Posted on 10/04/2004 4:48:58 PM PDT by Ed Current
"An Iraqi man with suspected links to terrorism had a computer disk containing crisis planning information for San Diego and other school districts when he was arrested by U.S. authorities in Iraq, 10News reported. The man's intentions were not known, and there was no indication that schools in San Diego or any other district were targets for terrorism, according to San Diego law enforcement officials ...
'The clear message is that your children are safe and our schools are very well prepared, as well as our school district,' San Diego School District Police Chief Don Braun said."
One can only assume that this police chief was educated in the San Diego public schools himself. To conclude that the clear message of this news is that the children of the San Diego public schools are safe brings to mind the thought that you'll probably be able to score some excellent ganja in the San Diego School District as long as this cretin is in command.
Now, some might say that this headline is a little ... exaggerated. And perhaps it's not entirely fair to scare parents into pulling their kids right out of the public schools, as it seems unlikely that Islamic terrorists will be able to commit massacres at more than two or three schools, probably five at most. Then again, if one considers how TV shows such as "Law and Order" see fit to preach that homeschooled children are malnourished and abused little freaks, it seems only reasonable to point out in like manner that public schooled children are brainwashed, quasi-illiterate savages, with targets painted on their chests to boot.
In fact, when one considers the Breslan massacre, the two Israeli children murdered in Sderot and the 35 Iraqi children killed in South Baghdad last week, the sad fact is that my sensationalistic characterization is likely more accurate. The terrorists have raised the stakes once again, targeting children to demonstrate how much they envy our freedom or whatever highly implausible motivation the Bush administration is imputing to the enemy today. I have to confess I haven't been keeping up with the president's tiptoeing around the strange and surely coincidental number of co-religionists of Peace who have unaccountably devoted themselves to murdering children.
One disturbingly familiar element to this story is the assertion that parents need not trouble their pretty little heads about Islamic terrorists bent on recreating Breslan in the suburbs. The arrest was reported to the San Diego FBI office and the San Diego Unified School District last week. Parents and schools were not informed because it was determined there was not a threat.
I've never quite been able to wrap my mind around the notion that parents should not be notified that their children are being taught how to perform oral sex or are seeking to kill off the next generation. But the San Diego Unified School District has lowered the concept of in loco parentis insciens to new depths. I mean, you'd think that even the worst and most indifferent parent in the nation might like to know if his child is being targeted by suicide bombers, if only to take out an insurance policy.
I'm just curious to know what the FBI has concluded that an Iraqi man was doing with the information in the first place, given that it is so sure that the thought of attacking a school had not even begun to consider the merest possibility of thinking about the prospect of crossing the man's mind. Perhaps it was an innocent coincidence, the gentleman simply happens to be in charge of crisis planning for the local madrassah and only wanted to be sure that its emergency plans were up to date and in line with those belonging to schools run by the Great Satan.
In any event, if advanced academic achievement and avoiding social Darwinist socialization isn't enough for you to keep your child off the Yellow Bus of Doom, perhaps the idea of massacre avoidance will hold some appeal. Or perhaps not. After all, it's surely safe to assume that it can't possibly happen here.
I just got through re-reading the Little House on the Prairie books for nostalgia's sake and to introduce them to my children.
It was a great privilege to attend school at the time. It still is.
One of my favorite educators and educational entrepreneurs is Douglas Wilson who helped found the Classical Christian School movement. He is not opposed to homeschooling if there is no other choice, but prefers the efficiency of one scholar in a particular subject (Latin, for instance) being able to educate several at a time. It is a model that has worked for centuries.
I reject the notion that if I send my children to an excellent private school that I am doing something wrong.
I am not going to let the fear of terrorism rule my life.
You know, I tell my homeschooled kids something all of the time:
"You may have to worry about getting spanked at school, but you don't have to worry about being shot."
Incredible "hide your head in the sand" response.
I'm happy every day that my kids are already homeschooled.
A million thanks, to my wife.
We had been thinking of homeschool,and then Columbine happened.
Now, after Beslan, we see that the Islamists are willing to go to any length to proove their utter depravity.
The idea of an American school being targeted is horrifying.
If it actually happens,(at least if GW is still pres),there will be a response from this country to make the response to 9/11 seem quite tame by comparison.
You're response was waaaaaay too rational! Let's face it--since we don't homeschool, we are, without question, the very worst moms on the entire planet. They build jails for women like us.
They said they were going to do it (playgrounds and schools), and it will be the end of public education as we know it.
>>Let's face it--since we don't homeschool, we are, without question, the very worst moms on the entire planet. <<
Hey Lady! Who is "they"?
It just strikes me as hard to plan for every contingency and escape from every calamity.
There are many gatherings of people islamofacists and other evil people can attack. Churches, baseball games, shopping malls, grocery stores, etc.
It seems that if we homeschool on the basis of fear of terrorism that we give into letting the uncivilized win over the civilized.
And I personally would not like my children home every day. I know there are some very clever and creative women and men out there with a knack for teaching.
I am not good at being isolated and I am not good at organizing get-togethers with other homeschoolers. I always wanted to homeschool but realize that I so appreciate the input from my children's teachers. I might be able to educate them in the future at home, but right now it is such a relief to have help from other creative people.
On the other hand, I prefer the relative obscurity of my children's private school and would perhaps fear for them more at a public school. I still do fear for them and pray for them when they are away. I don't like the uncertainty of them being somewhere without me.
My family members give me a hard time about not homeschooling. My sister (unmarried, no children) thinks it's the bees knees and that my children aren't safe at school. (When I leave her alone with my kids she has no clue what to do with them, however).
The problem with many home-schoolers is they sometimes think they are a little superior in the parenting department because they take on this monumental task.
The problem with many who do not home-school, is that they tend to (needlessly) feel inferior when home-schooling is discussed. Like they feel they should be doing it but don't know how to or feel overwhelmed at the thought. In fairness, I might add, SOME home-schoolers (hopefully without realizing it) get a little pleasure talking about how much they do with their kids and how smart their kids are, causing some of these feelings in non home-schoolers.
I did the home-school thing for six years. Then I tried the public school for one year and then sent my kids to the private Christian school for the remainder of their school years.
I enjoyed the years I spent with them at home. I never thought any the less of anyone who did not choose to do the same. After six years of schooling them at home, I REALLY ENJOYED sending them off to school every day!
So I guess I've covered both sides. :^D
Currently my two sons 8 and 6 are attending a private Christian School. Thankfully the school is 100 yards behind my home. The class size is less than 16 students and their academic standards are fantastic. 90% of the student test 2 grade levels above their actual grade level.
I believe that every involved parent does homeschool; for us it is an ongoing everyday affair. After school and on the week-ends we spend time teaching them Latin, Biology, French and Spanish and other subjects. We have a nice size garden and other personal interests. Everyday lives can include many hours of teaching. Just from helping in the garden they understand a great deal about science, weather, biology, etc. When they have question about things like how car engines work, it is easy to go to the library, get on the internet and do a project to find out the answers to these type of questions. There is so much in everyday life than can be used as a teaching experience. Time with our children is priceless.
As an aside, my 6 year old was home with me today because of a sore throat. We went to pick-up some additional meds for him at the store and the cashier while commenting that he was a handsome child also asked his age. When I said that he was 6....she proceeded to ask if he attended school and if so why wasn't he at school!!!!!...as a stranger I was shocked at her noisy question. It made me wonder how many homeschool parents run across these type of comments!! I explained that he wasn't feeling well...but even now I am mad at myself for feeling like I should answer such a rude intrusion into MY business about MY child!!!
bttt
>>And I personally would not like my children home every day. <<
Oh my Lord!!! I just love it so much! I can't even imagine going back to losing my baby for 6 hours a day and all the horrible habits she came home with.
I'm glad that you found a great school for your kids. My district school sucks, the Catholic schools in the area all have waiting lists and we did the Charter School where, when asked how I should keep my 1st grader on task, the teacher replied, "I don't know."
Count yourself blessed!
I was often asked why my kids were not at school when we did an errand during the day.
I just kind of thought it was their way of making some conversation, you know, showing some interest. I just said they were schooled at home and most of the time people thought that was quite interesting.
I guess I never put much thought into why they were asking. I guess it didn't make much difference to me what they thought about it anyway! :^]
Frankly, you sound like you put as much effort into after-schooling as I put into home-schooling! Good for you.
Yeah...some of the home-schooling parents were unbearable. I know one who had the kids disecting a pig, for crying out loud. Now I taught mine how to carve a pork roast, but that's as far as I went!
I am for school choice as well. For a little while here in Ontario we had a conservative premier who let us write off the amount we paid for private schooling tuition on our taxes. Man, did the union-loving liberals ever scream about that. Well, they got voted in and there went my tax break. So I wound up paying $2400 per year in education taxes alone (part of our property taxes) and an additional $8000 per year tuition. When I think of what I could be driving rather than my Ford Windstar.....
In any case, it has been worth every penny. Very few problems in the schools. The problem kids were the exception, not the rule as in most schools up here. My kids are 18 and 16 now, so I am in the home stretch, I guess. So far, they have been great (thank the Lord) and with very minor problems...you know, the messy rooms, etc.
When does that get better?????!!!!!
Do I feel superior? Can't help it. If you could see the public school curriculum around here, you'd understand. We could run away and join the circus, and get better learning than the local p.s. provides.
It's not a good idea to homeschool your kids if you don't like being around them. I'm sure they are much better off away and at school.
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