Parents Organize to Fight Back

CWO3 (Join to see), it seems you are suggesting that the "two income requirement" led to the government's intrusion into the homes of families because they "gave up their rights when they started expecting teachers and the population to rear their children." Hmm.

I'm curious? Did you actually read the article? Better yet, do you even have children? With such a seemingly narrow view of how the raising of children works, I'm going to assume you don't have children, or, if you do, your spouse stays home to raise said children and any behavioral problems now are the sole responsibility of your spouse - and also your spouses fault if said problems even exist, because s/he must not being doing the job right.

Is that in keeping with your apparent belief that other parents (surely not you) "gave up their rights" to raise their own children by sending them to school and allowing them to interact with society? What solution would you propose? All children be homeschooled by a stay-at-home spouse? Do you also have preference about which spouse it should be? What about single parents? What are they to do? They don't even get the luxury of the "two income requirement." How are they to raise their children at home so society doesn't have to do it for them?

Maybe I'm misreading your statements entirely. If that is the case, I'd say it's due to the fact that you only wrote two sentences, which gave me no choice but to interpret your sentiments in any way I chose. This must be the same for the government, then. Perhaps, with a "two income requirement," parents are giving Uncle Sam no choice but to step in and hijack their lives out of context, without regard to the actual situation or how it might affect the people - and especially the children - involved.

Did not read article, just an observation from a 62 year old about the way I was raised and the "hands off and do as you please" mode today. When Mothers had to enter workforce we started having latchkey kids with little supervision, other than an occasional "how are you doing in school". Idle hands are the Devil's workshop. Add technology and kids can easily get twisted up badly. Sorry I couldn't answer all your many questions but feel free to inquire. Best wishes.

After reading your post fully I must tell you that we collectively raised two successful, college educated children. Despite me being gone 6 of my last 11 years deployed, my former Marine Sergeant wife worked AND cared for them in my absence. That's from Base Daycare to Master's Graduation. It's all about commitment, that is missing now. Maybe this will answer your other questions, but they don't concern me. Here's a tip for writing and in life. You get more flies with honey than vinegar. Fight or flight choice is an acquired skill.

CWO3 (Join to see) as I stated in my initial response, there may well have been more to your story than your two sentences indicated. I congratulate you and your spouse for raising two children into productive adults while you both worked. Yes, I agree it takes a great amount of commitment, but I don't think that is necessarily missing these days. It may look different than the commitment you grew up with, but it is commitment all the same. Parents today are trying to do the best for their children with what they have in the environment they find themselves in. The same is true of your parents, and of you as a parent. The tactics may be different, but the overarching goal is the same.

The article was important to read for context; it offers five examples of how the government has stepped in, grossly abusing their power with an individual family unit. For instance, "a six-year old girl in Texas was committed to a mental facility without parental consent." There is also this example, "When parents of a five-month old boy sought medical care for a broken bone, he was forcibly taken from his parents by Colorado Child Protective Services and placed in foster care without due process. It turns out that the baby wasn't abused but suffered from a bone disease." This is the kind of "intrusion" we are talking about, which seems wholly unrelated to who is raising the children. What do you think of these examples of the government stepping in? How would you have responded to one of your children being forcibly taken from you by Child Protective Services while you were trying to seek treatment for them? Imagine how baffled those parents might have been, how terrifying a situation that likely was for them. Or even the six-year old girl committed without parental consent. That is akin to kidnapping! How is that okay? Would you have accepted that had it been your own child?

I don't understand what you mean by "Fight or flight choice is an acquired skill." Actually, fight or flight is a response. To fight may be an acquired skill. To flee is more reactionary, generally speaking (unless it's a premeditated flight, but that's a different type of story).