TimV
Puritanboard Botanist
I'm somewhat of a Germanophile, but this aspect of their mentality really gets me. Check out what we just got from the Home School Legal Defence Association
Dear HSLDA members and friends:
>
> Thank you for your many calls and emails to the German Embassy.
>
> The good news is that the seven homeschool families in Paderborn
> County have still not been prosecuted. They were supposed to be
> prosecuted over a month ago. Your calls have made the difference.
>
> However, despite progress, the battle is still intense.
>
> German homeschoolers have told us on numerous occasions that your
> calls are working despite the response many of you have received from
> the Embassy. In part, the Embassy stated that homeschooling should not
> be legal because "The public has a legitimate interest in countering
> the rise of parallel societies that are based on religion or motivated
> by different world views and in integrating minorities into the
> population as a whole." This statement is incompatible with a free
> nation.
>
> The German Embassy is, however, communicating your views back to
> Germany. Furthermore, we have distributed the request to
> homeschoolers across the world. As a result, homeschoolers are calling
> and emailing from over twenty nations to their respective Germany
> embassies.
>
> The bad news is that the Guenthers have been charged with contributing
> to the delinquency of a truant, and are being fined over $1,500 simply
> because they have been going to Paderborn on a number of occasions to
> mediate with the authorities on behalf of the seven homeschool
> families.
>
> Rich Guenther is the director of the School Instruction At Home
> organization, which provides legal defense for German homeschoolers.
> It is unconscionable that the authorities prosecute individuals who
> are trying to mediate and resolve conflicts.
>
> Furthermore, the Loefflers, a homeschooling family who lives near
> Nuremburg, just received a letter stating that the government will
> freeze their bank account and come into their home to take anything of
> value up to the amount of the fine assessed against them. The fine is
> approximately $14,000. The family does not have the money. If the
> state of Bavaria follows the usual process the father will be put in
> jail, and the process of removing their eight year-old daughter will
> begin.
>
> Another family in Bavaria, the Grosseluemerns, were recently in court
> for refusing to pay the fines assessed against them for not sending
> their child to school. The Grosseluemerns attorney proved that the
> prosecution attorney was not aware of the laws of Bavaria concerning
> the facts of this case, and that he was not upholding the federal law
> guaranteeing the freedom of religion and parental rights. The
> prosecuting attorney then turned to the judge and asked that the fine
> against the family be tripled, which the judge readily consented to.
> Two days later a press story carried a quote from Bavarian officials
> saying that if it becomes necessary, they will put Mr. Grosseluemerns
> in prison until he complies and pays the fine.
>
> Please take a moment to help the "least of these our brethren." The
> German homeschool movement is small, but it is growing. Just last week
> they had their largest conference in Germany, with over 200 people in
> attendance. One television station and two newspapers covered the
> event. There is a growing interest in homeschooling in Germany, and
> several newspapers, including one of the largest papers, TAZ, are
> sympathetic and writing stories favorable to the homeschooling cause.
>
> Germany needs your help now.
>
> ACTION REQUESTED:
>
> 1. Call or email the German Embassy and give them this message:
>
> "Please make homeschooling legal in Germany. Do not prosecute the
> seven families in Paderborn (the Pauls, the Pletts, the W. Blocks, the
> A. Blocks, the Geislisngs, the Sterubels, the Zins, and the
> Trivoniches). Also, dismiss the fines and cases against the Loeffler
> and Grosseluemerns families in Bavaria. Furthermore, drop the charges
> against the Guenthers, who have been only trying to help, and are
> being prosecuted for their attempts to mediate on behalf of the
> Paderborn families. Homeschooling must be allowed in Germany. To be
> known as a truly free nation, parents should have the right to choose
> the best form of education, including homeschooling, for their
> children."
>
> Wolfgang Ischinger
> Ambassador
> German Embassy
> 4645 Reservoir Road NW
> Washington, DC, 20007-1998
> (202) 298-4000
>
> The embassy can be emailed from its website:
> http://www.globescope.biz/germany/reg/index.cfm
>
> You can give an account of the success of your own homeschool in your
> communication.
>
> 2. Email the school superintendent of Schul-und Bildungsministerin von
> NRW Ute Schaefer. [email protected] with this message:
>
> "Please do not prosecute the seven families in Paderborn (the Pauls,
> the Pletts, the W. Blocks, the A. Blocks, the Geislisngs, the
> Sterubels, the Zins, and the Trivoniches). Also, dismiss the fines and
> cases against the Loeffler and Grosseluemerns families in Bavaria.
> Furthermore, drop the charges against the Guenthers, who have been
> only trying to help, and are being prosecuted for their attempts to
> mediate on behalf of the Paderborn families."
>
> 3. Please continue to support School Instruction At Home, which HSLDA
> helped to establish in Germany. This organization now has 180
> homeschooling members, and is working around the clock to represent
> these families in court and mediate before school districts. Their
> funds are running low again after your generous outpouring six months
> ago. Please consider donating to School Instruction at Home to help
> them continue the legal fight. We believe we are making significant
> progress and are getting closer to victory.
>
> Please go to http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?ID=1211 to make a
> tax-deductible gift to the organization.
>
> Thank you for all your support for the least of these.
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
> Christopher J. Klicka
> HSLDA Senior Counsel
Dear HSLDA members and friends:
>
> Thank you for your many calls and emails to the German Embassy.
>
> The good news is that the seven homeschool families in Paderborn
> County have still not been prosecuted. They were supposed to be
> prosecuted over a month ago. Your calls have made the difference.
>
> However, despite progress, the battle is still intense.
>
> German homeschoolers have told us on numerous occasions that your
> calls are working despite the response many of you have received from
> the Embassy. In part, the Embassy stated that homeschooling should not
> be legal because "The public has a legitimate interest in countering
> the rise of parallel societies that are based on religion or motivated
> by different world views and in integrating minorities into the
> population as a whole." This statement is incompatible with a free
> nation.
>
> The German Embassy is, however, communicating your views back to
> Germany. Furthermore, we have distributed the request to
> homeschoolers across the world. As a result, homeschoolers are calling
> and emailing from over twenty nations to their respective Germany
> embassies.
>
> The bad news is that the Guenthers have been charged with contributing
> to the delinquency of a truant, and are being fined over $1,500 simply
> because they have been going to Paderborn on a number of occasions to
> mediate with the authorities on behalf of the seven homeschool
> families.
>
> Rich Guenther is the director of the School Instruction At Home
> organization, which provides legal defense for German homeschoolers.
> It is unconscionable that the authorities prosecute individuals who
> are trying to mediate and resolve conflicts.
>
> Furthermore, the Loefflers, a homeschooling family who lives near
> Nuremburg, just received a letter stating that the government will
> freeze their bank account and come into their home to take anything of
> value up to the amount of the fine assessed against them. The fine is
> approximately $14,000. The family does not have the money. If the
> state of Bavaria follows the usual process the father will be put in
> jail, and the process of removing their eight year-old daughter will
> begin.
>
> Another family in Bavaria, the Grosseluemerns, were recently in court
> for refusing to pay the fines assessed against them for not sending
> their child to school. The Grosseluemerns attorney proved that the
> prosecution attorney was not aware of the laws of Bavaria concerning
> the facts of this case, and that he was not upholding the federal law
> guaranteeing the freedom of religion and parental rights. The
> prosecuting attorney then turned to the judge and asked that the fine
> against the family be tripled, which the judge readily consented to.
> Two days later a press story carried a quote from Bavarian officials
> saying that if it becomes necessary, they will put Mr. Grosseluemerns
> in prison until he complies and pays the fine.
>
> Please take a moment to help the "least of these our brethren." The
> German homeschool movement is small, but it is growing. Just last week
> they had their largest conference in Germany, with over 200 people in
> attendance. One television station and two newspapers covered the
> event. There is a growing interest in homeschooling in Germany, and
> several newspapers, including one of the largest papers, TAZ, are
> sympathetic and writing stories favorable to the homeschooling cause.
>
> Germany needs your help now.
>
> ACTION REQUESTED:
>
> 1. Call or email the German Embassy and give them this message:
>
> "Please make homeschooling legal in Germany. Do not prosecute the
> seven families in Paderborn (the Pauls, the Pletts, the W. Blocks, the
> A. Blocks, the Geislisngs, the Sterubels, the Zins, and the
> Trivoniches). Also, dismiss the fines and cases against the Loeffler
> and Grosseluemerns families in Bavaria. Furthermore, drop the charges
> against the Guenthers, who have been only trying to help, and are
> being prosecuted for their attempts to mediate on behalf of the
> Paderborn families. Homeschooling must be allowed in Germany. To be
> known as a truly free nation, parents should have the right to choose
> the best form of education, including homeschooling, for their
> children."
>
> Wolfgang Ischinger
> Ambassador
> German Embassy
> 4645 Reservoir Road NW
> Washington, DC, 20007-1998
> (202) 298-4000
>
> The embassy can be emailed from its website:
> http://www.globescope.biz/germany/reg/index.cfm
>
> You can give an account of the success of your own homeschool in your
> communication.
>
> 2. Email the school superintendent of Schul-und Bildungsministerin von
> NRW Ute Schaefer. [email protected] with this message:
>
> "Please do not prosecute the seven families in Paderborn (the Pauls,
> the Pletts, the W. Blocks, the A. Blocks, the Geislisngs, the
> Sterubels, the Zins, and the Trivoniches). Also, dismiss the fines and
> cases against the Loeffler and Grosseluemerns families in Bavaria.
> Furthermore, drop the charges against the Guenthers, who have been
> only trying to help, and are being prosecuted for their attempts to
> mediate on behalf of the Paderborn families."
>
> 3. Please continue to support School Instruction At Home, which HSLDA
> helped to establish in Germany. This organization now has 180
> homeschooling members, and is working around the clock to represent
> these families in court and mediate before school districts. Their
> funds are running low again after your generous outpouring six months
> ago. Please consider donating to School Instruction at Home to help
> them continue the legal fight. We believe we are making significant
> progress and are getting closer to victory.
>
> Please go to http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?ID=1211 to make a
> tax-deductible gift to the organization.
>
> Thank you for all your support for the least of these.
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
> Christopher J. Klicka
> HSLDA Senior Counsel
