02 May 2008

 

Don’t get mad

 

– get even…

 

 

Here’s some interesting quotes….

Clark: “..they don’t want to see, ah, you know, stressed and harassed parents, ah, you know, called in by the police because they, they smacked a child, so I think there’s a debate to go on..”
Interviewer: “..right .. so, you don’t want to see smacking banned…”
Clark: “Absolutely not! I think you’re trying to defy human nature.”
Helen Clark – Radio Rhema – Election Campaign 2005

“I personally think that political parties that get so removed from the voters do suffer, and I think Helen Clark is effectively whipping and forcing her caucus to do something which frankly, in my view, is largely a conscience vote which is the way National is treating it with their MP’s”
John Key – Prime TV – before the law was passed

“The epidemic of child abuse and child violence in this country continues – sadly. My bill was never intended to solve that problem.”
Sue Bradford – National Radio – 21 Dec 07

United Future leader Peter Dunne, who voted in favour of the bill, is not surprised the petition has fallen short as he says it was something launched in a fit of pique. He says it is time for people to get over the issue . Mr Dunne says the petition organisers should have been more thorough with the gathering and collating of signatures.
Newstalk ZB this week!

We say…

Don’t get mad

– get even…

 

 

 

even more

 

signatures!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In order to avoid ANY doubt and to get around ANY formula used to discount invalid votes, we need to collect 20,000 – 30,000 signatures on BOTH petitions preferably within 2 weeks. 1. Print off the petition form containing the 2 petitions http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz/documents/CirPetition.pdf

2. Get as many signatures as you can on both petitions over the next 2 weeks

IMPORTANT
* ensure the person hasn’t already signed
* ensure they write clearly and complete all parts of the form
* ensure they are registered on the electoral roll to vote

* ensure you get people to fill in the “date of birth” column

3. Send them in to the address at the bottom of the petition form as soon as possible – preferably by Monday May 12. (Even forms only half filled should still be sent in as soon as)

4. PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL ON AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO COLLECT SIGNATURES.

Thanks for your efforts.

 

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http://www.hslda.org/docs/news/washingtontimes/200804280.aspThe Washington Times	April 28, 2008

Washington Times Op-ed—California May Ban Spanking

by J. Michael Smith
HSLDA President

It’s often said that California is a trendsetter. Ideas that begin in California have a habit of making their way across the country.

Currently, many families have been alarmed at the recent California Court of Appeal ruling that prohibits homeschooling unless the parent is a certified teacher.

In just 10 days, more than 250,000 people signed the Home School Legal Defense Association petition opposing this decision. Not all these families were homeschoolers. James Dobson of Focus on the Family says the ruling was an “all-out assault on the family.”

The good news is that the Court of Appeal has granted a request for a rehearing of its decision on homeschooling, which by law, automatically vacates the decision, meaning it’s no longer binding.

The court has solicited a number of public school establishment organizations to submit amicus briefs, including the California Superintendent of Public Instruction, the California Department of Education, the Los Angeles Unified School District, and three California teachers unions.

Although there is no guarantee the outcome will be different after the rehearing, The homeschool community welcomes the opportunity to file an amicus brief advocating that the court retain the current method of homeschooling in California through the private school exemption.

Just when things seemed to be settling down in California, on April 3, Assembly Bill 2943 was introduced by assembly member Sally Lieber. This bill would have the practical effect of making a noninjurious spanking with an object such as a ruler, folded newspaper or small paddle illegal in California. The bill is identical to Assembly Bill 755, which failed to pass the assembly last year.

This bill amends Penal Code section 273(a), which makes it a crime to cause unjustifiable pain, harm or injury to any minor child. If the bill passes, spanking with an object such as a stick, rod or switch would be lumped in with throwing, kicking, burning, or cutting a child.

Striking a child with a fist. Striking a child under 3 years of age on the face or head. Vigorously shaking of a child under 3 years of age. Interfering with a child’s breathing. Brandishing a deadly weapon upon a child. These are all factors that a jury could use to conclude that a defendant in a criminal case has inflicted unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering.

What the bill would do is to equate discipline administered via an implement with the above conduct, which obviously is abusive behavior toward a child.

This likely will have several negative unjustifiable consequences in California. Prosecutors could end up filing criminal charges against parents for simply spanking their children with an object even though reasonable, age-appropriate corporal discipline is a protected right of parents in every state.

Secondly, by the mere fact that jurors in criminal cases would be instructed that they could consider spanking with an implement to be criminal conduct would imply that the legislature believes that this type of conduct is abusive conduct. Finally, if this law passes, it will have a chilling effect on parents who reasonably exercise discipline through the use of spanking with an implement.

Although this is not a homeschool issue, it is a parental rights issue. One of the foundations for the right to homeschool is based upon the fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children.

The erosion of parental rights is a dangerous trend. If California continues to push to have homeschooling parents be certified teachers and limit heretofore well-established disciplinary tools of parents, it will be asserting the view that the state knows what’s best for children, thereby limiting the authority of parents to raise their children in a responsible way.

Defending parental rights is apparently going to be an uphill battle in California. Now is the time to take a look at amending the U.S. Constitution to protect parental rights.

Michael Smith is the president of the Home School Legal Defense Association. He may be contacted at (540)338-5600; or send email to media@hslda.org.

MEDIA RELEASE

29 April 2008

Count on Anti-Smacking Petition Labelled ‘Incredibly Dodgy’

HUNDREDS OF PETITION FORMS DOWNLOADED TODAY
Family First NZ is labeling the counting of the signatures on the anti-smacking petition as ‘incredibly dodgy’.

“Despite a very thorough audit of a sample of signatures, the government statistician has applied a further margin of error against the number of signatures,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “But margins of error go both ways, plus and minus, and it completely ignores the purpose and function of the previous thorough audit process.”

 “This would suggest that there is an agenda to try and ‘kill’ the petition.”

Family First is still completely confident of success with the petition despite this setback and says the websites hosting the petition forms have been inundated with downloads of the petition form today.

“We have had almost 300 downloads just today on just the Family First website, and many emails requesting the forms,” says Mr McCoskrie. “That is similar with other organisations hosting the forms.”

“Despite the hopes and dreams of Labour and the Greens, this issue is not going to go away any time soon. Parents who opposed this law will get to be heard – no matter how hard they make it.”

FACT SHEET
How many signatures were submitted?
324,216
How many were needed to force the referendum?
Only 285.027
How many were found invalid after the thorough audit?
The government statistician ( our emphasis added ) took a sample of almost 30,000 and found an ‘invalid’ rate of about 13% (pretty good considering Norm Wither’s law and order petition had 20% invalid rate).
So that means 324,216 less 13% invalid = 282,067 – a shortfall of about 3,000?
Yes – that’s what you would expect
But they’re saying that the shortfall is 18,027; 15,000 greater than the sample would indicate
That’s what the government statistician ( our emphasis added) is saying
So how did he get the extra invalid signatures numbering 15,000?
That’s the million dollar question. They have literally plucked a figure out of the air (arguing ‘margin of error’ and despite their already thorough audit), said it’s their ‘best estimate’ – and under the Act, they don’t have to be accountable for how they came to that figure.

Do the organisers have extra time to collect the 15,000 shortfall
YES! 2 more months.
Have any more signatures been collected since the previous cut-off date?
Yes! Almost 20,000 (including 6,500 at the V8 races last weekend – gotta love those petrol-heads!)
So you have enough to force the Referendum?
You would think so, but based on the confusing and suspicious calculations made by the government statistician ( our emphasis added ) we will collect a buffer of 20,000 more signatures to be totally sure

ENDS

For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

Bob McCoskrie JP – National Director 

Tel. 09 261 2426 | Mob. 027 55 555 42