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| Date: From: Subject: | 8/8/2008 3:11:59 PM Home School Legal Defense Association MISSOURI--Urgent Action Needed to Stop Grain Valley Daytime Curfew |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== August 8, 2008 MISSOURI--Urgent Action Needed to Stop Grain Valley Daytime Curfew Dear HSLDA Members and Friends, Your help is urgently needed to block an effort in the town of Grain Valley, MO, to pass an ordinance that would make it a crime for young people to be in a public place during public school hours. The Board of Aldermen gave initial approval to a daytime curfew on July 28, and is expected to have its final vote at the meeting Monday, August 11, at 7 PM. Daytime curfews do not accomplish what the proponents claim. They have a disproportionate impact on homeschool families because we allow our children free time while public schools are in session. Homeschoolers have been harassed and made fearful by policemen who treat them like suspected criminals for doing nothing more than being in public. ACTION REQUESTED If you live in Grain Valley, please stand up for freedom by attending the meeting on Monday and express your opposition to the daytime curfew during the "citizen participation" section of the meeting. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the Grain Valley City Hall at 711 Main St. Please contact other families and ask them to come to the meeting, as well! BACKGROUND: 1. Daytime curfews do not deter juvenile crime. A recent California study compared the juvenile crime rates of counties that enforced curfew ordinances and counties that did not. The crime rates were the same. The curfews had no effect on juvenile crime. 2. Daytime curfews allow searches without probable cause. The Fourth Amendment forbids any investigation of a citizen without a "probable cause." The proposed ordinance allows policemen to stop and interrogate a person merely because he looks young enough to be violating the curfew. It is an invitation to harass homeschool families. 3. Daytime curfews assume a person is guilty until proven innocent. In several incidents where homeschool students were stopped by police, they had done nothing to arouse suspicion. There was no evidence they had committed a crime or intended to. Nonetheless, the police interrogated them and treated them like criminals until they had proved their innocence. 4. The ordinance allows some exceptions. Unfortunately, the only way for a policeman to determine if an exception applies is to stop and interrogate the frightened young person. By then the damage has already been done. The child may be afraid to go outdoors again. The right to homeschool includes the right to be free from fear--especially for young people, who are most vulnerable to feelings of fear. Thank you for standing with us for freedom. Sincerely, Scott A. Woodruff HSLDA Staff Attorney Click here to read the proposed ordinance. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> You can only do so much... No one can be everywhere at once. And you can't be at home, teaching your children, while monitoring your state's legislature. Through electronic legislative services, HSLDA is monitoring state legislation for you -- watching and listening carefully for any proposed laws that could erode your right to homeschool. Join HSLDA today-we'll watch out for your future. More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1942 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. 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Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
