1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,162 WWW.MY-SUBS.CO 1 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:34,080 Welcome to "Last Week Tonight!" I'm John Oliver! 2 00:00:34,160 --> 00:00:36,999 Thank you so much for joining us. It has been a busy week. 3 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:40,720 As of taping, Israel is, in the words of its prime minister "at war", 4 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:42,279 FEMA ran a test 5 00:00:42,359 --> 00:00:45,639 to see how effectively our phones could scare the shit out of us, 6 00:00:45,959 --> 00:00:49,359 and Kevin McCarthy was the victim of the firstever intra-party coup 7 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:51,040 against a speaker of the House. 8 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:54,359 It left North Carolina representative Patrick McHenry, 9 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:56,520 Patton Oswalt as a ventriloquist dummy, 10 00:00:57,160 --> 00:00:59,239 serving as temporary speaker. 11 00:00:59,319 --> 00:01:01,999 And he seemed pretty angry after McCarthy's ousting. 12 00:01:02,599 --> 00:01:05,960 The chair declares the House in recess, subject to the call of the chair. 13 00:01:10,320 --> 00:01:13,480 That man is mad. Which is only slightly undermined 14 00:01:13,559 --> 00:01:15,559 by the fact that he's dressed like a four-year-old 15 00:01:15,639 --> 00:01:17,880 who's gonna fuck up the whole wedding. 16 00:01:19,799 --> 00:01:23,200 Elections for the new speaker will likely be held this week, 17 00:01:23,279 --> 00:01:24,799 and so far, the front runners seem to be 18 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:27,999 far-right Jim Jordan or Steve Scalise, 19 00:01:28,079 --> 00:01:31,320 who's been described as "David Duke without the baggage". 20 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:33,680 And you know who described him as that? 21 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:34,799 He did! 22 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,279 And to describe yourself as David Duke, 23 00:01:38,359 --> 00:01:42,680 the former Grand Wizard of the KKK, without the baggage, is a choice. 24 00:01:43,439 --> 00:01:45,359 Because that man is all baggage. 25 00:01:45,960 --> 00:01:48,960 Without it, he's just the Crypt-Keeper with a patchy bleach job. 26 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:51,079 It is pretty clear 27 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:54,559 that the Republican Party is being controlled by the absolute extremes. 28 00:01:54,639 --> 00:01:57,680 But not just nationally, at the local level, too. 29 00:01:57,760 --> 00:01:59,480 And to show you just how bad it's gotten, 30 00:01:59,559 --> 00:02:03,320 look at the mayoral race unfolding in the city of Franklin, Tennessee, 31 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:08,280 where their current Republican mayor is facing this woman, Gabrielle Hanson, 32 00:02:08,359 --> 00:02:10,639 a real estate agent and current alderman. 33 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:14,160 She's branded herself as a hardcore MAGA candidate 34 00:02:14,239 --> 00:02:16,959 and has posted photos of herself at Mara-Lago. 35 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:18,799 And look how happy she is there! 36 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:22,280 That's the face of someone who just dined on a well-done steak 37 00:02:22,359 --> 00:02:24,320 and read some classified documents on the toilet. 38 00:02:25,399 --> 00:02:30,919 Back in April, Hanson made news for opposing the city's Pride event, 39 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:34,079 arguing that its participants couldn't be trusted around children, 40 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:36,639 and offering this critique of previous performers. 41 00:02:37,359 --> 00:02:41,519 In one of the pictures of Jaidynn Diore Fierce, one of the Miss Fits, 42 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:46,200 she's clad in an Elmothemed drag outfit, 43 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:50,000 which I'm sure to an underage individual, 44 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:56,440 this could create confusion in their mind as to what's being represented. 45 00:02:57,440 --> 00:02:59,280 Okay, but by that logic, 46 00:02:59,359 --> 00:03:02,560 we should outlaw children from walking around Times Square, too, 47 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:06,160 because seeing Olaf from "Frozen" with his head popped off, 48 00:03:06,239 --> 00:03:07,839 smoking a Black & Mild 49 00:03:08,359 --> 00:03:11,600 is way more confusing than someone wearing eyeshadow 50 00:03:11,679 --> 00:03:13,320 and an Elmo-themed bodysuit. 51 00:03:13,839 --> 00:03:18,720 Also, for the record, her name is Jaidynn Diore Fierce, not "Dioree", 52 00:03:19,079 --> 00:03:21,320 and Elmo is not remotely her finest work. 53 00:03:21,399 --> 00:03:25,320 Because she is constantly serving cartoon looks. 54 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:29,000 Have you ever seen a minion serve body? 55 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:30,880 Because you have now. 56 00:03:31,839 --> 00:03:34,200 Hanson also tried to pressure the Nashville airport 57 00:03:34,519 --> 00:03:36,679 out of funding a Juneteenth celebration, 58 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:39,320 saying "I don't want my tax dollars or fees 59 00:03:39,399 --> 00:03:42,000 off of plane tickets going to radical agendas." 60 00:03:42,079 --> 00:03:45,480 And with all due respect, you're talking to an airport. 61 00:03:45,799 --> 00:03:49,359 It doesn't care about you. It doesn't care about anyone. 62 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:51,280 It's an airport. 63 00:03:52,239 --> 00:03:55,839 The only food available is either dill pickle almonds or brisket nachos, 64 00:03:55,919 --> 00:03:57,239 with no middle ground. 65 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:01,600 It's acceptable to drink at 7:00 AM, and they will sell your lost luggage. 66 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:04,560 The airport is a cruel, unfeeling dimension, 67 00:04:04,639 --> 00:04:07,200 uninterested in your culture war bullshit. 68 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,919 Now, since then, Hanson seems to have tried to broaden her base, 69 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,320 posting photos of diverse groups of supporters, 70 00:04:13,399 --> 00:04:16,639 including this one, labeled as an "executive women's club" 71 00:04:16,719 --> 00:04:20,760 who she said had provided "invaluable support and encouragement" 72 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:22,599 with the hashtag "Vote Hanson". 73 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:26,039 But while that might seem like an endorsement from those women, 74 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:29,000 watch what happened when a local reporter tracked one of them down 75 00:04:29,079 --> 00:04:31,079 and asked a pretty simple question. 76 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:33,279 Do you support Gabrielle Hanson? 77 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,959 I do not, I actually do not know who that is. 78 00:04:37,039 --> 00:04:39,279 After some on social media noticed the pic 79 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:41,760 seemed to have been taken at a restaurant in Chicago, 80 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:44,440 Hanson posted an update on Facebook claiming 81 00:04:44,519 --> 00:04:47,800 "These are all my friends that have relocated to Nashville, 82 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:50,159 Brentwood, and Franklin and they all support me." 83 00:04:50,599 --> 00:04:52,800 The women say that's a lie. 84 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:54,440 Any message you would have for her? 85 00:04:56,079 --> 00:04:59,920 I would encourage her to go make genuine friends 86 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,719 so she can take photos with those folks if she's looking for supporters. 87 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:07,880 There's no need to comb pictures on the internet to make up a story. 88 00:05:07,959 --> 00:05:09,079 None of us need that. 89 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:14,360 Not only are those women clearly not your friends, 90 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:16,920 you definitely just united them against you. 91 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:21,599 I guarantee you, one of them dropped your post in the group chat, 92 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:24,880 and the replies are still going right now. 93 00:05:26,039 --> 00:05:30,560 And the thing is, Hanson has been caught lying about weird shit 94 00:05:30,639 --> 00:05:32,880 a truly ridiculous amount of times. 95 00:05:32,959 --> 00:05:34,719 Earlier this year, during a podcast interview, 96 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:38,039 she claimed to have predicted the Covenant School shooting in Nashville, 97 00:05:38,399 --> 00:05:40,639 stating she had a premonition about it, 98 00:05:40,719 --> 00:05:44,079 chalking it up to what "could have been a holy spirit thing". 99 00:05:44,479 --> 00:05:47,599 What's more, she also claimed that she'd told a police officer 100 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:50,719 about that premonition when he came to her home over a different issue. 101 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:53,360 The problem is, that same local reporter 102 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:56,039 tracked down that officer's bodycam video, 103 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:57,760 which told a different story. 104 00:05:58,240 --> 00:05:59,880 During that 23-minute video, 105 00:05:59,959 --> 00:06:03,959 she never mentions anything remotely like the Covenant School shooting. 106 00:06:04,039 --> 00:06:07,399 No mention of a premonition, no mention of an active shooter, 107 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:09,639 no mention of the holy spirit. 108 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:14,200 And Hanson's fabrications have gone even further in a talk radio interview 109 00:06:14,279 --> 00:06:18,079 questioning how Melissa Joan Hart happened to be near Covenant 110 00:06:18,159 --> 00:06:21,880 at the time of the shooting to help children who were trying to escape. 111 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:24,360 Maybe that's why Melissa Joan Hart was there, 112 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:26,360 she must have known it was going to happen, also. 113 00:06:28,719 --> 00:06:29,719 Wait, what?! 114 00:06:30,519 --> 00:06:32,039 Melissa Joan Hart 115 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:35,399 psychically knows when a school shooting is about to happen? 116 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:39,519 That is not something an elected official should say in an interview, 117 00:06:39,599 --> 00:06:42,959 it's what a Disney Channel exec probably screamed in 2002 118 00:06:43,039 --> 00:06:45,839 after inhaling a metric ton of cocaine. 119 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:48,479 And before we go any further, 120 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:52,240 let's take a moment to acknowledge that reporter, Phil Williams. 121 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:54,000 Because he's been all over this story, 122 00:06:54,079 --> 00:06:56,920 and we've featured his work on this show a bunch in the past. 123 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:02,719 If you are a politician in Tennessee, Phil has his foot on your goddamn neck. 124 00:07:03,959 --> 00:07:06,240 His official NewsChannel 5 bio 125 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:08,440 features a quote from a Nashville political strategist, 126 00:07:08,519 --> 00:07:11,479 saying, "If the press calls, call your PR person. 127 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:15,479 If Phil Williams calls, call your lawyer because you are in trouble." 128 00:07:16,039 --> 00:07:21,680 This is a bad, bad man. You do not fuck around with Phil Williams. 129 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:25,680 And it seems Gabrielle Hanson is currently in her "finding out" era 130 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:27,800 when it comes to her dealings with him, 131 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:32,599 because Phil has uncovered so much weird new context around her life. 132 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:35,920 Remember her bullshit outrage over the local Pride event? 133 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:38,760 Phil discovered something that her husband once did 134 00:07:38,839 --> 00:07:41,440 that suggests a hell of a double standard. 135 00:07:42,079 --> 00:07:44,959 Children seeing images that they could not unsee 136 00:07:45,039 --> 00:07:48,399 was why the Franklin alderman said she tried to block a Pride celebration 137 00:07:48,479 --> 00:07:49,639 at a Franklin park, 138 00:07:49,959 --> 00:07:54,000 saying in a podcast interview, it was a question of basic morality. 139 00:07:54,519 --> 00:07:58,560 Yet where was her morality during Chicago's 2008 Pride parade 140 00:07:58,639 --> 00:08:00,719 before the Hansons moved to Tennessee? 141 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:04,479 At the time, Tom Hanson was running a Republican campaign for Congress 142 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:07,120 and organizers agreed to let him in. 143 00:08:07,599 --> 00:08:10,360 He told the local LGBTQ newspaper, quote, 144 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:14,920 "So, it just came to me. I said, 'Maybe I'll wear an American flag Speedo.' 145 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:18,440 And my wife said, 'If you do that, I'll hold you to it.'" 146 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:22,680 Magnificent. So, just to recap: snatched Elmo? 147 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:24,719 Irreparably harmful to children. 148 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:26,560 Star-spangled ballbag here? 149 00:08:26,959 --> 00:08:29,440 That's apparently completely fine with her! 150 00:08:29,519 --> 00:08:35,079 Also, nd I'm not here to police anyone else's drag but, is he tucked? 151 00:08:36,719 --> 00:08:38,759 Could just have been cold! 152 00:08:41,479 --> 00:08:42,640 It was June, though. 153 00:08:43,680 --> 00:08:46,479 But anyway, if all that wasn't enough, 154 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:51,160 just this week, Hanson was caught up in yet another scandal, 155 00:08:51,239 --> 00:08:53,040 this time, involving an eye-catching group 156 00:08:53,119 --> 00:08:55,959 that showed up to support and protect her at a candidate forum. 157 00:08:56,719 --> 00:08:58,599 The man on the left is Sean Kauffmann, 158 00:08:58,680 --> 00:09:01,999 who has been described by the StopAntisemitism watchdog group 159 00:09:02,079 --> 00:09:05,479 as, quote, "a disturbed neo-Nazi and Holocaust denier 160 00:09:05,839 --> 00:09:10,200 with a documented history of violence and a massive cache of firearms". 161 00:09:10,560 --> 00:09:12,079 Then there's Brad Lewis. 162 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:15,999 He's the operator of the Lewis Country Store on the far west side of Nashville, 163 00:09:16,079 --> 00:09:19,119 a store known for its extreme rightwing messaging. 164 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:21,479 When the store recently went on the market, 165 00:09:21,560 --> 00:09:24,800 Gabrielle Hanson was the real estate agent who got the listing. 166 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:28,320 A recent investigation by the Southern Poverty Law Center 167 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:30,640 revealed how the second floor of the store 168 00:09:30,719 --> 00:09:33,479 was being used as a white nationalist fight club. 169 00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:37,320 Lewis responded in a post on Telegram, calling himself 170 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:39,680 an "actual literal Nazi". 171 00:09:39,999 --> 00:09:43,999 Ms. Hanson, the people you're with had described themselves as literal Nazis. 172 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:47,800 Is this the type of people you should be associating with? 173 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:50,920 They said they're literal Nazis. 174 00:09:51,680 --> 00:09:54,719 Phil Williams is just wrecking her, 175 00:09:55,359 --> 00:09:57,879 waving a cell phone in Hanson's face and asking 176 00:09:57,959 --> 00:10:00,879 "So, you hang out with Nazis or what?" 177 00:10:00,959 --> 00:10:03,520 and doing it loud enough for the whole row to hear. 178 00:10:03,599 --> 00:10:07,879 Also, what on Earth did that cursed Zillow listing look like? 179 00:10:07,959 --> 00:10:10,560 "Great opportunity to own-slashoperate your business 180 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:13,959 in this income-generating, threeunit mixed-use white supremacist building. 181 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:16,440 First floor is a store with terrible vibes, 182 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:19,200 and the second floor unit is a neo-Nazi fight club. 183 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:20,479 Sold as is." 184 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:23,759 Hanson denies engaging that group as security, 185 00:10:23,839 --> 00:10:27,640 despite the fact that she walked into that meeting with a Holocaust denier, 186 00:10:27,719 --> 00:10:31,759 while her husband was escorted in by a guy with a Proud Boys face tattoo. 187 00:10:32,239 --> 00:10:34,040 And she's tried to deflect criticism 188 00:10:34,119 --> 00:10:37,680 over the fact that she took a literal Nazi's real estate listing, 189 00:10:37,999 --> 00:10:41,040 but, even in doing so, made some bold choices. 190 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:45,160 If you based me on all the clients that I'm representing currently, 191 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:48,479 I would be a white supremacist, neo-Nazi, 192 00:10:48,560 --> 00:10:52,839 I would be a lesbian like my one client, and I would be Black, too. 193 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:55,920 That is who I would be 194 00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:59,640 if you're gonna blame me for the clients that I represent, 195 00:10:59,719 --> 00:11:02,400 because those are the clients at this very moment that I'm representing. 196 00:11:02,479 --> 00:11:06,160 And I would probably be a Muslim jihadist as well 197 00:11:06,239 --> 00:11:07,800 because I have a Middle Eastern client, too. 198 00:11:10,680 --> 00:11:15,680 Gabs, but you did just imply one of your clients was a "Muslim jihadist" 199 00:11:15,759 --> 00:11:18,200 simply based on the fact that they are Middle Eastern, 200 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:21,719 so I'd say you're probably more of a white supremacist neo-Nazi 201 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:23,520 than you are lesbian or Black. 202 00:11:24,680 --> 00:11:29,079 In a world that makes sense, this woman would obviously 203 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:31,719 have withdrawn from this mayoral race in shame. 204 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:36,119 But she still has supporters, there are lawn signs up for her in Franklin. 205 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:39,200 And there is a real chance that she could still win this election. 206 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:43,599 While her numerous scandals are almost cartoonish in their extremity, 207 00:11:43,680 --> 00:11:47,359 her behavior is entirely emblematic of Republican politics 208 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:50,280 from the local level all the way up to the top, 209 00:11:50,359 --> 00:11:52,280 where, if we learned anything this week, 210 00:11:52,359 --> 00:11:56,879 it's that far-right Republicans maintain a vice-like grip over the entire party. 211 00:11:57,599 --> 00:12:00,800 And it frankly seems like our best bet at exposing them going forward 212 00:12:00,879 --> 00:12:03,440 might be if we can somehow get more reporters 213 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:06,959 to take a page from Nashville's nosiest bitch. 214 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:08,640 And now, this. 215 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:10,800 And Now: 216 00:12:11,239 --> 00:12:15,239 People on TV Share Increasingly Unhinged Conspiracy Theories 217 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:16,800 About Taylor Swift. 218 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:21,400 The big question is, are Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce dating? 219 00:12:21,479 --> 00:12:24,359 - Is that the big question? - It's been on everybody's mind. 220 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:26,999 It just makes you think, is there something else going on? 221 00:12:27,079 --> 00:12:30,959 Is Taylor teaming up with the NFL? Something. I don't know. 222 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:32,239 You're investigating. 223 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:34,200 There's so many conspiracy theories about this. 224 00:12:34,280 --> 00:12:36,040 Is anything really a coincidence these days? 225 00:12:36,119 --> 00:12:39,479 Is anything accidental? I say where there is smoke, there's fire. 226 00:12:39,560 --> 00:12:41,680 There's a conspiracy involved here. 227 00:12:41,759 --> 00:12:44,560 Our floor director Megan thinks that this is all a cover-up 228 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:50,160 to conceal Taylor's true boyfriend, who she wants to keep private. 229 00:12:50,239 --> 00:12:51,920 Travis is doing Taylor a solid. 230 00:12:51,999 --> 00:12:54,839 The NFL was struggling to get women to watch football. 231 00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:57,320 And there is a part of me that's like "Huh". 232 00:12:57,680 --> 00:13:00,879 We're getting ready for Taylor Swift's 1989 re-release. 233 00:13:00,959 --> 00:13:03,800 The theme for this album is the color red. 234 00:13:03,879 --> 00:13:06,520 Travis Kelce plays for the Chiefs. They are a big red team. 235 00:13:06,839 --> 00:13:11,719 He was also born in 1989. This is a promotional tool, Travis! 236 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:14,680 So, Taylor Swift is from Philadelphia originally. 237 00:13:14,759 --> 00:13:19,040 That maybe she's actually trying to mess Travis Kelce up. 238 00:13:19,119 --> 00:13:20,520 You think it's sabotage? 239 00:13:20,599 --> 00:13:22,999 She knows that they're going to get to the Super Bowl. 240 00:13:23,839 --> 00:13:27,759 And the theory is, she's going to eventually ghost him at that point, 241 00:13:27,839 --> 00:13:30,440 and then he's going to play not so good. 242 00:13:30,520 --> 00:13:32,800 It rose all the way to the White House, though. 243 00:13:32,879 --> 00:13:37,440 The White House press secretary was even asked about the potential romance. 244 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:39,239 Does President Biden think it's real? 245 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:42,040 In the vernacular of the National Security Council, 246 00:13:42,119 --> 00:13:44,719 I can neither confirm or deny those reports. 247 00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:49,280 Moving on. 248 00:13:49,839 --> 00:13:52,160 Our main story tonight concerns school. 249 00:13:52,239 --> 00:13:55,839 For some, it's the place to make friends and enjoy first crushes, 250 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:58,759 while for others, and I'm not naming names, it's not. 251 00:13:59,560 --> 00:14:00,599 It's different. 252 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:03,759 Specifically, we're gonna talk about homeschooling. 253 00:14:03,839 --> 00:14:06,879 During the pandemic, many parents were suddenly forced to do it, 254 00:14:06,959 --> 00:14:10,719 and while some struggled, others, like this family, absolutely thrived. 255 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:13,640 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, 256 00:14:13,719 --> 00:14:15,719 H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, 257 00:14:16,239 --> 00:14:18,680 Q, R, S, T, U, V, 258 00:14:18,759 --> 00:14:20,680 W, X, Y, and Z. 259 00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:23,079 Now you know your ABCs. 260 00:14:24,359 --> 00:14:29,959 That is clearly excellent, but it's also a pretty mean way 261 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:32,440 to make other parents look like total shit. 262 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:34,920 Because that is significantly better 263 00:14:34,999 --> 00:14:37,119 than anything I did with my kids during the pandemic, 264 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:40,040 it was much less singing certified alphabet bangers 265 00:14:40,119 --> 00:14:43,280 and much more "hiding in the closet, praying they would not find me". 266 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:48,200 Also, quick shoutout to the baby on the counter living her best life. 267 00:14:48,719 --> 00:14:50,719 She has no idea what's going on, 268 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:52,839 but yet there she is in the center of it all 269 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:55,119 like Mariah Carey on a New Year's broadcast. 270 00:14:56,400 --> 00:15:00,440 That family, like many, sent their kids back to school. 271 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:03,959 But for some, homeschooling isn't just a pandemic-era necessity, 272 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:05,079 it's a way of life. 273 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:08,320 And you may have heard a stereotype of homeschoolers 274 00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:10,160 being Christian conservatives 275 00:15:10,239 --> 00:15:12,879 who object to what kids learn in public school environments. 276 00:15:12,959 --> 00:15:14,800 And I admit, those people do exist. 277 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:18,160 Take this man, who offers this pretty shaky rationalization 278 00:15:18,239 --> 00:15:19,640 for pulling his kid out of school. 279 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:25,999 I think the type of content on what they're teaching about sex or anal sex, 280 00:15:26,839 --> 00:15:30,599 that my third-grade daughter should not be in a classroom 281 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:33,879 where a teacher or someone else is teaching her about that. 282 00:15:33,959 --> 00:15:35,879 And that was your experience in school? 283 00:15:35,959 --> 00:15:40,719 Through friends in other spots that had been kids at those ages, 284 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:43,520 'cause mine was only in first grade when we pulled her. 285 00:15:44,479 --> 00:15:46,680 That sounds like total bullshit. 286 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:49,400 Although I guess I do basically agree with him there, 287 00:15:49,479 --> 00:15:53,359 things that are not happening should continue not to happen. 288 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:56,160 But the truth is, the homeschooling community 289 00:15:56,239 --> 00:15:58,759 is much broader than just right-wing parents 290 00:15:58,839 --> 00:16:01,359 afraid of hypothetical third grade lube demonstrations. 291 00:16:01,759 --> 00:16:05,079 By one estimate, there are now around two million children 292 00:16:05,160 --> 00:16:07,040 being homeschooled in this country, 293 00:16:07,119 --> 00:16:09,599 and parents can choose that for all sorts of reasons. 294 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:12,280 Maybe their kids have social or health problems, 295 00:16:12,359 --> 00:16:14,200 or disabilities that aren't being accommodated. 296 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:17,079 Maybe they're families with legitimate fears about school safety, 297 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:19,640 or who are in the military and move around a lot. 298 00:16:19,719 --> 00:16:21,680 And there's also a growing number of Black parents 299 00:16:21,759 --> 00:16:24,640 opting to homeschool due to whitewashed curriculums 300 00:16:24,719 --> 00:16:26,440 and zero-tolerance policies in schools 301 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:29,560 that disproportionately criminalize their kids at an early age. 302 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:31,800 So, there are lots of reasons to do it. 303 00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:33,999 And the fact is, for some kids, 304 00:16:34,079 --> 00:16:37,280 getting to be homeschooled can be genuinely transformative. 305 00:16:37,959 --> 00:16:41,680 At 15, Victoria asked her mom, Bernita, to take her out of Detroit schools. 306 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:45,400 She says she was being bullied relentlessly for her appearance, 307 00:16:45,479 --> 00:16:47,680 and it didn't seem like her administrators cared. 308 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:50,119 It made me not want to ask questions, 309 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:52,320 or not want to ask specific questions 310 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:55,959 because I'm like, they're gonna call me dumb. 311 00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:57,640 When you transitioned to homeschooling, 312 00:16:57,719 --> 00:16:58,959 how did you feel about yourself? 313 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:00,560 I felt more confident. 314 00:17:01,079 --> 00:17:05,759 It was kind of like a sunshine, like the clouds opening a little bit. 315 00:17:06,559 --> 00:17:08,319 That's great! That is very nice. 316 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:11,279 And I know that's not something you usually hear me say 317 00:17:11,360 --> 00:17:12,719 after a clip on this show. 318 00:17:13,559 --> 00:17:16,080 It's usually a variation of "That's horrible", "Heartbreaking" 319 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:18,440 or "Shut the fuck up you baby bitch lawn dart". 320 00:17:18,799 --> 00:17:22,959 So, frankly, this is a welcome change of pace. 321 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:26,799 The point is: the ceiling of how good homeschooling can be 322 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:28,239 is admittedly very high. 323 00:17:28,799 --> 00:17:32,840 But the floor of how bad it can get is basically nonexistent. 324 00:17:33,360 --> 00:17:36,360 Because to an extent that you may not realize, in many parts of the country, 325 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:40,719 homeschooling is unregulated which can result in enormous damage. 326 00:17:40,799 --> 00:17:43,840 So, given that, tonight, let's take a look at homeschooling. 327 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:47,080 There is a lot we don't know about homeschooled kids, 328 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:50,319 from exactly how many there are, to what they are learning. 329 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:53,039 When I said "there are around two million" of them, 330 00:17:53,120 --> 00:17:55,080 the reason that's an estimate is that, depending on the state, 331 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:59,039 homeschool families might not have to report what they are doing at all. 332 00:17:59,559 --> 00:18:03,039 In these 26 states, parents simply have to file a notice once a year 333 00:18:03,120 --> 00:18:06,120 with officials to let them know that they are homeschooling their child. 334 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:08,719 In these 13, they only have to file a notice once, 335 00:18:09,120 --> 00:18:11,600 with no requirement to check in ever again. 336 00:18:12,279 --> 00:18:15,840 And in the remaining 11, they don't have to notify anyone at all. 337 00:18:16,239 --> 00:18:17,999 And when it comes to the education itself, 338 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:20,999 filing a notice is typically where supervision stops, 339 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:23,319 as in most states, there is no oversight, 340 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:26,959 and no evaluation by anyone of the academic program 341 00:18:27,039 --> 00:18:28,680 and of students' progress. 342 00:18:28,759 --> 00:18:31,239 And homeschooling advocates will tell you that that is not a concern, 343 00:18:31,319 --> 00:18:34,799 and that parents will simply come up with all sorts of innovative ways 344 00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:35,959 to teach their kids. 345 00:18:36,279 --> 00:18:40,039 Here is one parent explaining how he taught his kids science. 346 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:43,400 I can't tell you how many times, you know, in my home, 347 00:18:43,479 --> 00:18:47,759 at our kitchen table we've dissected sheep eyeballs or frogs. 348 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:52,440 Kitchens are great labs for this kind of thing. 349 00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:54,880 Where does somebody get a sheep eyeball? 350 00:18:56,880 --> 00:18:59,799 John, you can just Google "sheep eyeball for homeschoolers". 351 00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:01,840 - I didn't know that. - 'Cause lots of people, absolutely. 352 00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:07,479 First, are kitchens the best lab for this kind of thing? 353 00:19:08,239 --> 00:19:11,319 I think probably labs are the best lab for this kind of thing. 354 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:14,239 I'm just saying, maybe don't go dissecting sheep eyeballs 355 00:19:14,319 --> 00:19:16,559 in the same place where you cut olives for salad. 356 00:19:16,959 --> 00:19:21,479 Do not Google "sheep eyeballs", despite what that man just said. 357 00:19:22,239 --> 00:19:25,200 I did it, and I'm not even gonna show you the result unblurred 358 00:19:25,279 --> 00:19:26,959 because it is too nauseating. 359 00:19:27,039 --> 00:19:30,479 Suffice to say it looks like what would happen if an oyster had a butthole. 360 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:35,039 But while that man was clearly willing to go to impressive lengths 361 00:19:35,120 --> 00:19:38,559 for at-home science lessons, not everyone has the time 362 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:41,959 or the resources to develop a curriculum from scratch. 363 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:45,360 That is why there are big publishers who offer materials 364 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:47,640 specifically tailored to homeschoolers. 365 00:19:47,959 --> 00:19:51,959 Much of that market is dominated by these 3 Christian textbook publishers 366 00:19:52,039 --> 00:19:54,680 who promise learning through a biblical filter. 367 00:19:54,759 --> 00:19:57,799 And look, it is absolutely a parent's right 368 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:00,880 to educate their child with religion if they so choose. 369 00:20:00,959 --> 00:20:04,559 But the quality of some of these books can be troubling. 370 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:07,559 For instance, one current Abeka history book 371 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:09,239 says that "The beginning of the 20th century 372 00:20:09,319 --> 00:20:11,239 witnessed a cultural breakdown that threatened 373 00:20:11,319 --> 00:20:13,360 to destroy the very roots of western civilization. 374 00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:15,120 The cause of this dissolution 375 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:17,799 was an idea or philosophy known as liberalism." 376 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:22,559 A workbook from ACE celebrates the Confederate General Robert E. Lee 377 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:24,120 as "a devoted Christian 378 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:27,840 who practiced his Christianity in all his dealings with others" 379 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:30,799 And a science book from Bob Jones University claims that 380 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:33,200 "Biblical and scientific evidence tends to support the idea 381 00:20:33,519 --> 00:20:36,600 that men and dinosaurs existed at the same time." 382 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:39,160 And if you're wondering what that would look like, 383 00:20:39,239 --> 00:20:42,799 ACE actually had a workbook featuring this rendering, 384 00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:46,999 implying that not only did men and dinosaurs exist at the same time, 385 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:48,959 but they were totally cool with each other. 386 00:20:49,559 --> 00:20:52,999 "Hank, great tucked-in shirt! Do you see that dinosaur over there?" 387 00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:55,999 "Sure do, Bob, love those jeans, by the way. Should we run?" 388 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:59,719 "No way, these dinos are chill, let's keep whacking these leaves 389 00:20:59,799 --> 00:21:02,120 with that one sword knife that you brought." 390 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:07,120 While all of that is pretty troubling, the truth is, in many states, 391 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:09,799 the rules and oversight can be so lax, 392 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:13,759 parents don't ultimately have to teach their kids anything at all. 393 00:21:14,319 --> 00:21:17,840 Just watch as this former homeschool student breaks down her daily schedule. 394 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:21,600 This is my list of assignments. 395 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:24,559 We've got the date at the top. I would have been 12. 396 00:21:24,959 --> 00:21:26,519 First, we've got classical music, 397 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:28,959 which was just turning on classical music in the morning 398 00:21:29,039 --> 00:21:30,319 so that everyone could hear it. 399 00:21:30,719 --> 00:21:34,160 We've got Bible listening. We've got handwriting and math. 400 00:21:34,519 --> 00:21:37,239 That's fairly normal. We've got memorizing the Bible. 401 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:41,360 We've got memorizing poetry. The poetry was mostly hymns. 402 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:43,680 We've got exercise. That's good. 403 00:21:43,999 --> 00:21:46,200 It was usually just walking around the block. 404 00:21:47,239 --> 00:21:50,039 And then the whole entire rest of the list 405 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:54,640 is chores and cleaning tasks. 406 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:59,200 It's true! Most of her lessons just involved chores. 407 00:21:59,279 --> 00:22:03,200 And just look at that list! That is a lot of cleaning demands! 408 00:22:03,279 --> 00:22:05,279 Who was her parent? This guy? 409 00:22:05,360 --> 00:22:08,160 I mean, don't get me wrong, he's an absolute zaddy. 410 00:22:08,239 --> 00:22:10,200 Would, will, and I'll take seconds. 411 00:22:10,279 --> 00:22:14,080 But as hot as he makes doing chores seem, 412 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:17,160 it's not an adequate alternative to education, is it? 413 00:22:17,799 --> 00:22:21,160 Although I will say, even that is a preferable alternative 414 00:22:21,239 --> 00:22:23,999 to the single worst homeschool curriculum that we found, 415 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:27,039 whose creators excitedly promoted it on a podcast. 416 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:30,840 We are so deeply invested 417 00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:36,319 into making sure that that child becomes a wonderful Nazi, 418 00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:40,559 and by homeschooling we're going to get that done. 419 00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:42,959 That is terrifying! 420 00:22:43,559 --> 00:22:46,519 You never want to hear a mother lovingly utter the sentence 421 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:48,200 "My kid's a wonderful Nazi", 422 00:22:48,559 --> 00:22:51,680 outside of maybe if they're praising their son's performance 423 00:22:51,759 --> 00:22:53,479 as Rolf in "The Sound of Music." 424 00:22:53,559 --> 00:22:56,559 And even then, just say "wonderful Rolf". 425 00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:58,080 What's wrong with you? 426 00:22:59,319 --> 00:23:02,479 That woman and her husband launched their own online community, 427 00:23:02,559 --> 00:23:07,360 Dissident Homeschool, in 2021, after she had a, quote, "rough time" 428 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:11,479 "finding Nazi-approved school material for her homeschool children." 429 00:23:11,559 --> 00:23:13,200 And you know what? Good! 430 00:23:14,360 --> 00:23:16,799 That probably shouldn't be an easy Google. 431 00:23:17,479 --> 00:23:21,279 In fact, if you search for that, it should probably autocorrect to 432 00:23:21,360 --> 00:23:24,160 "Did you mean 'How do I take myself to jail?'" 433 00:23:25,039 --> 00:23:29,120 At one point, Dissident Homeschool had nearly 2,500 subscribers 434 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:31,640 and included ideas like handwriting exercises 435 00:23:31,719 --> 00:23:34,600 consisting of "writing out quotes from Adolf Hitler." 436 00:23:35,039 --> 00:23:39,120 Which we can all agree is appalling. Handwriting exercises? 437 00:23:39,759 --> 00:23:41,160 That is just cruel. 438 00:23:41,239 --> 00:23:43,160 They should be working on their keyboard skills, 439 00:23:43,239 --> 00:23:46,600 through games like "Mavis Beacon Teaches the Final Solution." 440 00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:49,999 Although, not that, don't actually do that, that is awful. 441 00:23:50,759 --> 00:23:52,999 The channel also posted tips ensuring that their parents 442 00:23:53,559 --> 00:23:55,719 were in "full compliance with the law" 443 00:23:56,039 --> 00:23:58,360 so that "the state" wouldn't interfere. 444 00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:01,080 But as you have already seen, in most states, 445 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:03,279 they don't have much to worry about there. 446 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:06,959 When it comes to homeschooling, basically, anything goes. 447 00:24:07,039 --> 00:24:10,239 So, how the fuck is that the case? 448 00:24:10,759 --> 00:24:13,319 In large part, it's thanks to a very powerful homeschooling lobby, 449 00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:15,080 whose most prominent player 450 00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:18,759 is the Home School Legal Defense Association or HSLDA. 451 00:24:19,319 --> 00:24:21,600 Here is where I will concede some ground 452 00:24:21,959 --> 00:24:25,759 because it grew out of an environment that was, in many places, 453 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:27,680 overly restrictive of homeschooling, 454 00:24:27,759 --> 00:24:31,360 with some states and local school districts banning it entirely. 455 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:36,239 In Texas, in the 1980s, homeschooling families were prosecuted. 456 00:24:36,319 --> 00:24:38,799 But a turning point came after several Texas families 457 00:24:39,120 --> 00:24:42,880 filed a class-action suit against their school districts, and ultimately won. 458 00:24:42,959 --> 00:24:46,239 And around that same time, the HSLDA was formed, 459 00:24:46,319 --> 00:24:49,840 with the aim of expanding the rights of homeschoolers in every state. 460 00:24:50,239 --> 00:24:51,920 And from the very beginning, 461 00:24:51,999 --> 00:24:54,920 it had a strong evangelical, conservative outlook. 462 00:24:55,279 --> 00:24:57,519 Its founding president and chairman, Michael Farris, 463 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:00,880 has referred to public schools as a "godless monstrosity." 464 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:04,719 And here he is back in 2004, speaking to the Christian coalition, 465 00:25:04,799 --> 00:25:07,640 and describing his long-term hopes for the next generation. 466 00:25:08,319 --> 00:25:11,640 Today, it is not preposterous to recognize what's going on, 467 00:25:11,719 --> 00:25:13,519 the promotion of homosexuality, 468 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:16,400 the promotion of other kinds of things that you heard from Walter Jones, 469 00:25:16,479 --> 00:25:17,799 and you've heard many other times, 470 00:25:18,719 --> 00:25:23,039 is a deplorable reality that we cannot countenance. 471 00:25:23,120 --> 00:25:25,200 I can't wait for the day when our young people 472 00:25:25,279 --> 00:25:30,559 vanquish the enemy by a five-four vote reversing Roe versus Wade. 473 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:42,999 And where we vanquish the specter of same-sex marriage. 474 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:44,680 That's the standard of victory. 475 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:47,999 Okay, there is a lot that is hard to take in that clip, 476 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:51,080 that that's his wish list, that he's already gotten half of it, 477 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:53,200 and that he's saying "vanquish the enemy," 478 00:25:53,279 --> 00:25:54,600 despite looking less like a warrior 479 00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:57,360 and more like your tax accountant's tax accountant's assistant. 480 00:25:58,360 --> 00:26:01,200 Over the years, the HSLDA has lobbied extensively, 481 00:26:01,279 --> 00:26:02,640 from a hard-right perspective, 482 00:26:02,719 --> 00:26:05,680 on issues that have nothing to do with homeschooling, 483 00:26:05,759 --> 00:26:09,279 opposing everything from vaccine mandates to same-sex marriage. 484 00:26:09,360 --> 00:26:11,799 But it speaks to how significant a force it is 485 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:14,999 that even some parents who are uneasy with its political leanings 486 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:17,719 feel that they have no choice but to be members. 487 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:20,600 Here is one mom, who started a homeschooling group 488 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:23,759 to offer an alternative to what she saw as a whitewashed curriculum, 489 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:26,279 talking about her relationship to the HSLDA. 490 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:29,519 Whenever there's a threat in any particular state 491 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:32,799 to their right to homeschool, you will see us come together. 492 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:36,039 It may not, we're not gonna stay together, but we will band up 493 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:41,239 because we all need our right to homeschool. 494 00:26:41,319 --> 00:26:45,160 That's the nuanced aspect of being in the homeschool world. 495 00:26:45,239 --> 00:26:47,200 The people that you have to work with 496 00:26:47,279 --> 00:26:50,239 in order to maintain what you hold dear 497 00:26:51,120 --> 00:26:54,680 are also the people who crush you. 498 00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:58,959 It's true. The HSLDA have made themselves so powerful, 499 00:26:59,039 --> 00:27:00,759 many parents keep working with them 500 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:03,519 even if they don't agree with everything they stand for. 501 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:06,799 It's a dilemma otherwise known as "The Tom Cruise Conundrum." 502 00:27:07,120 --> 00:27:09,600 On the one hand, a billion dollars at the box office. 503 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:12,880 On the other, a billion-year contract to an alien mafia. 504 00:27:12,959 --> 00:27:16,600 It's tricky, right? It's tricky. What's a bunch of young hots to do? 505 00:27:17,239 --> 00:27:20,559 Plus, for what it's worth, the HSLDA, much like Tom Cruise, 506 00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:22,279 will probably never die. 507 00:27:23,279 --> 00:27:25,680 As a lobbying group, it's been astonishingly successful. 508 00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:27,160 In four decades, 509 00:27:27,239 --> 00:27:29,600 its efforts have been credited with rolling back existing laws 510 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:32,319 governing homeschooling in state after state. 511 00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:35,719 And the argument that it will always make against any regulation 512 00:27:35,799 --> 00:27:38,759 is you're just punishing all the parents doing things right, 513 00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:41,279 to address a handful who are doing it wrong. 514 00:27:41,360 --> 00:27:42,600 And in theory, sure. 515 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:44,880 But when you've got some parents 516 00:27:44,959 --> 00:27:47,080 running The Homeschool Institute of Dishwashing 517 00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:49,719 and others running 'Lil Nazis "R" Us, 518 00:27:49,799 --> 00:27:52,559 it seems maybe the reins have gotten a little loose. 519 00:27:53,279 --> 00:27:56,400 And the lack of regulation here has serious consequences, 520 00:27:56,479 --> 00:27:58,999 and not just regarding quality of education. 521 00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:02,920 And fair warning, this is where this story gets quite a bit darker. 522 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:06,959 More than two million children are being homeschooled in the U.S., 523 00:28:07,039 --> 00:28:10,719 many of them living in states that have little or no regulations, 524 00:28:10,799 --> 00:28:14,279 making it easy for abusive parents to hide behind the system. 525 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:17,840 These are the faces of just some of the homeschooled children 526 00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:20,239 who've died as a result of abuse and neglect. 527 00:28:20,319 --> 00:28:22,400 Susanna Grubbs was homeschooled in Missouri. 528 00:28:22,479 --> 00:28:25,759 She tells us, the discipline she received was anything but gentle. 529 00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:29,319 I think that, in a lot of ways, me and my siblings fell through the cracks. 530 00:28:29,959 --> 00:28:32,479 Because, I mean, with my mom's disciplinary techniques, 531 00:28:32,559 --> 00:28:34,400 and my mom's educational neglect. 532 00:28:34,479 --> 00:28:37,640 It's terrible that it has happened and it keeps happening. 533 00:28:37,719 --> 00:28:41,239 And nobody wants to stop it because parental rights 534 00:28:41,319 --> 00:28:43,759 are so paramount to anything else in this country. 535 00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:46,840 Exactly. And that is massively dangerous. 536 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:48,440 Because deregulating homeschooling 537 00:28:48,519 --> 00:28:52,039 doesn't eliminate safeguards against parents who are bad teachers, 538 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:55,200 it also eliminates them against parents who are bad people. 539 00:28:55,279 --> 00:28:58,160 For all the HSLDA's talk of "parental rights," 540 00:28:58,239 --> 00:29:00,479 it's worth remembering, Elon Musk is a parent. 541 00:29:00,559 --> 00:29:02,400 OJ Simpson is a parent. 542 00:29:02,719 --> 00:29:07,519 Darth Vader is such a parent he made it part of his fancy name change. 543 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:11,519 The point is, having a child does not inherently make you virtuous. 544 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:15,319 And one of the key problems here is, child welfare laws 545 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:19,120 were written before homeschooling was legal in all 50 states. 546 00:29:19,719 --> 00:29:23,959 So, they rely heavily on the premise that a child is going to be in school 547 00:29:24,039 --> 00:29:27,039 and seen by other adults, as this DA explains. 548 00:29:27,799 --> 00:29:30,479 A lot of child abuse gets reported through our schools. 549 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:34,640 Teachers and school administrators are mandated reporters. 550 00:29:34,719 --> 00:29:38,880 So, you know, if a child comes to school with bruises or emaciated, 551 00:29:38,959 --> 00:29:40,959 that is a very common way that it gets reported. 552 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:45,120 Right. Because the fact is, teachers serve multiple functions at school 553 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:48,440 in addition to education: they watch out for signs of abuse, 554 00:29:48,519 --> 00:29:50,039 they chaperone school events, 555 00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:53,120 and they pretend not to know why Ellie won't sit next to Rachel, 556 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:55,959 Rachel won't sit next to Kelsey, Kelsey's not talking to Ethan 557 00:29:56,039 --> 00:29:59,239 even though Ethan's having a birthday party with Kelsey's brother, Bryce, 558 00:29:59,319 --> 00:30:01,959 who just happens to be Rachel's boyfriend since last period. 559 00:30:02,039 --> 00:30:05,039 And they do all of that while also trying to teach long division. 560 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:08,600 Teachers are superheroes who should make a million dollars a year. 561 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:11,279 So, you can probably see, 562 00:30:11,719 --> 00:30:15,680 the fact that it is possible to pull a kid out of school, 563 00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:18,880 with no questions asked or follow-ups allowed, 564 00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:22,160 could easily be exploited by abusive parents, 565 00:30:22,239 --> 00:30:26,640 especially as most states don't screen homeschool parents for red flags. 566 00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:30,680 "48 states have no background-check process 567 00:30:30,759 --> 00:30:32,440 for parents who choose to homeschool." 568 00:30:32,519 --> 00:30:36,400 Even if you have a prior conviction of a crime against a child, 569 00:30:36,719 --> 00:30:38,200 you can homeschool them. 570 00:30:38,279 --> 00:30:40,799 A study done in Connecticut found that of the 380 students 571 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:43,319 withdrawn in six districts to be homeschooled, 572 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:46,559 138 lived in families that were the subject 573 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:50,400 of at least one prior report of suspected abuse or neglect. 574 00:30:50,759 --> 00:30:54,440 And yet, despite this, at every turn, 575 00:30:54,519 --> 00:30:59,039 HSLDA has vigorously fought efforts to put any guardrails in place. 576 00:30:59,559 --> 00:31:01,719 Here is their then-president, in 2015, 577 00:31:01,799 --> 00:31:04,360 explaining why they fight all regulations, 578 00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:07,559 even ones explicitly designed to prevent child abuse. 579 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:10,400 Child abuse is a parental issue, isn't it? 580 00:31:10,479 --> 00:31:13,999 Any child, whether they be a non-homeschool child, or a parent, 581 00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:18,479 whether they be a homeschool parent, they can abuse their children. 582 00:31:18,559 --> 00:31:24,680 So, why should we for a few invade all of the other innocent parents? 583 00:31:25,319 --> 00:31:29,600 That's prior restraint. It's unconstitutional. Un-American. 584 00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:34,799 There some categories of regulations around homeschooling 585 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:36,440 that you would support 586 00:31:36,519 --> 00:31:39,279 that you don't think of as an invasion or a takeover? 587 00:31:41,479 --> 00:31:43,080 No, not any. 588 00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:47,719 It is bad enough that he's arguing for a total lack of regulation there, 589 00:31:47,799 --> 00:31:50,920 but the fact that he openly licks the corners of his mouth 590 00:31:50,999 --> 00:31:53,559 before doing so somehow makes it worse. 591 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:56,239 He looks like a cat went to a Zoltar machine 592 00:31:56,319 --> 00:31:58,200 and made a wish to be Andy Griffith. 593 00:31:59,519 --> 00:32:03,360 The HSLDA views any oversight whatsoever as an attack, 594 00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:07,559 even offering members a 24-hour hotline in case of a visit from the state. 595 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:11,039 Here is the sister of that woman you saw earlier, 596 00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:13,680 explaining how they would practice what to do 597 00:32:13,759 --> 00:32:16,479 if Child Protective Services showed up on their doorstep. 598 00:32:16,959 --> 00:32:18,519 The parent would lock the front door, 599 00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:22,080 would call the Home School Legal Defense Association on the phone, 600 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:23,999 hand the phone out the kitchen window, 601 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:25,880 and us kids were supposed to hide in the basement. 602 00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:29,759 We actually did drills on this stuff, folks. 603 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:35,080 We did drills in case someone ever decided to check in on our well-being. 604 00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:37,039 Holy shit, that is dark. 605 00:32:38,039 --> 00:32:40,999 Drills are meant for practicing what to do to avoid getting hurt, 606 00:32:41,080 --> 00:32:42,559 not to avoid getting help. 607 00:32:43,039 --> 00:32:45,719 It's why fire alarms say "pull here in case of emergency" 608 00:32:45,799 --> 00:32:47,600 and not "snitches get stitches." 609 00:32:48,759 --> 00:32:50,880 And the thing is, because of its committed membership, 610 00:32:50,959 --> 00:32:54,640 the HSLDA has the power to stop any kind of oversight in its tracks. 611 00:32:54,719 --> 00:32:57,920 Take Raylee's Law, named after an eight-year-old girl in West Virginia 612 00:32:57,999 --> 00:33:01,279 whose father pulled her out of school after he was reported for abuse. 613 00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:03,840 She died of neglect only a few weeks later. 614 00:33:04,279 --> 00:33:06,400 Eventually, legislators proposed a law 615 00:33:06,479 --> 00:33:08,799 that would prevent parents from withdrawing a child from school 616 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:11,719 when there is a pending child abuse or neglect investigation 617 00:33:12,039 --> 00:33:15,440 or when a parent has been convicted of domestic violence, 618 00:33:15,519 --> 00:33:16,759 child abuse, or neglect. 619 00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:19,799 And it seems like that law would be easy to get passed, right? 620 00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:23,719 But as the legislator who proposed it found out, not so much. 621 00:33:24,759 --> 00:33:29,360 There are groups I want to say there's like this homeschool defense fund group 622 00:33:29,440 --> 00:33:31,239 that came out against Raylee's Law. 623 00:33:31,319 --> 00:33:32,959 - The HSLDA? - That's it. 624 00:33:33,279 --> 00:33:36,440 And there were quotes about how awful this bill was 625 00:33:36,519 --> 00:33:38,400 and it's an attack on homeschooling 626 00:33:38,479 --> 00:33:41,279 and they want to move the goal post. 627 00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:44,200 That's what you do in politics, but I thought, maybe, 628 00:33:44,279 --> 00:33:46,959 protecting children, you wouldn't go about that. 629 00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:49,959 Right, and that seems pretty reasonable. 630 00:33:50,039 --> 00:33:52,160 And if the HSLDA thinks trying to protect kids 631 00:33:52,239 --> 00:33:55,160 from being taken out of school by people convicted of child abuse 632 00:33:55,239 --> 00:33:56,959 is an attack on homeschooling, 633 00:33:57,039 --> 00:34:01,080 they're saying quite a bit about what they believe homeschooling to be. 634 00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:03,200 If Chili's responded to a health inspector 635 00:34:03,279 --> 00:34:06,640 writing their workers up for pissing in the skillet queso with 636 00:34:06,719 --> 00:34:09,560 "This is an attack on everything Chili's stands for. 637 00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:12,319 Don't punish the majority of our staff for the minority 638 00:34:12,399 --> 00:34:15,000 who piss and shit in our Presidente Margaritas," 639 00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:18,680 you'd have some questions about what Chili's thinks it stands for. 640 00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:22,520 And for the record, that man's bill never passed. 641 00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:26,000 And that story's been repeated in state after state after state. 642 00:34:26,439 --> 00:34:29,640 As one legislative aide who's gone up against the HSLDA has said 643 00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:32,640 "I've never seen a lobby more powerful and scary". 644 00:34:32,719 --> 00:34:35,439 And a legislator in Arkansas who tangled with them says 645 00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:39,600 "They told me the only legislation they wanted was what Alaska had, 646 00:34:39,680 --> 00:34:40,879 which was nothing." 647 00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:44,080 At a certain point, it starts to feel like the HSLDA 648 00:34:44,160 --> 00:34:46,680 is basically the homeschooling equivalent of the NRA, 649 00:34:46,759 --> 00:34:49,000 an extremely powerful organization 650 00:34:49,080 --> 00:34:51,399 that, while it represents a large number of people, 651 00:34:51,480 --> 00:34:54,439 pursues an outermost-fringe version of their agenda. 652 00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:56,960 So, where do we go from here? 653 00:34:57,040 --> 00:35:00,439 In a perfect world, we'd make sure that homeschooled kids 654 00:35:00,520 --> 00:35:04,239 were both safe and actually receiving a functional education. 655 00:35:04,319 --> 00:35:06,799 There are smaller organizations like this one, 656 00:35:06,879 --> 00:35:08,759 pushing for those sort of changes. 657 00:35:08,839 --> 00:35:12,520 But at the barest minimum, we could require, in all 50 states, 658 00:35:12,600 --> 00:35:15,040 to register a child as homeschooled, 659 00:35:15,359 --> 00:35:17,759 so there's at least a record that they exist. 660 00:35:18,560 --> 00:35:21,879 That is how low the bar is here, at the Earth's core, 661 00:35:22,239 --> 00:35:24,960 which I'm sure, according to at least one homeschooling textbook, 662 00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:28,200 is somewhere between soil and the fiery bowels of Hell. 663 00:35:29,439 --> 00:35:34,160 But beyond that, we could pass some basic child safety protections 664 00:35:34,239 --> 00:35:37,040 to ensure parents can't pull their kids out of school 665 00:35:37,120 --> 00:35:38,919 to escape scrutiny for abuse. 666 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:41,960 A few years ago, to its credit, Georgia passed a law 667 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:44,879 that requires parents who pull kids out of school for no reason 668 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:47,879 to send documentation within 45 days 669 00:35:47,960 --> 00:35:49,600 that they are homeschooling their child, 670 00:35:49,680 --> 00:35:51,919 or proof of attendance at another school. 671 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:55,319 If they don't do that, they're subject to a follow-up from the state. 672 00:35:55,399 --> 00:35:59,560 Even this Republican Georgia state rep acknowledges that it was needed. 673 00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:04,799 If the people in your world that you believe are most protective of you 674 00:36:05,759 --> 00:36:09,399 are torturing you or abusing you, who's gonna look out for you? 675 00:36:09,759 --> 00:36:12,719 I don't like government intervention in a lot of things, 676 00:36:12,799 --> 00:36:15,200 but the government's the only person I know 677 00:36:15,279 --> 00:36:17,520 of that can intervene in this kind of case to save a child. 678 00:36:17,839 --> 00:36:20,719 Yeah, he's right. He's just completely right. 679 00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:24,160 And agreeing with a staunch Republican Georgia state rep 680 00:36:24,239 --> 00:36:27,200 wasn't something I had on my 2023 bingo card. 681 00:36:27,879 --> 00:36:29,960 I've almost got a full bingo by the way, 682 00:36:30,040 --> 00:36:32,319 I'm just waiting on you know who to you know what. 683 00:36:33,120 --> 00:36:37,279 To be clear, I share his ambivalence about government intervention here. 684 00:36:37,359 --> 00:36:41,439 Involving social services and the government in personal situations 685 00:36:41,759 --> 00:36:46,359 poses a risk, especially to those who aren't wealthy and who aren't white. 686 00:36:46,439 --> 00:36:48,000 I don't love the idea 687 00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:50,560 of giving the state room to poke around in people's lives, 688 00:36:50,640 --> 00:36:54,759 or that I think our child protective services system is flawless, no notes. 689 00:36:54,839 --> 00:36:59,040 We're almost definitely gonna be doing a main story on CPS one day. 690 00:36:59,719 --> 00:37:01,919 But it does seem like giving parents 691 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:05,080 a "get out of all scrutiny free, no questions asked" card 692 00:37:05,399 --> 00:37:07,040 just isn't the answer here. 693 00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:10,359 Because being a parent doesn't automatically make someone moral. 694 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:14,399 And being with a parent doesn't automatically make a child safe. 695 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:18,560 And the truth is, a few extra security measures would not hurt 696 00:37:18,640 --> 00:37:21,759 the many parents who homeschool their children responsibly, 697 00:37:21,839 --> 00:37:25,680 but they'd definitely safeguard against those who use "personal liberty" 698 00:37:25,759 --> 00:37:28,200 as an excuse to neglect or harm their kids. 699 00:37:28,279 --> 00:37:30,399 The HSLDA can say all that it wants 700 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:33,040 that it doesn't support Nazis or child abusers, 701 00:37:33,120 --> 00:37:38,319 but the policies that it relentlessly pushes for allow them to thrive. 702 00:37:39,040 --> 00:37:42,319 And basic reforms here shouldn't be remotely controversial, 703 00:37:42,399 --> 00:37:45,000 because after all, this is about child welfare. 704 00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:49,960 This isn't rocket science. It's not home sheep-eye dissection. 705 00:37:50,359 --> 00:37:53,160 Don't Google it, by the way, I cannot emphasize that enough. 706 00:37:53,879 --> 00:37:57,680 All of this is basic common sense. And now, this. 707 00:37:58,560 --> 00:37:59,560 And Now: 708 00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:03,879 The Surprising Importance of Emojis on "Divorce Court". 709 00:38:04,520 --> 00:38:08,600 I had to have somebody explain it to me because I didn't get it… 710 00:38:10,960 --> 00:38:15,520 Is a conversation has occurred through emoji and GIF 711 00:38:16,680 --> 00:38:18,399 in which you posted a waterfall, 712 00:38:19,439 --> 00:38:23,879 which means you're in a state of sexual excitation. 713 00:38:24,319 --> 00:38:26,799 Your Honor, she's a talented surfer 714 00:38:26,879 --> 00:38:30,319 who sends my husband eggplant emojis. 715 00:38:30,399 --> 00:38:31,839 Peach emojis! 716 00:38:32,239 --> 00:38:35,040 Were you sending water splashing emojis? 717 00:38:35,359 --> 00:38:37,200 - To your ex? - Yes, he was. 718 00:38:37,759 --> 00:38:40,879 Did you send a heart-kissing emoji to your "cousin?" 719 00:38:41,200 --> 00:38:44,600 Why would she send you cucumber and eggplant emojis? 720 00:38:44,680 --> 00:38:47,560 - She has a bit of sense of humor. - That ain't funny. 721 00:38:47,640 --> 00:38:48,879 When you saw the photo, 722 00:38:48,960 --> 00:38:51,759 did you think it was appropriate to leave a drooling face emoji? 723 00:38:52,279 --> 00:38:55,120 And why was she saved in your phone as the blueberry? 724 00:38:55,439 --> 00:38:56,600 Some… she sweet. 725 00:38:57,399 --> 00:39:00,120 So, she cute and sweet. So, you saved it as a blueberry. 726 00:39:00,200 --> 00:39:01,560 It was just the first thing that popped in my mind. 727 00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:04,960 Found texts to a guy with a smiley face 728 00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:08,239 with the mouth wide open and a purple thing, like a… 729 00:39:10,919 --> 00:39:12,160 I mean, smoking gun. 730 00:39:13,399 --> 00:39:14,520 That's a smoking gun. 731 00:39:18,120 --> 00:39:21,160 That's our show! See you next week, good night!