Dear visionaries, Stan chides us for our attitudes toward the government schools. He said “my father and my grandfather have preached to me that Christian people do these things without expecting consideration in return. It is simply the way life should be.” I actually agree with this completely, as far as it goes, and would …
New Names
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 …
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 …
Tax Breaks and Education
Dear visionaries, Stan raises the interesting question of “tax breaks.” Note first that allowing an entity to keep its own money is being considered a “gift” from the government. And because it is considered a gift, it is not surprising that the principle that “he who takes the king’s coin becomes the king’s man” comes …
Lost in the Fog, But Making Good Time
Dear visionaries, What in blue blazes are you progressives all progressing to? You cannot by your relativism smash all the compasses and maps, and then cheerfully announce to us all that you are the “north-bound” party. What are you talking about? “Apologetics in the Void” are repostings from an on-going electronic discussion and debate I …
Public Control of the Truth?
Dear visionaries, Janice wrote:”Public newspaper does not equal public education.Faulty logic! Shame on you.” I did not say that they were equal. But they are analogous. What argument can be brought against tax-supported newspapers that cannot also be brought against tax-supported schools? And such arguments would not work if applied to tax-supported street lights. …
Opting Out of Government Schools?
Dear visionaries, In talking about government schools, whether we should have to pay for asphalt that covers streets we never drive on is not a good counterexample. Of course we agree that collective societal action cannot be one vast time-share arrangement. The question is actually what criteria should we use to determine what kind of …
Another Crouton in the Salad of Pluralism
Dear visionaries, Morning, everybody. Time for that morning dose of vitriol! Gary was answered well on the statistical matters by Dale. Our discussion of this whole topic was not precipitated by the discovery that kids were coming into government schools at a “higher rate” than they were “pushing them through the doors of private schools.” …