The Yellow Bus (poem for homeschoolers)

World Net Daily ^ | 3/22/04 | Vox Day

[Tribune7]

It was a fine September day,
When my sweet poppet came to say,
Oh Daddy, could we please discuss
The purpose of that yellow bus?
I see the children get on board
While our house is always ignored.
It looks like fun, it looks so cool,
To ride upon it off to school!

Her little face was serious,
And naturally curious
About this strange phenomenon
Her friends had all departed on.
With some misgiving then I knew
An explanation now was due.
I placed a hand under my chin
And wondered how I should begin.

Then I remembered my school days
Now dim in memory's fading haze
The good times, and the bad times too,
When everything was bright and new.
And yet my main recollection
Was a sense of disaffection.
Endless boredom, a parody
Of learning, farce and tragedy!

Do you know what they'll learn today?
She shook her head without delay.
They first will learn the alphabet ...
But Daddy, don't they know it yet?
She interrupted in surprise,
Amazement in those big brown eyes.
Ten letters is the minimum,
I said, that's where they're starting from.

She blinked and looked somewhat perturbed.
So, what would I do, next I heard.
I know my letters, phonics too,
Today I read a book – no, two!
And yet, they're gone for the whole day
Do they do nothing there but play?
That sounds so fun, can I go there?
I think that would be only fair!

They do play, my lovely flower,
But for just one single hour.
Then all the rest they sit in class
And wait as the long hours pass.
For no child can hope to move on
'til all is learned by everyone.
But Daddy, that's ridiculous.
Surely, it could never be thus!

It's worse than that, (I thought it through),
As they teach things that are not true.
They will not let you learn of God
And instill logic badly flawed.
It's not so much education
As naked indoctrination.
For little is more blindly cruel
Than sentencing a child to school.

Of course, these thoughts I did not share
As she stood innocently there
Their parents love your friends, I'm sure
But Mommy and I love you more.
These next years will suffice to show
How freedom helps a mind to grow,
And you, my dear, will always be
A child of God and liberty.

Did she fathom?
I cannot say.
She'll tell me so
One day, I pray.

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Vox Day is a novelist and Christian libertarian. He is a member of the SFWA, Mensa and the Southern Baptist Convention, and has been down with Madden since 1992. His weekly column is syndicated nationally by Universal Press Syndicate. Visit his web log, Vox Popoli, for daily commentary and responses to reader email.

[Tribune7]

ping

[Cowgirl]

Amen!

[Right Wing Professor]

My two girls went to public school
Now they're both in college
Neither seems to be a fool
Both are full of knowledge
They're both good at math and science
They're both in a science major
They learned real science, not creation myths
Unlike most homeschoolers, I wager.

[MrB]

"science" being defined as "global warming is caused by American capitalists" and "tree hugging 101"???

[SwinneySwitch]

She will remember, our daughter and son do.

Thanks.

[anonymous_user]

LMAO!! Is it hot in here, or is it just you?

[Gunslingr3]

"science" being defined as "global warming is caused by American capitalists" and "tree hugging 101"???

No, science like the nature of DNA, how a transistor functions and makes a computer possible, etc.

[Right Wing Professor]

"science" being defined as "global warming is caused by American capitalists" and "tree hugging 101"???

You're ranting, sir, and what is worse
You neglected to respond in verse.

[Knute]

"REAL" science is based on the results of observable, repeatable objective experiments. Neither evolution NOR creationism is scientific. As for me and my house, we choose to believe the Word of God and a literal 7 day creation.

[tiamat]

Right Wing Professor wrote:



You're ranting, sir, and what is worse
You neglected to respond in verse.

---

LOL!

[Right Wing Professor]

As for me and my house, we choose to believe the Word of God and a literal 7 day creation.

Homeschooling he doth advocate
'Cos public schools indoctrinate
Yet he speaks for all his house
No voice is given to his spouse
His kids believe what he does too
No evolution for this crew!
So end all this indoctrination
Let's brainwash kids about Creation!

[kellynla]

Great poem. Thanks for posting it.

[kittymyrib]

His children believe in God, the Creator, just as our forefathers did, just as Einstein did. You anti-religious bigots haven't contributed much to the world, have you?

[babyface00]

I'm not a poet, but I was a good student and went to a parochial grade school and a public high school.

I'm not sure the creationism/evolution issue is a good litmus test to compare science knowledge gained by homeschoolers vs public schoolers.

I was in all the "advanced" classes in high school, and I still coasted through the first three years on what I had learned in grade school. The little I learned my senior year was more in spite of the public school than because of it.

Considering how little time was spent on DNA and evolution in AP Biology in High School in the 80's, even teaching creationism couldn't hurt a homeschooler as much as putting them in the lowest-common-denominator mentality of a public school. At some point, the kids are going to have to learn to think for themselves. From what I've seen of homeschoolers vs. public schoolers, the homeschoolers have that ability in spades. The issue of evolution vs creationism (I'm not taking a position for the purposes of this thread) will take care of itself in kids like that.

I guess I'm saying that the indoctrination mentality that is in virtually all public schools does far more damage then a few homeschoolers being "brainwashed" by creationism. Warehoused indoctrination is the rule in public school. Creationism is the exception in homeschooling.

[Pukin Dog]

Some people think they know it all
Their sad comments make them look small
A point of view to cause conflict
It's my free speech you would restrict
So "Full of Knowledge", but a troll
Common sense you should be your goal
Not what you know, it's what you do
So come back when you get a clue

[Right Wing Professor]

His children believe in God, the Creator, just as our forefathers did, just as Einstein did

Einstein's was no personal God
He found that concept rather flawed,
and a personal saviour unrealistic
His religiousness was far more mystic

[beelzepug]

"They learned real science"

And a load of B.S., too,
From mush-brained lefties, I'll bet you!

[Right Wing Professor]

It's my free speech you would restrict

If such lies you will be pukin'
There's no point in my rebukin'
So go ahead, call me a troll
Methinks you're just one more Clymer

Gosh darn, that last line didn't rhyme.

[pax_et_bonum]

We homeschool and we're not freaks,
fanatics, lunatics, or geeks.
You like public education:
we've a different aspiration
for our kids, if you don't mind.
Leave us alone. We'll respond in kind.