Homeschool politics

"In "Reading, Writing, and Right-Wing Politics," Steve Grove Reports on the political divide within the home school movement. If conservative Christian homeschoolers, such as those filling the ranks of generation Joshua, can mobilize at the grass-roots level to support Republican candidates, including President Bush, should liberal homeschoolers get politically organized?
Read the story: Reading, writing, and right-wing Politics
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Page 1

What's the big deal? To read this artical one would think an evil Nazi regime is forming by those nefarious Christian Right Groups!!!! Oh my goodness, those crazy people who don't think abortion on demand is such a great idea???? Something must be done, we must stop these evil people before they mobilize in Florida!!! We must force them back to public schools where the left wing agenda can be suitably thrown upon them without question!

David, Cambridge

What's the matter with a little competition? The teachers have NTA, National Teachers Association, and the ACLU, and thousands of liberal groups running or pushing everything, is everybody affraid of a little fairness and balance?

Kerry, PORTLAND

Sorry, guys, but I think liberal homeschoolers should get politically organized. I know many Christian homeschoolers in this part of the country and as a Christian I can tell you that there is a lot of utter nonsense being taught as "Christian values." Think of it this way- if you're liberal and you homeschool, you probably don't want the agenda of the religious right affecting how you do so (what would banning gay marriage do to the rights of gay parents to homeschool, for example?) Those who espouse liberal and mainstream values should consider that their kids will need to know how to mobilize as well as their conservative counterparts if they want to live in the kind of country to which we all aspire. Yes, children should learn according to their interests. But they should also learn to defend their rights, and an important way of doing this is through organized movements such as the one described in the article. If they don't know that, following their interests may ultimately become impossible.

Audra, Denver

I don't believe that liberalism is going to last much longer, so there isn't a great need for liberal homeschoolers to organize. The national debt is $7.312 trillion and the debt ceiling is $7.384 trillion so it won't be too long before liberalism fades away. In the early 1900's the debt per person was around $10. In the 1940's it was about $300. Today it's around $25,000. That can't go on indefinitely. Even John Kerry said that if he became President he may have to cut 100,000 federal contractors, and a month ago the British made a similar announcement.

Peter, Cambridge

America was horrified to see the Taliban take over an entire nation, and subject a population, both secular and religious, to a set of stringent rules that only applied to one religion. America's right wing fundamentalist Christian movement is OUR Taliban. We need to keep church and state separate, or the freedom to NOT be Christian will be lost. America is NOT a Christian nation, no matter what anyone says. We're a nation founded on the principles of choice and freedom. That includes abortion. That includes not having to say Christian prayers or any prayers to open meetings. That includes not having to pass a massive stone monument to the Bible or the Ten Commandments in a courthouse. Christians are welcome to be Christians. Just stop stuffing it down everyone else's throats, 'kay?

Firebrand, Chicago

Dear Editor, So on one hand we have home schoolers who are "right wing" and organized. On the other hand, the question is posed as to whether "liberal" homeschoolers should get politically organized. There is right wing and left wing, or conservative and liberal. It is easier to conceal your bias if you use one of these pairs of terms.

Stephen, Kensington, NH

Firebrand is funny...."Christians are the Talibans of the United States". Then, he even tops this ridiculousness by saying we're not a Christian nation. "In God We Trust", "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"...these ring a bell at all? It's freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion. And, liberals have no need to homeschool. Their kids get brainwashed in liberal thought thanks to the NEA and ACLU every day in public schools.

Dave, Taunton

They should definitely organize. There needs to be a counterbalance to the Catholic alternative education that many people in poorer communities are forced to choose in order to escape the bad public school. We know that Catholic school is as much about instilling political beliefs and loyalties as much as religion. However, they should never engage in protests. As the NY Times reports today, political protesters are being identified and questioned by the FBI.

Philip, Camb.

uhhh they already have. its called every classroom in a public school in america with a left wing democrat teacher/ indictrinator of leftist babble (columbus was baaad etc.) who feeds like a hog at the trough of public spending and produces results that are embarrasing given the amounts of money invested.

pete, east boston

To Stephen in Kensington - The Globe article was an op-ed piece, not a news item. The writer is explictly stating a point-of-view. You can take issue with the opinions expressed, but "bias" is not an issue here, nor is it a matter of the "bias" being poorly "concealed".

Steve, Boston