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Couty Alexander Showed His True Colors
Created on July 01st, 2008 by Lizard now with 20,259 views
Tags: Christa Alexander, Couty Alexander, Murder, Shooting
Category Murder| Shooting| Uxoricide| domestic violence |
738 responses so far ↓
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 [5] 6 7 8 9 10 11 … 15 » Show All
201
SNUGGLEBB
Jul 9, 2008 at 5:33 pm -Hi, I’m new and I’m gonna give my thoughts on this whole thing. I see folks putting it off on dear mom Alexander, putting it off on religion and drugs, and I see folks puttin it off on the church and personal convictions and just down right everyone’s own opinions. I know this family. Didn’t know the dear Bakers, but I bet they are great people. Dress code has no bearing on anything to do with what happened. All this is just a really bad decision on Couty Alexander’s part. If you dared step into the life of Couty’s mother, you’d LOVE it. She sings to her children throughout the day, they work in their garden together, they make clothes together, they ride bikes together, what child wouldn’t love a life like that? Come on guys, this isn’t abuse or sheltering or nothing like that. It’s just raising your children. Back in the 1800’s it’s the way life was all the time…..so what that it’s 2008, who cares? Not me! There are a few choice parents who want their children to become better than what’s turning out at the public schools or even private and Christian schools. Fact is, when you get children together without supervision, foolishness results….it’s a given. If I’m not watching mine, they are shedding their towels on the front driveway flashing cars (7yrs and 5 yrs old). Fact is, statistics speak for themselves. Homeschooled children score higher, learn faster, and become greater than other methods of schooling…..go look for yourself. I’m not homeschooled, but I’m homeschooling my children, cuz I see the results I’m looking for. Selfless, serving others, loving God, making a good life for themselves. Sure, every now and again, there’s one or two that slip out from under that statistics and mess up. Like Couty. He messed up. He is of age and made a decision. We all wonder why. We toss up some possibilities: homeschool (NOT statistics say opposite), sheltered life (they minister to some pretty tough people so I’d say no on that too), hormones, drugs, new co-worker….these are all guesses. We’d like to know what he was thinking but we’ll never know unless he makes a statement. But don’t blame his parents and upbringing and religion; it’s not true….according to the hardfacts of statistics….thanks for having me onboard! Glad to be here!
202
Meg
Jul 9, 2008 at 5:40 pm -Snuggle I enjoyed that post and have to say I agree with you like 90%.
It wasn’t their church that murdered Christa, it wasn’t a homeschool group, it wasn’t their decision to only wear dresses and skirts (what is that to you if they choose that anyway?? nobody would think twice if you chose to only wear pants!), it was Couty that did it.
203
Lizard
Jul 9, 2008 at 6:00 pm -Welcome, snugglebb, and thank you for the thoughtful post. Now that I’ve welcomed you, I hope you’ll allow me to disagree with you. I don’t think anyone here is blaming homeschooling–we’re blaming Couty. He did it, he admitted to it, and I appreciate your delicacy, but it was way beyond him “messing up.” Getting drunk and having a fender bender in Dad’s car is messing up; hell, having sex before marriage and getting the girl knocked up is messing up. Cars can be repaired, and families can work together to figure out what to do about the pregnancy. Christa and her baby are dead. I know you know that, but I always object when someone on this site refers to having killed or almost killed someone as “messing up” or “making a mistake.”
But back to your main concern, I don’t see anyone here blaming Couty’s family or upbringing for what happened. Of course, there is speculation that the way he was raised came into conflict with other areas of his life once he started spending 12 hours of every work day in a very secular environment. Having ministered to “some pretty tough people” is a far cry from spending that many hours a day in the company of and immersed in the mindset of people who were raised with a very different worldview. Even more, many of these people were what you could call “sympathetic characters”–they were smart, and funny, and kind, and compassionate. Maybe (note, I’m saying “maybe”) he came to admire his coworkers and others he met during the course of a workday in a way he hadn’t anticipated. Maybe being with them altered the way he thought about things some. All I’m suggesting is the possibility that he was experiencing tension between how he was raised and what life was like after being married and beginning work as an EMT–and perhaps this is what you are seeing as people “blaming” his upbringing.
You’re completely right, we may never hear a full accounting of what through Couty’s mind. I sure would like to know, but I know it wasn’t his mom, his dad, his homeschool curriculum, his God, his tension, his coworkers, or his postman who pulled the trigger. Couty is still to blame for killing Christa.
Damn, I think I just said what Meg said but made it long and complicated. Sorry about that.
204
Mojo
Jul 9, 2008 at 6:06 pm -So that said, Snuggle, does it not cause you to step back a second and think you could do everything right as a parent, and this could still happen?
I say this because as I have struggled to put reasoning right or wrong to what he did and what could have possibly led to this. My heart goes out to Mrs Alexander as she has long been high on my respect list and I have always thought highly of her as a parent.
205
Mojo
Jul 9, 2008 at 6:13 pm -Great summary Lizard.
206
SNUGGLEBB
Jul 9, 2008 at 7:01 pm -Lizard, I take back about the mistake. You are absolutely correct. I always love to learn when I’m wrong. And I’m gonna shout it out here. I was WRONG!!! He killed her. He didn’t make a mistake or mess up. He just killed her. I stand corrected.
As far as the other things, well, you’re just penning thoughts and that’s what posting is all about. Great feedback though. I love this. Thanks for reading and posting your answers.
I like talking about this. I need to talk about this. It hurts and getting out my opinions and observing others is healing for me.
And Mojo, you’re absolutely right. We can do everything right as parents and this can still happen. But I don’t have to worry about doing everything right cuz I KNOW I don’t. I’m no perfect parent. You’ve prolly already figured that one out though as I told you about the towel incident and my naked little jay birds out flashin the world as they passed by in cars!
207
Lizard
Jul 9, 2008 at 7:05 pm -No worries, snugglebb. I’m not a mom, but if I were, Couty Alexander would have me scared shitless: “If THEY raised a child who shot his pregnant wife…?”
Come and speculate and wonder and vent all you need. There’s almost always someone here to talk to. But just so you know, some of us are pretty foul-mouthed!
I bet your jaybirds were cute as can be.
208
SNUGGLEBB
Jul 9, 2008 at 7:19 pm -Yes, dude! My husband had a long talk with my little “jaybird.” My daughter is 7 and she insisted on going with me to the wake. I warned her that it wouldn’t be fun, but my husband thought it would be good for her to see the “unpretty” side of life. And he talked with her before she left about what happened. Don’t know if a 7 yr old would catch it all. I don’t even understand if they know the finality of death but it was a good opportunity to just talk with her about how important knowing the man you are gonna marry for a long time.
Even with that said, I feel like Couty’s family and even Couty many months ago could’ve let his reputation speak for itself. Beautiful family, wonderful servants, great friends….I mean, I would’ve been proud to marry into that family. Something just snapped to cause him to kill.
And someone much earlier said something about the killing of the turtles. I agree with what they said too. I mean shooting turtles for no good reason? I mean some of us down here in the south of Louisiana eat them, but I don’t think that was his intention. I don’t eat them either so I wouldn’t just shoot them for the fun of it.
I just wonder what he is thinking right now. Does he regret it? Does he regret telling the truth? Does he wish he could undue it and have his wife back? Is he glad she’s gone? This is what goes through my mind now.
209
Lizard
Jul 9, 2008 at 11:04 pm -I thought about this statement as I was walking to my car after work today; not sure why it didn’t stand out for me before.
Naturally, because it comes to us from Bec, we should treat it as unconfirmed (no offense, Bec).
But, damn, if it is true, then it just ratchets up the tragedy level on this, if that’s possible. For her to have found the man of her dreams, her soulmate (or maybe to have believed it for some time), and to have started on a life together with him and expecting her first child…and he shoots her in the back of the head.
I need to go bang my head against a wall for an hour or three.
210
Meg
Jul 9, 2008 at 11:55 pm -Lizard I don’t mind you saying what I said, I didn’t copyright it.
But Snuggle is exactly right. The day this horrible tragedy happened and I heard she was killed by some maniac who broke into their house I NEVER suspected Couty. When I told my friend about how shellshocked I was, something you never expect to happen happens to a friend she asked if it was the husband. No way jose, I knew it wasn’t Couty! Then she found the latest update which had been posted just minutes before and I couldn’t breathe. It didn’t make sense. Some people thought for days there was no way it could be Couty. I don’t think it was something that could have been predicted you know? I mean even if Christa noticed he was acting funny, even if he was snapping at her or who knows what I just don’t see her being worried he was going to kill her. That’s just not like him. I think if Couty had not confessed I would not have believed it.
I agree, I am very happy to be able to vent here about this subject. None of you know me so I am not terribly worried about offending someone.
My friends I would normally discuss it with wouldn’t be able to listen to me as the hurt is still too raw. I have to talk though and get it off my chest. Thanks for the outlet.
211
Harley_Tech
Jul 10, 2008 at 12:17 am -Just an observation here, but those of you that are close to this situation are very different than those we normally see here. At least some of you can recognize that he did this and don’t come here making excuses for him. I can respect that.
It is actually kind of refreshing to see.
I’ll not use the wide brush and say all, but some.
It has to be one of the most difficult things we as humans face, that someone we know or care about has turned out to be a monster or at least acted like one for one brief life changing moment.
I tip my hat to you who can look at this situation rationally and see the truth of the matter, no matter how hard that might be.
R
212
Bec Going
Jul 10, 2008 at 1:16 am -Well, for that matter, nothing on here is “confirmed”.
Yeah, but I think it’s more chilling because of the courtship. Not only had she found the one she wanted, but he was given the blessing to have her hand. That’s not an automatic given and it’s huge. It may be arguable how naive a young and in love bride is, it’s not arguable that Bro. Baker was certainly not naive. Anyway, that’s what gets me.
213
Wonder
Jul 10, 2008 at 1:32 am -I’ve been reading hear since the beginning and this is my first comment. The fact that she was getting clothes out of her closet made me think she may of been complaining she had nothing to wear… meaning in fitting at about 4 months your normal clothes get tight. Shot her for nagging him.
and reading kimberly’s comment about cootie having to do without growing up due to such a large family makes it seem that more possible. He didn’t feel she needed a shopping trip. The real world is tough making your money stretch.
214
Kimberly
Jul 10, 2008 at 1:48 am -I don’t want to get off the subject but SnuggleBB, where are you getting your statistics about home schooling? Please don’t take offense, but home schooling is terrible in most situations. I am a teacher and every student that I have ever received after being home schooled is so far behind and many times they are very immature in a classroom setting. Anytime we teachers hear that we are getting a new student that has been homeschooled, we take a deep sigh. Unless the mother has teaching degree, how is she qualified to teach every subject necessary from K-12? I have a teaching degree and I don’t think I could teach every subject needed from K-12. Also, kids have to learn to deal with peer pressure and other world issues without having parents make every decision for them. They are not prepared for the real world which they have to work in one day. I don’t mean to be so critical but I know a lot about homeschooling and your comment about it being a proven fact that homeschoolers do better shocked me. I’m not blaming Couty’s actions on homeschooling but I know Couty and he is no animal or a sociopath, so something went wrong. I have a lot of respect for the Alexander mother as well and I feel sooo badly for her. I’m not blaming homeschooling for Couty’s actions, but we have to look at everthing that lead up to this tragedy, and I do not feel like Couty was prepared for the “real world”. I think there were some unrealistic standards that he was expected to live up to. It is kind of crazy to think that he believed it was a sin for women to wear pants, but he resorted to murdering his wife. If it turns out that he was on steroids, which would make a little more sense to those of us who knew him, then maybe wasn’t prepared for the pressures and freedoms that are in “real world.”
215
thepooh5
Jul 10, 2008 at 9:44 am -Very well put Harley. That was my thought about these involved people and kudos to them. And, prayers for their pain and healing.
216
Mojo
Jul 10, 2008 at 9:56 am -I saw it mentioned elsewhere and can’t shake the concept that his outside friends did not know of the pregnancy. His MySpace also makes no mention of it. Does anyone else know of this?
217
Harley_Tech
Jul 10, 2008 at 10:04 am -I am troubled by the repeated comments about steroids. His pictures don’t look at all like someone abusing steroids. His arms are no more developed than any kid his age who takes decent care of himself.
From the pics I’d guess he worked out a couple times a week. If he had recently gone from working out a couple times a week to working out 6 days a week for hours at a time then I might suspect a steroid issue.
R
218
LeeMouse
Jul 10, 2008 at 10:07 am -I’m going to agree with Kimberly here. I’m a professor, and by far, the least-prepared, lowest-performing students I’ve had (at any college or university where I’ve taught) are the home-schooled, without a doubt. They can be OK at rote learning and the memorization of facts, but when it comes to higher-order critical thinking and analysis, home-schooled students lag way, way behind. This is particularly true when the home-schooled student was home-schooled due to fundamentalist religious beliefs. (And I’ve taught plenty such students, as I live near a large fundamentalist “no-hair-cuttin’, no-pants-wearin’ for the women” community.) These are not communities that encourage you to think for yourself, or to gain meaningful life experience outside of the cloistered community.
All of the studies which trumpet home-schoolers’ “success” in college are at least partially funded by regional and/or national homeschoolers’ associations, which of course have a vested interest in the outcome. No completely independent–and rigorously conducted–longitudinal study has found that home-schooling trumps public education; in fact, the opposite conclusion is usually supported.
Having said that, I will admit that one of the best students I ever taught was home-schooled. However, he was raised by liberal hippie parents who encouraged open inquiry rather than dogma.
Having said all this: My best and oldest college friend belongs to an extremely fundamentalist sect, and Mr. LeeMouse is from Louisiana, and neither one would ever dream of taking the life of another. Whatever sociocultural influences shaped Couty Alexander, the decision to execute his wife lies solely with him.
PS: Have I mentioned how very, very much I hate the spelling of his name? I guess Hooked On Phonics didn’t really work all that well for his parents after all.
219
Mojo
Jul 10, 2008 at 10:14 am -While I am on the MySpace thing, has anyone noticed that the other girl in question, who by comment appears to be troubled and perhaps not gone back to work, but has since put up new pics of her buddy.
Even if he was my brother who I loved I would have a hard time posting new shining happy pics in light of what has recently happed. Just thought it strange.
220
Mikey1116
Jul 10, 2008 at 10:21 am -Which one is she? Whats her name?
221
Mojo
Jul 10, 2008 at 10:27 am -His #1 friend
222
Mandella
Jul 10, 2008 at 10:42 am -I noticed those pics a few days ago, as well. Yes, I find it very odd to post new pics of your friend who was just imprisoned for the murder of his young wife and unborn child. Call me crazy….
I can’t remember whether Allison was his #1 to start off with or not; somebody has deleted themselves from his friends list, because he’s one short on the top 8.
I also noticed that most all of his friends (last I checked) still have him in their top friends. I would take a murderer out of my “top friends” immediately, so I found that to be a little weird too.
And back to Allison - I think she’d be interesting to hear from. Not that we ever will. I suspect she’s someone Couty had a flirtatious relationship with, and I further suspect she’s having some serious head issues right about now.
I imagine that entire Acadian Ambulance Service is having a hard time with this. As Couty’s secular friends, they probably wonder whether they had a hand in his “snapping” or not.
I hope that everyone affected by this finds peace…
Oh, and I guess I’ll just keep rattling on. Why not?
As far as blaming Couty’s upbringing for this - that’s not the case. My cousins led a very sheltered existence due to the religious extremism of my Uncle. Granted, they went crazy when they saw the real world out there, but they didn’t kill anyone. They drank, had sex, had FUN, and found themselves somewhere between the religiosity and the secular.
Couty is a murderer. That’s not to be blamed on anyone, or anything, except Couty.
(and yes, the spelling of his name is infuriating)
223
Harley_Tech
Jul 10, 2008 at 10:54 am -Hell, I figure the spelling of his name is what set him off. I know it would piss me off.
R
224
MissRight
Jul 10, 2008 at 10:58 am -welcome snuggle-I enjoyed your post
225
Mikey1116
Jul 10, 2008 at 11:04 am -Damn I just checked out the myspace. Fat, ugly n trashy. Sure was sick for her to post those new pics. Sounds like she’s wanting a little attention of her own.
226
thepooh5
Jul 10, 2008 at 11:04 am -welcome snugglebb :0
227
SNUGGLEBB
Jul 10, 2008 at 11:18 am -So if homeschoolers do the math, do the research, we’re gonna bend the information to make ourselves look good? I really don’t think so. And if you looked hard enough, you’ll find the evidence. Homeschoolers do indeed start out slower, but they finish greater, faster, and more equipt than any child I’ve ever seen come out of a regular school. Hey, I come from the public school system myself and I remember the days. There was NO way I could focus my attention on 7 different teachers for 8 hours a day and no other child can do the same. Oh they’ll perform, they’ll make the good grades (some of them) and when you ask them what they’ve learned after that day is done, they can’t tell you. It was poured out on the hot bus ride home! The media (who is biased) has finally done its own research and found that all I’ve said is fact, not opinion. The higher elite colleges are looking and wanting homeschoolers cuz they are ready and more equipt to learn. And as far as sticking my little ones in school so they can deal with peer pressure, my children aren’t ready to be missionaries to public school children or private or Christian school people at such a young age. We don’t shelter them, we show them sin from a holy God’s perspective. Most folks will never understand that….unless you’ve had the greatest experience of your life with a Living God that shows you these things. So I can’t really explain it without being offensive to all of you. So I’ll end with “to each his own.” And we can go on in the discussion of what this portion of this blog is really about…..murder.
And DUDES please! Don’t be so hard on the name Couty! His mother’s name is spelled Julee so she must’ve thought it great to be different, thus the lifestyle and convictions. The dress code thing is not a “have to” with a bunch of religious laws. I consider myself a happy, holy woman of God and I wear pants…..GASP!!!! When these folks wear only long dresses they are saying something not to the world but to Him. They are saying “I feel like you made ladies to wear dresses and I will honor You, Lord by doing that.” No biggie. Not out to change the world so that all women wear dresses, it’s just a personal conviction. You may be pointing out opinions on all these things because you are highly educated and making a educated opinion on this. But in defense of precious homeschoolers and folks that choose to wear dresses and live in accordance with their convictions from what they believe God has spoken, go easy on them. I know precious people who go to church that don’t homeschool and don’t wear just dresses and they can do equally great things for the Kingdom of God……it’s all about what God speaks to you.
228
SNUGGLEBB
Jul 10, 2008 at 11:24 am -Thank you Pooh! What a cool name you have! One of my brothers best friends is name Pooh Bear (nickname of course!) This is a great forum…..thank you for “hearing my opinions”. And I don’t mind being disagreed with. We can disagree and still talk like we don’t hate each other! Thank you too Miss Right! Yall have a wonderful terrific day….it’s fixin to storm over here so I’m goin out in the yard and play with my babies before we’re chased inside by the weather! See yall later!
229
Mikey1116
Jul 10, 2008 at 11:50 am -You mean he fucked up with Eve? His original intent was to have her running around nekkid (Praise the Lord!), so Im not seein it.
230
Mandella
Jul 10, 2008 at 11:54 am -Mikey1116, you’re harsh and rude.
And I like it.
(although I don’t think Couty’s friend Allison is ‘fat, ugly, and trashy’ - in fact, I think she’s kinda pretty)
231
WryBread
Jul 10, 2008 at 11:55 am -I am going to make a guess here that the outcome of homeschooling depends upon the education and gift for teaching of the parent. If teacher can only copy from the book, it’s rote learning. If teacher has done a lot of reading thinking, it’s a gift to a child to be with her or him.
I have met impressively mature and intelligent homeschooled children and a few that seem to have been absorbed into the shadow of their mother. One thing that I enjoy about homeschooled kids is that they seem like kids and not little sex-pot wannabes or jaded mall sophisticates. But I also noted across the board an intense interest in them about the “outside” world and a quality of feeling confined in too small an arena.
After I said in front of one of these absorbing-Mammas and her teen-aged daughter that I didn’t care if God created the world or evolution did because I figured I would find out after I died and in the meantime it was hardly what God would want me to focus on, she never let me near her daughter again. Perhaps it was because her daughter’s eyes were brightly focused on me and her face full of interest and the unspoken message, “Thanks for speaking up to my Mom!” I got the idea that this young woman was aching to leave the fold and she would arrive in the world pretty much unequipped with anything moral except a bunch of rules that she was rejecting even as we sat there.
And his Mom’s name is Julee? Well, I guess a family has to find their break-out arena of self-expression somewhere. I can’t even figure out what name “Couty” is supposed to be. Cody? Coty? Coudry? Short for something?
God doesn’t only show Herself through Christianity and the Bible. Religion is a mask, a vehicle, that we put on God in order to be able to comprehend Her. So many of us may have a relationship with a Living God that isn’t from your wellspring, Snugg, and doesn’t involve a dress code in any way. I don’t mean to be rude, just offering some insight.
232
tray-bay-bay
Jul 10, 2008 at 12:00 pm -Exactly, Harley! Why would you screw your kid over first thing he’s born and give him the name COOTIE. Couty is phonetically COOTIE. That’s just wrong.
233
thepooh5
Jul 10, 2008 at 12:01 pm -Thanks, daddy gave it to me when I was little - it stuck for all these years. He didn’t just call me “Pooh” I was “The Pooh”.
Everytime he would call for me it would be like “Where’s the pooh” or The Pooh, come here I need you to help me.
Thats why I use the name “the pooh” instead of just pooh.
And, just in case I ever speak of my “daddy” being dead and then turn around and say something about what dad did yesterday - don’t think I’m a liar.
Daddy - was my uncle (on my dad’s side) who raised me. He did not raise me because my mom ran off. My dad (sperm donor) left us, my mom had to work to support us. She was only able to get a second shift job, which meant, when she was at home, I was at school and when I was home, she was at work. That’s how I came basically to live and be raised by my uncle. Of course we were together on weekends, holiday, or vacation time. And mom always got up and helped me get ready for school.
Now, when I refer to dad, he’s my sperm donor and that’s about it, but he’s alive so sometimes I do mention him. I confuse a lot of people when I say my “daddy” is dead but me and “dad” went to pick up his dozer.
Not that has anything to do with this, but you’re new and if you caught me posting about a dad who is dead one day and saying me and dad did something the next, you would think I was a big fat liar.
This concludes the personal history lesson on the pooh for today. lol I can’t believe I added all of that.
234
Mikey1116
Jul 10, 2008 at 12:08 pm -fuck! I was looking at the wrong girl. I retract the “ugly” and “trashy” part. Thanks for catchin’ that mandella.
235
Meg
Jul 10, 2008 at 12:25 pm -Thank you very much.
Exactly my thought!! If Christa had been your average girl and met Couty and “fell in love” it would seem tragic sure but not quite so scary because we would assume she just looked over things that she should have noticed. The scary part is like I said Bro. Baker has no emotional ties to him and if anything would have been TRYING to find a reason to “disqualify” him from marrying his daughter. He did this before Christa supposedly knew Couty was interested. So sad.
Ehhhh this is kind of a stretch, I think Christa didn’t have a lot growing up either and it still means something was really wrong inside Couty to suddenly snap and kill her. That’s just not a valid reason. The only valid reason I know to kill someone is if they are about to kill or otherwise cause bodily injury to myself or someone else.
Actually they person who mentioned this to me said something like “Couty was always a real skinny boy and suddenly after he got out of EMT school he was bulking up and obssessed with looking good”. Maybe?
I don’t think that she was saying that’s what she is following, she was trying to explain what others believe.
As far as the homeschool issue goes…I was homeschooled my entire life. I agree there are some homeschool moms who think homeschooling is supposed to be the “easy way out” and don’t do diddly squat with their kids. There are others who make up the majority IMHO and their kids excel in all subjects. I don’t think you have to have a teaching degree to teach your kids because of all the helpful tools out there for homeschoolers these days. One of the best things we’ve used was the Switched on Schoolhouse computer program. It has an excellent curriculum and helps pace the kids however slow or fast you want them to go. I also happen to know three guys in my peer group who are all around my age and when they graduated “homeschool” (two of them at the age of 16) at the same time they were getting associate degrees from the community college. One went on to law school which he has since completed (by the age of 20 or 21 I think), one just graduated with his bachelor’s this past year in engineering at age 20 and the third also graduated with a bachelor’s at 20 in something else, I can’t remember now what he does. Their moms did not have teaching degrees. So I just want you to know there are others outside your experience who are great homeschoolers and are where we get our statistics from.
236
Mikey1116
Jul 10, 2008 at 12:25 pm -Here’s a little something Mama Alexander wrote in a Fundamentalist newsletter:
“As the family grows there are certain key elements of discipline that a parent must not fail to implement. Julee Alexander, mother of 14, believes that the most important aspect of parenting is two fold.
First, children must learn security in knowing there are rigid, unmovable boundaries set there to protect them from harm.
Second, fill their minds with God‘s infallible word. There are a number of tapes and other programs that can assist parents in the latter endeavor. Whole chapters can be digested by even the smallest child. These truths are like small seeds that will grow in their lives and guide them in the future. “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.‖
Check out the whole newsletter. Its a trip… HELL AND DAMNATION!
http://www.members.cox.net/cal.....TTER07.pdf
237
WryBread
Jul 10, 2008 at 12:42 pm -I read as much as I could take in one day. Too much use of that meaningless word, “amazing.” A tone of parents against children — watch them, restrict them, form them, worry about their “finishing strong,” etc. If God’s Word is so powerful, why all the angst that this newsletter displays — is Satan stronger? I need to go back and read the rest before I offer any more; this is my first mpression.
238
solange822001
Jul 10, 2008 at 12:48 pm -I must say that I too have enjoyed the new posters that have come here because of the Christa Baker story (even you Mikey1116!) It’s very refreshing to hear from people close to a story, who are able to offer more insight into this than any of us here can ever have.
I hate to veer off-topic again, but I too shudder when I hear about a child being “home-schooled”. There is so much that children need to learn that doesn’t come in a text book (social skills, dealing with authority figures that aren’t your parents). Although I’m sure plenty of kids who are home-schooled turn out fine, I truly think that they are at a disadvantage, and I have to say I also doubt the statistics that say that home-schooled kids do better. Nothing personal Snuggle, you sound like a great parent, but I just had to put my two cents in about that. Not to preach, but please make sure that your kids involve themselves in as many social activities as possible, to help compensate for what they arent getting at school.
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Meg
Jul 10, 2008 at 1:02 pm -While I’m at it, let me hit the social angle–everyone says “but what about their social skills!” as if being homeschooled means you are locked in your house from the age of 6-18. That’s just BULL. I mean like I pointed out earlier there are SOME parents who don’t do this thing right but as long as I can remember I’ve played with the neighbor kids (when they got back from school and I’d been done with school for three hours haha) and we had homeschool group meetings where we did activities with other homeschoolers. When I was six I was in a T-ball league and quite enjoyed myself, and my church has been a great place to find social time.
I don’t know what you guys are seeing but I think you must have seen the bad 10% and thought the entire homeschool population was that way. Really what I’m thinking is if they were homeschooled before and now are suddenly going INTO public school, that says to me that someone somewhere said “this isn’t working and they’re not getting what they need from me so I think I need to try it this way now”. Sometimes I think parents blindly get into homeschooling without realizing what a commitment it is. That’s why you come across so many homeschool families with stay-at-home moms, there just isn’t enough time in the day to homeschool and work. My mom has been working 15 hours a week since last fall and it has taken a tremendous toll on the homeschooling. Just 15 hours a week! We are working through it trying to figure out how to cover all the holes and get the kids back on track but if a parent just jumped into it without really thinking through, I could see them going umm, oops this is NOT what I thought it was going to be like and deciding to put their kids in school. Those are the ones you are seeing maybe and that would explain your negative view. However you aren’t seeing the great examples of kids who are doing well because their parents don’t need to put them in public school. I’ve been seeing some of the products of the public school around here lately and have been quite shocked at how much more advanced some of the homeschoolers are. There are just too many variables to put all of us in a box and say homeschooling is bad.
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WryBread
Jul 10, 2008 at 1:15 pm -Meg, I have to agree with you here, though with some hesitation. From what I see of public-schoolers, much of what the kids learn socially is to be too soon swept up in the prevailing mores of popular culture. So the boys learn to disdain learning as grinding and not as cool as conquering the skateboard or getting shit-faced drunk and high while underage. The girls lose their minds to make-up, worrying about fat, searching desperately for boyfriends. This is what I see around me where I live. And it’s sad.
My observation is that home-schooled kids are at a “disadvantage” because their lacking these values will forever put them outside the current norm — but is it so bad to be excluded from that? Is it a terrible fate to be well educated and bookish? No. It only means you’ll have to search a little harder for people like you. One trip to the make-up counter at the mall won’t produce a dozen bffs.
So the debate rages on here, and it’s been very interesting.
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SNUGGLEBB
Jul 10, 2008 at 2:34 pm -Tray Bay Bay…..if you look at the word Couty, you will see an option of two different rules that could be applied in the phonics. First, one stated the Cootie which is the rule of two vowels put together making the long vowel sound of one of the letters. Second, you could say Cow-ty. This is the rule that the ou is pronounced ow like in the word shout. But I cheer for the mother that chooses to say, “I’ll decide how it’s spelled and pronounced!” I think it’s refreshing and different! I loooooooove different. I hate being labeled and put in a box saying these are the rules, follow these or you’re weird!!! I added an e to my middle name just for the fun of it!!!
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SNUGGLEBB
Jul 10, 2008 at 3:01 pm -Not to mention the first rule which makes some say it’s Cootie, isn’t the only long o sound. The long o sound is really O as in float. So in essence, she spelled it correctly to pronounce Couty.
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