[MD] Value and the Individual

[Arlo Bensinger]

[Khaled]
Of course the biggest danger I see in making the school privates, 
aside from becoming elitist by discriminating along tax brackets, is 
that a wave of Faith based school will start popping up.

[Arlo]
This gets back to the idea of the tension between local values and 
federal standards. I don't mind religious schools per se, I have 
friends who've attended Catholic schools and other than coming out 
raving for sex they aren't taught crazy stuff like those poor 
homeschooled kids of the Westboro Baptist "Church".  But the danger 
is there, if the move to private schools (or even alternate public 
approaches) is not somehow subject to federal standards.

And this gets back to "what is the purpose for educating?" If we have 
no purpose at the federal level, then why bother at all. Make 
schooling completely optional. That's the ultimate in "parental 
choice", is it not?

[Khaled]
Now vouchers can be redeemed at your local Madrasa

[Arlo]
If the poor kids of Westboro were shouting "Praise Allah, kill 
Americans!" do you think we'd accept that? Would we call it 
brainwashing? Would we say its the parent's right to choose to 
instill those values in their children? If your local Madrasa held 
parades burning Bush in effigy, would we support the right of that 
school to teach those values if they can find "free market" success? 
But when they should "God wants dead fags", we mumble something but 
turn the other cheek.

And that underscores my point above. If we accept THAT as a 
permissible substitute for "public education", then what's the point? 
If we accept THAT, then we may as well go ahead and make all 
education completely voluntary.

In the end, this all about divisiveness. Its about every little 
subculture pulling into itself like a hermit crab. It is the death of 
community and the reign of gated subdivisions.