This whole discussion apparently divides between those who have lived harder/simpler at one time or another and hated it-or have never lived without all the stuff people have come to take for granted-either way, those people think the parents in the article are torturers, neglectful and should have their kids taken away for not going along with the herd-baaaaad....
On the other side are those of us who don’t see the point of interfering because those people want to live the off grid self sustainable lifestyle-of course, that means the guy has to pay for his water-and it doesn’t seem to matter whether we are rural or city dwellers-but most of us do appear to have lived or presently live a rural life, off grid or not. Either way, none of that group seems to be interested in imposing nanny rules or anyone else’s lifestyle on those people, and we don’t think the people have committed any crime of abuse or neglect-it is a fascinating contrast, assuming that everyone here is conservative and for personal liberty and responsibility...
I don't see it as harder... Simpler maybe, but certainly different - And preferable. I've got some nice digs going here - Just a half acre about a mile out of town, with a nice, cozy two bedroom cabin - But it's got a sweet water well, and I am just about to put in the garden and an aquaponic greenhouse... Got a wood shed going up and solar/generator coming soon. I'll still be on grid, but I won't need it.
And the back porch is going to have an outdoor wood fired kitchen, soon as I settle into what I want - I make my own bread, so I am fighting with myself over whether a a pizza style oven or just get a wood burning stove... and it will have a hot/cold smoker and a place for grilling (of course) All done up nice in stone masonry... Makes for a great place to do canning and bread making in the heat of summer, so the house will stay cool, and if SHTF and the inside kitchen doesn't work, well I can just go out to the porch, see? Who am I kidding - once I have wood to cook over, I probably could just forget about that inside kitchen... The food is that much better.
I don't NEED any of it - I am an old geezer (53) and kinda getting gimped up... I figger to stay closer in - So like I said, all the amenities are here - But I WANT all of it because that's how it's done as far as I am concerned. I like the self-sufficiency of it, and I aim to be as self-sufficient as I can be.
On the other side are those of us who don’t see the point of interfering because those people want to live the off grid self sustainable lifestyle-of course, that means the guy has to pay for his water-and it doesn’t seem to matter whether we are rural or city dwellers-but most of us do appear to have lived or presently live a rural life, off grid or not. Either way, none of that group seems to be interested in imposing nanny rules or anyone else’s lifestyle on those people, and we don’t think the people have committed any crime of abuse or neglect-it is a fascinating contrast, assuming that everyone here is conservative and for personal liberty and responsibility...
Yeah, All y'all... Texas rural folks... are my kind of folks (Y'all bend yer hats funny down there, but still). You still retain that civil-libertarian strain the Rocky-Mountain West is so ingrained with, and I admire that in you SW desert folks. Live and let live, and help each other if you can... Northwest Montana would welcome such as you. If y'all can't make it to Alaska, you might look here up the Yaak or the Bitterroot. I was gonna wander off down to Nirada or up the Yaak, or maybe down the Swan, But like I said, I am not as young as I used to be... And even here in the Flathead Valley, I could walk off of this piece and be in deep woods before nightfall.
Nothing against the off grid lifestyle if done intelligently but having 11 kids on a dilapidated farm without providing for their education when neither parent can hold down a job and eschewing modern society unless it decides to give them free money for their “defense” or buy their cruddy crafts or they want to steal water from them I have to say is pretty much the opposite of personal responsibility in my book.