Thursday, March 06, 2008

No, I'm sorry, you *don't* get to choose what's best for your child.

Yet another reason why our days in California may be numbered. An appellate court ruled yesterday that parents do not have a Constitutional right to homeschool their children, and that parents who do so may face criminal charges. This LA Times article gives the lowdown.

Now, technically, homeschooling has always been illegal in California. But the way the law is written, families can create their own private school, file as such with the state, and carry on their merry way. But it looks as though they may be trying to close that loophole.

Frankly, none of us should be surprised. We've allowed the government to step into so many areas of our lives, what on earth makes anyone think they won't step into this facet as well? Now, hopefully the backlash will be so powerful that the decision will be reversed--there's a huge number of families in California who homeschool--but even if it does, that doesn't solve the problem. Until citizens start standing up for their personal freedoms, start demanding that the Constitution be brought back as the basis for government, and start reminding the government that they are here to PROTECT our freedoms and not to take them over, this kind of thing is going to happen over and over and over, be it in regards to our health care, our health freedoms, our property rights...

Let me know if you see any deserted islands for sale. I think I'd like to relocate.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

This is a crazy idea, but we're all kind of crazy up here -- have you considered Minnesota?

1. Homeschooling is perfectly legal; I know heaps of homeschooled kids and they seem to have relatively organized networks and stuff (oooh, look, they have an "Alliance"! (google homeschooling Minnesota)! And the local rec centers all have enrichment programs (dance, theatre, music, sports) just for homeschoolers.

2. Ron Paul actually won several precincts or districts or whatever in our state caucus!

3. Worst-case scenario: You're just that much closer to Canada!

Timothy Fish said...

The whole school thing is rather ironic really. The states wouldn't even be in the school business if the churches hadn't pushed so are for them to take responsibility for training people to read. Now that the states have that responsibility, it seems that many Christian people want to go back the other way.

Keri Wyatt Kent said...

Move back to the Midwest, my friend. Illinois has plenty of homeschoolers and even tho I am not one, we believe in religious tolerance here in chicago!!
K