Remember "Bringing Home Rebecca?"

[Marian the Librarian]

For those who remember the "Bringing Home Rebecca" saga from Kelly and Andrea Reins' "Ah, the Life" blog, brace yourselves: Rebecca's husband Sam is serving 24 months in federal prison for shipping firearm parts and scopes to international customers. They have two adopted little boys, and Rebecca has established a Go Fund Me page (gofundme.com/8wm3k4) asking for donations.

"Rebecca has not had to work since 2006. And we don't want the boys to suddenly be without both parents and thrown into daycare. Although we would very likely qualify for welfare, we don't want to subject our boys or ourselves to that system. Our church has a benevolent care fund and has offered to open some of that to us if we aren't able to raise enough money on our own."

Oh, and it seems the original "Bringing Home Rebecca" post from February, 2006 has conveniently disappeared from the Ah the Lifers' blog.

(Using quotation marks and italics because I haven't figured out how to do block quotes quite yet, since the upgrade.)

[Coconut Flan]

That work is too hard, too much, too difficult for our family is an attitude that needs to be knocked out of people like that.

[Jasmar]

So her headship commits (federal?) crime, is busted, and they have no problem expecting strangers to support them? As long as the strangers don't support them through taxes paid to welfare?

Why do I find this all so confusing...

[Megan]

I am reading this now and they adopted the children after he was investigated and he learned of the potential 10-year punishment for his crimes. His plea about not letting this "make" Rebecca a single mother seems ridiculous when they chose to adopt TWO children when the sole income of the household was being prosecuted for a crime with such a heavy potential jail time (for those who haven't read the funding plea, they say they were in the process of adopting one of the children at the time and the opportunity to adopt the second arose during the investigation. Apparently his indictment and trail were delayed so they could adopt).

I can't believe someone wouldn't realize there would be restrictions on international sales of gun parts, never mind the obvious fact that he was breaking laws by lying about the values of items.

[hoipolloi]

On Wednesday, I noticed one of my packages I sent to Germany was being held in Chicago. I looked over the invoice to see what was in that package, and there was an AR-15 trigger kit ordered from Brownells. I went to Brownell's web page, and for the first time, I saw export restrictions, ITAR, US Munitions List, $10,000 fine, 10 years prison. Panic. What is this? I looked up the ITAR and the USML, found the appropriate paragraph, and sure enough, you cannot export any firearm or part thereof. From my years in the industry, I knew you couldn't ship a firearm, or even just the receiver as that is what ATF classifies as the firearm, but I had no idea about the parts.

Re: bolded. Looks like the wonderful godly man celebrated by Kelly & Andrea Reins in "Bringing Rebecca Home" is really a LIAR and not a very smart one at that.

:liar: :liar: :liar: :liar: :liar:

ETA: Figured out how to quote material using new template!

[Emkay]

(for those who haven't read the funding plea, they say they were in the process of adopting one of the children at the time and the opportunity to adopt the second arose during the investigation. Apparently his indictment and trail were delayed so they could adopt).

.

The adoption in process, I understand, but the court delayed the process so they could START another adoption? Is this a sibling situation, or other extenuating circumstance? Otherwise, I can't imagine WTF the court was thinking!

[teachergirl]

And notice how he lost his first job immediately after "bringing her home" and then got this one.....the only good thing perhaps is they only have 2 instead of 7/8 which would have been expected in those circles. I suppose they never factor in infertility do they?

[chaotic life]

ahthelife.blogspot.com/2008/07/what-if-he-dies-follow-up-to-bringing.html

Interesting contradiction to the position made in 2008 when they answered this EXACT question.

I also find it questionable that the trial and charges were delayed for them to start an adoption, given that in 2008 it states they were working to adopt 2 Chinese children at one time. More likely, he was permitted to travel to China to pick up the second child that for some reason couldn't be picked up with the first child.

Honestly, they went into these adoptions knowing this was coming. She needs to get a job and work.

I know another fundie lite whose husband is in prison for ten years and she refuses to work as well. She constantly bums off of those around her while earning a Christian ministry degree that frankly isn't going to give her wage earning skills in the least.

[chaotic life]

And really, I have to say in the dozen years I was a SAHM and carries over while there is still a massive wage gap between us, I had TWO policies to protect myself.

First, given the number of children we have and the level of special needs, we do have a substantial life insurance policy on him. We have a decent policy on me as well, but only about 1/3 of what we carry on him. There is sufficient life insurance that should he die, I will be able to remain in the home and finish my education until the last child is a legal adult. Given that I am completing my education now, it should last me even longer to care for and protect the children. The ONE thing I will be responsible for is health insurance and given the healthcare exchanges, that will be attainable now as well.

However, that doesn't cover if he were to lose his wage earning potential. Yes, there is divorce, but there is also disability and as this couple demonstrates (though my spouse would never be doing something so stupid to RISK prison time) incarceration. In all of those cases, your sole breadwinner can completely lose his ability to financially support his family but be living and thus the life insurance is worthless to protect you.

This is why I finished my nursing degree before I became a SAHM. This is why I held onto my RN license all of those years, even as I wasn't working and even when I had to work harder to do it. This is why when we needed to boast our income, I was able to step into part-time working and give the family the boast we needed. Because I had the foresight to NOT lay down all my wage earning potential, I was able to start back into my education and in four years I will carry wage earning potential more than sufficient to completely support my family on my own. I built upon what I had already stored up, even in those years at home.

I have counseled more women than I can count on going back to school, achieving wage earning potential, preserving wage earning potential, investing in life insurance, and putting this as a priority to do while staying home full-time. I used to keep a tally of how many SAHMs I had personally supported towards those goals because it is SO vital for that segment of the population to protect themselves from the unforeseen life events they so rarely consider in that choice. I don't keep a tally anymore, primarily because there are too many. It's not that I disparage the SAHM option, but that I encourage women to seek out those insurance choices that protect them and their children if the worst were to happen. Honestly, the fact is that it protects a loving breadwinner as well. The fact that I can support us if he were to die or be unable to take care of this family is a HUGE burden that my husband is able to lay down now as well.

[formergothardite]

I have not sold guns, but it seems pretty clear that something shady was going on with the international selling. Wanting things declared "camping good" and lying about how much things were worth are huge red flags that what you are doing might be a wee bit illegal. And if I was going to start a business I would research the fucking laws first. A quick google search would have told him all this, but I suspect that he actually knew that everything he was doing was illegal and is lying about it now.

He was a fool for not immediately getting a lawyer. He still is blaming everyone but himself. His former employer, his international customers, the agents who interviewed him, everyone else is in the wrong and he is innocent.

[chaotic life]

Also, compliments of the Wayback Machine

http://web.archive.org/web/201010180144 ... becca.html

And a "manly" view of the whole debacle.

heumoore.com/2006/09/restoring-manhood-to-america.html

[nausicaa]

I have not sold guns, but it seems pretty clear that something shady was going on with the international selling. Wanting things declared "camping good" and lying about how much things were worth are huge red flags that what you are doing might be a wee bit illegal. And if I was going to start a business I would research the fucking laws first. A quick google search would have told him all this, but I suspect that he actually knew that everything he was doing was illegal and is lying about it now.

He was a fool for not immediately getting a lawyer. He still is blaming everyone but himself. His former employer, his international customers, the agents who interviewed him, everyone else is in the wrong and he is innocent.

He took absolutely zero responsibility in that interminable essay.

Also, it really bugs me when people try to argue their way out of a punishment by saying they have a family. So they believe single people should be the only ones who are punished for committing crimes?

And I noticed that the fund was set up by Rebecca, has her in the picture, but he writes the essay. Cause women shouldn't be talking, they're just props to get people to open their wallets.

[nausicaa]

ahthelife.blogspot.com/2008/07/what-if-he-dies-follow-up-to-bringing.html

Interesting contradiction to the position made in 2008 when they answered this EXACT question.

I also find it questionable that the trial and charges were delayed for them to start an adoption, given that in 2008 it states they were working to adopt 2 Chinese children at one time. More likely, he was permitted to travel to China to pick up the second child that for some reason couldn't be picked up with the first child.

Honestly, they went into these adoptions knowing this was coming. She needs to get a job and work.

I know another fundie lite whose husband is in prison for ten years and she refuses to work as well. She constantly bums off of those around her while earning a Christian ministry degree that frankly isn't going to give her wage earning skills in the least.

I realize I am trying to pick apart craziness here, but this makes zero sense to me:

"It is also true that families in which both husband and wife have jobs or they are self-employed in a way in which their income is dependent upon their ability to perform and put in their time, are not saving money in the event that a catastrophe happens."

Why on earth would being a two working parent family preclude saving money? I know plenty of married parents who both work and are saving money for retirement and an emergency fund.

[mockingbird]

I realize I am trying to pick apart craziness here, but this makes zero sense to me:

"It is also true that families in which both husband and wife have jobs or they are self-employed in a way in which their income is dependent upon their ability to perform and put in their time, are not saving money in the event that a catastrophe happens."

Why on earth would being a two working parent family preclude saving money? I know plenty of married parents who both work and are saving money for retirement and an emergency fund.

She later tried to argue that a home business is not a job that is "dependent upon their ability to perform". Because they won't fire their family/other fundies? :? But if you don't perform i.e. market and sell your product, your business fails...

That essay was ten minutes of my life that I will never get back.

[louisa05]

It may not be entirely true that the charges/trial/etc...were delayed for the adoptions. They may have simply been delayed.

As ridiculous as it seems to us, at the moment we know three people who have been charged in federal crimes in the last couple of years (completely separate crimes). One plea bargained and still waited almost a year for the case to be complete. He was sentenced to prison and then waited another ten weeks before there was a placement available in a facility close to his home/wife & children (something his lawyer had included in the plea bargain). Another committed his crime over five years ago, was indicted two and a half years ago and is still awaiting trial. And the third also plea bargained and then waited over a year for sentencing.

Federal courts are slow. Non-violent offenders get delayed over and over. They may have thought it sounded important or sympathetic to claim the delays had to do with the adoptions. They likely did not. My real question would not be about the delays and the federal judge. My question would be why a family court judge allowed the adoptions to proceed in these circumstances.

[Marian the Librarian]

Also, compliments of the Wayback Machine

http://web.archive.org/web/201010180144 ... becca.html

And a "manly" view of the whole debacle.

heumoore.com/2006/09/restoring-manhood-to-america.html

Thank you!! This deathless piece of patriarchal propaganda is not lost to the world forever, despite the mutability of the AhtheLifers' supposed convictions. I bow to your Internet genius. :worship:

"A little princess that will never know the workplace" - I always found that photo caption to be the most gag-worthy part of the piece. Perhaps that little princess will now see the wisdom of getting herself some practical job skills, given the cautionary example of Rebecca and Sam.

[formergothardite]

He took absolutely zero responsibility in that interminable essay.

Also, it really bugs me when people try to argue their way out of a punishment by saying they have a family. So they believe single people should be the only ones who are punished for committing crimes?

And I noticed that the fund was set up by Rebecca, has her in the picture, but he writes the essay. Cause women shouldn't be talking, they're just props to get people to open their wallets.

Even when writing about how he knowingly lied on the forms he doesn't accept any blame. There is no way he didn't know what he was doing.

My customer in Switzerland asked if I would receive packages for him throughout the week, then every Friday, package them all together, declare them as Camping Supplies/Tools, declare them always under $1,000 to save on fees, and ship them. We agreed to a 10% commission, and I started making $200-$500 every week from this shipment. These items were really camping tools, police issue gloves and bags, watches, non-automatic knives, nothing illegal to ship.

When did these items become camping supplies? And he got no red flags about receiving packages during the week and then shipping them by lying about what they were and how much they costs? You can't get any bigger of a red flag then that. And when he told his other customers what he did for the guy in Switzerland he then started doing this for people in four other countries? And he is really going to try and claim he didn't know that this was illegal? Really? Are people in his church dumb enough to believe this.

[Koala]

I'm just glad they got her out of "the workplace". For all we know there could have been convicts there! :o

[formergothardite]

I'm just glad they got her out of "the workplace". For all we know there could have been convicts there! :o

Well God does have standards! Women working is just unacceptable. Lying about it when you are shipping gun parts to what could be terrorists, God is cool with that.

I think he should remember that verse "Be sure your sins will find you out." It is very fitting for him. A couple more that he can meditate on while he sits in jail:

Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight

A righteous man hates lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and comes to shame

You are of your father the devil...When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

[salex]

So her headship commits (federal?) crime, is busted, and they have no problem expecting strangers to support them? As long as the strangers don't support them through taxes paid to welfare?

Why do I find this all so confusing...

It isn't so much they don't want to scrouge money from others. They just don't want the government to make them fill out paperwork to do so.

They don't want to be in the system, though being in Federal Prison pretty much put him "in the system" for the rest of his life.

He likely won't be able to legally own guns in the future(Though she can, so they won't have to be gun free at home) much less sell them or anything related to them. While he may or may not be a hero to fundies / tea partiers he is as likely a pariah for getting caught, or for fear the feds are tracking him when he gets out. It will be hard for him to find regular employment. Of course, since he's supposed to own his own business, he could run a lawn service, etc... but if he was ever lax about paying his taxes, he probably shouldn't be in the future, since he now has a history of not following federal law.

Why aren't her friends and family stepping up with childcare/babysitting so she can get a job. She even has a work history, which a lot of those fundie SAHMs don't have.

[salex]

So her headship commits (federal?) crime, is busted, and they have no problem expecting strangers to support them? As long as the strangers don't support them through taxes paid to welfare?

Why do I find this all so confusing...

It isn't so much they don't want to scrouge money from others. They just don't want the government to make them fill out paperwork to do so.

They don't want to be in the system, though being in Federal Prison pretty much put him "in the system" for the rest of his life.

He likely won't be able to legally own guns in the future(Though she can, so they won't have to be gun free at home) much less sell them or anything related to them. While he may or may not be a hero to fundies / tea partiers he is as likely a pariah for getting caught, or for fear the feds are tracking him when he gets out. It will be hard for him to find regular employment. Of course, since he's supposed to own his own business, he could run a lawn service, etc... but if he was ever lax about paying his taxes, he probably shouldn't be in the future, since he now has a history of not following federal law.

Why aren't her friends and family stepping up with childcare/babysitting so she can get a job. She even has a work history, which a lot of those fundie SAHMs don't have.

[Georgiana]

Listen, Lady, if you want to play princess and strut around being too Godly to work for another man, that's fine. If you're willing to sacrifice an additional income and prefer being home to having a career, that's totally up to you. Do what you want.

But don't you pretend that you are too good to work and ask ME for my hard earned money. Pride is a sin. You are NOT too good to go back to work. You are not better than every. other. woman. who works hard to make ends meet and feed her family. You are not a princess. Now get your head out of your pretend world and come back to reality.

Where you're a regular woman.

Who needs to get a job.

[nausicaa]

Listen, Lady, if you want to play princess and strut around being too Godly to work for another man, that's fine. If you're willing to sacrifice an additional income and prefer being home to having a career, that's totally up to you. Do what you want.

But don't you pretend that you are too good to work and ask ME for my hard earned money. Pride is a sin. You are NOT too good to go back to work. You are not better than every. other. woman. who works hard to make ends meet and feed her family. You are not a princess. Now get your head out of your pretend world and come back to reality.

Where you're a regular woman.

Who needs to get a job.

[nausicaa]

It's interesting too how they phrase Rebecca's not working in a very neutral, stay at home mom sort of way. They certainly skirt around their extremist beliefs about women in the workplace when they say things like "Rebecca has not had to work since 2006" and that they would prefer to have her stay home with the boys and not suddenly throw them into day care.

I suspect that's because they don't want women to be turned off by the post. You know, women whose money they need. From their jobs.

[Rebelwife]

I just read his appeal for money. Wow! I've never seen a more innocent, stand-up guy who just happened to accidently, not-on-purpose, fall into a federal crime. As a matter of fact, all the federal agents told him what a stand-up guy he was and if only he hadn't been so patriotic and willing to help he would have gotten off with a warning!

I had no idea that our federal prison system was so hurting for inmates that they'd go out of their way to lock up this gem of a man.

I think I might have injured myself rolling my eyes so hard.

:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: