction on discpline, but rather egregious advocation for abuse. If it were not an abusive act, why would they feel the need to tell parents to "hide" what they are doing to their children, and why would they need to fear intervention by social workers? Another tactic advocated by the Pearls is to wrap children tightly in blankets to restrain them. It was a tragic use of this technique that brought about the death of little Sean.
As a concerned parent, I urge you to take action by removing from your company any materials for sale, speakers attending or booths run by: The Old Homeschool House (staunch supporters of Michael and Debi Pearl, as well as employing one of their children as an "advice" columnist); Michael and Debi Pearl, and any and all advertising related to the Pearls and their organization "No Greater Joy Ministries," including advertising for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and Homeschool Blogger. As a concerned consumer, I feel that I can not do business with any companies who support the aforementioned. Please advise me as to your final decision. I hope that you will do the right thing, and that I will be able to enjoy doing business with you in the future.
As you can see, your choice to have them as speakers or even booth representatives, at your convention, is damaging you as a whole. FPEA is a wonderful organization, I know, as I was once a member. I so dearly wanted to attend this year, but due to the fact that TOS will be there (and their support of the Pearl's), I simply cannot attend. I cannot compromise what I feel (as does the State of Tennessee for they are currently under investigation: http://stoptherod.net/ttuac.html-- at bottom)is blatant child abuse hidden under the guise of "Biblical mandate".
Please reconsider hosting TOS, the Pearl's or any of their material at future shows.
Oh, and let me add this: while I do understand that there are many places that support "spanking" (HSLDA is one), it is not the idea of spanking that I am boycotting. I spanked my children as do many others. But there is a huge, wide, glowing red, gap between a simple swat on a diapered rear end, versus using a PLUMBING device on a child's bare backside.
Sincerely, former member;
Toni Wilson"
And here is my letter to TOS:
"Dear Christi,
I am a current subscriber to TOS magazine. I am emailing to let you know that I wish to be REMOVED **completely** from any and ALL future TOS mailings, including my current subscription. Just stop it now. You can drop my name to Gena, she is very familiar with who I am and in fact, may be relieved. But I want nothing to do with your company any further.
Why? Ask yourselves (and Gena) why you willingly support child abusers--especially ones who use Christ's name to do so? Yes, I speak of the Pearl's. After this latest child death (thanks, in no part, to the Pearl's "pearls" of wisdom in their books, instructing someone to use PLUMBING PIPE to spank the child's bear bottom. And then having the nerve to tell the parents to do this in "private, as no one would understand".) They are nothing short of child abusers and I want nothing to do with anyone who supports this. I am in tears and sickened by "Christians" actually supporting this behavior. I am even more sickened by the fact that Our Lord's name is used as a cover for this behavior.
I am sure you will be receiving emails/letters stating almost the exact same thing. People are already removing themselves from your blog site for just this reason--you willingly support child abusers.
Please remove me now. My name, address, phone number and stop my subscription service. I don't want any money, I don't want anything but my subscription service stopped.
Thank you,
Toni Wilson"
Yes, gena and I are quite acquainted with each other. This should go over "real well"../snark..
toni
Fabulous, Toni! You went at 'em with both barrels!
There is widespread disgust and horror at the teaching of the Pearls in the Home Education community here in the UK.
I strongly support the boycott of HSB and TOS related sites, and make this clear on www.daretoknowblog.blogspot.com
Do add my blog to your list, if it helps.
Also, I was not aware that the Pearls recommended wrapping in blankets. I wondered if you happened to have a reference for this particular bit of incitement to child abuse?
Some more Christian anti-corporal punishment websites you could link to are:
www.gentlechristianmothers.com
www.aolff.net
That anyone would support the Pearls is lunacy. My parents were forerunners of this kind of behaviour, they would beat me with a wooden stick for no reason that I could understand at that age. I was petrified of them and grew up to be withdrawn and depressed. My parents were worried that I "wasn't happy" and pressed me to tell them what was wrong - do you think I would ever confide in them? I still don't at age 28 and have never trusted or respected them. As a teenager I horrified myself by acknowledging the thought that I wanted to kill my parents. I knew I wouldn't do it, but the urge was there. That was just a few short years before the Manendez brothers killed their parents and I thought I knew exactly how they felt. My parents were xtians, and I am no longer one because they forced their believes on me and then destroyed what little faith I had, and I cannot believe in anything that condones raising a child to believe that they are worthless.
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