Click this picture for a good video news version of this story.
Posted on 05/20/2004 6:08:07 PM PDT by chance33_98
Is there ONE person out there who thinks this is a rational response to drugs and sex? Or is it possible (if even true) that there is more to the story?
As always unless it is possible to gather information from other sources we have to go on the information at hand.
Most people wish to give their children every advantage. However I am of the opinion that making your child’s life easy is the surest way to teach your child to be lazy.
This family’s story is a great example of how having no advantages can instill intelligence and good character.
This man with very few resources has raised his daughter to be respectful and intelligent.
I have teenagers of my own who have been raised with most of the advantages that middle class life offers they are lazy and insolent.
Their cousins with more advantages than my kids are for the most part the same.
Maybe isolation from the modern world is not the answer to how to raise good kids, but this man from the evidence at hand seems to have done well so far.
Would I have the courage to do the same? No I would not. I do not have the training or know how to live off the land.
For those not familiar with Forest Park....
Forest Park is over 5,000 acres and is the largest park in the US completely within the city limits. It is dense, has many hiking trails, and a place of beauty. It would not be hard to live there for a considerable time without being seen. And we all wonder why Bigfoot seems to be elusive! I've hiked Forest Park and for the most part it would be hard to see any camp even if it was just 50 feet off one of the trails. This story seems plausible. With a monthly check of $400 the father certainly could provide food and hygiene necessities for the two of them. The only thing that sounds funny is "home schooling" when they were considered homeless. What a comparison to the "homeless" helpless that live in downtown Portland and carry signs begging for a handout.
We have been without air a couple of times. The last time, it was broken for 2 weeks and we had to get a new unit. Boy, I do not remember it being that hot when I was growing up. It was awful! I do not think I would have made a good pioneer.
bzzztttt
I wonder how many hikers saw Elizabeth Smart with her captors, even early on, and didn't want to butt in or seem nosy. I mean, the guy was making her go veiled to parties with him and the Barzee woman. Lots of people must have felt that something was not right.
If I saw a twelve-year-old-girl in a camp on public lands with a white-haired-old guy, I'd call the cops too, because my first thought would NOT be that he was her loving father. I'd be glad if that turned out to be the case. But my first thought would be "abducted and endangered child," not "Oh, they're living off the land, isn't that cute."
I also want to point out that public lands are public lands. Parks are parks--set aside for a reason. There would be no parks at all if people without homes just moved into parks and started digging out the hillsides. This is not an acceptable alternative for housing. If you want land, buy some--that's how it's done.
Once you have land, of course, the government should leave you alone so long as you're not contaminating groundwater, raping children, or otherwise afflicting someone. Wanna live in a dugout? in a tent or a yurt or an igloo, without electricity or running water or a permit for anything? You should be able to do it if that's what you want, on your own land.
If you want to do the Sam Gribbley thing, you do it on the Gribbley farm.
Oh I'm sure it's not baloney. They combed through this with a fine toothed comb hoping to bust the man on something, anything.
The only thing that would bother me is going potty behind that nice shrub...only to find out it was poisoned oak. It happened to my and kid #2 on a camping trip. I think it's cool that they escaped detection for 4 years, and it sure beats being a sitting duck in a motel room or a car.
I think the father did the best he could. They could have had a real bad run in with street people. Some of them aren't so nice. If he had applied for aid, they would have snatched the kid. What's he supposed to do? Roll over and play dead? I don't think so. He's a Marine.
Single Dad bump.
Marines live in conditions like this all the time. We're used to it.
He just had spare time to educate his daughter.
Semper Fi
What that Marine ought to do his start a private wilderness academy. He'd get all those yuppy parents to pay big mullah for tuition.
Seems to me moving from the Forest to a trailer park is NOT a good career move.
Uhhmmm. Yes. These circumstances aren't that bad compared to exposing a child to street life. The girl had an excellent education, was healthy, had the love of her dad, learned about God...what more did she really need?
You, my friend, are a cynic. ;)
Send all graduated H.S. boys for one year to this guy. Mandatory.
But...perhaps the Government needs to leave them alone since they were in great health...and they were taking care of things...i.e. taking care of the banking...going to church.
redrock
Urbane, people can and do live this way in the world today...and are happy.
For many, many years, many, many people lived this way in this nation and were happy. There are some who live this way today in this country and are happy...and who apparently have common sense and a better education than the public schools provide to many.
If there is love in the family, if there is genuine care, respect and attentiveness...then the values that are aquired through that process are worth more than all of the convienences of modern society. All of those convienences, without the former qualites, become nothing more than sounding brass and a tinkling symbol...and do not lead to true happiness.
This Dad gave his daughter spiritual well being, educational well being (for her age certainly), self-respect, self-confidence and taught her how to love.
Is there ONE person here who would say that those values and qualities are not worth having...and are not of more worth than all of the modern convenieces without them?
That does not mean you have to have one or the other...but this father, apparently because of the circumstances he was in, saw that he could not have the latter (all the mordern convieneces) and chose to do his apparent level best at providing the former.
...and Appy...until shown otherwise, I will take the story as reported and not necessarily feel that there is something more. I am open to more info...but choose to not be cynical over something like this.
Just my thoughts.
Ping!
This is a great story. I called the police precinct, and sent an email. This is why we fight.
Click this picture for a good video news version of this story.
"they found sleeping bags, a partially burnt log, a Bible, a stack of old World Book Encyclopedias, rakes and other tools."
It is good to have "old" encyclopedias...before history was rewritten in the new "PC" format. :^) Amazing story. Thanks for posting it.
Oh get off it.
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