I understand. You’ve witnessed — far too often at first hand and in the most terrifying circumstances — the violent deaths of your fellow students. You refuse to accept that that’s just how it has to be. You’re organizing for change. You deserve to be heard. Don’t let anyone talk down to you or minimize your concerns. You want action. I don’t blame you. But it’s important to consider what kind of action you want, how to go about getting it, and what it will accomplish.
Tag: children
A Vanishing Point
I worry about the degree to which we let things get out of control, plunging to a vanishing point. In Douglas High School, in Parkland, Florida, we built an optimum security detention center for more than 3000 inmates. What could go wrong? Well, if a number equal to 1% of the day detainees of the school were of a bent similar to that of Nikolas Cruz, that means at least 30 potential perturbers are related to the school at a given moment.
Conservative or Liberal?, Guns, Feminism, & Quitting Things (34m) – Editor’s Break 062
Editor’s Break 062 has Skyler giving his commentary on the following topics: having a foundation in principle, whether he’s a conservative or a liberal, the importance of disarming society toward an authoritarian agenda, what feminism is and if he wears that label, childism, why we quit things and why the desire for children to quit things should be respected, and more.
The Freedom to Quit
The freedom to quit is an essential aspect of an unschooling lifestyle. Frankly, I think a four-year-old should be able to quit anything, whether he’s unschooled or not. That’s about gentle parenting, not any education philosophy. But for unschooling, the freedom to quit–as long as that freedom does not negatively impact someone else–is a vital part of Self-Directed Education. We should connect our children to resources in their wider world, expose them to new and different opportunities, and be very clear about participation policies when signing up for things so we have the freedom to quit.
“Daddy, What’s a Citizen?”
This question is not as easy to answer for me as it once was. Before understanding the facts about government, I would have answered to the effect of , “A citizen is someone who is a recognized subject of the government.” *almost vomits* (My apologies, but that was very difficult to write.) Or rather, in a way understandable to an 8-year-old. Today, that’s not the answer that I can honestly give. So at first, I resisted, and made a few jokes. I needed to time to think on it. While we were brushing our teeth, the following ensued.
Parenting Objectives, Tyranny, Enjoying Life, & Taxation (26m) – Editor’s Break 058
Editor’s Break 058 has Skyler giving his commentary on the following topics: his objectives as a parent raising children, the goal of all purposeful behavior, why the power to detain is the definition of tyranny, enjoying the small moments in life, income vs. consumption taxation, and more.
Proper Parenting, Libertas Institute, Immigrants, & Relationships (30m) – Editor’s Break 057
Editor’s Break 057 has Skyler giving his commentary on the following topics: proper parenting practices and supporting our children in their choices, the efforts of the Libertas Institute of Utah for the 2018 legislative session, why immigrants are great people, and so-called illegal immigrants even more so, military parades, school abuse, why every relationship is an exchange and the importance of only maintaining beneficial relationships, and more.
“Shoot for the Moon…” Fuck That!
We live in a culture that thinks building people up and giving them self-esteem is what leads them to greatness and happiness. I am much more inclined to think that it sets them up for failure, delusions, and cynicism. I think joy in life comes from acceptance of who we are while pushing for something just a little better than what we have … and this isn’t a lesson that is taught in school.
Mike’s Journey, Homelessness, & Fatherhood (1h23m) – Episode 101
Episode 101 welcomes Mike Campbell to the podcast for a chat with Skyler. Topics include: how he found himself homeless, moving around the Salt Lake valley living in a tent, future employment, childhood trauma and substance abuse, police and the expanding definition of crime, podcasting basics, moving toward peaceful parenting, forcing kids to lie, the natural curiosity of children, free range kids movement, child abduction and yelling “Fire!” to prevent it, unschooling, spending time in jail, and more.
For Preventing Abuse, Public Schools Are Not a Good Model for Homeschooling
Horrific crimes and violent acts tug at our collective heartstrings. When other humans are harmed, we rightfully feel empathy and anger. We should use these moments as opportunities for reflection and conversation, but we should be careful to not make policy based on emotion. Some are using the egregious case of alleged child abuse by a California family charged with starving and torturing their children in a so-called private school to call for greater regulation of all homeschooling families.