R.C. Sproul Interviews Ben Stein

link

She Follows Your Mouse...

link

Disturbing and incredible at the same time.

(ht: jl)

We're Back

Sorry for the lack of posts, but we spent the last seven days on the road: five days in NYC, and two days visiting various NYC expats in PA. The trip was purely one of leisure, afforded us by friends who lent us their two-bedroom, two-bath midtown apartment for the week. This was was rough itinerary:

• Saturday: twelve hour drive from FW to NYC
• Sunday: egg sandwiches at our favorite local deli, Easter Sunday service at TVC (10:30am - 2:00pm), stroll through the Village, potluck at pastor's apartment with almost the entire church, followed by movie until 10:00pm
• Monday: visit friend and new mother in Larchmont, NY, dinner with friends in Harlem
• Tuesday: Hallie haircut, Bleecker Park, favorite toystore, playdate dinner (Hallie), visiting former projects (Scott)
• Wednesday: The Met, playdate and dinner (Hallie), Guggenheim, 40 block 5th Avenue stroll, drinks with old friend (Scott)
• Thursday: drive to Phili suburb to visit NYC expats
• Friday: drive to a different Phili suburb to visit different NYC expats
• Saturday: drive home to the Fort

Check out a few of the photos...

Bush Starts 2003 Iraq Invasion

Obama Rights the Ship

With all the flack he was catching over the Wright issue, I thought Obama was down and maybe out. But not so fast. His response speech was pretty incredible in its frankness and sincerity, if not its policy suggestions near the end. So whereas two days ago I thought he was toast, today I think he might be stronger than ever.

My recommendation, watch the speech while reading it at the same time.

NYTimes assessment

Contextless Links

The Tempter in the Child's Bedroom - Television: Al Mohler blogs about a growing nightmare.

Irish O'Bama: Very creative idea and implimentation, fitting for yesterday's holiday.

C. J. Mahaney on Bad Repentance: Takes to task Andy Pettitte, a professed Christian, for his tepid apology, while encouraging all of us to repent boldly.

Pettitte Emboldens His Apology: I think this came after his initial apology. Much better.

Good Public Apology: Tim Goeglein didn't repent until caught, but once caught, apologized well.

Homeschooling Ruling Not the Real Issue

By now you must have read of the shot heard 'round the homeschooling world. Pretty crazy, to be sure. But the ruling will likely have no effect, for as the Governator said, "This outrageous ruling must be overturned by the courts and if the courts don't protect parents' rights then, as elected officials, we will." Maybe the judge is crazy, maybe he's just strictly interpreting the state's constitution. Either way, it'll be corrected and California parents will be able to go on homeschooling their kids.

But the most ominous aspect of the story is that it was the L.A. Department of Children and Family Services that filed - and then appealed after losing - to mandate the kids be in public school.

The debacle originated with a suit over child abuse. One of the eight children of Philip and Mary Long, a Los Angeles couple, had filed a complaint of abuse and neglect with the L.A. Department of Children and Family Services. The agency determined that the Long children were being home schooled, taught by their uncredentialed mother while officially enrolled in independent study at Sunland Christian School. The DCFS then turned to the courts to mandate that the children attend public school so that teachers might spot evidence of abuse (a charge the parents deny). A juvenile court, however, determined that the Longs had a constitutional right to home school their children. The DCFS appealed and the case landed in Croskey's appellate court.

The DCFS. Hmmm... Reminds me of our own situation with CPS in NYC. In our case, the original concern - that some anonymous caller thought it dangerous to see a naked 4-year old sitting on the window sill - quickly took a back seat to all our other lifestyle choices in determining whether we were abusing or neglecting our children.

Question: Do all your children have their own beds?
Answer: No, we co-sleep.
Caseworker: Hmmm...

Question: Can I see their report cards?
Answer: No, we homeschool.
Caseworker: Hmmm...

Question: Can I see their immunization schedule?
Answer: No, we don't vaccinate.
Caseworker: Hmmm...

Question: Can I have you sign this medical release form?
Answer: Not on your life!
Caseworker: Why not?
Answer: You're joking, right?
Caseworker: Hmmm...

Question: Do you use corporal punishment?
Answer: Yes, we spank.
Caseworker: Hmmmmmmmmmm...

Check, check, check, check, check... all in the negative column, of course. Mind you, none of those things are illegal in NYS - or anywhere else, yet! - but add them together and CPS could easily deem you negligent and/or abusive. Ultimately, the charges against us were deemed "unfounded". But not before our NYS caseworker referred the case to Indiana's own CPS just to make sure, given our move, that everything looked okay here!

So when I read about the California case, it didn't surprise me that DCFS or CPS or ACS or DSS or whatever was behind it. These agencies have fast become some of the most powerful in the nation, and there's no slowing them down. The scary thing is not one judge's ruling; that's easily undone. Rather, watch out for the DCFS's. There's where all the action will be!