New York Home Schoolers Need to Be Vigilant
By Jim Willis on Mar 25, 2008 in Education, Elections, Government & Politics | Printable Version
There is an interesting guest viewpoint in today’s Press & Sun-Bulletin, written by David R. Grate who is running (correction: was running but no longer is) for the Republican nomination for the 22nd Congressional District (to unseat the Somewhat Useful Idiot Maurice Hinchey). The article is titled Federal government should stay out of education. Mr. Grate’s view is an excellent one: Support legislation in Congress that gives parent’s a choice, and a $5,000 tax credit, on where to educate their children. Part of his letter says this:
The federal government has no constitutional authority to fund or control our schools. We must abolish the unconstitutional Department of Education and return its functions to the states. By eliminating federal subsidies that increase costs, schools can be funded by local taxes; parents and teachers will be able to directly decide how best to distribute these resources.
Well said Mr. Grate! One of the liberal readers of the P&SB left a comment on the article condemning the notion of granting an education tax credit. The commenter equates tax credits–parents keeping their hard-earned money–with a subsidy. In the commenter’s twisted view of reality, people keeping their own money is somehow shorting or robbing other people. That’s good socialist thinking.
The real show-stopper, however, was this portion of the reader’s comment:
Then, the statement that the flat earthers should get their $5,000 to “home school” their children, which should not even be legal, much less subsidized.
Wow. Home schooling should be illegal–much less “funded” with tax credits. Folks, this is the way liberals think. All of your money AND your children belong to the government. Scary isn’t it? New York home schooling parents–keep a close eye out. Join and support organizations that will defend your rights, because the libs are coming for you. Don’t think so? One word: California.
Technorati Tags: David Grate, Maurice Hinchey, 22nd Congressional District, education tax credits, home school, California home school
Annie | Mar 25, 2008 | Reply
AMEN! You know how the liberals are always telling us how “socially backward” and “ignorant” all homeschoolers are, especially those right-wing fanatical Christians! Justin, as a homeschooler, obviously has a very hard time communicating with people (Notice the dripping sarcasm!)
Keep up the good work!
Jim Willis | Mar 25, 2008 | Reply
Thanks for your comment Annie. You’ll notice if you read the comments on that particular article over the P&SB site, that even more people echo the sentiment that home schooling should be illegal. A very sad day and age we live in.
Matthew K. Tabor | Mar 26, 2008 | Reply
Here’s an excellent example of a Socialist’s take on homeschooling:
http://halfanhour.blogspot.com/2008/03/on-home-schooling.html
It’s worth a watch for anyone interested in public education – it offers wonderful insight into how the opponents of homeschooling and individual rights justify their actions.
Though I was impressed with Mr. Grate’s take on homeschooling, I won’t support [or, really, take seriously] an aspiring Congressmen with a misguided, teenybopper crush on a disgrace such as Ron Paul.
Jim Willis | Mar 26, 2008 | Reply
Thanks for that link Matt. Excellent! Indeed it is exemplary socialist/communist thinking on display. Exactly whose values does this guy want to inculcate if not the parents? His, of course. He is anti-capitalist, anti-self-initiative (against things like the Jaycees and entrepreneurs), and a raving anti-Semite to boot. The guy is a cliché of all things liberal.
Children are not the property of parents, but neither are they full citizens–the courts have established that children have some rights, but not the rights of an adult. It is the parents alone who are responsible for their children–not the state and not the ninny nanny socialists. The state has a vested interest in ensuring a child’s safety and nothing more. Grate is right. It is not the federal government’s job to educate kids! I would go so far as to say it’s not the state’s job either. It is the parent’s job. Some parents (like me) outsource some of the education to others–people that I trust. Some decide to keep it “in-house”. The state has no right or say in that decision–period.
In the USA, the founders established our country to guarantee parents the freedom to raise their children any way they want, provided the child is safe. That’s why they moved here in the first place! Freedom of religion. Yes, parents have the right to “brainwash” their children with any brand of religion they so chose, or even no religion. That seems to be the chief objection by liberals. Kids are being taught things they don’t want taught. Liberals parade around claiming “values free” education, which is an oxymoron. What they want is THEIR values to be taught. No thanks. I have my kids in a private Christian school precisely to expose them to the values I want to teach them. Home schooling parents have the same right–to educate their children with their worldview and philosophy. All teaching and education has a worldview. The question is, whose is it?
Good point on Grate. I did find in reading the comments on his original viewpoint over at the P&SB site that he chimed in to say he has dropped out of the race, so I have amended my post to reflect that.
Matthew K. Tabor | Mar 27, 2008 | Reply
I left a few things out in my haste.
1) Downes is Canadian. Though he frequently weighs in on US and international education issues, it’s important to know that he’s coming from a place that is certainly less about individual rights/freedom than ours.
2) He defines himself as a Socialist – it’s not my characterization [though I would've said it had he not admitted it].
His video is a followup to a post he made advising homeschoolers not to be “psychotic.”
Finley Mitchell | Jul 9, 2010 | Reply
i was also home schooled when i was younger and it is also a great weay to get your education.”",
Freya Harris | Sep 9, 2010 | Reply
i was home schooled and it is quite satisfactory when providing basic education;`,