During a legislative hearing today on AB 957, the bill that will penalize parents in custody proceedings who fail to affirm a child’s right to chop off healthy body parts or chemically castrate himself to affirm his gender, one of the people who spoke
I am raising three children in Los Angeles, ages 13, 11 and 6. Although my wife and I disagree with everything that happens in Sacramento, we were born here and we are not just going to surrender our homeland to a death cult.
The more tyranny is forced upon peaceful people, the more civil resistance builds. In our case, vaccine mandates for school attendance forced us to homeschool our six-year-old, who has never been injected with anything (and of course is the picture of health). Although we were reluctant to take that step, it turned out to be an excellent idea for academics as well as for health, because she now reads and does math at a fourth-grade level, which is another way of saying that the average U.S. fourth-grader reads and does math at the level of a homeschooled six-year-old. Our daughter does not have any difficulty understanding the difference between boys and girls, nor are our sons at risk of becoming transgender Pavlik Morozovs. My 13-year-old is a better student of history than I ever was, and there is no surer protection against tyranny. Thanks to the outrages of the last few years, we have had the opportunity to see everybody's true colors, and our connections with like-minded families continue to grow.
California has always produced death cults, but death cults always die. Today's cultists have ruined their fertility at best and doomed themselves to early deaths at worst. The current nonsense will be eradicated by natural selection in one or two generations, and the surviving Californians will be those who stood their ground, took responsibility for their own health and education, and refused to run away.
I, like you, live in California and we’re staying. Our kids go to private school and have since kindergarten. We aren’t rich, we just sacrificed and worked lots of overtime to afford it. Even though we live in a “good” school district, we did not trust the public schools and saw what was coming as far as wokeness. We are not political partisans, but have tried to teach our kids the difference between the extreme left and extreme right, and the best place is somewhere near the middle. I agree with you that the extreme agendas currently destroying the state will someday immolate and those that stood strong will be there to pick up the pieces.
I was homeschooled through 10th grade and had no idea how good I had it. At the turn of the Century, homeschooling was much more niche, and so I ended up believing a lot of the negative things I heard people say about being homeschooled. I just had no frame of reference, so starting with 11th grade my brother and I (He was entering high school), started at the local public high school per our request. I cannot speak for my brother, but I can say for myself, the next two years were a complete waste academically. We both ended up graduating from college, and are both doing well as adults, contributing to society, and raising families.
Two other literal death-cults came to mind, Heavens Gate with 39 members killing themselves, and Peoples Temple of the Disciples of Christ (aka Jonestown and the drinking of the Kool-Aid) with over 900 members being killed or committing suicide. Both started in California.
*A Child's History of the World,* by V. M. Hillyer. It only goes through WWII, if I recall correctly, but it's remarkably complete and concise. For third grade history (homeschooling rocks!), my kid and I read a lesson or two every day, and then she drew a few pictures to illustrate the memorable things about the lessons. Not a lot of kids her age could tell you about the kingdom of Axum, or knew the story of Horatius at the bridge. Actually, not a lot of adults in America, either. The book was really, really good, and worth an adult's time, too. Also, it's not history, but *Our Constitution Rocks,* by Juliette Turner, is a great civics book that everyone should read, unless you can already break down the Constitution, section by section.
Eight is probably pushing it some, but I’d recommend having a child read Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki as soon as they’re old enough. It’s a rollicking good adventure story.
They’re very old now (and not history), but the Jim Kjelgaard’s books about Irish Setters, starting with Big Red are excellent children’s books.
Have you tried The Cartoon History of the World by Larry Gonick? Both my sons loved it. A rare example of a book I liked as a child that also appealed to them.
You can’t win there by dealing with the institutions. Everything is rigged. There is no alternative at the moment but to suck it up, leave, or go Charles Bronson on their wine asses. And right now that last option isn’t really a consideration. If a true opposition existed at the national level, that would help. But the RINOs are Vichy turncoats. They’d rather let the country tank than see MAGA in power. I do think that we need a third party. The Republicans are not our allies at the end of the day. I do think these guys will collapse. One difference between the USA and other banana republic dictatorships is our lack of bananas. Seriously, this is a big powerful country. It’s not Venezuela or Cuba. If we end up like that, it’s highly disruptive at a global level. I think there’s more resistance than it seems, but it has to coalesce around a coherent vision, and a concrete plan.
Sending this to my California family. I’m seeing some disappointment in him for advocating escape instead of fighting - but that’s unfair. That was a guy who has seen the writing on the wall and isn’t willing to sacrifice more kids in the process of the hellish march California is on.
I understand Senator Wilk's inclination to leave and I share it. But it certainly says something about the pitiful condition of the state GOP (do we still have a GOP in this state?) that an elected leader would advocate cutting and running. I wonder what Wilk's constituents think. I guess he's termed out next year so it doesn't much matter. Not much fight left, is there?
Maybe that's how this ends: not with a bang, but a whimper.
I think the problem with California is there is no middle ground to be had on these issues. As a 1 party state those in power just wield it, with no concessions to the other side. At least that how it seems as an outsider. This bill appears to basically outlaw parenting, which can come back to haunt anyone. Even the homeschool parent that thinks he has shielded his kids from this type of nonsense. It’s a scary to think that a child’s dillusion must be affirmed by the parents out of fear of being arrested.
No parents need to sacrifice their children to the woke mobs just to keep a political job. As parents our first responsibility is to provide and nurture our children in the values that we believe in. Once much of the middle class has left, maybe the left will realize that society can’t properly function with intact families that teach love of God and country, honesty, faithfulness, integrity and a work ethic.
It's like the puppies in *Animal Farm.* As much as I believe there is a lobby that wants (as an end in itself) to sexualize children, I think what's going on in CA is part of a larger game, as your last couple of sentences also seem to acknowledge. There's quite a bit of jurisprudence confirming that kids belong to their parents, not to the state, so it'll be interesting to see what wacky Cali stuff survives court challenges. Glad to be watching it from the other side of the country, frankly.
I read a lot of Margaret Thatcher's autobiography last month. Unlike Trump, she came to office, in 1979 when Britain was in a mess kind of similar to what we have now, with a definite, detailed philosophy about government and society.
One of the good arguments for DeSantis in 2024 is that he seems to have clear ideas of what he wants to do and how to do them. Again, unlike Trump.
Go forth and protect the young ones Chris! Amazing everything falls today to the 'parent militia" taking up keyboards, fists, signs and voices to protect their children. Nobody else seems to care. On behalf of grandmothers and great grandmothers everywhere—we're with you!!!
Good for you, Chris! Spendiing time with your children is the most valuable thing we as parents do. Despite all that has transpired, I hope what I taught my children sinks in like my parents' lessons did in my mid30s.
I'm stuck in Maryland for at most 5 years but, for better or worse, my children are grown and on their own. I feel for anyone who has children or grandchildren in public school. These people are just insane. Can I say that, I always cringe when California debuts some new legislation because the other insane states will follow suit if not try and outdo their fellow travelers.
My limit is reparations. While I'm mercenary about my pension, I won't reside in a state with a balanced budget amendment that passes reparations. The commute from PA would be livable.
Go wherever you want just leave your goofy political beliefs in CA. If you don’t want this move to Minneapolis it’s a shit hole just like your leaving.
Anyway, my family has lived there since the 1930s (My dad's father was chief beef inspector for Alberta for more than twenty years in the 1950s and 1960s.)
I've lived in California for more than twenty years, and I'm in no hurry to leave, but if things keep heading in this direction, with completely clueless business and technology leadership and anti family policies, I would go back to Alberta with no hesitation at all.
Very different position from Wiener, who never misses a moment to politicize LGBTQ issues. Does Wiener even govern on anything besides LGBTQ issues? Sure, he often has a cover for things like public transportation, but that's a very narrow issue. I've looked at his tweets on business issues. They indicate that he doesn't have a clue about how the economy in Silicon Valley actually works. There's a reason that Silicon Valley is half empty compared to twenty years ago.
Alberta has a huge budget surplus at the moment. California has a deficit. Why would that be?
I was born in Pasadena California and fled there in 1943 except for two tours at MCSD Barstow and three staging regiments at Camp Pendleton to go to Korea in 1952 and Japan 1955 and Okinawa 1963 and MCAS El Toro 1968 to Vietnam .
Three tours in Kaliforniastan. 76-78 The Stumps and El Toro. 79-82 at Pendleton. 85-86, Monterey, Naval PostGrad School. Continually was getting worse. Went back on a Zephyr to outside SF. Looked like a Pissoir. No desire to ever go back.
My recollection is that Archie Bunker said the US is tilted to the left and all the fruits and nuts roll out to CA. Here is a better explanation of why he hated CA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XVEL3KnR2w
That is beyond awful. I wonder if the filth filtered over from DC or if it escaped from CA and infected DC? Probably D, all of the above. I hate what they have done to CA. It was the most wonderful place. I miss living there...but I"d never go back. Stay safe and stay sane!
This isn’t why he was impeached. They impeached Paxton because he came to the floor of the House and asked for $3.7M to create a hush fund settlement coffer to pay off the whistle blowers who worked for him that he fired. There are allegations of impropriety and extreme nepotism regarding his dealings with a personal friends. Paxton has also been running from indictment charges of securities fraud for over 5 years now. He broke securities rules by failing to register as a securities agent in violation of FTC rules. Which he knows of this as an attorney. Then after getting popped for this, he gets his wife who is a state senator, to bring forward a bill which will retroactively make it not illegal to do what Paxton did. He is also been jumping on every federal class action lawsuit there is and amicus briefs on every other states lawsuits which pay out and fill the state general fund but in no way is any of that money going to the benefit of any citizen of the state.
As I said before he has whistle blowers who reported that he was having them work for Nate Paul who is Paxton’s real estate developer friend who also was Paxtons mistress’ enabler. This was going on all the while Paul was being investigated for falsifying financial statements in order to obtain business loans. This is what the whistle blowers reported him for. He then fired them. They filed wrongful termination suits against him personally which Paxton then went to the House Floor to request funding to help him settle out of court with the whistle blowers. This is what set off the impeachment.
Where you got that he was impeached for looking into gain of function research is complete and utter bullshit. Misinformation and nothing more than lies to distract what and why Paxton is being tossed. The guy is a crook.
Oh yeah, when the state of Texas asks the two biggest criminal defense attorneys in the state to prosecute the attorney general and both said yes of course we will gladly work together to prosecute this case and Dick DeGuerin comes out of retirement and says on tv that the indictment against Paxton is just the tip of the ice burg and they have discovery now. This is the attorney who gets sportsball rapists off in court in front of a jury. DeGuerin is the guy who was getting the big guys of Enron out of trouble while mid level Enron employees were jumping out of windows and eating bullets.
Paxton abused his office since he was elected. Just remember the entire GOP voted in lock step to impeach 121-24. He wanted to settle the case and have all the evidence sealed all the testimony sealed and have the tax paying citizens of Texas to fund that settlement. That was the last straw and why he wound up impeached. Not some Covid 19 misrepresentation or gain of function reason. By the way. Who is Paxton piggybacking his investigation off? It sure as hell isn’t his own deal.
I am raising three children in Los Angeles, ages 13, 11 and 6. Although my wife and I disagree with everything that happens in Sacramento, we were born here and we are not just going to surrender our homeland to a death cult.
The more tyranny is forced upon peaceful people, the more civil resistance builds. In our case, vaccine mandates for school attendance forced us to homeschool our six-year-old, who has never been injected with anything (and of course is the picture of health). Although we were reluctant to take that step, it turned out to be an excellent idea for academics as well as for health, because she now reads and does math at a fourth-grade level, which is another way of saying that the average U.S. fourth-grader reads and does math at the level of a homeschooled six-year-old. Our daughter does not have any difficulty understanding the difference between boys and girls, nor are our sons at risk of becoming transgender Pavlik Morozovs. My 13-year-old is a better student of history than I ever was, and there is no surer protection against tyranny. Thanks to the outrages of the last few years, we have had the opportunity to see everybody's true colors, and our connections with like-minded families continue to grow.
California has always produced death cults, but death cults always die. Today's cultists have ruined their fertility at best and doomed themselves to early deaths at worst. The current nonsense will be eradicated by natural selection in one or two generations, and the surviving Californians will be those who stood their ground, took responsibility for their own health and education, and refused to run away.
I, like you, live in California and we’re staying. Our kids go to private school and have since kindergarten. We aren’t rich, we just sacrificed and worked lots of overtime to afford it. Even though we live in a “good” school district, we did not trust the public schools and saw what was coming as far as wokeness. We are not political partisans, but have tried to teach our kids the difference between the extreme left and extreme right, and the best place is somewhere near the middle. I agree with you that the extreme agendas currently destroying the state will someday immolate and those that stood strong will be there to pick up the pieces.
every young adult i've ever met who had been home schooled as a child was light years ahead of their public schooled peers. good for you!
I was homeschooled through 10th grade and had no idea how good I had it. At the turn of the Century, homeschooling was much more niche, and so I ended up believing a lot of the negative things I heard people say about being homeschooled. I just had no frame of reference, so starting with 11th grade my brother and I (He was entering high school), started at the local public high school per our request. I cannot speak for my brother, but I can say for myself, the next two years were a complete waste academically. We both ended up graduating from college, and are both doing well as adults, contributing to society, and raising families.
i'm sure you were so advanced from being home schooled that the wasted two years in public school didn't cripple you
"California has always produced death cults, but death cults always die."
No. They do not.
China.
Cuba.
Venezuela.
North Korea.
California is in a death spiral.
I'm getting out as soon as I can.
I will no longer feed the machine that wants me dead.
Two other literal death-cults came to mind, Heavens Gate with 39 members killing themselves, and Peoples Temple of the Disciples of Christ (aka Jonestown and the drinking of the Kool-Aid) with over 900 members being killed or committing suicide. Both started in California.
Beautifully said. More parents need to take the steps your family has.
Got any tips for history books that a precocious 8-year-old might read over the summer?
*A Child's History of the World,* by V. M. Hillyer. It only goes through WWII, if I recall correctly, but it's remarkably complete and concise. For third grade history (homeschooling rocks!), my kid and I read a lesson or two every day, and then she drew a few pictures to illustrate the memorable things about the lessons. Not a lot of kids her age could tell you about the kingdom of Axum, or knew the story of Horatius at the bridge. Actually, not a lot of adults in America, either. The book was really, really good, and worth an adult's time, too. Also, it's not history, but *Our Constitution Rocks,* by Juliette Turner, is a great civics book that everyone should read, unless you can already break down the Constitution, section by section.
Eight is probably pushing it some, but I’d recommend having a child read Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki as soon as they’re old enough. It’s a rollicking good adventure story.
They’re very old now (and not history), but the Jim Kjelgaard’s books about Irish Setters, starting with Big Red are excellent children’s books.
Have you tried The Cartoon History of the World by Larry Gonick? Both my sons loved it. A rare example of a book I liked as a child that also appealed to them.
Sailing Along Around the World
Joshua Slocum
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailing_Alone_Around_the_World
Rising Wolf, the White Blackfoot
Hugh Munro
https://archive.org/details/risingwolfwhiteb00schu/page/16/mode/2up
You can’t win there by dealing with the institutions. Everything is rigged. There is no alternative at the moment but to suck it up, leave, or go Charles Bronson on their wine asses. And right now that last option isn’t really a consideration. If a true opposition existed at the national level, that would help. But the RINOs are Vichy turncoats. They’d rather let the country tank than see MAGA in power. I do think that we need a third party. The Republicans are not our allies at the end of the day. I do think these guys will collapse. One difference between the USA and other banana republic dictatorships is our lack of bananas. Seriously, this is a big powerful country. It’s not Venezuela or Cuba. If we end up like that, it’s highly disruptive at a global level. I think there’s more resistance than it seems, but it has to coalesce around a coherent vision, and a concrete plan.
Sending this to my California family. I’m seeing some disappointment in him for advocating escape instead of fighting - but that’s unfair. That was a guy who has seen the writing on the wall and isn’t willing to sacrifice more kids in the process of the hellish march California is on.
I understand Senator Wilk's inclination to leave and I share it. But it certainly says something about the pitiful condition of the state GOP (do we still have a GOP in this state?) that an elected leader would advocate cutting and running. I wonder what Wilk's constituents think. I guess he's termed out next year so it doesn't much matter. Not much fight left, is there?
Maybe that's how this ends: not with a bang, but a whimper.
I think the problem with California is there is no middle ground to be had on these issues. As a 1 party state those in power just wield it, with no concessions to the other side. At least that how it seems as an outsider. This bill appears to basically outlaw parenting, which can come back to haunt anyone. Even the homeschool parent that thinks he has shielded his kids from this type of nonsense. It’s a scary to think that a child’s dillusion must be affirmed by the parents out of fear of being arrested.
No parents need to sacrifice their children to the woke mobs just to keep a political job. As parents our first responsibility is to provide and nurture our children in the values that we believe in. Once much of the middle class has left, maybe the left will realize that society can’t properly function with intact families that teach love of God and country, honesty, faithfulness, integrity and a work ethic.
To "keep a political job"? The man *sought* the office in which he currently sits, not once, but twice. He asked people for their votes!
Detailed Twitter thread, with video, of much of the hearing:
https://twitter.com/JZachreson/status/1668735272165732353
It's like the puppies in *Animal Farm.* As much as I believe there is a lobby that wants (as an end in itself) to sexualize children, I think what's going on in CA is part of a larger game, as your last couple of sentences also seem to acknowledge. There's quite a bit of jurisprudence confirming that kids belong to their parents, not to the state, so it'll be interesting to see what wacky Cali stuff survives court challenges. Glad to be watching it from the other side of the country, frankly.
Astro-TERFed: the workshopping of a smear campaign
https://peaked.substack.com/p/astro-terfed-the-workshopping-of
I read a lot of Margaret Thatcher's autobiography last month. Unlike Trump, she came to office, in 1979 when Britain was in a mess kind of similar to what we have now, with a definite, detailed philosophy about government and society.
One of the good arguments for DeSantis in 2024 is that he seems to have clear ideas of what he wants to do and how to do them. Again, unlike Trump.
Go forth and protect the young ones Chris! Amazing everything falls today to the 'parent militia" taking up keyboards, fists, signs and voices to protect their children. Nobody else seems to care. On behalf of grandmothers and great grandmothers everywhere—we're with you!!!
Good for you, Chris! Spendiing time with your children is the most valuable thing we as parents do. Despite all that has transpired, I hope what I taught my children sinks in like my parents' lessons did in my mid30s.
I'm stuck in Maryland for at most 5 years but, for better or worse, my children are grown and on their own. I feel for anyone who has children or grandchildren in public school. These people are just insane. Can I say that, I always cringe when California debuts some new legislation because the other insane states will follow suit if not try and outdo their fellow travelers.
My limit is reparations. While I'm mercenary about my pension, I won't reside in a state with a balanced budget amendment that passes reparations. The commute from PA would be livable.
Go wherever you want just leave your goofy political beliefs in CA. If you don’t want this move to Minneapolis it’s a shit hole just like your leaving.
Don't come to Florida!
Think I'll go out to Alberta
Weather's good there in the fall
I got some friends that I could go to working for
Still I wish you'd change your mind
If I ask you one more time
But we've been through this a hundred times or more
Four strong winds that blow lonely
Seven seas that run high
All those things that don't change come what may
If the good times are all gone
Then I'm bound for moving on
I'll look for you if I'm ever back this way
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTMMS88gi6c
I'd stay away from Canada.
Alberta still gave the NDP 36 seats in a recent election. The NDP are to the left of the Liberals.
It's crazyclowntown.
Alberta has always had some socialism.
Anyway, my family has lived there since the 1930s (My dad's father was chief beef inspector for Alberta for more than twenty years in the 1950s and 1960s.)
I've lived in California for more than twenty years, and I'm in no hurry to leave, but if things keep heading in this direction, with completely clueless business and technology leadership and anti family policies, I would go back to Alberta with no hesitation at all.
This ain't your family's Canada. Just like it's not our mother's Liberal party. These people are ideologies in the service of global interests.
When you give a nut job like Notley 36 seats, there's tiny problem if you ask me. But that's me.
We'll she wasn't elected, in the end. This is what Danielle Smith had to say before the election:
https://globalnews.ca/news/9708228/alberta-election-depoliticize-lgbtq-danielle-smith-ucp/
Very different position from Wiener, who never misses a moment to politicize LGBTQ issues. Does Wiener even govern on anything besides LGBTQ issues? Sure, he often has a cover for things like public transportation, but that's a very narrow issue. I've looked at his tweets on business issues. They indicate that he doesn't have a clue about how the economy in Silicon Valley actually works. There's a reason that Silicon Valley is half empty compared to twenty years ago.
Alberta has a huge budget surplus at the moment. California has a deficit. Why would that be?
Population of California: 39.54 million
Population of Alberta: 4.31 million
Fiscal position of California: debt of 32 billion
Fiscal position of Alberta: surplus of 3.9 billion
Fiscal position per capita of California: debt of $809 per capita
Fiscal position per capita of Alberta: surplus of $902 per capita
Good stats. Alberta carries Canada financially.
And the feds want to raid that surplus. Surprised the NDP hadn't drained the surplus when they were in power.
I was born in Pasadena California and fled there in 1943 except for two tours at MCSD Barstow and three staging regiments at Camp Pendleton to go to Korea in 1952 and Japan 1955 and Okinawa 1963 and MCAS El Toro 1968 to Vietnam .
Three tours in Kaliforniastan. 76-78 The Stumps and El Toro. 79-82 at Pendleton. 85-86, Monterey, Naval PostGrad School. Continually was getting worse. Went back on a Zephyr to outside SF. Looked like a Pissoir. No desire to ever go back.
My recollection is that Archie Bunker said the US is tilted to the left and all the fruits and nuts roll out to CA. Here is a better explanation of why he hated CA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XVEL3KnR2w
That is beyond awful. I wonder if the filth filtered over from DC or if it escaped from CA and infected DC? Probably D, all of the above. I hate what they have done to CA. It was the most wonderful place. I miss living there...but I"d never go back. Stay safe and stay sane!
There is no place to run. All of the states are compromised. Even Texas is trying to impeach the Attorney General for launching an investigation into gain of function research and Covid vaccines. The WEFfers have infiltrated EVERYTHING. https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/paxton-launches-investigation-gain-function-research-and-misrepresentations-covid-19-vaccine
This isn’t why he was impeached. They impeached Paxton because he came to the floor of the House and asked for $3.7M to create a hush fund settlement coffer to pay off the whistle blowers who worked for him that he fired. There are allegations of impropriety and extreme nepotism regarding his dealings with a personal friends. Paxton has also been running from indictment charges of securities fraud for over 5 years now. He broke securities rules by failing to register as a securities agent in violation of FTC rules. Which he knows of this as an attorney. Then after getting popped for this, he gets his wife who is a state senator, to bring forward a bill which will retroactively make it not illegal to do what Paxton did. He is also been jumping on every federal class action lawsuit there is and amicus briefs on every other states lawsuits which pay out and fill the state general fund but in no way is any of that money going to the benefit of any citizen of the state.
As I said before he has whistle blowers who reported that he was having them work for Nate Paul who is Paxton’s real estate developer friend who also was Paxtons mistress’ enabler. This was going on all the while Paul was being investigated for falsifying financial statements in order to obtain business loans. This is what the whistle blowers reported him for. He then fired them. They filed wrongful termination suits against him personally which Paxton then went to the House Floor to request funding to help him settle out of court with the whistle blowers. This is what set off the impeachment.
Where you got that he was impeached for looking into gain of function research is complete and utter bullshit. Misinformation and nothing more than lies to distract what and why Paxton is being tossed. The guy is a crook.
Oh yeah, when the state of Texas asks the two biggest criminal defense attorneys in the state to prosecute the attorney general and both said yes of course we will gladly work together to prosecute this case and Dick DeGuerin comes out of retirement and says on tv that the indictment against Paxton is just the tip of the ice burg and they have discovery now. This is the attorney who gets sportsball rapists off in court in front of a jury. DeGuerin is the guy who was getting the big guys of Enron out of trouble while mid level Enron employees were jumping out of windows and eating bullets.
Paxton abused his office since he was elected. Just remember the entire GOP voted in lock step to impeach 121-24. He wanted to settle the case and have all the evidence sealed all the testimony sealed and have the tax paying citizens of Texas to fund that settlement. That was the last straw and why he wound up impeached. Not some Covid 19 misrepresentation or gain of function reason. By the way. Who is Paxton piggybacking his investigation off? It sure as hell isn’t his own deal.
Thanks for all the inside info.