“It was very clear to me that I was an outsider. But by the end of the conference my mother was sold: her kids needed to do this NCFCA thing. And by the end of the conference I was hesitantly intrigued by debate: my mother would support me verbally fighting with people? Awesome.”
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The following is an index of our Resolved: series about homeschool speech and debate, including stories about NCFCA, STOA, ICC/CFC, and HSLDA debate.
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“Tour was not a panacea: it did not fix my self-injury problem. Nor did it eradicate my performance anxiety. What tour provided was an outlet for my energies, a chance to do what I loved in a way that mattered, to help people rather than just collect trophies, and a group of close friends who understood and could share the burden of the pedestal together with me.”
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“We should continue to offer thoughtful criticism and tell our stories in full, with the hope of provoking thought and change to those institutions. However, I think that we must be cognizant of the ease with which a structure like homeschooling or the NCFCA can be conflated with the hearts and souls of those parents who created them.”
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“The strange reality is, despite the fact that CFC is part of the problems we at Homeschoolers Anonymous speak out about; for me it was also part of the solution. Because of CFC, I was equipped with the tools I needed to effectively get out of what I now look back on as a toxic community and make something more out of myself.”
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“I had spent several years working my way through the alumni program, and serving in every possible student leadership role that they offered. I was completely supportive of ICC’s mission, the Moon family, and the organization’s structure and leadership. I fiercely defended ICC and the Moons against anyone who criticized them.”
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“I was worried about the patterns I was seeing. I was worried about some of the struggles I myself had, that I was seeing my friends having as well. So I wrote about it, with the hope that it could start a conversation among the people I worked with and respected.”
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“I wasn’t always plagued by a stomach knot before I published something controversial. That knot only started growing about ten years ago. Because ten years ago, I wrote the most controversial thing I have ever written.”
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“I remember when I was told I needed to write the letter. I was furious. I had spent years learning argumentation and how to think for myself, and when a situation occurred where I felt I needed to use those skills, I was reprimanded… I felt stifled and controlled — and this from a community that allegedly encouraged free thinkers.
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“To see this response again is very disappointing. Voicing protest is an essential part of the democratic process, in preserving the integrity of an institution, and in applying critical thinking skills. To see an officially recognized non-profit organization silence protest, especially over a moral and social issue such as racism, is a great disappointment.”
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