Dear visionaries, Michael responded to my offer about naming the government schools by saying, “No deal on my part! I propose that you continue to call schools that are governed by the community ‘government schools’ I will hence forth refer to your unregulated schools as ‘madrasa’s’ Deal?” To which I say: If the schools are …
Gummint Schools Some More
Dear visionaries, My apologies for misspelling Ritalin. Kind of negates the impact of the occasional Latin. Ya think? In response to Samuel, I am willing to make a deal. I will start calling them public schools in this forum, schools belonging to us, the people, if you all will agree that we, the people, have …
Gummint Schools
Dear visionaries, Robert asked for a specific instance where government schools refused voluntary assistance from a well-intending parent. Before doing so, mindful of what a friend aptly labeled as the paradigm issues involved here, let me ask for a definition of “well-intended.” What does it mean? In full agreement with the NEA? Docile? On Ritilin …
Jump!
Once there was a fearful little boy. He was very timid, and I am afraid that others around him encouraged him in this. His parents and teachers reinforced in his mind the dangers of being rash—and of course there are such dangers—but this little boy was in no danger of that particular folly. He could …
The Tashlan Temptation
The election yesterday provided me a real sense of relief, and in several ways it was a very good night. On the positive side of the register, eleven ballot initiatives that defined marriage as consisting of one man and one woman passed, many of them by whopping margins. The Republicans gained in the House, and …
Mother Love
Once two women were quarreling, and I am afraid that their quarrel was loud enough to be heard by others at the restaurant where they were having lunch. As it happens, there was a wise woman who attended the same church they did who happened to overhear. Deciding that since they had made the affair …
History and the Guild
Objectivity is a false god, and the worship of this idol is particularly pernicious in disciplines like journalism and history. It is not possible to be objective — although of course it is possible to be honest. By pretending to attain to objectivity, a writer’s fundamental faith commitments are not eliminated, but rather submerged — …
Grand Kleegle Archbishop
Chesterton, my favorite papist, once remarked that a man who does not stand for something will fall for anything. Evidence that this is true (as if more evidence were needed) can be found here. Turns out that radical priests and priestettes in the Episcopal church have not been content to be trendy leftists, but have …
Bush as False Teacher
After my post yesterday on the Bush/Kerry thing, here are just a couple of follow-up comments. The first is to note Bush’s qualified support for same-sex civil unions. He now says that such a decision should be up to the states. But anyone who does not see this as a wedge issue is just kidding …
Back Off Man
Dear visionaries, Susannah writes: “But I suspect that ‘attitude’ doesn’t restrict itself only to public school teachers . . . and I am certain it extends itself to many in the religious vocation. As in “back off, man, I’m god’s spokesman”.” The problem with professional educators in the government schools is not that they speak …