So I’ve been following (and actively participating) in this effort to get HSLDA to speak out and say what they think is and isn’t child abuse, so that homeschooling parents who want to “see something, say something” know what they’re seeing and who to tell about it. HSLDA has so far been silent. Some of the most staunch HSLDA defenders on their website haven’t though.
In case you don’t want to go read it, don’t have a Facebook, or stuff like that leaves you twitching with righteous indignation (I’m twitching as I write this) I figured I’d share a few memorable “highlights” from this internet conversation. First, let me warn you, you might need to prepare yourself a strong cocktail or (if you are the non-drinking type) some Advil. Also, if you want more of where this came from, by all means head on over to the HSLDA Facebook page for more of the s***tshow.
This is HSLDA’s Facebook homepage. We spoke out about abuse in the post in the lower righthand corner and “hijacked” the comments section of the post in the upper left hand corner once they posted that story and ignored us.
The following screenshots come from the comments sections of these two posts.
A former homeschool student and current UCLA law student, had this to say
One of the many responses she received
Kate says that there are some “broken people” commenting who “need to get counseling so that you may heal” and maybe she’s right
Yep, sounds like Kate might have been right
Kate was certainly correct if she meant people with “broken English”
Yes dear readers, this is in fact what we are dealing with and sadly it is unsurprising to many of us who have grown up with this kind of commentary on homeschooling our whole lives. Excuse me while I take a sip of my rum and coke and go repeatedly hit my head on a desk.
Becoming Worldly 
I see they completely ignore the fact that abuse is not defined and that it should be. On top of that, the number one abuser of children are parents followed by family.
I join you with an extreme ::headdesk::
This is why we never can accomplish anything with homeschool parents. Its all “Biblical discipline” and you-are-a-stupid-atheists-we-don’t-listen-to-anyone-but-fundamental-Christians stuff.
Ha! Like quoting Ray Comfort ever added to anyone’s credibility.
By the responses it appears that HSLDA defenders can only think in extremes, and instead of critically dealing with actual content, they dismiss the invitation to dialog by framing it as an attack by the government against all home schools. Great way to show how your making a healthy learning environment for your kids.
Ah, this reminds me so much of a classic Internet post.
Derailing 101: http://finallyfeminism101.wordpress.com/resources/mirror-derailing-for-dummies/
The sad reality is that many of these parents will defend what they believe is right until it gets close and personal. Ask me how I know. 😦
So I was homeschooled and religious maltreated by my parents who said things like the comments above. I could say a lot, but I will simply contain my comment to this: It’s not about which venue has more abuse. It’s that when you are homeschooled and you are being abused by your parents, you are painfully isolated. There is no place for you to go that is safe even for a few hours.
Homeschool is a strategy for learning not a social “cure all.”