Homeschoolers Disrespected on Ebert & Roeper

Ebert & Roeper ^ | 6/18/07

[LibertyRocks]

I was just watching Ebert & Roeper and would like to report to my fellow homeschoolers that the guest host taking Roger Ebert's place tonight, Robert Wilonsky, made a very disrespectful and rude comment in relation to homeschoolers...

While reviewing the upcoming movie "Nancy Drew" Roeper made a comment that Nancy was a 1950's girl in relation to what she thought constituted a birthday party. When Roeper said that this would be a good movie that would be liked by 12-year-old girls, Wilonsky replied, "Maybe Homeschooled 12-year-olds"...

I found this to be a very ignorant and disrespectful comment, and I am left wondering what Mr. Wilonsky thinks would be better suited for 12-year-old Public Schooled/Private Schooled students to be watching (Sex, Drinking & Drugs???)?

I would like to ask my fellow homeschool parents to write to both Ebert & Roeper (Buena Vista Entertainment) as well as Mr. Wilonsky himself, and express your displeasure with this disrespectful comment.

Here is how to contact the show & Mr. Wilonsky...

Ebert & Roeper Show: http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/ebertandroeper/ Use the "Feedback" link at the top navigation bar to submit a comment.

Mr. Wilonsky: I could only find one email address online for Mr. Wilonsky (he also writes at RottenTomatoes.com, as well as the Village Voice, L.A. Weekly, and the Phoenix New Times). Here is his email address through his employer the Dallas Observer:

Robert.Wilonsky@dallasobserver.com

In my comment to the Ebert & Roeper show I requested not only that they do not bring Mr. Wilonsky back for any more co-hosting gigs, but also that they issue an on-air apology to all homeschooled students.

[BlackElk]

As to your answers to 1-3, your gummint skewels must be somewhat better than most. New Haven, CT, gummint skewels provide condoms to 10 YEAR-OLD fifth graders! Lexington, Taxachusetts, teaches fiustng to pubescent teenaged boys and that opposition to homosexual practices of that sort id mere bigotry. I never doubted that the Old South is better than the north but don't expect the advantages in 1-3 to last more than a decade or so.

As to #6: Does your gummint skewel teach the students the Darwinian delusion that they are descended from apes or apelike creatures???? No school will EVER teach that godless nonsense to my children.

As to #9: It is a waste of anyone's time to wrestle with the educrats endlessly to reach the foregone leftist conclusions. Gummint skewels do NOT produce educated adults especially when the motives are economic as in "to run the local economy" or "provide a tax base." Cicero understood the purposes of education. So did Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Ignatius of Loyola, Thomas Aquinas, Cotton Mather, Jonathan Edwards. The dim bulbs down at PS 666 are in over their heads. If it is actually true that your town or skewel district are an exception to the general rule of gummint skewel incompetence and malfeasance, no rational observer would dare claim that gummint skewels are anything generally but a menace to actual education.

Did I miss something in that your satisfaction with your gummint skewel might well be rooted not in the excellence of the school but in your agreement with its gummint skewel agenda?

Is there ANYTHING actually CONSERVATIVE in your desire to tax farm your objecting neighbors to fork over a ridiculous portion of their income to grease the wheels of your gummint skewel???? Explain in detail.

[Smocker]

“How incredibly pathetic that someone’s own mother doesn’t even want them around. They did such a poor job raising their own children that they can’t even stand being around them. I always wonder why people like that wanted kids in the first place.”

It’s a sad, part of our cultural breakdown which minimizes the role of parents for that of the state.

People who have responded positively to the opportunity to homeschool their children invariably make huge sacrifices to do so in many ways. Yet, their reward is incalculable, it brings such joys with it. That’s our focus.

[LibertyRocks]

And yet, here you are complaining about my speaking out - how ironic...

[soccermom]

Sorry -- but I just don't see how some movie critic suggesting homeschoolers would like Nancy Drew is a gateway to the government infringing on the right to homeschool. People spend waaaaaaaayyyy too much time looking for ways to be offended,

[BlackElk]

What is CONSERVATIVE much less Catholic about forcing your neighbors to pay for the failed gummint skewel systems/glorified babysitting agencies/organized tax-funded ignorance factories? Explain in detail.

You can certainly send your kids to gummint skewels. Whether you like my attitude or not is of no concern. If you like gummint skewels, what is there to respect in your decision-making? I could be really arrogant on the subject but why cast pearls where they don't belong?

[WaterWheeler]

My neighbor went to her daughter’s 6th grade class one day, and the students were divided up and sitting at tables. The kids next to my neighbor’s daughter’s table were talking about the first time they had sex. These would have been 11-and 12-year-olds. Maybe Roper’s comment was a left-handed compliment.

[pray4liberty]

Roeper said that Nancy Drew would be well-liked by 12-year-old girls and Wilonsky is the one that said, “Maybe Homeschooled 12-year-olds” with a very condescending tone and look...

Oh, what does he know? Consider the source. /sniff

[L,TOWM]

Your post was insulting to ALL parents, myself included, who have chosen to not homeschool.

Which one? My original reply to FL that was'nt even addressed to you or the reply I made to you in which I was trying to be insulting?

A little defensive there, Gabz? Why? You've made the right choice, have'nt you?

[GunRunner]

I also do not like the federal government meddling in schools; and I contribute most of the downfall of public education to their influence. But property taxes are a state tax and distributed and funded as a state expense.

Yes, there are matching funds and endless requirements from Washington, but at its heart it is supposed to be a state based initiative. Saying that the federal government has no authority to regulate education is different from individual states running their own education systems.

In fact, it could be argued that Washington has no legal authority to interfere in a state's decision to implement a statewide public education system.

[Gabz]

I was refering to your comment on leftwing indoctrination rther than the bullying, and so should have removed that part of your comment in my quotation. I grew up in a “neighborhood” where most of us atteneded the same school and so the bullying rarely occurred in school (at least up until 8th grade.) I think it is just an innate thing with kids, because I have seen bullying done by homeschooled kids amongst themselves and towards children in public school.

The reason there are good public schools out there is because there are good parents and good teachers who do hold the school accountable. The fact there are teachers and parents, I would hope a minority of both, that couldn’t care less should not reflect badly on those of us who do care and do work to make a difference, unfortunately here on FR we are considered exceptions to the rule by the homeschoolers.

[LibertyRocks]

I’m finished replying on this thread...

I’ve said my piece, spoken out, informed others, and I have voiced my personal displeasure to Mr. Wilonsky, and the show itself.

As for those who have posted that have no understanding of why comments like this are a problem, there is nothing I, or others can really explain further than has already been expressed on this thread. If you can’t understand the reasons, then I accept that.

I honestly have no intention of spending the rest of my day responding to accusations that I am overly sensitive, or need a thicker skin, or that comments like this have no bearing on the right to homeschool. Some who have stated that they can’t understand the connection between prejudicial comments and threats to our freedom have just illustrated my point (explained in post #28).

SERIOUSLY, I hope everyone has a good night...

[L,TOWM]

All I can say is that the schools in your community must be about the worst I've ever known

I have no idea about the schools in my community -- I've never attended them or permitted my kids to even get close to the government employees that work there.

The schools that I grew up in were the worst I'd ever known, and my wife's experience was just about as bad. By the time I was 15, if I wanted booze, I just got it outta my Dad's cabinet. But if I wanted what I really liked, just head to school and take your pick from what the dealers had to offer. And my school was not an inner-city crap hole, either. Solid middle class San Diego School.

Sorry lady, not for kids.

[L,TOWM]

Ooops, “not for MY kids”.

[Gabz]

My parents paid school taxes for the 24 years my brother and I spent in Catholic schools and that was back in the 60s and 70s. It’s part of life.

Your attitude makes no nevermind to me and I don’t have to explain a danged thing to you. Only the ignorance expressed in your post outshines your arrogance.

Have a good day.

[HungarianGypsy]

I forgot to mention my husband also wanted to get an Irish Wolfhound as her chaperon. Very sweet family dog. A bit territorial with strangers. Now we just need to find an Irish Wolfhound within the next couple of years.

[GunRunner]

There’s a reason that some communities have had to pass anti-bully laws and sexual harassment laws for our schools!!

Yeah, its called liberalism.

We're turning our kids into a bunch of wusses.

Instead of teaching your kid to stand up for themselves, we're passing some stupid PC laws that won't do anything.

Instead of sheltering your kid from all social situations to protect them, why not enroll them in a jiu-jitsu or MMA class, then teach them not to hit back unless you have to defend yourself. After he gets one of those bullies in an arm lock and threatens to break it, I guarantee they'll think twice about bullying him again. That will build a lot more character than teaching them to run home to Mom every time someone pushes them around.

Bullies have been around since the dawn of man. Wait until your kids get into the corporate world, and the bullies sometimes have sway over your job and livelihood. Those guys make the schoolyard bully who used to shake you down for lunch money look like a pussycat.

[Gabz]

You’re danged right I’m defensive. I’m tired of the bullying by homeschoolers towards those of us who have chosen a different route for educating our children.

I know I made the right choice for my child at this time, and thus find no need to criticize those who have made other choices. I find it very interesting that some homeschoolers find it necessary to criticize those who have made other choices in their justification of their own choices.

[ChocChipCookie]

WOW! What an entertaining thread this turned out to be! LOL

[GunRunner]

You could name him Fluffy. Then when she gets asked out by a guy with his mind on the wrong thing, she can say “Can I bring Fluffy along? He’s real nice.”

[L,TOWM]

I know I made the right choice for my child at this time, and thus find no need to criticize those who have made other choices.

Cool.