The View on Racism
Thursday, July 17, 2008
While discussing Jesse Jackson's use of the n-word in his off-the-air remarks about Obama, Whoopi Goldberg makes the stunning announcement that it's okay for a black person to use the n-word but not a white person.Sad to say, I know exactly how Elisabeth Hasselback feels.
By the way, if Whoopi is right about how blacks use the word then why is Jackson apologizing to the Obamas and the nation for his "hurtful words?"
The Politics of School Choice
Thursday, July 17, 2008
In a prepared speech before the NAACP Convention in Boston, McCain said,"Parents ask only for schools that are safe, teachers who are competent, and diplomas that open doors of opportunity. When a public system fails, repeatedly, to meet these minimal objectives, parents ask only for a choice in the education of their children. Some parents may choose a better public school. Some may choose a private school. Many will choose a charter school. No entrenched bureaucracy or union should deny parents that choice and children that opportunity."No mention of parents who may choose to homeschool. Actually, when talking about education, neither candidate says a whole lot about homeschooling. Which is A-OK with me. The less any politician notices or meddles with homeschoolers, the happier I'll be.
I know not all homeschoolers feel that way. Which made me wonder, will the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA-PAC) endorse anyone in the Presidential election? They jumped in very early for Huckabee stating he was a principled conservative governor and he had the best chance of winning because no member of the House or Senate has been elected President in nearly half a century. However, the race is now between two senators. Obviously, Obama is not HSLDA's choice. So why wait on a McCain endorsement? Perhaps they are holding out in hopes of a Huckabee nod as VP and then they'll order the foot soldiers into battle. I'm not sure how many privates they'll find in the ranks. I know a lot of Republican deserters who are wandering the countryside looking for a home.
In his speech, McCain also took a swipe at the teachers unions by critcizing teacher certifiction. He reminded NAACP members that you can be a "Nobel Laureate and not qualify to teach in most public schools today." So true. McCain also criticized Obama's refusal to give low-income Americans a choice in education.
"In remarks to the American Federation of Teachers last weekend, Senator Obama dismissed public support for private school vouchers for low-income Americans as, "tired rhetoric about vouchers and school choice." All of that went over well with the teachers union, but where does it leave families and their children who are stuck in failing schools?"McCain's website says it is hypocritcal for politicians to send their children to elite schools and not give that same choice to all parents. He believes parents should be able to move their children and the money associated with them away from failing schools. Obama opposes school choice, because that will siphon money and resources away from schools that need it. But that obviously wasn't a concern when he chose an elite school for his young daughters.
McCain isn't the only one taking aim with Obama's opposition to school choice. Black radio talk show host and staunch Obama supporter, Roland Martin says his guy is wrong on school choice,
School choice is a popular issue with many black voters. Perhaps, Obama should reschedule his trip to the Iraq and take a fact-finding mission to Detroit to see the"But part of the reason why vouchers have been denounced and dismissed is because Democrats have been far too obstinate on the issue, and have not listened to their constituents, especially African-Americans, who overwhelmingly support vouchers.
There is no doubt that on this issue, McCain has it right and Obama has it wrong."
Labels: homeschooling, HSLDA, McCain, Obama
Federalizing Education
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
I've long thought that our nation is inching closer toward a seamless nationalized education from preschool through college. The Bush administration under Secretary of Education Spellings made attempts in that direction. What will the next president do? Obama has said he seeks to a "truly historic" commitment to education with bold reforms. Is he the man with the political will to fast track the federal takeover of education? Some people think so.Obama said the following in a speech in 2007, Our Kids Our Future,
"I am running to be that President. And that's why I'm proposing a comprehensive plan to give every American child the chance to receive the best education America has to offer - from the moment they're born to the day they graduate college. As President, I will put the full resources of the federal government behind this plan."Lee Carey of the American Thinker writes,
"Political will" is about provoking the will of the people to give the federal government the authority to education America's children. Obama sees himself as the Chief Education Officer of the United States. His Department of Education will manage one large, nationwide, public school district with a unified federal budget."He believes that the response from most involved with education will be positive, except that of the homechooler,
"Home Schoolers: They'll see nationalization as a threat to their independence, because it is. But they're dedicated and resourceful people. They'll survive, and perhaps even flourish after a favorable court decision. (Maybe) "Homeschooling will surive, but I'm not optimistic about it flourishing. Federal control of education will render homeschooling obsolete. There will always be some homeschooling diehards like me who will continue to the bitter end, but many will trickle back to the public system because of the greater opportunities given to those with a federal diploma and credentials.
Once nationalizing education is complete, it will be time to think global. In fact, some people already are. Secretary of Education Maragaret Spellings said in a speech on education at UNESCO last week,
Socialism knows no political party."Imagine Cup finalist Louis Sayers said it well: "There's no one telling us that we can't do something.... If we don't like [it], we change it, and at the end of the day we know that [it] was built by us."
That is how we build a global platform for collaboration. It is the opposite of isolation. And it's exactly what we need right now!"
Labels: education, homeschool, Obama
A Vision For Women and Politics
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
I was, at one time, a supporter of Vision Forum Ministries -- mostly in their early days. However, as the ministry's vision moved away from our own beliefs as a family, we decided it was time to support other vendors for our homeschool and family discipleship needs. Specific areas of major concern were their promotion of the writings of Robert Lewis Dabney without renouncing his belief that blacks were a morally inferior race, and their patriarchal beliefs derived from the Dominion Mandate. (You can listen to a podcast series on Patriarchy I recorded last fall with ThatMom, Karen Campbell, here.)So it was with some interest that I read that a long time associate of Vision Forum and the Phillips family was running for public office. Matt Chancey and his wife, Jennie, have eight children and homeschool in Alabama. He is seeking to become president of the Public Service Commission and is in a run off for the Republican spot. It's not exactly a race that grabs my attention except for the fact that the published writings of Jennie, who is also affiliated with Vision Forum, appear to have become a campaign issue .
More on Jennie Chancey's views on women and voting rights are at her site, Ladies Against Feminism.Jennie Chancey supports her husband's bid for public office, but from a biblical and historical perspective, she doesn't think she necessarily has the right to vote for him.
Instead of "one man, one vote," she believes in “one household, one vote."
Jennie Chancey does not believe in the divided household idea, whereby she and her husband could vote differently on an issue, thereby canceling each other's vote. Just as politicians are elected as representatives of the people, Chancey views her husband as the decision-maker in the household, but that doesn’t mean her views aren't heard.
The Chancey's may not support all the beliefs of Vision Forum, but the concern of some voters in Alabama is how much the Chancey's perspective on women will affect his ability to do his job if elected. Given that he's running for commissioner, their perspective on whether or not women should vote is not likely to be a major issue. But what about his ability to work with women, specifically those who have authority over him? Is Chancey open to women in the workplace?
He says yes, since he has worked under women, over them and beside them for years.In fact, Matt Chancey met Jennie in the workplace. But their beliefs have since changed and the Chancey's now believe that the woman's sphere of dominion is strictly in the home, and that a woman who works outside that sphere is in sin and "blaspheming the word of God." Jennie wrote in an essay on working mothers published on the Vision Forum website,
It's up to the voters in Alabama to decide if the Chancey's views are acceptable to them and if he will be able to separate his belief that women are in sin for working alongside him in the office (See Tenet #14). But Chancey seems to have political aspirations beyond the local level. He's campaigning as a "Ron Paul Republican" and was the Southest regional coordinator for Paul's bid for the Republican nomination. Chancey was also very active in Virginia politics. So a bid for the commissioners job in Alabama is probably a stepping stone to higher offices in the future."But a "sin" to leave it and work elsewhere? Them's hard words! People will get offended if we say a wife working outside of the home is a sin. Poor women who have to work will feel they are second-class Christians or looked down upon by their stay-at-home sisters in Christ. What about women whose husbands have abandoned them? But let's try to look at this without knee-jerking if we can. We are living under a cursed economy. We are not living under God's blessing. When the Church abandons "hard" teachings for soft words, the salt loses its savor and is trampled underfoot. When we follow pell-mell in the path of the "working world," straining after the "American Dream" income, we're going to fall into the same trap the rest of our culture is in: wives forced to work to make up a "shortfall," debt, divorce, children handed over to government schools, etcetera. And we're in it - knee-deep.
Where are the older women who are supposed to teach the younger ones how to be sober keepers at home? Oh, their children are all grown, and they have "nothing' to do, so they've gotten "real" jobs. What about the women who are to be "washing the feet of the saints" and "ministering to the poor."
Ummm... too busy earning that second income."
I've taken some ribbing for bringing up Michelle Obama's public comments about her family life and how they might affect policy, but the more theocratic associations and views of the Chancey's are just as concerning to me; even if their actual decisions regarding family life are much closer to our own.
How much should a candidate's personal views on family life or those of their spouse be scrutinized and considered when evaluating them for office? Personally, how a candidate functions in his home tells me a great deal how he'll govern if elected. Given how much I've written here, I've probably killed any chances of my husband or I getting elected, but I'd still like to know what I'm up against if we do attempt it someday.
Labels: chancey, election, feminism, patriarchy, Vision Forum, voters
A Humble Address to the Nation
Sunday, July 13, 2008
My fellow Americans, we face many great challenges in America. However, I believe the single greatest challenge we may face is finding a qualified candidate for President. I long for a person who possesses the necessary credentials to lead our country away from the evils of terror abroad and from the evils of socialism here at home.Amazingly, our Constitution allows any natural born citizen who has lived in the United States for fourteen years and celebrates their 35th birthday to become President.
How can this be? A person isn't even considered qualified for a teaching position in the Detroit Public Schools with those credentials. And soon you may not even be qualified to teach your own children either! Nevertheless, you are considered qualified to lead the whole nation with the simple passage of time.
To our founding fathers, this made perfect sense. Few credentials afforded the common man the opportunity to lead and prevented the tyranny of an aristocracy. Sadly, an attitude of ambition formed by an elite education has created a new type of aristocracy. An aristocracy where knowledge and arrogance reign supreme; yielding leaders who have become wise in their own eyes and who believe they must choose what is best for us -- from the light bulb we put in our homes to the language we put in our heads. A sly tyrant who uses the power of taxation to manipulate personal behavior, redistribute wealth, and deny personal freedom.
What shall we say then? Shall we continue to allow mediocre people possessing a form of knowledge but denying the Constitution to rule over us? May it never be!
In recent years, our leaders have called our nation's schools to meet higher standards. I believe what is good for the student, is good for the leader. We must demand a higher standard for those who seek to lead us. We must demand leaders who esteem the Constitution more highly than personal ambition. I'm not seeking to revise our Constitution but to return to the standard of humble wisdom envisioned by our founders.
I call on the great people of this country to leave these men behind and demand candidates who understand that they are not the savior, but the servant of the people.
After all an election is a terrible thing to waste.
Thank you and God Bless.
Labels: election, McCain, Obama
Here's to you Dr. Bainbridge
Friday, July 11, 2008
Speaking about homeschooling older children in high school, Dr. William Bainbridge said, "At some point you have a line to draw--this is responsible parenting and this is child abuse. [Homeschooling] can be child abuse."
I've been thinking about Dr. Bainbridge's comments a lot in the last couple of days.
I spent most of yesterday updating my son's high school transcript and today I registered him today for his first college class. To enroll at this particular college a student must be 16 by the first day of class; my son misses that requirement by 6 days. Special permission is granted if the student meets with the Director of Admissions and she approves the waiver. We met this morning. After a brief glance at his transcript, she talked to my son about his interest in engineering and car design, the course he selected (Computer Aided Design 103), and college life. Then, without any hesitation, she signed the special admission form and welcomed him to the college. It was a very enjoyable experience for all of us.
Afterward, we walked to the bookstore to look through the textbook for the class. A student pointed us to the correct text and informed us that he had already taken the course. Eagerly, we asked him a few questions. His answers were very helpful. He then told us he'd be taking the course in the fall. Confused, my son glanced over at me. I knew exactly what he was thinking. Being the bold woman that I am, I turned to the student and asked, "Didn't you just say you already took this course?"
He smiled sheepishly and said, "yeah, but I got a zero." But he quickly regained his confidence and continued, "It's no big deal. I'm just going to retake it again and the previous grade won't matter." I told him I admired his perservance and positive attitude, but inwardly I wondered if my son might be reconsidering at this point. Thankfully, he has done quite a bit of reading and drafting work on his own and this conversation did not deter his decision to enroll.
So, here's to my 15 (almost 16) year old homeschooler whose Constitutional right to equal protection have been denied because his parents have "unfettered" control of his education and decided to educate him through high school and to his classmate, a 20-something college student who is repeating the course right along side him.
Cheers Dr. Bainbridge!
(Note: Taking nothing for granted, I realize that my son might not pass the class either; but at least he has five extra years to try!)
P.S. While we're on the topic of abuse, we're going to a Tiger's game tonight. I sure hope we don't get served the wrong lemonade. Things are sure crazy in Detroit these days.
Labels: education, homeschooling, parenting
TOS Magazine Needs You!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Do you have an opinion? Do you homeschool? Do you have an opinion about the products and curriculum you use in your homeschool? Do you like to share your opinion with your homeschool friends on your blog, through email, forums and at your coop? Do you love to get your products and curriculum for free? If the answer to these questions is, "Yes!" then the The Old Schoolhouse Magazine (TOS) wants to talk to you. Click here for the details.Bummer, as a writer for the magazine, I'm not eligible to participate in all the fun.
By the way, the summer issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine (with a few articles written by yours truly) should be in mail boxes soon. This issue also contains an interview with Norm Wakefield of Elijah Ministries. I am currently reading his book, Equipped to Love out loud to my children during our morning devotions. If you have teenagers in your home, this book is a must read before they enter into serious relationships. Elijah Ministries also sends out a monthly newsletter. His eight part series, The Curse of the Standard Bearer is both encouraging and challenging.
Labels: education, homeschool, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
Name Obama's Generation
Thursday, July 10, 2008
David Brody reports that Team Obama is having a contest to rename their faith outreach to young evangelicals after it dumped the name Joshua Generation. I'd like to offer a few suggestions...The (W)Right Generation: Since the youth outreach is an attempt to reach evangelicals typically on the conservative or "right" side of the political spectrum, this name would make them feel welcome in the group without compromising the relationship with his former pastor and personal mentor Jeremiah Wright.
The Change Generation: Because the next generation needs to understand that after Obama gets done with all of his liberal federal spending programs, the only thing they'll have left is a bunch of change.
The 57 State Generation: Because our youth need a president who represents all Americans. A man who has been to every corner and to all 57 states in the Union. (You Tube here.)
The Arugula Generation: Obama asked a group of voters in Iowa, "Has anybody gone into a Whole Foods lately and seen the price of arugula?" Our young people need a candidate they can relate to, but also someone who will address the serious issues of our time.
Because abortion is a central issue to many evangelical conservatives, I offer these final suggestions,
The Punished Generation: Obama said, "I've got two daughters. 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby." This name would enable Obama to reach out to the young people who would rather be punished with a baby than choose to end its life. But Obama struggles with calling them babies; so as I final suggestion...
The Born Alive Generation. Obama said in an abortion debate on the floor of the Illinois senate,
"the testimony during the committee indicated that one of the key concerns was -- is that there was a method of abortion, an induced abortion, where the fetus or child, as -- as some might describe it, is still temporarily alive outside the womb. And one of the concerens that came out in the testimony was the fact that they were not being properly cared for during that brief period of time that they were still living."After all this is the same child -- as some might describe it, that Obama is now attempting to reach out to during that brief time that they are still living.
I welcome your suggestions.
Labels: election, HSLDA, Joshua Generation, Obama, youth
