WiresNPipes

Wow, you endured some brutal times. I'm sorry for that but glad to have you here. Adversity implants a zest for life that those with a comfortable upbringing often lack or lose. You'll help, and there's plenty more truth for you to excavate.

I've posted on a couple issues and said Hi to a few of you, but here's my shingle: Early 40s, railroader after 17 years construction, 5 children, BSME, deFOO'd and divorced about a year before my father, a lutheran pastor, passed a couple years back. Ma calls on me monthly. Though she was so tender and pleasant and loving to us eleven children, her prayers push me away anymore. No, her telling me about praying turns me away. Why would anybody share their prayers!? My children are so well because I withhold prayer . I love the show!! I struggle with Stef's guessing at dream interpretations when I thought one would surely have to intimately know the persons background, but I sure don't see the harm in it, and trust he's right as much as wrong. But I would like to hear him say he doesn't know once, and not edit it out. I only get the podcasts. But I'm eternally grateful for his sharing what he does know as so much of it would've bypassed me, and so very much of it affects me. And thanks to you, FreeDomainRadio community, for energizing our spokesman and supplying rich topics and material to articulate. I'm really thrilled to be part of something so grand - even if my part is a paltry few shekles. I grew up skeptically conservative and regrettably admit having voted a few times. Worse yet, for the lesser of three (yeah, Libertarian) evils. TV and radio were sin, and we Christians were not to sing anything but hymns, fuss over contemporary issues of the world, participate in sports or any extracurricular activities that our public schools offered. Looking back, I laugh about the elders (the missionary preachers from swedish Lapland, spawning ground of the sect) lauding that the world persecutes you Christians at school and work, but be comforted, and "be not of this world". Now, as an atheist I've tasted ostracism! They said believe in Christ to love, while I found no purpose in the church whatsoever other than to hate better insiders, leavers, infidels, and other outsiders - in that order because the clergy weren't paid, and being asked to serve in the church was nothing short of sacrifice. I, pastor's child, was the main sacrifice. Dues were to cover travel costs of the missions, building and maintenance, and infrequently to help the blighted. Um, I like Mark Twain . I spanked my children, shamed my spouse, and pretended to be a believing Christian till 34, when I was brought before the church for correction once too often and spilled that I was atheist - my whole life. That prompted a separation and a half-divorce. A reconciliation attempt failed, and she divorced me the following year, 2010 and we worst enemies have been best friends since. The children played us pretty bad and struggle socially, but I'm optimistic and think they'll rally. As for parenting, we were continuing the trend toward peace that locally the past few generations set, and I would only spank when one shot a BB through a window, left half a gallon of ice cream to melt under dirty laundry, or otherwise damaged property that I sorely resented having to repair or replace. She had a sharp tongue, and I suspect hurt them worse, which didn't sit well with me - being bested - no, having been loved. Anyway, knowing something was wrong, we got some tidbits on parenting and were onboard with Love and Logic, and did ok, considering the formitive years were past. But when a neighbor or fellow Christian criticized her, she gave it up as foolishness, and returned to exaspiration. I guess the family members all found solace as victims. My parents taught me voluntarism believe it or not. I watched them learn from beating my siblings and I, and saw that they observed the reverse effects of their intended goals, and though I always resented spanking on me or anyone, and any other application of power authority, I had no use for it or I was too small, always short for my age. My children's rash disregard for my property, perhaps due to frustration at us parents, finally ired me to hit. But even then I knew that this was not according to parenting as I forsaw, and that I had erred. I still feel bad for it ten years gone, and now feel dad's sincerity when he cried begging forgiveness for spanking us children. Now my children show me the same earnest curiosity that I felt toward dad each time I confess to having abused them through spanking. I suppose they too will forgive but never forget. Not having a television, I didn't understood politics deeper than the myths that Republicans want to conserve small government but eradicate foreign heathen enemies to keep us safe, while Democrats would create programs to redistribute wealth. Coming out of public high school, on the B honor role, I was that deluded. Dad suggested that if there's any doubt, avoid the incumbent, and he advised me that the local officials warranted more attention. Well, in 2000 I heard Harry Browne and became a Libertarian from just one debate or speech - I don't recall which, and for the 2004 election I was an enthusiatic libertarian having heard many of his archived radio shows. In 2008 The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged vindicated me and at 38 I touched down bonified anarchist. I've since delighted in atheist shows and books, predominantly Twain and Garrison Keillor, and history and anarchist podcasts.

Yeah, good prompt. Like the Bible turns out atheists, the state's most glorious fist of force makes pacifists. Curious... Congratulations Dassquatch, welcome!

Atlas Shrugged. That and Stef's books are probably most referenced here. Read them before you engage in philosophy here (see rules). I started UPB and postponed it for Mark Twain's Mysterious Stranger - witty. You'll not run out of reading here - view the forum page for media/recommended. Welcome to the community :-)

Congratulations Chris on finding the pot of gold so young. Welcome, musician.

Hey Spacepan, what's in the handle? I'm from Minneapolis and working out of St James now, a couple hours away. This forum has launched! Enjoy. Surrounded by statists resounds here, you're in good company. I suspect a minority of lawyers respect their role in protecting subjects from the state. Too bad you gotta ferret around for them. Anyway, enjoy the challenge of advocating freedom in state run courts ;-) . Were it easy, anyone could do it.

Greetings Super Adventurer, I saw the episode and likewise don't relish the club's purpose, but it's funny. You went opposite directions from mine, but don't be too hard on yourself. I worked construction like a dog and made babies for a score of years before I thunk. We took on the usual american debt and enjoyed trips and toys and a big house. Now I have a house that doesn't fit that's too far from my work and too far out of town to get a decent price for. So racked with debt and struggling to love my children around her taking them to any and all church functions she has gas money for, I have but regrets for all my years hiding in work. You're my age . I just lost my dad to cancer after deFOOing. There's a lot unsaid between us that I now am ready to face. I'd guess you don't have that regret? Well, enjoy the show. It's the best in the world.

The market developed the credit score for assessing financial trustworthiness. Could it likewise assign degree of accountability for actions and harshness of penalties, and bestow permissions/priviledges? Two edged sword - you'd want to score high to buy guns, booze, and a house but low to get a break when you mess up. Maybe your personhood/competency sevel would be public, and it may well be a tool for matching couples and employment. When children come of age, they demonstrate competence and stability, as vouched for by references on say a job application. Parties in a free society will continue to grade one another (as we partially do now, and will increasingly henceforth) in credit and other interactions, such as past violations, work and socializing. While the state likes dependency and would perpetuate childhood well into middle age, I suspect a free society would encourage responsibility. The state arbitrarily sets an age or body maturity measure whence a child becomes an adult - in privileges and punishment, and dictate terms for parent and child, erring towards restricting, wouldn't free people assess one another individually, rejoicing when children test their wings? In "Whatever Happened to Justice" (non-statist homeschool textbook), Richard Maybury explains that early common law judges considered partial responsibility of adulthood in cases involving youths, and it worked well on an individual basis. Please discuss whether a free society might apply the same method of determining economic privilege as it would for behavioral freedom and accountability for tort. Consider life cycle competency and health. As one aged, should they be trusted less with high speed transport? Charged more to drive? DROs are preventative, but would they not charge appropriately? Is it lunacy to imagine a household where parent's aren't bound to raise the child to some point at which the child assumes all responsibility, and where the child isn't bound to the parent, but instead imagine the household where the child's personhood gradually is yielded from parent to the growing child? Once the child is eager to leave, as with their baby steps, I want to encourage them with cheer. Doesn't restraint harm them? Once they emancipate, must the parent remain ever theirs? Might a free world encourage parents to remain involved and assist their children, even into mid-life? And as the child is very much a product of the parent, should the parent ever be entirely absolved of havoc an abused grown child wreaks? I'm a Rothbardian, and honestly I thought you were too. I should read more to learn the subtle differences. I know you each (among others) danced around this issue but not yet to my satisfaction. You have a wonderful family, and I can't imagine izzy ever wanting to leave upset with her folks, nor you ever cutting her off. But I'm a pastor's son and married a religious girl and fathered five children as a matter of course, hiding my atheism to keep in company of my very fundamental society. My ex was overbearing and hollered a lot. As husband, I was the worker bee. The children hated her, and I didn't earn much favor leaving them all with her five years back. Now they hug me and visit gayly, and I'll help them if they 1. ask, 2. need, and 3. try, but though closing, we're distant. They heard the school/state promise unending attention and plant suspicion of us (parents') good will. The ex is a fair mom now, but they put her through hell and mellowed her . Two of my older sisters emancipated early to escape the church pressure, and my eldest did and it looks like the next will too. All this just to say that I have seen and experienced too much familial slavery and I can only hope that one day family fetters can be voluntarily shed, by either child or parent. As for parents leaving, ostracism checks behavior, and who would date an abandoner? A parent raised peacefully would have to be on the brink of suicide to abandon a child in a free society. Second post. I'm not so bright, but I do sooo love this community. I swell with pride to consider myself a meager sponser . Plenty of truth discovered, plenty more to find. Exhilirating! Fairly twitching for the documentary.