Posted by
Bob Siegel on Friday, November 23, 2007 12:17:30 PM
Just when
you thought it couldn’t get any stupider: Have you heard the latest? A father
in the New York City school district home
schools his kid but still wants his son to be able to participate in the school
marching band as an extra curricular activity.
The school board gave a resounding no. They argued that one could not pick and
chose. School is not a smorgasboard. Either be completely involved or don’t be
involved at all.
Only one
problem: This parent pays taxes to the
public school despite the fact that his son is home schooled. Since the public school gets this money
without the increase of an extra student, they are receiving a substantial
financial benefit.
How
exactly does it hurt to let this kid march in the band? After
all, one of the chief attacks against home schools is that children are “too
sheltered and not integrated with others.”
So here we have a parent sensitive to this problem, trying to do
something about it.
I have
heard one argument that those who march in school bands have certain academic and
disciplinary standards that must be maintained and therefore it is unfair to
let outsiders participate. But home
schools are monitored by the state with a whole myriad of standards so that
argument makes about as much sense as telling somebody who does most of her
shopping at Wal-Mart that she has no right to occasionally shop at Target.
The truth
is, there are people who want to close home schools down and there’s an unstated
agenda that drives them. This agenda is admitted to only when one pulls teeth
to get it out of them. They start by spewing
forth excuses such as “academic inferiority of the home school.” Oh, of course. These bleeding hearts are only concerned that
poor Johnny gets the true quality education he so richly deserves. But when
it’s pointed out that home school children literally win hands down on national
testing scores, the public school advocates are forced to admit other concerns,
such as “sensitivity and tolerance training” offered in the public schools and
missing from many home schools. Of course this is code for “Militant Gay Agenda.” It seems this agenda is going to be in our
face no matter what we do, and no matter where we go. The state wants to mold the
brains of your child like a sculpture artist wants to work with clay.
This cultural war between the left and the right is not going away any
time soon. We must face that fact. In
the meantime, I say,” Let the kid march in the stupid band.”
Note: The Bob Siegel Show can be heard every Sunday from 3:00 to 4:00 PM on KCBQ 1170 on the dial or KCBQ.com to listen live
over the internet.
Call in toll free number if you want to join in the program with
questions or comments:
1-888-344-1170
Bob’s website is: www.bobsiegel.net