Back to School, Back to P*rn?

WOW is issuing a WARNING to all parents with school age children, that  po*rn  purveyors have pushed explicit material into the digital pages of our schools that almost all students have access to.

This is how it works. Schools, both  public and private, online and charter, purchase online library resources. It is akin to the old fashioned reference section of the library. One leading supplier  across the nation is acronymed  EBSCO. Colleges, universities and libraries also purchase from them, which allows all students and patrons  access. The problem is these online reference centers are filled with hardcore p*rnography.

WOW began an investigation into this and within 3 hours was able to document around 8,000 explicit images, articles and advertisements. This raises many questions such as Why are s*x ads in  the student reference library?  Much of the explicit so -called reference material comes from  sales magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Glamor, Marie Claire, and many others within this closed system.

Every student in Utah, whether elementary, middle or high school, who has online access at school also has access to EBSCO through the Utah Education Network. As a matter of fact, it is a recommended place for research, and often preferred above a direct internet search for being safer. This is not true. Schools generally have filters for the internet, but because these reference libraries are a closed system, they CAN NOT BE FILTERED. As a matter of fact, when the reference library is searched the only URL  that appears is the reference library name.

WOW discovered that EBSCO is listed as one of the National Center of Sexual Exploitation’s Dirty Dozen. You can link to their website for more detailed and graphic information and access to some great action items. https://endsexualexploitation.org/ebsco/

Two other news stories have recently broken about the EBSCO database problem in Colorado and Kansas as well.

Colorado https://www.9news.com/article/news/parents-fighting-porn-claim-victory-over-cherry-creek-schools/73-593150722 

Kansa https://www.kwch.com/content/news/Mcpherson-school-district-responds-to-internet-safety-issues-494091541.html

WOW is currently working to get the UEN to sever ties with EBSCO. Nicholeen Peck was able to interview with KTVU channel 2 news in Utah.  Link to that interview:

https://kutv.com/news/beyond-the-books/beyond-the-books-utah-mom-finds-pornographic-pics-on-utah-education-network-database

UEN said in a statement that they will continue to leave EBSCO available over the weekend, and have contacted EBSCO about the explicit material. This is not a satisfactory response.  Ray Timothy, CEO of UEN was unavailable for an interview until Monday or Tuesday. Please contact UEN 801 581 6991, [email protected] , your local school, your school board and your legislator  and let them know this will not be tolerated in UTAH.

Update on This Situation:

The UEN held a special board meeting on October 1, 2018 just to discuss the EBSCO issue and intended at that time to vote to re-enable the database resource for schools after it had been disabled for about a week and a half. There were 8 of the board who were able to attend the meeting. The 6 men voted to keep EBSCO out of schools until it could be proven safe. The 2 women voting didn’t protect children well. The representative for the state school board, Patty Norman, abstained from the vote because the school board had a split opinion. And, Colleen Eggett, the head of Utah libraries and the Utah Online Library, which hosts EBSCO, said that children had a first amendment right to see whatever they want, and that it is up to parents to teach children what to do if they come across something bad.

Colleen claimed no responsibility for protecting children or honoring parental rights to keep their children safe when in public. She said the problem was 30% a technology problem and 70% a problem with children not being taught skills by their parents. This claim is very concerning. First, if I governed over any product that had 30% of the blame in hurting my customers, I would pull the product and fix it immediately. That is a very large percentage. Is she saying that 30% of the database is problematic? Second, everyone concerned, parents, students, and teachers, were all told the databases were safe because they were not linked to the internet. The items in the database had to be intentionally put there. So, to put 70% of the blame on parents and teachers is a shift of the blame.

This claim that access to pornography on a public computer is a first amendment right is something the ALA [American Library Association] made up. It is not actually a right. Just as a person doesn’t have the right to scream fire in a crowded movie theatre when there isn’t a fire because it can endanger other people, pornography on a public computer that children have access to is not a right.

WOW blames the ALA for the faulty thinking of Ms. Eggett, and does not see the ALA as a trusted authority on keeping children safe, especially since the ALA has been trying to undermine the Child Internet Protection Act [CIPA] laws since 2001. They even went as far as to sue the government as well as create a day of the year called Banned Internet Sites Day and create their own library bill of rights. The ALA is acting as if they are their own government and that the government owes them respect, instead of the reverse.

Parents, please don’t allow your children to access library databases without you there, and speak up against databases at the schools in your area too that might be subjecting your children to pornography. Do some checking. And, tell other parents.

We commend the UEN for voting to keep EBSCO disabled for the time being and for their efforts to keep pushing toward cleaning up the pornography problem on school databases. Even an article in the EBSCO database titled “Top 10 Security Risk Factors for Public and Academic Libraries” said that pornography being seen at libraries by minors and non-consenting adults was number 4 of their 10 risks. . So, they know about it. The good thing is, now parents know about it too. We must protect the children.

Also, Thursday, October 4, 2018 the Utah State School Board met to vote on what their position would be on the EBSCO databases being reinstated. Even though multiple board members were opposed to the idea, the majority of the school board voted to reinstate EBSCO databases when the vote comes up again at the UEN board meeting. WOW cannot believe that a school board would be so careless with the protection of children’s safety. We don’t feel we can have confidence in a state school board who takes something this serious so lightly. They have more of a duty to protect the children and families of Utah than the interests of a few librarians and teachers.

 

 

 

WOW Teaches Kenyans About Strengthening Families

In 2015 the KCCB, Kenyan Conference of Catholic Bishops, in Nairobi, Kenya asked WOW to send our president, Nicholeen, to train groups of people from all over the nation about how to strengthen family relationships. This year, a little over 3 years later, Nicholeen was invited back by the KCCB to speak at their Humanae Vitae Golden Jubliee celebration.

The KCCB gathered leaders of family organizations and church leaders from all over the country for a one day event where Nicholeen spoke for 4 hours. She taught them about calmness, about being firm but not hitting their children, about skills they could use for family problem solving, and meetings they can use to communicate better with their children. She showed those in attendance how The Family is the Key to the Success of the Humanae Vitae. 

The Humanae Vitae was a document written in the 1960s by Pope John to declare the sacredness of human life. It is the reason Catholics love children so much and don’t believe in abortion or assisted suicide.

Since WOW is also against abortions and assisted suicide practices we were happy to support the dedication the KCCB has to promoting the love and sanctity of human life!

During the 4 days Nicholeen was in Nairobi she spoke to the KCCB group, the KCCB radio station, a Kenyan homeschooling group, and at a fireside for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, as well as having multiple meetings with leaders in the area.

Here is a video made of a few pieces of the fireside by some LDS missionaries. 

Heathen Mothers Cause Conflict Over The Judgement Seat

“There is no more war in my classroom, and there is no more war in my home.” Those were the words of a teacher from Kenya this summer. It was part of a parenting training I attended designed to teach Catholic leaders how to teach their families self-government skills and good communication.

In the 19 years I’ve been teaching parenting self-government skills, I’d never heard the word “war” used for a classroom or home. I suppose we soften terms used for domestic conflict and child rebellion in the United States to make them seem more commonplace. I suppose we think of disrespect and selfishness as normal stages of development, even though that hasn’t always been the case.

Last week’s youth paved the way for yesterday’s teenager, who has now empowered today’s young children to disrespect their parents by making demands and even telling their parents what to do.

A Righteous Judge

Historically kings, queens, judges, priests and parents sat in the judgement seats of the land, churches and homes. Today there are “wars, and rumors of wars” in our nations, states, communities, churches and homes because the righteous judges aren’t being upheld. It has become popular to try to take over the judgement seat by telling those in authority what and what not to do.

Taking over the judgement seat has always been attractive for power seekers. Throughout history corrupt or power-hungry individuals have usurped the power of the judgement seats of other lands. England would hardly have a history without stories of family feuds over titles and lands, taking over church leadership and controlling worship of families. Likewise, the Old Testament is full of contentions, wars and righteous and unrighteous judges.

A righteous parent, king or judge desires in their heart to follow the ways of God. In homes around the world, judgment seats are being taken over by children who aren’t concerned with the ways of God but with the ways of the world. The scriptures say, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.” (Isaiah 55:8)

Child Rulers

Why are children taking over their homes and parents? First, children are disconnected from home and family because they are too connected to social norms, peers and digital devices. Second, families are falling away from righteousness. When parents embrace their own ideas as ultimate truth, children follow suit and think their ideas are also the ultimate truth. This naturally leads to family conflict. Only when a family follows God’s ways will they be unified in purpose and action. Third, parents are second-guessing their authority.

The world has filled parents’ heads with plans to empower, inflate, entertain and be competitive with their children. Parents aren’t told to correct their children. In fact, when parenting gets rough, most parents just back off and join another sport, like online shopping. Parents have given up their parental authority, which is the same as giving up their judgement seat.

Without a righteous leader in the judgement seat, the people or family will perish. “Napoleon Bonaparte was accustomed to say, ‘the future good or bad conduct of a child depended entirely on the mother.’ ” (Character by Samuel Smiles)

Napoleon was a strong-willed child. It was said he was dutifully controlled by his mother, who taught him to value obedience. He knew she saved him from self-destruction as a child. Her influence must have been great because he noticed the lack of her influence years prior to the first French Revolution. When Napoleon “said that the great want of France was mothers, he meant, in other words, that the French people needed the education of homes, presided over by good, virtuous, intelligent women.” (Character by Samuel Smiles)

The first French Revolution showed what happens when children are neglected by their mothers. Samuel Smiles said of the time, “Morals, religion, virtue were swamped by sensualism. The character of women had become depraved. Conjugal fidelity was disregarded, maternity was held in reproach; family and home were alike corrupted. France was motherless; the children broke loose; and the revolution burst forth, ‘amidst the yells and fierce violence of women.” (Character by Samuel Smiles)

A Motherless World?

This description of the French Revolution is ominously familiar with modern times. Where are the mothers? Where are the fathers? Fathers also have a role in history, even though the examples used here are specifically about mothers.

Society has manufactured mothers, thereby negating the need for natural nurturing. In 1838, author Lydia H. Sigourney wrote that there were mothers and “heathen mothers.” These “heathen mothers” were influences that tried to control the minds and hearts of children. She questioned why “heathen mothers” were more dutiful in their mothering tasks than real mothers. The “heathen mothers” were always there for the child, taught, corrected, led and seemed to never tire. Why, Sigourney wondered, would a mother allow other influences to script the hearts of her children?

The world must have mothers. It must have judges to fill its judgement seats. We can’t turn over those sacred posts to unrighteous judges/children or “heathen mothers”/society. We must preserve and protect the role of parents in order to save the children.

Preserving Parental Authority

Dr. Gordon Neufeld observed, “For the first time in history, young people are turning for instruction, modeling and guidance not to mothers, fathers, teachers and other responsible adults, but to people whom nature never intended to place in a parenting role — their own peers… Children are being brought up by immature persons who cannot possibly guide them to maturity. They are being brought up by each other.” (The Collapse of Parenting by Dr. Leonard Sax)

Children are still born to parents and have homes and schools, but those homes, schools and sometimes even parents have different priorities. Modern parents are chiefly concerned with their child’s social life, self-esteem and enjoyment. In fact, many parents are still enjoying their childhood, too. Youthfulness is all the rage, even among adults.

“When culture values youth over maturity, the authority of parents is undermined.” (The Collapse of Parenting by Dr. Leonard Sax)

To stop the wars in our homes, schools and societies, we must preserve parental authority. Parents, especially mothers, have a unique opportunity to mold the hearts and minds of their children and the world. We can’t turn that sacred role and judgement seat over to children, peers, “heathen mothers” or the world. The first step in preparation for war is deciding who the commander is. With a righteous commander the war will end soon and favorably.

We live in a time of “wars, and rumors of wars.” The way to win the war is to claim the judgement seats in our homes so that we can raise a generation of righteous people to hold back the tides of selfishness.

Learn how to set up a self-governing environment here.

Let’s Get This Party Started!

We strongly support, and have shared the influence of Mothers- and how we create life, initiate growth, shape culture, and influence nations.  We reaffirm that the time has come for a “Mastermind” of discussions, meant to really dig in, link arms, and act in unity! With that, we are thrilled to introduce MOMTalks- 15 minute presentations (sounds like a party, doesn’t it?) covering all topics related to MOMS- from parenting to public policy- giving women an opportunity to connect, mentor and encourage one another– and even share their own story.  Presentations were live-streamed earlier today, and you can watch for them on the MOMTalks YouTube channel!

MOMTalks- sponsored by Homemakers For America, launched from Liberty Hall, in Ogden, Utah today! On Constitution Day- September 17, 2018 with events being scheduled in 25 Cities in 2019.