BBC Magazine just published their coverage of the Bodnariu story and the anti-Barnevernet movement.
Here is a brief Delight in Truth analysis:
- The general thrust of the article is critical toward Barnevernet and somewhat sympathetic toward the cases mentioned including the Bodnariu case.
- Shocking details with respect to removal of children for trivial reasons are ARE mentioned, including the details of how the Bodnariu boys were taken into unmarked cars without any sort of warning.
- Importantly, BBC mentions an open letter of protest to the Children’s Minister, by 170 leading Norwegian professionals involved in child protection – lawyers, psychologists, social work experts – who say that Barnevernet is a “dysfunctional organisation which makes far-reaching errors of judgment with serious consequences”.
- They do highlight the immigrant targeting issue we have been discussing here on Delight in Truth.
- There is no mention of human rights violations like lack of due process, disregard for presumption of innocence, and there is no mention of the religious issue that triggered Barnevernet to look into the Bodnariu family.
Overall it seems like an objective article but it does not go far enough to pinpoint the injustice and human rights violations against victimized families.
Delight in Truth hopes this is just the beginning. It is the highest profile international coverage the anti-Barnevernet movement has received to date and we hope for more starting on April 16th, 2016.
Delight in Truth 
Thanks for the news, Delight.
“There is no mention of human rights violations like lack of due process,”
This is unfortunate as I think this is one of the greatest issues.
Yet, this is good news. I am thankful for the BBC’s report and I hope, like you, that this is just the beginning.
God’s blessings my friend…
I can confirm that “There is no mention of human rights violations like lack of due process,”, as I listen all “Norway: Parents Against the State” BBC audio file. But at 19:35 min it is mentioned that “there are violations of Europeans Conventions and The Convention of the Right of the Child”.
You can download it from here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b076mnky
Great! Thanks for this information, Robert! I will listen now.
That was a great programme!:-)
Thank you, Robert. I am listening now.
That was a great program, Hildi. Thank you again for posting this, Robert.
The BBC reporter has done his job here. To me, this program makes it clear that due process is denied to parents in Norway. The government workers interviewed act ignorant and inflexible. How can this be, particularly since they must know that many are now avoiding the Barnevernet services because they fear what might happen to their families?
You are welcome! 🙂
The ugly and despicable facts about Barnevernet speak louder than any human words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEGzBcbYWgw
Reblogged this on B a r z i l a i – e n – D a n (Un Barzilai izvorât din Dan).
“Overall it seems like an objective article but it does not go far enough to pinpoint the injustice and human rights violations against victimized families.
Delight in Truth hopes this is just the beginning.”
Well put.
One thing they would have done well to go into properly is this standard saying by Barnevernet:
“And it’s impossible to find out the authorities’ side of the story, because the child protection service won’t discuss individual cases, to protect children’s privacy.”
There is a difference between what Barnevernet SAYS and what is the reality of it. Nothing about the children’s privacy is harmed by openness in this case. Barnevernet’s people always protect THEMSELVES.
On the same misguided philosophy about silence serving the children’s interest:
“”We would like to explain to them [the children] the situation,” Ruth says, ahead of another all-too-brief supervised meeting.
“But we cannot do that because we cannot talk about the case.
“They don’t know when we’re really fighting to not show our feeling. Because with the bigger ones we’re told not to show any sorrow, because we make our child sad. So we really try to keep our tears to ourselves, till they’re out of the door at least.”
For the children not to be told by the parents that the parents are doing everything they can to get them back, is just about the most emotionally damaging thing possible. It is torture. And it is a government service that is doing this, a “service” to children declared “child-proficient” and with full authority to pursue this policy.
I was thinking back – – We heard some weeks ago that the very first time the parents were allowed to speak with the girls (on the telephone, I think it was), they cried and said, “We thought you were going to die.”
The BBC article reveals that the CPS has very early wanted to keep the children from the family on a permanent basis. A likely explanation of why the girls thought their parents were going to die, is therefore that Barnevernet had announced to them, “You are going to get new parents.” The girls could not think of other reasons for that than death.
This again shows a cruelty, and a lack of even elementary decency and understanding of how children feel, whicht ought to be unthinkable among personnel trained to help children! It is pure cruelty.
thank you for this response.
thank you for this response.
I find it also a good article. It does show what is wrong and maybe does not go much into the depth about the county comitees and psychological reports. But it is indeed a good start.
Again I miss so much any willingness of CPS to cooperate. Obviously Marius and Ruth wanted to do anything possible to get these children back. This I hear in so many stories. Its not that the parents do not want to improve, they dont get much chance, once their children are removed..
One specific part of the particle I part horrible. When Ruth talks about the meetings with the boys:
“We would like to explain to them the situation,” Ruth says, ahead of another all-too-brief supervised meeting.
“But we cannot do that because we cannot talk about the case.
“They don’t know when we’re really fighting to not show our feeling. Because with the bigger ones we’re told not to show any sorrow, because we make our child sad. So we really try to keep our tears to ourselves, till they’re out of the door at least.”
I am sorry, but does Norwegian CPS thinks that the parents are robots? That they can stop emotions just like that? Just like the grandmother, who was supposed to only greet her granddaughter that was taken into care and walk away? I think nobody can do that. So Now CPS also wants to decide about the feelings of the parents. I bet if the boys get sad, because the parents are sad , it will be the parents fault according to this? Insane
edit..with the bigger ones they probably mean the girls, but anyway. It must be so hard and it only leaves the children confused. They dont know why are they taken, they dont know why they can not go home. The parents can not say and the CPS then? Do they leave the poor kids in unknown for such a long time?
Romanian Community Center of Sacramento Press Release
http://www.mioritausa.news/stiri/romanian-community-center-sacramento-press-release/
Reblogged this on Fiindca atat de mult a iubit Dumnezeu lumea, ca a dat pe singurul Lui Fiu, pentru ca oricine crede in El sa nu piara, ci sa aibe viata vesnica. Ioan 3:16..
To get an article this good at this time is a true blessing.
Somebody wrote that that was the 7th most read news story on BBC today.
Fantastic! Although the article doesn’t cover everything about barnevernets attrocities, I think it covers enough to make people appalled about barnevernet. The way the Bodnariu children were taken away and the fact that Ruth and Marius not are allowed to show any feelings towards their sons when they visit them is just so evil and inhumane that I don’t have words for it….
It is about time the whole world sees this so there can come an end to this terrible system! The article together with the videos came just at the right time before the protests. Just today there has been a boom again in people signing the Bodnariu petition! There are now over 61 000 signatures and I am sure it will continue to rise!
As a Christian, I will pray for the protection over Bodnarius together with all these other families which have been so ill treated by barnevernet. I pray also for protection, wisdom and that God will cause a breakthrough with the demonstrations!
AN EVIL EMPIRE WILL BE SHAKEN FOR A DAY! NATIONS WILL TAKE NOTE OF IT!
There are two days remaining to April 16, 2016 set for the worldwide demonstrations against Norway’s notorious inquisition instrumentality which for years is confiscating the little children from their parents! That day it just happen to be a day of Sabbath, according to the ancient lunar calendar which was the guidance for the religious authorities at Jerusalem.
Norway’s imperious Writs have been set aside, and no longer are serving as guidance for the honoring of all human dignity infused by the Almighty God in both parents and children!
The Divine laws set forth in the Bible, if ever taken seriously in the Norway’s kingdom. also have been set aside by drastic indifference of royal and governmental authorities toward the plight of so many injured young parents immigrants by Norway’s official governmental oppression and unprecedented injustice! These young parents are grieving in silence for many years hoping to receive unto themselves their most precious gifts of Heaven: their little children confiscated by the odious and life destroyer, Barnevernet! Both parents’ and their children’s fundamental rights and human dignity has been trampled under the feet of Norway’s secretive regime and its odious instrumentality Barnevernet.
No less than their parents, the children also suffer in silence, traumatized and emotionally affected for the rest of their lives, at the hands of cruel and most demonic instrumentality ever invented in the modern halls of Northern European legislatures! As such, the majority of people of Northern European nations have chosen to remain silent and to docilely acquiesce to their governments’ purported child protection schemes! Lower and high courts included!
Now that the day of judgment is hovering above Norway and its instrumentality Barnevernet, it is fitting to remind those who will bear witness to such reckoning day, to not be silent on that day of 16. The LIBERTY and Freedom pursued for the Bodnarius’ children [and many other children of immigrants held captives by Norway’s justice system] must be accompanied by historic pronouncements by millions of people in the public squares during the revolutions of Eastern Europe in December, 1989. For example, those millions of people held captives behind the Iron Curtain boldly and determined, in unison chanted these precious virtues sent by God Almighty to the oppressed humanity: “Liberty, Liberty”, or “Freedom, Freedom”.
In the case at hand, there should be noisy choruses of such chanting “Liberty for Bodnariu Children”, or “Norway, Let Our Children Free”, or “Norway, Free Our Children You Hold Captives”, or “Let Our Little Children Go in Freedom”, or “Norway, Release Bodnarius’ Children in Freedom”, or “Norway, Grant Liberty to Our Children You Hold Captives”, or “Barnevernet, Release Our Little Children You Have Snatched with Aid of the Police”, or “Barnevernet, Let Our Little Children Go”, or “Norway, Today the World With Us Bears Witness to Your Cruelties Inflicted on the Bodnarius and their Children”, or “Norway, Let Our Little Children go in Liberty”, or “Liberty for Bodnarius’ Little Children”.
These are powerful verbal chants in any revolutionary public square, and they can be even more powerful in any public square of a free nation which enjoys true liberty and well being.
May God Almighty inspire and provide a meaningful relief which the Bodnarius are pleading for a long time before the Throne of Heaven and before the judicial benches of Norway’s authorities!
Evil emipere?? You’re awake man – here is some common information to you about the free and democratic Kingdom of Norway
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway
Study – and be a little wiser before you attack Norway and Norwegians with your bias and agenda.
You – and the religious Romenians may think that Christianity can rule a democratic and free nation based upon the bible – in 2016? No country in the Western world do that – neither Canda nor USA. A nation is ruled by it’s laws and the ruling power for the moment.
You – and the religious Romenians were misinformed in the start of this case in Naustdal and maybe you still have not understood that there is no persecution of Christians in the CPS and Norway. We have many who don’t like Christianity, but in a free and democratic country they too must have the right to express themselves and organize as they wish.
You – and the religous Romenians must understand that Barnevernet is just the same in Our neighbouring countries and in the Whole Western world – USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand a.s.o. – Norway is no Monster among these – they are much alike.
You – and the religious Romenians must understand that the Bodnariu children would have been home months ago if they had given the media the information they gave in Romenia and to the BBC – although it’s disturbing the context to hear Ruth talking about the violence done to her children.
Violence? What about the violence of letting the children believe that their parents were going to die?
If you ask me and my experiences from our office we considerer two things – how serious is the violence that has been done? – a tricky question because a child may react more than others – but – if the child is punished with a belt or boiled water – we must take the child out of that situation and police is involved. When we come to other forms for parental violence we will consider – do the parent(s) know – with reasonable doubt – that this is illegal in Norway? In the Bodnariu case Ruth is Norwegian and working herself in a public service – of cause she knows – but she has been raised this way herself I recollect and thus the grandparents next door did the same to her. Marius comes from another culture, but Ruth has ten years to inform him that we don’t do it in this way in Norway.
I heard on the radio on my way to work this morning that a municipal neighbouring CPS had got a warning from the County Council for breaking the law in their conduct with concerns of violence and abuse. The example given was similar to the one in Naustdal – a boy tells the teacher that the parents hit him – the schoolmaster talk and sends later a concern, but nothing happens. In Naustdal both the police and the CPS coordinated their actions according to their different role and laws. That they didn’t do in this particular municipal. They let the police first do their work for then to consider if or what to do as CPS. The man in the radio said much about the neglect the CPS did to this boy in the example.
To discuss for or against spanking is history in Norway and have be so for decades. This is one of the first informations parents from any culture get after arrival in the kingdom of Norway – in the kindergarden – the health care for children – information folder in the language of the newcomer a.s.o.. This ain’t information to consider or discuss – this is to take in and change – and if you need help you can get guidance – without children taken from you – just to prevent that for being possible.
We handle parental violence done on the level the Costea version give us insight in with return of children as fast as possible – help measures given at home. If nothing is hidden under the carpet and the Costea version is next to truth the children would have been all home within the end of 2015 done from my office. Why? I don’t know all details in this case and there may be more worries than the parental violence – but to remove 5 now 4 children for so long on .. this reason .. may have to do with the smallness of the municipal Naustdal – in 2014 they received 27 concerns total – we received 475 – we may have emergencies every week – I think a year may pass without emergencies in Naustdal and when they happen they have little or none experience in how to handle it. I think that they that they do it right and accordance with the law – the county comittee do not stop them and …
Please correct me if I have spelled this incorrectly, Marianne. I now completely understand what you mean by psychobabble.
Oh, please…The ugly and despicable facts about Barnevernet speak louder than any human words! We have seen it all. Here’s a sample for your and your bossess’ eyes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEGzBcbYWgw
Oh, please, stop your vain bubblings! Facts speak louder than words:
Violence done to her children?
A mother has the right to discipline her child.
Violence is when you go in there and rip that child from the Family that is Violence.And then lie in your paperwork to cover your screwed up thought process and then you state that you are a christian.
You are the Son Of the Devil
I guess you’re the person who doesn’t understand Bodnariu’s case at all. The problem is that you are writing about it without understanding the facts. If you are a real Christian , and have small children, then you will see that it’s almost impossible to worship God as Norwegians did for some years ago.
Children can not anymore know what sin is . That God punish the sin. And , of course , the children have no fear for God.
If you were a real Christian ought to understand these things. But perhaps you are not since you are writing a lot just for bv system.
Many American pastors avoid talking about sin too, Alfie. They don’t want to “offend” anyone. I know things are much worse in Norway.
I’m so glad you commented. I have always thought that Norway was a godly country at one time.
Well stated, Anthony.
Knut,
I see you have not taken the day off before the demonstration day. Whatever you say today or whatever your organization does today (unless it can undo all of the cruelty of the past 20 or more years), there will be demonstrations tomorrow. I would give your organization a word of advise, although most wouldn’t believe it if it happened. Let them know you think they should apologize for the lack of due process in many family cases in Norway. Let them know that you think reparations should be made to families that have been unjustly treated. Find out who is responsible for this cruelty and attempt to give them the best due process before a fair judge and jury.
This is the only way this situation will be resolved.
An early action should be that our government gives “amnesty” to children captive in Barnevernet. There should be a public declaration that they are free to go home if they wish. Many of them flee their CPS “haven” and try to reach their parents’ home, only to be taken by Barnevernet again, with the help of the police. Many flee repeatedly; statistically I think there is one or two such escapes per day.
An excellent suggestion, Marianne. If that were done today, we would still hold our demonstrations. This would be a start towards reconciliation, however.
If this is what you are going to share in Hot Springs I think the passers by will wonder what fails you.
One thing is sure, Knut. Your name will not be mentioned in Hot Springs.
And now – after eating a better lunch with my colleagues -as we do as a custom be the end of our working week at this CPS I will give a reminder to especially Mr. (un)truth and the leader of the Christian Romenians – truth is an important keyfactor in Our lives as Christians – and when we begin to speak false and mixed information to the ones who look up to us and think we a trustworthy – we have became activists that no longer consider truth as more important than the cause. You – as activists – need the energy coming from as many as possible to a bias that have no answers.
This movement is biased itself out of all normal dialog – it’s an attacking movement and in that way neither supportive or promotor for any human rights. It’s just another mad movement out of order.
This campaign is rubbish because it is out of bias and order. You give the romenians false information about Norway, Norwegian and the CPS. You need their energy to fight against a CPS that are very much the same as the one in your own backyard. You are – most of you – because of one case and for the misinformation given in the start of the campaign – that the CPS in Norway persecute Christians – that is untrue and was said early in the campaign, but I wonder if it’s said to the people that still believe we in Norway persecutes Christians – because some in the movement need the energy more than the truth about Norway, Norwegians and the CPS.
Well too bad CPS workers do not like any dialogue. They are presenting their truth. When they are caught lying and manipulating, these are just mistakes. Its never power abuse. Einar Salvesen said it very well, the mix of power and incompetence can lead to tragedies and it does.
Knut, it is not possible, that in Norway you have so many emergency cases. It is not possible, that all this time the children are separated from their families. The police investigation takes months and even that is in favor of the parents, how many children do actually return? I have asked you many times, how many children do return to their families? Why are so few children placed in their biological families even though it should be first option?. Its guilty until proven innocent for many parents in Norway. This is just wrong. These children are also not staying in one foster home, often they are moved to another..siblings are separated. Their biological bonds are damaged. Maybe you dont mind, since you did not have a biological family yourself, but children are not plants, that you take them and plant them somewhere else.
The police act from their law – the Criminal Law – and we shall act alongside them from day one done from the assessments in accordance to the Child Welfare Act. The police often finish before us, but that’s not the same as case closed in our department.
I have no answer to that and I’m not sure our national statics find that answer. We operate with active cases/children – when a case ends it become inactive and go to the archieve.
I have no number for the bio question, but f.i. you and Hilde give me an association that you think most families are just like yours and your relatives likewise. In reality the world ain’t like that. A related family don’t won’t to be involved because it was not on their agenda – not our problem – we don’t won’t to be involved – we don’t like the parents and their behaviour/problems/ habits a.s.o. – we have kids and have enough with them – we have not enough space a.s.o.
Many of our parents in such a situation think they can’t even ask someone in the family. They have shame and we try to help them to see the possibilities and the win for the child, but … They know their family too good and rather accept an investigated and acknowledged foster family not known than taken the risk of a family from their own rooted background
Edit
Knut, of course you do have a biological family, but as you wrote, you dont feel a need to meet them. The situation would be probably different if you had a chance to meet your siblings regularly.
“children are not plants, that you take them and plant them somewhere else.”
This is exactly what I wrote in an article in a Norwegian newspaper blog: Knut didn`t seem to like it, to put it mildly…..And he refused to answer my questions about how children experience suddenly being rooted up from their parents by strangers and placed with some other strangers…. He only said that it is abrupt and children experience it in very different ways. I guess he knows that telling the truth would not be so good for barnevernet`s reputation….
A lady argued that those who work in barnevernet have to set aside their feelings in order to work rationally. Knut was belittling me for being concerned about feelings….
This explains how barnevernet`s employees so ruthlessly can take away children from their parents. They work like robots without human feelings. They also expect the parents, who have had their children taken away, to do the same. Whenever the parents are allowed to visit their children, they are told to hide their feelings. Ruth Bodnariu said that they were not allowed to cry or show any feelings that would show any sorrow in front of their oldest children. She had to hold back her tears till she was out of her children`s sight.How inhumane can it get! I don`t know if they forbid the parents to show their feelings to give the children the wrong impression that their mum and dad are in agreement with what barnevernet is doing? Again we see lying and manipulation in full action in the name of barnevernet.
Knut,
You have not answered Marianne’s very good question above.
You have not answered Pavla’s very good questions.
You have not answered Hildi’s very good questions.
You wrote:
“You – and the religious Romenians may think that Christianity can rule a democratic and free nation based upon the bible – in 2016? No country in the Western world do that – neither Canda nor USA. A nation is ruled by it’s laws and the ruling power for the moment.”
I agree with you here. There has never been a free nation based solely on the Bible (if you include the New Testament). Much of the countries that were once considered Christian nations because the majority held to Christian beliefs are failing because they have left many of those beliefs “behind.” The world, in general, is headed in the wrong direction. I plan on not sitting this battle of beliefs out.
A Theocracy is coming.
You have not answered many good questions asked by Christians throughout this blog. I am not going to go back and find them as they are too numerous.
You have had no good answers to the many good questions asked of you.
You seem to have no idea why the Romanians are particularly involved in this effort. You think it is only because of brother Marius? You have exposed yourself for what you really are.
You have been a great asset to our cause.
Oh, please, stop your bublings! Look at your country’s despicable official oppression practiced against defenseless mothers with little babies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEGzBcbYWgw
Knut Nygaard wrote:
“This movement is biased itself out of all normal dialog – it’s an attacking movement and in that way neither supportive or promotor for any human rights. It’s just another mad movement out of order.”
You have got it all wrong, as usual I may add; Barnevernet is the attacking movement. It is attacking families every day of the year with its extended arm, Barnevernsvakten or the Barnevernet Guard working outside office hours. I had the unpleasant experience of having two creepy BV-guards entering my on Saturday night on May 30, 2005. They had been called by bv-officer Arne Feste when I rejected his proposal for a meeting. I had gone to bed and my baby was asleep. I was very upset by this inquisitive intrusion of my home. They did not respect my privacy but demanded to be let inside. Much later I learned that they had called the police for assistance. They must have been snooping around my property for some time and had spoken to neighbours about my whereabouts. It freaked my out. They told me they were worried and I asked them why they did not take som Valium to relieve their anxiety. This they wrote down in their report. The man was very fat with a big belly and the female officer had a belly also, common in female abusers of alcohol. They did not look like the people whom I usually see in my neighbourhood, and they were driving a dingy car. At first sight I thought they were some drug addicts. This is the sect Knut Nygaard belongs to.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Cecilie.
You have used the perfect word: sect. These practices are cultist in nature. I wonder who their “charismatic leader” is.
FACTS which cannot be rebutted, nor ever were denied by the evil empire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9G7n9UOEww
I guess you’re the person who doesn’t understand Bodnariu’s case at all. The problem is that you are writing about it without understanding the facts. If you are a real Christian , and have small children, then you will see that it’s almost impossible to worship God as Norwegians did for some years ago.
Children can not anymore know what sin is . That God punish the sin. And , of course , the children have no fear for God.
If you were a real Christian ought to understand these things. But perhaps you are not since you are writing a lot just for bv system.
Are you Christian indeed? This is the big question for you knut?
Very well written, Anthony!
I see it more and more how barnevernet is made up of lies and manipulations.They try to make people believe that they only force children away from their parents when there is no other way. But what has been proved again and again, from what we can read and hear in media, shows that this is not the case and that barnevernet are lying.
Take ,for instance, the cases where babies are stolen from their mothers a few hours after birth. Were they emergency cases? Did they evaluate giving the mothers help? No! Barnevernet was simply, subjectively assuming that these mothers had the potential to harm their child some time in the future. They could of course be wrong (and I believe that they mostly are wrong), but they believe that “prevention” is better than making the “mistake” of forcefully taking someone`s baby away who actually would have made a perfectly good parent. Often these mothers are first manipulated into thinking that barnevernet are going to help them. Once their babies are born, they are shocked and devastated to find out that their precious little ones have disappeared into barnevernets hands…..
This is only one little part of barnevernets evil empire. I guess Knut and barnevernet are getting quite desperate now, which explains Knut`s use of nasty belittling remarks. But we won`t let that stop us! We will stand up for justice!
No one – except me – know of this movement and it’s agenda – I react because of the deceivment done to Romenian Christians that trust whatever come from their pastors/leaders. This is a false and untrue manipulating movement. My colleagues think this is a religious lunacy movement. The hundred chronic CPS haters like Mrs. M has been there for decades and have no influence. You can stand up so much you want – that does not change a thing.
Well it does, not just this movement. Its a combination of factors. Actually you have your own experts in Norway, who want a change. There is international pressure, the parents are now more often publicizing their stories soon the children will start to speak (some of them already speak now). I just want a fair system. You are very wrong in this. Already now things are changing. Suddenly your minister find out that biological family should be given a priority when placing children, children who have ties with other countries have to be considered, foster homes need a better follow up. Suddenly after 20 years the Hague convention was signed.
To me lunatics are CPS workers who take the children out of the schools, homes without any solid evidence. Lunatics are people who separate siblings by force and move them hours away from their hometown. Lunatics are people who would not even allow parents to call their children on their birthday. Lunatics are people, who instruct grandparents on how to talk to their own grandchildren and forbid them to use their native language etc.
“No one – except me – know of this movement and it’s agenda –”
Knut, we now know that you think you are the only one on the planet who understands us…oh my.
Millions of Romanians have seen the facts speaking louder than your words. See the following despicable Barnevernet’s confiscation of children from legitimate mothers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEGzBcbYWgw
Helloooo….the FACTS speak louder than all of your little evil empire words:
Hey Knut which commune do you work at?
The evil, empire has demonstrated that they are evil in nature and in practice. Look at the evil empire’s despicable actions of confiscation of children: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEGzBcbYWgw
Knut; Do you find anything I have written in my last two reply fields which you state to be untrue?
No answer from Knut. I take that to mean that he agrees that i am speaking the truth.