Why boycott Homeschoolblogger? Answer: It is run by Gena and Paul Suarez who are more than happy to share platforms with, carry advertising for and defend Michael and Debi Pearl who make a substantial amount of money selling books that have the following to say on the raising of children:
From another article in the News and Observer :
"This is a sampling of Pearl's advice from "To Train Up a Child" and his newsletter, "No Greater Joy":
PROBLEM Baby bites during breast-feeding
SOLUTION Pull baby's hair
PROBLEM Boy is a crybaby
SOLUTION "When he begins to scream his defiance or hurt, just ignore him. ... If he demands attention to a supposed wound, then reach in your purse, pull out a terrible tasting herbal potion and give him a spoonful. After he gets through gagging on the vitamin and mineral supplement, tell him that he is now completely healed, and invite him to come back for another dose if he again gets hurt."
PROBLEM Rebellious child who runs from discipline
SOLUTION "If you have to sit on him to spank him, then do not hesitate. And hold him there until he has surrendered. Prove that you are bigger, tougher, more patiently enduring, and are unmoved by his wailing. Hold the resisting child in a helpless position for several minutes, or until he is totally surrendered. Accept no conditions for surrender -- no compromise. You are to rule over him as a benevolent sovereign. Your word is final."
PROBLEM Child whines to mother after father disciplines him
SOLUTION Mother must go over to child and "give him one or two licks on his exposed ankles or legs while commanding, 'Obey your father.' "
PROBLEM Child lies
SOLUTION Switch him 10 times at noon each day. Make him pick the tree branch.
PROBLEM What to use for a rod
SOLUTION For babies under age 1, a footlong willow branch shaved of its knots. For older kids, plastic plumbing pipe, a 3-foot shrub cutting or a belt to help turn a child "back from the road to hell."
Those poor babies.
ReplyDeletemy goodness! i've never heard the like before. Do people really listen to that garbage?
ReplyDeleteMy God! That is scary stuff. What do you do afterwards to protect your child (the one with the broken will) from the potential for being exploited and abused! Where, in his/her newly forming scheme of life, is he/she supposed to put this sort of abuse?
ReplyDeleteDo HSB actually link to this stuff on their site?
Hi Sally,
ReplyDeleteIt is so sad, isn't it. I agree that these children must be seriously at risk of life-long abuse.
And re the links...yes, they do, permanently and prominently in their print publication and those HSBloggers who have chosen to remain with HSB must now know of the link that is made, so must implicitly condone this type of behaviour.
At the time of the original campaign in April 2006, many HS bloggers chose to leave HSB to use another way of blogging as a way of showing their disapproval to Gena, Paul and the Pearls, but there are sadly still many who do think abusive behaviour to children is completely acceptable.
Hi Carlotta,
ReplyDeletedid the others move to another blogger ring?
I think some of them went off to Blogger and then linked up via other Christain blogger networks. Others went off to Ron and Andrea's new facility via Links here at Atypical Homeschool.
ReplyDelete(I keep meaning to do this incidentally, and then getting too scared that I will mess up, as my techie skills are so woeful!)
How does "more patiently enduring" follow from "bigger" and "tougher" one wonders.
ReplyDelete