Drive Thru History America

Wallbuilders.com

It's Memorial Day weekend. What a time to reflect on the very great sacrifice of men and women who have selflessly given something of value to us - their time, their strength, their knowledge, their hope, and even their lives. I am blessed beyond measure to be a part of a country that has had only one revolution and has continued to live under the same constitution for almost 236 years. If that doesn't tell you that God has ordained this country (the USA) into existence, then you must keep reading and ultimately order this material.

Today, our church had a surprise guest, David Barton. I had never heard of him, but that is not indicative of his renown. With the "oohs" and "ahhhs" I heard all around me, I assumed he must be of some importance. Turns out, he is the founder of WallBuilders. Yep, even then, I was still not familiar. Vaguely maybe, but nothing solid.


I was blown away with David's knowledge. I could not even begin to report to you what he said. I wish I could because you could be blown away with me. He spoke of those amazing speeches our forefathers made and what sounded like they had employed a powerful speech writer was, in fact, mostly the Holy Scriptures. In a paragraph of 14 sentences, 11 would be Scripture.  This continued through speech after speech.  He introduced to us to the signers of our Constitution...the ones you never hear about, but were far more involved with our history than our government and schools would want you to know. The more I learned about these faceless men, the more I wanted to know more. I couldn't wait to get home and get on WallBuilders website, find their books, and make them my curriculum for American History.

I was so excited to see they have curriculum especially for homeschoolers. They also have countless books for families. Here is their reason for their existence in their words:

"WallBuilders is an organization dedicated to presenting America's forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on the moral, religious, and constitutional foundation on which America was built – a foundation which, in recent years, has been seriously attacked and undermined. In accord with what was so accurately stated by George Washington, we believe that "the propitious [favorable] smiles of heaven can never be expected on a nation which disregards the eternal rules of order and right which heaven itself has ordained."

I wanted to be sure to let you know about WallBuilders. When considering a curriculum for history, consider them. When  considering a book to read around the table to your family, consider them. Thank God for what they are doing. If you can, spread the word!

Curriculum: Drive Thru History America

CRC Ratification SET FOR NOVEMBER 20, 2012 (THIS IS BAD!)

If you haven't gotten involved by now, please consider getting involved by spreading the word, signing the petitions available and donating to the cause. If you are a parent, this concerns YOU!  You can click on the picture and watch the short film.

 Target Date Set for CRC Ratification Proponents of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) have set a target date by which they would like to see it ratified in the United States: November 20,2012. That date is the anniversary of its adoption by the UN General Assembly back in 1989.

Last month the Child Rights Campaign began pushing online petitions calling on the President to move for CRC ratification. Tuesday, Time ran an online opinion piece by Lawrence Cohen and Anthony Debenedet calling for the United States to ratify by November 20. In the piece, they name our organization and then provide some misinformation to convince readers we are wrong.

Clearly, our opponents have no intention of letting up. They are pressing to make ratification happen before Obama – and their best opportunity – are gone.

That is why we must continue to stand against them. And we need your help.

The CRC purports to protect children, but would replace fit parents with government bureaucrats and judges as the first line of defense for our kids. In addition, it would take family law authority away from our states and make it an international treaty obligation at the federal level.

This is because under Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, any ratified treaty becomes the supreme law of the land, and the judges in every state are bound by it, regardless of conflicts with federal law or state laws or constitutions.

Cohen and Debenedet cite Reid v. Covert to contend that our concern is false because “no international treaty has the power to override the U.S. Constitution.” But this ignores the fact that parental rights do not appear in the Constitution; they are implied rights found in the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court in Reid v. Covert addressed rights not expressly in the Constitution, such as parental rights, thus: “To the extent that the United States can validly make treaties, the people and the States have delegated their authority to the National Government, and the Tenth Amendment is no barrier” 354 U.S. 1 (1957).

Sadly, the CRC is supported by international organizations with billions of dollars in assets (and with access to outlets like Time magazine), while we must depend entirely on the support of individual donors – people just like you who understand the dangers of letting the government decide whether fit parents are making the best decisions for their children.

We must continue to fight for free families and free U.S. courts, no matter how deep the pockets of those who oppose us. As they are turning up the heat, we need your help to meet strength with strength.

First, please make as generous a donation as you can right now. We must make certain this treaty is not passed. To give, simply visit parentalrights.org/donate or call us at 540-751-1200 (8:30 - 5:00 EST).

Then, pass this on to everyone you know. The freedom of parents to raise children according to their own convictions, and the authority of U.S. states to pass family law without dictates from the federal government or an overseas committee, hang in the balance. Preserve America’s future by supporting the Parental Rights Amendment today.

Sincerely,

Michael Farris

Update on the Johansson Family

 Family of State-napped Swedish Child Savors Small Victory

Christer and Annie Johansson have won a small but hopeful victory in their quest to regain custody of their nine-year-old son Domenic who was taken from them over 2 years ago in a dramatic raid while the family was seated on an airliner departing the Nordic country. Ruby Harrold-Claesson, the couple’s attorney, reported to HSLDA that the Gotland District Court ruled in favor of the Johanssons, allowing them to retain their parental rights of Domenic.
“Gotland district court has ruled against the social workers and the social council and the Municipality of Gotland in their quest to terminate Annie’s and Christer’s parental rights for Domenic … I hope that this court decision is the beginning of the end of the gross violations of Human rights that Annie, Christer and Domenic have been subjected to at the hands of the social workers and the social council in Gotland,” said Christer Johansson’s attorney and President of the Nordic Human Rights Council Ruby Harrold-Claesson.
Michael Donnelly, director of international relations at HSLDA, says this decision offers a glimmer of hope.
“I am hopeful that this is the beginning of the end to the horrific treatment these people have suffered at the hands of Swedish authorities over the past two and a half years,” states Donnelly. “The Johansson family has endured unspeakable tyranny over their decision to homeschool their child and then to attempt to leave Sweden. Sweden’s behavior in this case has been shocking.”
The Swedish Social Services Committee first sought to terminate the parental rights of Annie and Christer Johansson in October 2011. The latest decision by the Gotland court against social services marks a significant departure from previous decisions in the Johansson’s case. Swedish courts had also previously removed Harrold-Claesson from the Johansson case.
“The social services are afraid of me because I stand up to them,” said Harrold-Claesson. “There are few lawyers in Sweden who dare to. But in Jamaica where I grew up this kind of treatment of families is unheard of. Too many magistrates simply do the bidding of the all-powerful Swedish social services, and this case is no different from the scores I have litigated over the years.”
Magistrate Magnus Schultzberg dismissed Harrold-Claesson from the case in June after Gotland local authorities requested she be removed. The magistrate then appointed a public defender, Torsten Bäckstrand. However, under European human rights laws, defendants have a right to choose counsel.
“I applaud Torsten Bäckstrand’s decision to resign after he was told by Christer that he wanted me to represent him,” said Harrold-Claesson. “The latest magistrate has recognized the family’s right to have me, and I applaud her decision to keep this family together, at least on paper, for now. We will continue this fight for justice until Domenic goes home.”
The tragedy concerning the Johansson family began in June 2009, when then seven-year old Domenic was forcibly removed from his parents, Christer and Annie, while the family was on board an airplane bound for Annie’s homeland of India. Swedish police snatched Domenic without a warrant, placed him in state custody, and have not charged the Johanssons with a crime. Authorities have subsequently pointed to some minor dental problems and a spotty vaccination history as justification for continuing to hold Dominic in state custody.
HSLDA continues to work with the Alliance Defense Fund and Harrold-Claesson at the European Court of Human Rights representing the family in their lawsuit against Sweden. The case has not been provided any kind of schedule. The ECHR has the authority to order Sweden to pay monetary damages, as has happened in the past in similar cases, but could not enforce an order to have the child returned to his parents. The local court’s decision indicates a possible shift in the way the case is being handled and offers a breath of hope. One of the major reasons for the state-napping and continued seizure of the child was because the family homeschooled him.
“Sweden’s government continues to go down a frightening path of educational tyranny as it implements harsh policies causing more and more homeschooling Swedes to flee the country. In the past several months, three families have relocated from Sweden to neighboring countries under pressure because educational officials have reported them to social authorities. The social authorities have virtually unlimited power to take children from families and cause great pain and suffering if they choose to,” Donnelly said.
HSLDA has petitioned Swedish officials to reunite the Johansson family, condemning the continued separation of Domenic from his parents. As of October 2010, the Johansson’s case had been heard at the every level of the Swedish court system and the actions of social services upheld.
If you would like to send the family a note of encouragement, you may contact them at: Christer and Annie Johansson, c/o Rune Johansson, Alva Gudings 363, 623 46 Hemse, Sweden.
Please remember this family during this Christmas and Holiday season, and consider donating to our work in support of the Johansson’s and other families like them. Give to the Home School Foundation’s International Fund.

***Credits***Full post credited to HSLDA.

 More Information

Law Banning Circumcision?

San Francisco's Circumcision Ban and Parental Rights

The City of San Francisco is contemplating a law that will ban male circumcision for infants and children. There are no religious exemptions in the proposed law and it is an obvious attempt to override the parents’ ability to make decisions for their own children on this medical issue.

I want to encourage you to look at this article by Eugene Volokh. Professor Volokh is a highly respected professor of Constitutional Law at UCLA Law School. He is a well-known conservative and a former Supreme Court law clerk.

His analysis of this particular issue is interesting and important. But the real reason I want to encourage you to read it is because he undertakes a serious analysis of the current state of the law regarding the constitutional rights of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children.

Some who criticize the PRA claim that the current law for parental rights is well-settled and places our rights at a very high and protected level. This article by Professor Volokh clearly demonstrates that the current state of the law is muddled and unsettled—and he also shows that the reason for the lack of clarity is that there is no constitutional text protecting parental rights.

If we want the government taking over more and more of our ability as parents to make decisions for our children, then doing nothing under the delusion that everything is hunky-dory is the right path to take. But if we want parents and not government raising children, then the time to act is now.

Sincerely,

Michael Farris

*Please go sign the petition for the Parental Rights Amendment. This is a huge movement, but can only be continued when concerned parents like yourselves step up and sign. They need donations too, so if you want to help this organization keep us in the loop and protect our rights, please consider helping them financially.

Not in Your Back Yard?

"This week is National Backyard Games Week, a time to remember the games you played as a child and pass them on to the next generation. But be sure you take the chance now, before those games are outlawed.

According to several news stories including this one from Time, a New York state law passed in 2009 and scheduled to take effect this summer will have the state Department of Health (DOH) set a list of games “with significant risk of injury” to kids. Games included on the list will require additional state oversight and even licensure for camps or child care providers hosting the games. As recently as last month, the list included red rover, wiffle ball, kickball, any variety of tag, and other childhood favorites.

Fortunately, the DOH has pulled the list for now and promised a whole new guide book. But the law remains, and the new guidelines are still unknown.

The very fact that the DOH has such power in the first place is troubling, and would become much more so if the United States were to ratify the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

That’s because the CRC asserts that “In all actions concerning children…the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration,” and “that a child shall not be separated from his or her parents against their will, except when competent authorities … determine…that such separation is necessary for the best interests of the child.” (CRC articles 2 and 9, emphasis added) No showing of abuse or neglect is needed, no imminent danger to the child. Allowing a child to play a game which the government has deemed to involve “significant risk of injury” to kids could certainly be sufficient cause to have your child removed from your custody.

After all, what parent would allow their child to play a game that comes with “significant risk of injury,” such as freeze tag or kickball? Well, besides yours and mine, I mean....

Action Items

Please pass this on to other concerned parents or grandparents and ask them to visit parentalrights.org to sign the petition. Also, donate to help us prevent ratification of that dangerous treaty by passing the Parental Rights Amendment. Our organization is completely donor funded, so we depend on your support to fuel our success."

Sincerely,

Michael Ramey
Director of Communications & Research

Call to Action for Domenic Johansson

ENGLISH AND SWEDISH TRANSLATION PROVIDED BELOW
ENGELSK OCH SVENSK översättning tillhandahålls NEDAN

Dear Domenic Johansson supporters,

Below is an action item in need of immediate attention. May 11, 2011 is the next hearing for the Johanssons. We want to be sure the court is aware that many people are still greatly concerned about the injustice perpetrated against Domenic and his family and that we still want to see this injustice rectified. For those of you living in Sweden, you should have no problem getting your paper letter mailed to the court in time. For those living outside of Sweden, you can use electronic delivery by copying and pasting the letter here: http://www.hogstadomstolen.se/Funktioner/Formular/Pressrum/Kontakta-Gunilla-Svahn-Lindstrom/ Below is a suggested letter to be sent, written in both English and Swedish. Of course, you are free to write your own words. If you do so, please keep in mind the need for maintaining respect while you express your disagreement with the ongoing mistreatment of this family.

The following item is the above paragraph translated to Swedish for our Swedish friends. The suggested letters can be found further down in this emails.

Kära Domenic Johansson supportrar,

Nedan återfinns en åtgärd i behov av omedelbar uppmärksamhet. Nästa vecka, onsdag den 11 maj 2011, hålls nästa förhandling med Christer och Annie Johansson. vill försäkra oss om att domstolen är medveten om att många människor fortfarande är mycket oroade över den orättvisa som begåtts mot Domenic och hans familj och att vi fortfarande vill se denna orättvisa rättas till. För er som bor i Sverige, borde det inte vara några problem att få era brevskickade till domstolen i tid. För er som bor utanför Sverige, vänligen överväg att skicka ditt brev med prioriterad post för att säkerställa en snabb leverans. Nedan är ett förslag på brev som kan skickas, skriven på både engelska och svenska. Naturligtvis är du fri att skriva dina egna ord. Men om du gör det, tänk då på att det är viktigt att vara respektfull när du uttrycker din missnöje i samband med den pågående misshandeln av denna familj, så försök behålla samma ton i ditt brev som det nedan.

**************
LETTER SAMPLES BELOW-
BREV smakprov nedan-

ENGLISH VERSION:

Use this post address-

Kammarrätten i Stockholm
Kammarrättsråd Gunilla Svahn-Lindstrom
Box 2302
SE-103 17 Stockholm SWEDEN

PLACE FOLLOWING TEXT AT TOP OF YOUR LETTER:

Kammarrättsråd Gunilla Svahn-Lindstrom
Case number: 5965-10


Honorable Magistrate Gunilla Svahn-Lindstrom,

I am very worried about how the Johansson family, Christer, Annie and Domenic has been treated by Swedish authorities. I have read the court records, witness interviews and the family's own story and I cannot understand how this could go so far as to LVU removal of Domenic. It has always been my understanding that foster placement of a child is only made when a child is suffering because the parents are a serious threat to the physical health and psychological development of the child as is the case in which such abuse, physical and mental abuse occurs, and not simply a difference of opinion in a child’s education. According to witnesses and close to the family, there is no such abuse in the Johansson case. On the contrary, Domenic was a happy, loved and healthy child when he lived with his mom and dad.

Do court protocols actually form the basis for such a drastic measure as this? Is keeping children and parents split and separated in this way for what appears to be arbitrary reasons the norm in Sweden? If so, then I am greatly concerned about the risk of each and every child in Sweden to become a foster child, estranged from parents, no matter how capable and loving a parent may be. In a civilized world, this cannot be tolerated!

We know that social services make wrong decisions, we hear and read about such mistakes sometimes. I believe and am fully convinced that this case is precisely based on such a wrong decision.

Sweden has a reputation abroad for being a child-friendly country, where preserving the child's best interests is a priority. The case of the Johansson family has received support from thousands of people in different countries and from all walks of life. All of us are involved because we are horrified by this case and we wonder what is going on in Sweden.

I appeal to you now, Kammarrättsråd Gunilla Svahn-Lindstrom, to do everything possible in this case to reunite this divided hurting family soon. I beseech you to allow Domenic to live the remainder of his childhood in peace with his mother and father.


Sincerely,

REPLACE THIS TEXT WITH YOUR NAME
REPLACE THIS TEXT WITH YOU COUNTRY AND LOCAL TOWN NAME

****************************

SVENSK VERSION-
SWEDISH VERSION-


Post Address:
Kammarrätten i Stockholm
Kammarrättsråd Gunilla Svahn-Lindström
Box 2302
103 17 Stockholm



Kammarrättsråd Gunilla Svahn-Lindström
Målnummer: 5965-10


Bästa kammarrättsråd,

Jag är mycket orolig över hur familjen Christer, Annie och Domenic Johansson har blivit behandlade av svenska myndigheter. Jag har tagit del av domstolsprotokoll, vittnesförhör och familjens egen berättelse och jag kan inte förstå hur det har kunnat gå så långt som till ett LVU-omhändertagande av Domenic. Som svensk medborgare trodde jag att omhändertaganden och familjehemsplacering av ett barn i vårt land gjordes när ett barn far illa på grund av att föräldrarna utgör ett allvarligt hot mot barnets hälsa och utveckling, så som fallet är där till exempel missbruk, fysisk och psykisk misshandel förekommer. Enligt vittnen och närstående till familjen finns inga sådana missförhållanden i detta fall. Tvärtom var barnet Domenic ett lyckligt, älskat och friskt barn när han levde med sin mamma och pappa.

Om det som står i domstolsprotokollen ska ligga till grund för en sådan drastisk åtgärd som denna, att hålla barn och föräldrar splittrade och åtskilda på detta sätt, riskerar vart och vartannat barn i detta land att bli familjehemsplacerat.

Vi vet att sociala myndigheter fattar felaktiga beslut, vi hör och läser om detta ibland. Jag anser och är fullt övertygad om att detta fall just är baserat på ett sådant felaktigt beslut.

Sverige är känt utomlands för att vara ett barnvänligt land, där man värnar om barnets bästa. Fallet med familjen Johansson har fått tusentals människor i olika länder att reagera och engagera sig och förskräckt undra vad som pågår i Sverige.

Jag vädjar nu till Er som kammarrättsråd i detta mål att göra allt som är möjligt för att återförena denna splittrade familj snarast och låta Domenic få leva sin resterande barndom tillsammans med sin mamma och pappa.


Vänligen,

Underteckna med ditt namn och adress

6-Year-Old Hauled to Psych Ward Despite Parent’s Wishes

Taken from Parentalrights.org

"According to this article at Today.com last week, a little boy’s Los Angeles school sent him to the psychiatric ward against his mom’s wishes. Anxiety over his dad’s deployment to Iraq led the boy to “[draw] a violent picture and [write] that he wanted to die,” which prompted the school’s reaction.

When the mother told officials she would have the boy see a therapist that day, she was told it was already out of her hands – the ambulance was on its way.

The tyke spent 48 hours in the ward before finally being released to his mother’s care, the trauma of this experience only compounding the trauma of his father’s departure.

ParentalRights.org president Michael Farris asks rhetorically, “Who should decide what level of treatment is necessary? Obviously, I think parents are the right choice. Clearly, giving school and other government officials complete control in these kinds of situations goes too far."

The proposed Parental Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution would help draw a more reasonable line by affirming that “[t]he liberty of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children is a fundamental right.”

Schools to Grade Parents?? Oh, my WORD!

Schools to Grade Parents?

Last Thursday, CNN reported that a Florida legislator has proposed a bill that would have public school teachers issuing a grade to parents. Yes, grading the parents. HB 255 provides that “each prekindergarten through grade 3 student report card shall include a section in which the teacher grades the parental involvement as satisfactory, needs improvement, or unsatisfactory…” based on criteria set by the bill.

The whole idea of setting up public schools as overseers of parents is one more sign that American parental rights are in danger. Parents should not have to answer to government agents unless and until there is solid evidence of abuse or neglect on the part of that parent. Giving a grade to every parent clearly violates this constitutional principle.

In fact, this bill would espouse the same foundational principle as the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child: assume that all parents are bad parents, and that only government oversight can save our children from parental incompetence.

Totalitarian regimes are built on assumed guilt; the nanny state determines which citizens do or do not require their “services.” Florida’s bill would establish a system to do the same. A free nation, on the other hand, operates on the assumption of innocence until proven guilty. Parents do not need government intervention (interference) unless there is proof to the contrary. The Supreme Court has held that “historically, [the law] has recognized that natural bonds of affection lead parents to act in the best interest of their children.” Parham v. J.R., 442 U.S. 584 (1979) Sadly, Florida’s proposed bill recognizes no such thing.

We can stop this trend and reestablish the fundamental right of fit parents to direct the upbringing of their children through passage of the Parental Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. If you haven’t already done so, click here to sign the petition at ParentalRights.org.

And please pass this message on to your family, friends – anyone you know who might share your concern for the future of our American families. If we lose the right to raise our children without constant government oversight, we will lose every other political fight we care about – and we will ultimately lose our children, and our country.

But together we can save the future, by protecting these parental rights.

Gratefully,

Michael Ramey
Director of Communications and Research

Update on Johansson Family

I have written a few posts about this family in Sweden who unlawfully had their child removed from them while on a plane relocating to India where one of the parents is from and where they would be homeschooling. It has been going on for over a year now and they have not gotten their son back. It has been a very emotional year for them and as you can imagine, the stress must be unbearable at times. They are only allowed very short visits and not very often, so this just breaks my heart. Recently, the dad was put in jail for taking his son home for a one night visit that was not approved.

As he awaits in jail, he needs encouragement that we are praying for them and speaking out for him. Please have your children help you write notes of encouragement to him. They need us and we can send a message to the Swedish government. By them seeing the sheer number of supporters, they will know that the world is watching.

The Homeschooling Legal Defense Association has been trying to help them. Here is a post they recently put up with the address that you can send your cards. Please, please, take the time.

I have also been on an mailing list for updates and the supporters of this family are asking for emails and written letters to be sent to the judge. I am including in this post the email address and mailing address to the judge and the Swedish text for you to send to him. I will also show you the translation, but please do not send that. Only the Swedish text is necessary. Please do it as soon as you can, today in fact! Time is of the essence! The court date is the 20th of December.

The email is

gotlands.tingsratt@dom.se

The Swedish text is:

Till Lagman Mikael Mellqvist

Jag är mycket oroad över hur svenska myndigheter och domstolar har behandlat Christer Johansson och över LVU- omhändertagandet av hans son Domenic Johansson.
När Christer måndagen den 22 november 2010 tog med sig Domenic gjorde han en överilad handling.
Han är en kärleksfull far som inte längre kunde stå emot sin längtan efter sonen Domenic, som han bara har fått träffa 1 timme var femte vecka och då alltid övervakad av någon myndighetsperson.
Christer är ingen brottsling, men han har levt under oerhörd psykisk press och stress sedan 1,5 år tillbaka när de sociala myndigheterna beslöt att på ytterst tveksamma grunder tvångsomhänderta hans barn.
Jag vädjar till Er att låta Christer Johansson slippa straff och att ni respekterar de mänskliga rättigheterna som stadgas i Europakonventionen.

Vänligen, ________________________________

Please sign your name and the country you are from. You can also mail this to :

Lagman Mikael Mellqvist
Gotlands tingsrätt
Box 1143
SE-621 22 Visby
SWEDEN

The translation is as follows:

To Judge Mikael Mellqvist

I am extremely worried about how the Swedish authorities and courts are treating Christer Johansson and the circumstances of the forceful abduction of his son Domenic by Gotland Social Services.
When Christer decided to bring his son home on Monday 22 November 2010 it was the action of a man who had been driven to desperation.
Christer is a loving father who could no longer bear to be apart from his only son Domenic. A son who he had only been able to see for 1 hour every five weeks and then always under close supervision by authorities.
Christer Johansson is not a criminal but he has had to endure huge psychological stress and pressure for the past one and a half years,
ever since the Social Services took away his son on the weakest of pretexts.
I entreat you to please respect Christer Johansson's Human Rights in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights. Please ensure that justice is served and that Christer Johansson is released without further punishment.

Kindly,

This is the HSLDA post for writing the father and encouraging him.

Urgent Action Needed: Send Cards to Johansson Family in Sweden

Christer Johansson, whose 9-year-old son Domenic Johansson has been in state custody since June 2009, remains in prison for taking Domenic home for a short but “unapproved” overnight visit last week.

Authorities are holding Christer on “suspicion of unlawful detention” and, alternatively, “heavy-handedness with a child.” Under Swedish law, both charges are punishable with one to 10 years in prison.
In a new development, Swedish officials have denied Christer Johansson the attorney of his choosing. Shortly after his arrest, Christer requested that noted human rights attorney Tryggve Emstedt of Gävle, Sweden represent him. Emstedt’s colleague, human rights attorney Ruby Harrold-Claesson, reports, “The court informed me [yesterday] that Christer’s request...had been rejected.” The Swedish courts previously removed Harrold-Claesson from the Johanssons’ case on questionable grounds. (See “Sweden Denies Due Process to Family.”)

HSLDA has learned that Christer’s court date has been set for December 20. “We are asking families in the U.S. and across the globe to remember this family during the Christmas season,” says Michael Donnelly, HSLDA’s director of international relations. “Please lift them up in prayer and consider sending a note of encouragement.” Mail to Mr. Johansson would encourage him and remind Swedish authorities that families and homeschoolers around the world are paying close attention to this situation.

Please send a Christmas card or a short note of encouragement to Christer at:

Christer Johansson
Kriminalvården
Box 1268
621 23 VISBY
Sweden

Homeschool Legal Defense Association

Did you realize that there is a legal firm that fights for the rights of homeschoolers in every state as well as other countries? The Homeschool Legal Defense Association is there to help you too. For a low monthly fee of about $10.00, you insure that you have someone looking out for you. They get results as they continually fight legislation that is being introduced against the homeschooling movement. The association also notifies parents when it's time to be proactive and start calling their congressmen.

If you are a part of a homeschooling group, check with your director as the HSLDA offers group discounts. If you are not part of a homeschool group, you can sign up by yourself and know that if you ever have a truancy officer show up at your house or are challenged by the local school board, or asked to comply with some silly form they want you to fill out, the HSLDA will advise you on your next move and be there to defend you if necessary. If you never need them to defend you, your money will be a benefit to a family that does.

To learn more about this incredible group of attorneys and find out how you can sign up, click HERE.