…perhaps I’ll get over my shock and anger at this in time for an editorial for the Weekend Report, but at present, I’d best just keep my mouth shut about the ruling in CA that homeschooling is illegal:
“Parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children,” wrote Justice H. Walter Croskey in a Feb. 28 opinion signed by the two other members of the district court.
Teachers union officials will also be closely monitoring the appeal. A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, said he agrees with the ruling.
“What’s best for a child is to be taught by a credentialed teacher,” he said.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
lonelypilgrim 03.06.08 at 9:54 pm
Time for Moses to lead his people to a land of milk and honey and out of the land of fruits, flakes and nuts.
Kitty 03.07.08 at 2:53 am
You’re right. There are no words. As a homeschooling parent in NC, those that went before us in NC were criminals (and spent time in jail) until a good homeschool law was hammered out. CA has never had a real good homeschool provision and for the most part homeschooling there seemed messy. From what my understanding is, CA has been considered “hostle” towards the homeschooler for some time now. This particular ruling might be necessary for CA to eventually have a good homeschool law in place as they should by now. For once, CA is way behind the times on this issue and it is time for them to come along with what most of the rest of the country has already had for the past 20+ years.
chris holdridge 03.07.08 at 10:54 am
What’s scariest about the whole thing is the socialist overtone. The view is, essentially, that parents in America cannot be trusted to educate their children and so the gvnt must do so with the power and influence of the parent. Yikes. And this from a state with a “republican” governor.
Travis Prinzi 03.07.08 at 1:35 pm
Kitty, thanks for the background info. I didn’t know this had happened other places as well!
Chris, yes, that is indeed the scariest part. The Nanny State grows ever larger. We had someone in a few weeks ago to speak in my Topics in Education class who lamented the fact that schools have no power in the homes. I understand why that might be attractive in some cases, but the precedent it would set would not be a good one.
“Yikes” is right.
lonelypilgrim 03.07.08 at 5:09 pm
There’s an old saying, usually attributed to Davy Crockett, that a government powerful enough to give you anything you want is also powerful enough to take everything you have. One could also say, along the same lines, that a government powerful enough to do tremendous good is also powerful enough to do tremendous evil.
The proper role of government in society is an issue that I myself am still wrestling with. When I think of things like the Holocaust I’m more of a libertarian. On the other hand when I realize that the Holocaust ended because of American and British military might, I’m a lot less of a libertarian. As I said, tough issues with which to deal.
revgeorge 03.09.08 at 11:52 pm
lonelypilgrim,
The issue of the Holocaust & the fact that Allied military might stopped it is important to remember. But it’s also important to remember that if the United States had stayed out of the 1st World War, then the conditions leading to the 2nd never would’ve existed. It was American military might in the 1st war that led to the Allies gaining an advantage over the Germans. The two sides had basically fought themselves out & would’ve had to come to a bilateral peace agreement but when the Americans turned the tide, the Allies were able to force an untenable & humiliating agreement upon the Germans.
So, don’t feel bad about feeling libertarian.
revgeorge 03.10.08 at 12:04 am
I’ve read some things about this CA decision that indicate that it’s not as bad as the press has made it sound. But that still doesn’t make the one judge’s statements any less troubling.
Because essentially politicians of all stripes & positions see people as resources to be used by the government. In the view of the government, children belong to the state, just as adults belong to the state. Which is why the judge also said that public schools are best for inculcating patriotic values, read blind obedience to the state, in children.
lonelypilgrim 03.10.08 at 1:09 am
Revgeorge. I’m a history major. Believe me I know all about the Versailles Treaty. And I agree with you that the USA should have stayed out of the War to end all wars….haha. But, if it is the 1940s and the Nazis are marching all over Europe, what is to be done? Should Churchill and Roosevelt just say, well that was Wilson’s mistake.
As I said, these aren’t easy questions to resolve, at least not for me.
We must remember that the government is an institution created by a righteous God, but operated by sinful men. Therefore it has the capacity to do good, and the potential to do evil.
In politics, as in every other walk of life, Christians must pray for wisdom and discernment.
revgeorge 03.10.08 at 10:36 am
lonelypilgrim,
History/Political Science was my major, too, in college! Wonderful! We don’t have enough history people any more.
I agree that the whole WWII issue is a hard question & that we have the benefit of hindsight. But an important qualifier to remember is that neither Churchill or Roosevelt entered the war to stop the Holocaust. Indeed, America may have not entered the fight in Europe except that Hitler was stupid enough to declare war on us first! So, while the Holocaust was stopped, which of course is a tremendously good thing, the resistance of Britain & the involvement of the USA were never predicated on stopping the Holocaust.
I also agree that government is God’s servant. I just think it does more evil than good. And while we pray for it & give it proper respect, we should also oppose & criticize it when it violates either God’s Law or it’s own man made rules.