the unlikely event

Homeschooling (yes, that includes unschooling) consolidates massive amounts of power into the hands of parents. Homeschooling causes horrific abuse and isolation.

The homeschooling movement is far-right and blatantly pro-abuse. The HSLDA called a man who kept children in cages a “hero.” They has helped to block the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child AND the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, has backed legislation banning both same-sex marriage and civil unions, and helped kill a bill that would define isolation as abuse, among countless other offenses. Its founder, Michael Farris, wrote in his dramatized narrative of CPS “stealing” children from their Christian homeschooling parents that hitting children to the point of bruising is not abuse.

Libby Ann has extensively documented HSLDA’s support of abuse, including praising abusers and attempting to block all bills that define abuse more strictly, even if “more strictly” simply expands the definition to include bruises and welts.

HOMESCHOOLING IS THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY TO ENABLE CHILD ABUSE.

You know how we on the left are opposed to nuclear families because they are a historical outlier from the larger multigenerational households humans have largely had across history? Because nuclear families isolate kids so that if one or two adults in their life fail them they have no recourse?

Schools can be regulated to be better to disabled children. Much better solution than funneling disabled children out of the reach of authorities.

With that being said…

Disability rights activists fought for decades to be allowed equal rights and access to public schooling and IDEA, which was only passed in 1979, is under threat of repeal by the Trump administration because they believe parents should “handle kids themselves” or better yet just institutionalize them. This combined with threats to Section 504 and other laws which mandate accommodations mark concerted efforts to force disabled children out of public life entirely and is part of the right-wing anti-social safety net agenda homeschoolers push specifically because they actively want parents to have absolute legal and practical authority over their children—which means, in reality, impunity to abuse.

It is absolutely spitting on the legacy of disabled activists like Judith Heumann, many of whom got their start as young people self-advocating for their own rights to be educated to condone the prioritization of homeschooling.

A bit more info/stats but it is, obviously, related to child abuse of all kinds so cut for that.

As I've gone over my car is kind of fucked right now and not drivable or repairable at the price I can afford. I'm fundraising for next months transit costs roughly, the expense of the tows/"repair"/first week of ubers, and for some of the down-payment. Ubers on my commute average $25-30, and I have a little saved for the down-payment, so for this week the goal is $250 at least, as well as ideally the unmet goal from last week. I'm making weekly posts in hopes that this will encourage donations.

Unmet goal from last week: 291

Combined goal of last week and this week: 541

Donate now

6-year-old Souad has been anemic since birth, and starvation and disease due to the IOF assault have caused her severe additional health complications. In September she fell unconscious and was admitted to the hospital. She has since been comatose and fluid is building up around her brain.

Medical staff have worked very hard to reduce the swelling. But despite their efforts, Souad's brain is now hemorrhaging (bleeding). The swelling has been too persistent, and the pressure is rapidly bursting the cells of her brain, causing bleeding. This will kill her. Little Souad is dying.

She needs to be evacuated outside of Gaza, but this is extremely expensive. The cost for transport through the Egyptian border, medical care, and associated expenses comes to $6,000 usd, about €5,000 EUR. This is a devastating setback, but all we can do is push forward.

PLEASE HELP US #SaveSouad!!!

Please repost the GFM and tag #SaveSouad to spread the word!. SHE DOESN'T HAVE MUCH TIME LEFT!!!

€7,070 out of €7,739 EUR (12 May)

Need to raise: about €669 EUR ($785 usd)

Information on vetting linked under the cut of this post

In 1938, Polish Zionists attempted to make a coordinating committee of Jewish groups to fight against the worsening situation in the country. The Bund refused to join. To explain the decision, their leader Henryk Erlich described how Zionism collaborated with the racist Polish government that sought to expel Jews from the country.

"Zionism, in point of fact, has always been a Siamese twin of antisemitism," Erlich wrote. "Zionism has always regarded the law of force, of nationalistic action, as the normal law of history, and on this law has based its perspectives on Jewish life. In the forty years of its existence, it has always appeared lost and helpless in the presence of any victorious freedom movement [...]. The Zionists regard themselves as second class citizens in Poland. Their aim is to be first class citizens in Palestine and make the Arabs second class citizens."