PledgeBank United States
I’ll do it, but only if you’ll help

Pledge “No-to-DCSF”

"I will pay regular amounts into a fund to legally fight against new consultation proposals put forward by Graham Badman and accepted by Ed Balls but only if 1,000 other people will do the same."

— Steve Mckie (contact)

Deadline to sign up by: 19^th October 2009
138 people signed up, 862 more were needed

Country: United Kingdom

More details
1.Enforced inspections in our homes.

2.Enforced interviews of children, unsupervised by government officials.

and both without any suspicion of a crime.

Whilst the review of Graham Badman is specific to home education and is bad enough in itself, I fear that this is the thin edge of the wedge.

This review introduces, for the first time in English law, the idea that the state has the right to be able to intrude and stamp on human rights, without any suspicion of a crime what-so-ever.

Whilst I agree that some crimes are deplorable, I fundamentally believe that the state should not have an all-knowing, all-pervasive ability to inspect our lives in the name of crime prevention. Crime prevention must legal, justified, proportional and reasonable.

To this end I will fight with everything I have to get these proposals consigned to the dust-bin. I will make regular payments to a fund that will financially support any home-edder who has the guts to stand up to the government, to pay the best legal minds and to take the matter to the highest courts in the land.

Comments on this pledge

• Whoops I think I pressed the wrong button! I haven't done it yet!!!!!!!!!
  Louisa Southey, 9 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Kick it to the curb!
  anon, 9 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
• For clarity...
  
  I have specifically not put a contribution amount in the pledge. I want the focus to be on contribution, not the total amount raised.
  
  This pledge is not related to any specific fund. It is only a pledge to contribute to A fund. As the limit reaches 1000 appropriate funds will discussed.
  
  Whilst this pledge was created in response to the home education review, it is about tackling the government as they run riot with our rights and freedoms. I hope everybody who cares about such rights will recognise the threat and pledge, not just home educators.
  Steve Mckie, 9 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Thanks for setting this up. We'll also need a fighting fund for families who refuse to allow council officials unsupervised access to their children and find themselves having to fight care proceedings.
  Louisa Herbs, 9 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Totalitarian labour removes the basic right of innocent until proven guilty!
  Stuart Marshall, 9 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
• I was not able to home educate my own children but fully support the right of anyone to do so.
  This is state intrusion on people's right to educate their children "otherwise" and is a disturbing development which looks like the beginnings of an attack on this right, as more families are discovering that school is not compulsory. We must unite to resist.
  Mandy Vere, 8 months ago. Abusive? Report it!