Sherry Holetzky's comments

Important Facts Concerning Marriage - Blog Entry

18 Aug 2006 09:11 AM

That's a good point, Deidre, and it's quite possible. I read several studies to come up with this list and none of them actually gave detailed information as to the causal relationship to their findings.

Learn to Draw! - Blog Entry

15 Aug 2006 07:53 AM

I'm so happy she liked it, Brandie. I was excited when I found it. My kids love it. :o)

Crafts to Make for Your Pets - Blog Entry

14 Aug 2006 08:11 AM

I'm glad you liked it, Brownie, and I appreciate your comments. I'll see what else I can come up with. :o)

Should the Government Have a Say in Marriage? - Blog Entry

14 Aug 2006 08:07 AM

I appreciate your comments. You've obviously put a lot of thought into this issue. I don't advocate removing the government entirely. I just believe that according to the Constitution, marriage should be a state issue. I doubt that we'll ever see "no divorce" legislation, but I think no fault divorce has made it far too easy to walk away from commitments, and like you said, it's the children that pay the most dearly.

Learn to Draw! - Blog Entry

12 Aug 2006 06:13 AM

I'm glad you found it useful, Jody. My kids love to draw too. :o)

Look Beyond the Headlines! - Blog Entry

11 Aug 2006 03:35 PM

News sources definitely need to be viewed carefully. It helps to review several sources of different types, and then form an opinion. Many people tend to form opinions after skimming those sensational headlines and photos (some of which have recently been proven to be altered to appear even worse). A little research is required if people really want to know what's going on in their world. You make some excellent points, Misty.

Are there organizations for peaceful Muslims that take a stand on this issue that I could look up, or are you referring to individuals? I'd be interested in hearing the other side.

Troubling Emotional Advice - Blog Entry

11 Aug 2006 11:27 AM

I agree, Heather; that is bad advice. If someone really loves another person, he or she does not try to break up a relationship or marriage. Doing so is based on selfishness, not love.

Teachers as Mandatory Reporters - Blog Entry

10 Aug 2006 12:01 PM

Mandatory reporters can also do families, especially children, a great dis-service. A former CASA, I worked with a woman who constantly exaggerated. She looked for abuse, instead of looking for the truth.

She'd also call social workers at home and complain about parents she didn't much care for and soon after come up with some charge of abuse. Children were traumatized by strip searches at school to look for fabricated injuries -without parental knowledge or consent- and by full fledged investigations, some which led to children being taken from home because of trumped up allegations and claims that children said things that they denied saying.

CASA did nothing about this woman, and the parents could do little, since it's impossible to prove the report was malicious when they are not allowed to face their accuser or even learn who that accuser was because she was protected by anonymity.

Our Constitution provides for due process, facing one's accuser, and hard evidence for good reason.

I'm very active in parental rights, and while reporting is important, I feel very strongly that mandatory reporting schemes need a great deal of reform. While the above scenario is anecdotal, the annual average of reports of maltreatment is about 3,000,000 per year (same for over a decade). Two thirds of those reports are consistently unsubstantiated. This means that millions of families per year suffer uunecessary trauma and government intrusion, and that precious resources are wasted where there is no harm that could be used for children in real need.

The child protection system needs serious reform on many levels. First and foremost, I recommend (as do others) that all interviews with children be recorded via both audio and videotape and that mandatory reporters show proof of allegations. I also recommend that MR's shown to report in bad faith be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Blame Shifting - Blog Entry

10 Aug 2006 11:28 AM

Very true, Valerie. I still insist that if public schools spent more time teaching academics and didn't focus so much attempting to influence social issues, children would get a better education.

Common Law Marriage - Blog Entry

10 Aug 2006 07:05 AM

It can get pretty complicated, Rachel. I found some of these issues surprising as well.