You refuse to acknowledge important distinctions.
Historically, the citizens of the USA have chosen to have local government provide a free education to local children.
Like it or not, this is a fact.
Private schools who refuse to accept government money will be free to keep on doing so. There is nothing in the voucher proposal that requires private schools to accept vouchers. Private schools will be free to compete on their own terms. If a “private school” becomes a virtual clone of public schools, that will be apparent to well-informed parents, who can avoid that school. Private citizens who are concerned are free to alert the private schools they support about the dangers of accepting government money.
It is all quite American, in the best sense of the word.
The system we have is corrupt and ineffective. It is sinful, in fact.
It wasn't free, they were taxed for it. We also have been historically taxed for poor houses, county farms and asylums for the indigent.
If you didn't want to live there you paid for own and if you didn't want to have your children educated in the government schools you paid for your own.
If a “private school” becomes a virtual clone of public schools, that will be apparent to well-informed parents, who can avoid that school.
I guess we'll just chalk that school up as a casualty of egalitarianism. No thanks, I've seen enough casualties of egalitarianism through government.
The system we have is corrupt and ineffective.
Most of the private schools are fine. If people can't afford it, that's life. You get what you pay for.
It is sinful, in fact.
What's sinful is redistributing even more money through the school voucher system to people who already aren't net taxpayers.