> No. However, those are two different issues.
If the one-siz-fits-all, tax-funded, government-run approach is inappropriate for medicine, what makes it appropriate for education?
> The vast majority of the critics of the public education
> want it reformed, not eliminated.
Argumentum ad populum. The “majority of critics” is not a valid argument. Discuss the pros and cons of tax-funded, government-run, collectivized education in their own merits, rather than whether an aggregate supports them.
> Any society is going to have some degree of collectivism.
> The question is where you draw the line.
Free markets are cooperatives, not collectives.
I prefer a cooperative society.
> there is featured supporter who was forced to abandon his
> pastorate because of serious charges of marital infidelity
Argument ad hominem. Look at the arguments for separation of school from state, not who supports them.
Argumentum ad populum. The “majority of critics” is not a valid argument. Discuss the pros and cons of tax-funded, government-run, collectivized education in their own merits, rather than whether an aggregate supports them.
You did see the opening to that paragraph, right? What part of "I don't disagree" do you not understand? While abolishment of public education would be best, it is not going to happen when a large majority is in favor of it. You can tilt at all the windmills you want but realistically, public education is here to stay. As long as it here, I want conservatives to control it while they work to end it.
I prefer a cooperative society.
Fine but you're not in one now. I doubt a majority agrees with you. Before you incorrectly assert argumentum ad populum again, note that I'm not using it to assert what is right but what is.
Argument ad hominem. Look at the arguments for separation of school from state, not who supports them.
What part of "unrelated to our discussion" did you miss? Argumentum ad hominem would apply if I were arguing against it. I was simply asking you a question because so much of the information about the supporters seemed to be way out of date. (BTW, several of the supporters are acquaintances of mine.) The person I mentioned raised the question immediately in my mind because he has thoroughly discredited himself a few years ago making it odd that he would have a prominent position in the supporters list now.