You have no right (rebuttal to editorial that laid claim to home school kids)

Raleigh News & Observer | December 6, 2001 | Tom Smedley

[TomSmedley]

“North Carolina is depending on today’s children to grow into the type of skilled workforce that attracts new business and investment. We ignore the education of 38,000 of these priceless resources at our peril.”

What is wrong with this excerpt from Friday’s editorial page? What makes it so obnoxious, threatening, condescending? To be blunt, the “we.” The imperial/imperious “we.” “We” the masters must make sure that “you” the subjects don’t mess with “our” merchandise. “Our” possessions. “Our” “resources.”

Got news for you, N&O, and coercive utopians everywhere. Home school children are cherished family treasures. Family responsibilities. They are not yours to process. They are not domestic cattle of The State. They enjoy that archaic thing called “freedom,” which is, historically, the catalyst for greatness.

Statists, worry about the kids you already have. When your janissaries, your “resources,” are as resourceful, competent, and literate as the home-schooled kids, then you might have credibility. Meanwhile, mind your own business, and leave well enough alone. What we see you doing with those you already have gives us no confidence in your bald, bold assertions regarding the kids outside your re-education camps.

[TomSmedley]

On November 30, the "Snooze & Disturber" published an hand-wringing editorial bemoaning the paucity of statist "quality" control over home school kids. It seems that 38,000 tarheels are off the reservation, and "we" must be concerned, you see.

Grammatically speaking, the first person plural is, in newspeak a euphemism for the state and its coercive elements.

[2Jedismom]

Good response. Do you have the original editorial somewhere?

[TomSmedley]

Good response. Do you have the original editorial somewhere?

Would it be helpful if I keyed it in?

[bluetoad]

Now is probably a good time to educate the system of educators on the virtues of Home Schooling...

[Maceman]

RIGHT THE EFF ON!!!!!! Tell 'em again mon!

[2Jedismom]

Oh that's ok, I just thought if you had a link or something. You don't need to key it in, you got the point across well with the excerpt.

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

I could not find it at the N&O web site...

[TomSmedley]

I could not find it at the N&O web site...

Obviously, not one of their more stellar efforts!

[Illbay]

Funny. There was a time, not so long ago, when NO ONE worried about hearing "we" in reference to our citizenship in our state and our nation.

Now, crackpots and extreme America-haters take every opportunity to equate national pride, or pride in one's state or community, as "dangerous."

Get a life, you weirdos.

[jimt]

...these priceless resources...

That's the phrase I find obnoxious. The implication is clearly that the children are not free human beings, entrusted in the care of their parents, but state "resources" to be used for the benefit of the state.

That's about as un-American as it can get.

Tom, I think your reply was right on target.

Illbay, it's because Tom has a life and doesn't want statist busybodies managing it for him that he wrote the reply. How about you?

[borntodiefree]

Don't expect any critical thinking on the part of "ILL"Bay.

I've been seeing his communist/socialist swill on freerepublic for over a year, I almost can ignore him, but sometimes I accidently read it before I see who it is from.

One day we will hear a massive sonic boom that will travel around the world (twice) when he pulls his head out of his butt.

As far as the article, he is right on point, just like Citizen used to be a term of respect and one of a free individual, it now means one of the subjects of the US. The "We" they are using is Hillary's villiage in a different wrapper attempting to bring all of our children into the fold like good little sheeple.

[wjcsux]

Appararently the NEA takes exception to a portion of school age kids not being exposed to loony left idology. Huge bump for this parent! Slam the left hard and often!

[daviddennis]

I dunno. Calling kids "resources" is awfully bloodless. As someone else has said, it's like they're slaves to the state.

D

[OK]

On November 30, the "Snooze & Disturber" published an hand-wringing editorial bemoaning the paucity of statist "quality" control over home school kids.

The Snooze and Disturber is a leftist publication based on what I have seen of it.

They are also wrong about this. The State requires all homeschoolers to take annual State approved achievement tests. Homeschoolers outscore the government schooled students consistently.

[MarMema]

Homeschooler bump. As if our children were their cattle. Just because they herd them like cattle...

[Dr. Octagon]

It is coercive. Children are under the guardianship of their parents, not of The State. And rightly so.

[headsonpikes]

Socialism is the theory; cannibalism is the practice.

Teach your children to disrespect wrongful authority.

Whaddya got? The Soylent Green Franchise???

[Always Right]

“North Carolina is depending on today’s children to grow into the type of skilled workforce that attracts new business and investment. We ignore the education of 38,000 of these priceless resources at our peril.”

What is wrong with this excerpt from Friday’s editorial page?

What's wrong with it? Well for one, those 38,000 kids in peril are the best educated kids in the state.

[newgeezer]

Homeschool bump.