LETTER: Columnist should spend a weekend in a cabin with a honey bucket

John Aronno (Community Spectrum, Frontiersman Jan. 26) equates kids having to use honey-buckets with child abuse. “Abuse shrouded in homeschooling shouldn't require maggot-infested wounds, bed-chains, or honey buckets to spur intervention,” he wrote in his column. His horridly sloppy journalism uses the UK's equivalent to the National Enquirer, The Daily Mail; for his info source for Alaska's most infamous 2004 Patrick and Sherry Kelley child-abuse case. His article is a gross misrepresentation of the “the rest of the story.” That story, Aronno left out, way worse, was clearly introduced there in his quoted Daily Mail article; and why the Kelley case supports, instead, why we do not want to follow Aronno's "advice."

Let us Alaskans finally honor the long-time respected Kelley-sentencing Judge, Michael Wolverton's, view; said in court on Jan. 8 2007, “. . .The children involved in this case were victims, no questions. I think the greater question though is to determine exactly what they have been victims of and by whom in every instance? . . . i hope, by another tribunal, at a later time.(caps emphasis has been added)" If OCS's criminal-level negligence had not been so egregious why would they have settled out of court with T.J. White for 1 million? For one, the State feloniously covered up that there were nine resident children involved in this case, not just five. I was the co-landlord of the Kelley's in their/our Anchorage rental home — theirs until 2004, not 2001. There are dated, recorded and public-record calls to both APD and the Anchorage Fire Department of our rescue efforts over a year before arrests and BEFORE much of the worse alleged abuse occurred. Here's an official APD evidence record transcript of what the four-year girl, allegedly anally abused, said to APD's child protective detective on February 10, 2004, four days before T.J. White suffered his burns: "[APD asked “H. Doe”] who all she lives with at her house. [Her]: "Yuck". [APD]: "yuck" what?" [Her]: "I'm not going to tell you it."[APD] “you are not going to tell me who you live with." [Her]: "No, it's disgusting."

So many have asked why the original 104 indictments and the prosecutor's plea for at least a 5 years minimum sentence, ended up with a long-standing well respected judge who let them instead walk free from the courthouse? The judge let the Kelley's free with (basically) time-served because he found that the “greater” crime against the children appeared to be from the State instead.

The Christians want government to force liberal school kids to hear about their sexual abstinence and other conservative morals, and the liberals want to force Christian kids to hear about all the newest gender identity terms, how to get secret abortions, etc. This is why homeschooling numbers have exploded on BOTH sides; by those who don't think Public Education should venture anywhere near politics, religion or morals; leaving those topics as the inalienable right of each parent. Neither side wants the other side with that much control.

John Aronno does not understand that America, where each side shows respect to the differences of the other side, with those who don't — found, like Aronno — on both sides of the aisle.

Alaskans need to start Judge Wolverton's called for“Tribunal”on this and so many other State abuses of power before more monitoring of Alaska homeschooling; and John Aronno needs to go spend a remote cabin weekend with a family with kids and only one honey-bucket for a bathroom.

This is Alaska, home to thousands of such choices.

— Rich Nevitt

Wasilla