If your objections aren't based on religious beliefs they don't count. They aren't based on morals or values or anything really, except godless secular humanism. There, problem solved.

I have had several and manage to get them up and then they disappear. What would explain that?

Would that be the biblical morality that if you are good you get to go to heaven/paradise and if you are bad you burn in hell? Because I think that is called behavior modification not morality.

The Dixiecrats (aka racists) were democrats until the democrats supported civil rights. Then they jumped ship (for Nixon) and became Republicans. They were fricking courted by the Republicans, as they once had been by Democrats. Votes are votes. But the positive development is that racists are becoming more and more a liability. Their votes are not worth the cost, not for Republicans and not for Democrats. My family is a mix of Democrats and fiscal Republicans. The Republicans in my family are more and more alienated and are less and less represented by their own party. As the Republican Party is pulled to more and more extreme positions on social issues, they are going to lose moderates and fiscal Conservatives who cannot stomach some of their candidates. It is really interesting to watch, from a historical perspective of course.

I had to google Transamerica lol. But here is a quote from their website. "At Transamerica, we believe that everybody deserves to feel confident and secure in their tomorrow. That's why we offer smart financial tools and products to help make it easier to build a future you can count on. We're much more than an insurance or financial services company — we're your partner in tomorrow." Clearly I have nothing to worry about lol. I will just leave my future in Transamerica's hands and try to feel secure knowing that I have a partner in tomorrow.

Here is a handy map link so we know which new state to claim. I am no longer an Iowan. I am a proud resident of the state of Transamerica. I wish I were Costcoian, but oh well, at least I am not a Cargillian or Walmartian lol. http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/map-shows-largest-companies-state

I think we need to change the name of our country from the United States of America to the United Corporations of America. And that is all.

Ok, but there was money to be made. That is a whole different thing and negates all moral considerations.

I wasn't commenting on you personally, just the point you brought up, the how to break the cycle point. Getting on people who are doing a crappy job as parents (and there are lots of reasons for how they parent) doesn't help. It does not work. Shaming parents and calling them lazy does not help. It does not help the parents or the kids. I am agreeing with the OP that these parents are out there and they do LOOK lazy, but that is not really what motivates their behavior. I have found that they are doing the best they can with what they have, which is often not a lot. The contempt they have heaped on them just grinds them down further. That was my point. What you personally do, I really wasn't suggesting/describing, so I apologize for the misunderstanding, if I am not misunderstanding you now. And that is a distinct possibility. There are also parents who just have a child meltdown and behave inappropriately in public, either because the child has special needs and/or is just hungry, tired, having a bad day... This a whole different category and they do not deserve shaming or contempt either. They deserve a kind word and helping hand, just as you describe. It makes me sad, some of the experiences that people have shared here, of isolating themselves or breaking down in tears. I have had THAT three year old in the library or at the grocery store. I really do get that. Now I have a child who is older and does not do that tantrum ish behavior, but who has some social skills deficits and so sometimes comes across as rude. She is not trying to be rude. So I get the stink eye for that. It has, at times, been embarassing. But now, after reading through this thread, I think I won't feel bad about it anymore. I am just going to say to myself "eff them, they don't know us and they don't know how far dd has come." Maybe I will get it put on a bracelet lol, to help me remember.

Yes, but it takes loving concern and people willing to get involved and help, whether friends or family. Contempt, superiority, judgmental attitudes...do nothing to change anything. They are just a way to feel self satisfied or idk, better than someone else.

I know the parents you are talking about Luanne. We used to call them "armchair" parents when I was a social worker. You know sit in a chair with a cig seemingly ignoring behavior until that becomes impossible and then yelling at their kids to behave from across the room. When the kids inevitably don't, they just keep yelling until they get frustrated enough to get up and smack them. Kids get good at misbehaving just enough to keep them in the chair, but sometimes they miscalculate and it isn't pretty. The thing about those parents though, is that when you get to know them they have their own back stories. And what I found was that their stories included never having received adequate parenting themselves, if not outright abuse. What looks like lazy can often be something very different. Some people are able to overcome the bad parenting they received and be good parents and others can't. I think some of that is just determined by the hand you are dealt in terms of personality or temperament or just grit and determination. But I agree that it is very frustrating to watch.

A two year age difference could involve coercion or not. It depends on the kids. A teen and a six year old is beyond that gray area.

Also, in terms of molestation vs experimentation, the age difference is important. A ten and twelve year old together is going to be a very different power dynamic than a six year old and a teen, very different.

Parents usually are not silent about their children being abused to protect just any social structure. Not every organization uses pressure and intimidation to protect an abusive member at the expense of a victim. Controlling the victim is important for abusers and the more hierarchical the group the easier it is to do, assuming the abuser is higher in the hierarchy than the victim. The more hierarchical the more likely for victims to be silenced with pressure or shame or whatever. The wolf has more power in a very rigid hierarchy, or in this case, the wolf's parents. And I am curious, what is the meaning/purpose of "meh"?

I think a lot of this has more to do with the very hierarchical nature of so many Christian churches than homeschooling. Homeschooling is just a convenient way to have further control over members who are children or teens. Sorry, and I don't mean to offend anyone who is religious, but I really don't get the need to be subservient to a church, minister, religious group... It all seems very cultish and emotionally abusive (even when there is no physical or sexual abuse) to me.

You can also do it slowly by combining caffeinated coffee with decaf and gradually increasing the proportion of decaf to caff.

More evidence of the general suckiness of the NRA: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/17/at-the-supreme-court-the-nra-finally-loses-one.html

I haven't caught up with everything so I apologize if someone had already posted it. The two priest that were shot in AZ were shot with a gun the killer took away from one of them. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/nation/gun-homicides-ownership/table/

I wouldn't pick it and my kids would hate it. But I guess as far as warnings, Scarlett does offer to be Rhett's mistress for money to pay the taxes. Rhett gets angry and drunk and rapes her (only marital rape though), but it turns out she likes it so not really rape in the end I guess. She is married and still constantly maneuvering to get close to her BIL, Ashley, her true love... I think you could find something better.

We chose where we are living based on not having a crazy commute. That much driving everyday would suck. However, if you aren't happy and have the resources then I think an addition is reasonable. We have done two of them. If you don't think he will do it then I would start calling contractors yourself and getting bids. When you have a few sit down with your hubs and pick one :).

I have not had this happen, but I have been taking my kids to the same pediatrician for sixteen years. I think what you describe is an attempt to replace the time and work of a good doctor patient relationship with a questionnaire. It is a stupid idea. I am just hoping our guy does not retire before my younger child reaches eighteen.

I am not a member of the NRA but I think they use the slippery slope argument.

The government coming in with guns blazing? I think this is the root of a lot of it, honestly. People, ones I know unfortunately, are arming for this eventuality. Either that or Obama's secret plan not to step down after eight years and establish a Muslim dictatorship. And the Las Vegas shooters were terrorists, hate group, government hating terrorists. And yet people are more afraid of the government blazing in. I will even go so far as to say there are nuts out there HOPING the government comes blazing in and are getting tired of waiting.

I think I remember reading that the internet is where the Aurora killer bought ammo, in large amounts.

This is true in so many areas, not just guns.