What are some people's problem with Ron Paul supporting Homeschooling?

[hawks4ronpaul]

home schooling is not one of his best points, i still think kids should go to public school. So they can get a girlfreind a live a fufiled life.

There are a fistful of non-sequiturs here.

 

[Marty Duren]

No, they should be taught valid, accepted, peer-reviewed science. I assume you know what the scientific method is? I hope you are teaching it to your kids, and I assume you are. The scientific method is a series of steps a rational person can use to determine the validity of any claim or assertion. EVIDENCE is the key to science, rational thought, and critical thinking.

If someone puts forward a claim - "I played chess with bigfoot yesterday" - then the scientist's first question will always be the same: "Where is the valid evidence?"

I believe in things for which there is evidence. And there is NO valid evidence for any religion, even yours. Children should not be taught these divisive, blood-soaked ancient stories as "fact." It's not fair to the child to be subjected to this type of brainwashing. They are defenseless against it. By brainwashing your children into religion or bigfoot belief or whatever, you cripple and hinder their critical thinking faculties, by basically telling them to believe whatever the "higher authority" tells them to believe. All too often, this leads to societies that are easily steered into wars of aggression against other nations. If your children lack the ability to ask you, "Mommy, where is the valid evidence that Jonah lived in a fish's stomach for three days?" they might not ask their leaders, "Where is the evidence for weapons of mass destruction before you lead us into this war?"

You have every legal right to brainwash your children with dangerous fairytales, and I have every right to comdemn you for it.

Condemn is a rather strong word, don't you think? Perhaps if you would take your head out of Dennett, Dawkins, and Darwin, you could realize that there are others who, holding to the scientific method, have serious doubts about the legitimacy of the blind watchmaker. BTW, your "peer reviewed" stipulation doesn't hold water in a scientific environment that de facto rejects anything that does not toe the materialistic party line. Though I would agree that hideous abuses have taken place in the name of "God," no true follower of Jesus is "dangerous" to anyone else. Unless, of course, that whole "love your neighbor" thing turns your stomach.

While I see no evidence that science is qualified to make any judgment on religion at all, the method itself can be used to rebut your own assertion. One might climb to the top of Mt. Olympus and find not pantheon of gods living there, while many did go to a first century tomb and find it empty. Scientifically speaking, one can be disproved and the other affirmed. The new atheism (which is the old failed atheism in new clothes) in its redundant quest to disprove God, falls woefully short.

I am a homeschool Dad of three. Our oldest just graduated cum laude with distinction from Georgia State University (BA, Philosophy, Religion minor), our second is taking the SAT this week and will have his GED in the spring (at age 17) and our third is in middle school. Each of them is more than well adjusted and has friends at every age level. Though we teach them the truth of the Bible, we also encourage them to explore truth wherever it may be found. We need not fear the truth as, indeed, the Bible both commends and commands the search for it. What I fear is pseudo-knowledge masquerading at the real thing.

BTW, my oldest brainwashed child is a Ron Paul supporter and an active one at that.

 

[ConstitutionGal]

You have every legal right to brainwash your children with dangerous fairytales, and I have every right to comdemn you for it.

You, of course, have every right to personally condem anything you wish. When you use the force of government to enforce your beliefs or disbeliefs on someone else, it is wrong. You do realize, don't you, that secularism is a belief for which there is no proof and that it is the perferred belief of those who wish do to away with national sovereignity? Go look up a few speeches given during the early years of the NEA. You will find that they recognized that in order to have people put their faith in and accept a global government, they would first have to remove or exclude in faith in a higher power or even any allegience to a particular nation. As your own brain-washing seems to have taken hold completely, I simply can't for the life of me figure out why you're supporting the one candidate that wishes to see this slide into U.N. rule stopped.

 

[dlm1968]

home schooling is not one of his best points, i still think kids should go to public school. So they can get a girlfreind a live a fufiled life.

This is about the stupidest comment I have ever seen in referrence to homeschooling. So you cannot get a girlfriend of live a fulfilled life if you are homeschooled?!?!?!?!?!?

 

[Macon GA]

I love the bumper sticker that I saw a few days ago:

Homeschoolers for Ron Paul
Because We Understand the Constitution!

 

[Mark Rushmore]

Just give them the FACTS (math, science, history, art), and let them decide for themselves which fairytales they want to choose in life.

Less women's studies courses, more philosophy of science. Just my recommendation, which of course you are free to ignore, in which case you'll keep coming off like a zealot.

 

[Severius]

These children are defenseless against brainwashing by their parents

So you think it's ok for other people to brainwash the children instead? What do you think actually happens in schools? I don't want people like you telling my children that everything I say is a lie. I don't want people like you telling my children anything. I can teach my children anything I want and I really don't give a crap whether you like it.

 

[Seanmc30]

Aren't most home schoolers religious fundamentalists? How do home schooled kids learn social networking skills?

No.

Home school is becoming more popular, even before RP spoke about it. Sure there are fundamentalists home schooling their kids, but there are plenty of people who just want to make sure their kids have a quality education. Everyone knows, even the public schools in good neighborhoods are a joke. Private or home school will be the only option for my children.

The "socialization" question is the most common one you get..."how do you know your kid wont get to college and snap from the pressure?" Usually, home schoolers are asked this so much, they get annoyed. It is a ridiculous question to them. They have kids in all different types of activities that involve social structure.

Personally I have public education, but every home schooler I have ever met is perfectly capable of being a successful member of society.

 

[Dorfsmith]

home schooling is not one of his best points, i still think kids should go to public school. So they can get a girlfreind a live a fufiled life.

LMAO!!! Seriously man. I only went to public school though 1st grade and after that my parents pulled me out so they could teach me at home. I had lots of girlfriends. I'm married with a kid. I own my house (almost paid off), own my business, own two brand new cars. Public school = fulfilled life? Sounds like you are basing your whole opinion of home schooling on bad generalizations.

Edited to include: And I'm a Ron Paul meetup assistant leader! That officially makes me somebody with a fulfilled life

 

[jblosser]

Aren't most home schoolers religious fundamentalists? How do home schooled kids learn social networking skills?

No.

Thank you. Catching up on this thread, I was surprised people didn't point that out. I don't have any problem with parents teaching their children their beliefs of course, but the claim all homeschoolers are crazy fundies is just another red herring programmed into people so they will stay away from considering it. "They're all crazy! You don't want to be crazy, do you?"

I have 3 siblings. All 4 of us were raised in public schools. While we are all Christians, we home school our kids for different (but overlapping) reasons:

1) I just want my kids to have their education furthered by their schooling, instead of having the state do it's job of teaching them how not to think. They do have Bible courses but the focus is on teaching them the raw materials of knowledge so they can read and study what they want when they're old enough and make up their own mind about things. We've got hundreds of books in our house, not all of them things my wife and I personally agree with, and the kids are free to read any of them that are age-appropriate. Meanwhile we live in Texas because it provides the most open opportunities of any state for homeschoolers to do cooperative education, socialization, etc. A lot of other states deliberately make it difficult for non-public school kids to associate with each other. Yes, I moved my family from one state to another to have the laws we wanted. Federalism still works sometimes.

2) One of my sisters lives in China, and home schools for somewhat obvious reasons.

3) One of my sisters lives in Floria, where there is a vast homeschooling movement that started years ago when the schools just got too dangerous. The parents didn't really want to but they had to for their kids' safety, and a whole lot of them did it. Now they can't imagine having done anything else.

4) My brother doesn't actually homeschool, but he and his wife run a Montesorri academy, which is one of the few private education systems that improves on the public system at all. Most "private schools" just replace the curriculum of public schools with something else, but keep all the methodology of control and forced mental hobbling that is the real problem. Montesorri is great, though. I don't think everyone necessarily needs to home school, they need to do what works for them, but the market will pretty quickly select against most of the crap out there. State education should be right out, especially when it's funded via compulsory taxation.


There were also a couple posts about the "we can't afford it" line. This is yet another method of control. The system feeds on itself. They want you working two jobs so you have to give them your kids, who will have to work even harder for less. No, this is not a "women should stay at home" rant; I know plenty of stay-at-home dads, and if anything I'm jealous my wife is the one that gets to see the kids grow up in real time. But if I had a nickel for every time I've heard someone say they couldn't afford to home school, then that same person had to pull their kids out because of violence or disgust at how dumb they were getting *and found out they actually saved money in the process* ... well, I'd be able to retire and spend the time teaching my kids more.

 

[GeorgiaforPaul08]

Trolllllll

STOP REPLYING TO THIS GUYS POSTS!!!!!!!!!! HE IS A TROLL! Just read the other stupid f-ing questions he asks every damm day. Stop it now!

 

[JenaS62]

I have no problem with people homeschooling their kids - I just cannot imagine homeschooling MY KIDS. I have three boys (twins and 1 a year older) and I think I would be on the news or on that show "Snapped" if I had to homeschool them.

 

[Marty Duren]

STOP REPLYING TO THIS GUYS POSTS!!!!!!!!!! HE IS A TROLL! Just read the other stupid f-ing questions he asks every damm day. Stop it now!

It matters not that he is a troll. This subject is part of Ron Paul's platform.

This thread will speak to homeschoolers who may not know about Paul. For many (not me), homeschooling trumps the economy or the war in importance and this kind of conversation is what speaks to them.

 

[JMann]

Homeschooling, like any education, is only as good as the teacher. People should be free to educate their children how they please and people without children or with kids not in public school shouldn't be forced by threat of a gun or foreclosure on property to pay for other's education.

 

[Starks]

I'm all for educational freedom, but there are plenty of subjects and areas of learning that a book at home simply can't teach and are best left up to people that have worked their entire adult life to educate the youth and have the credentials to do so.

 

[jblosser]

Homeschooling, like any education, is only as good as the teacher.

The student plays a lot more into it than people want to realize. Education is NOT necessarily something that requires a person to spend 8 hours a day teaching and the rest of their free time putting together lessons, grading homework, etc. That is part of the broken methodology of control that mandates every second be accounted for, lest free thought occur.

A whole lot of kids will do fine and excel with minimal supervision and prodding in the right direction. For those that need more, basic curriculum is easily available, and if you live in the right state there are coop and other opportunities. Almost any parent that wants to be responsible for the kids' education instead of allowing the state to de-educate them can make it work without getting brain surgery or the like.

 

[jblosser]

I'm all for educational freedom, but there are plenty of subjects and areas of learning that a book at home simply can't teach and are best left up to people that have worked their entire adult life to educate the youth and have the credentials to do so.

Starks, I know you're pretty new to this way of thinking, so to you too I say -- you need to dive deeper down the rabbit hole.

Characterizing home schooling as "a book at home" is naive enough I'll try not to be insulted by it, and instead I'll ask you to understand our model of public education is pretty new in the world, and most of the historical figures we admire today did quite fine without it.

Characterizing most public school teachers as experts instead of babysitters and zookeepers, the same. That's not to denigrate them; most try very hard, and I had some good ones in my own public school education. But the philosophical and methodological materials they are given to work with are pure garbage, and were never designed to educate.

 

[Starks]

I just don't think that homeschooling provides the same rigor and routine necessary for a student to apply themselves properly. Pressure and competition among students, especially in high school, is a force that will drive students to excel.

 

[Drea]

I just don't think that homeschooling provides the same rigor and routine necessary for a student to apply themselves properly. Pressure and competition among students, especially in high school, is a force that will drive students to excel.

Then all I can say is that you REALLY have no clue and you haven't looked into homeschooling AT ALL. I can tell this just by your posts.

You just don't have a clue. What you are doing is spitting out some one-liners you've heard somewhere/guesses and assumptions... or just going off of one personal/I've seen it with my own eyes experience. What exactly are you basing your incomplete opinion on?

Drea

 

[ForrestLayne]

I just don't think that homeschooling provides the same rigor and routine necessary for a student to apply themselves properly. Pressure and competition among students, especially in high school, is a force that will drive students to excel.

I went to NCSU '96 I was older than most students(30). My best study partners were home schooled. They 3 I studied with were more devoted, dug deeper the understand the concepts, and tried to learn the basis of the material. My other study groups were focused on studying old homeworks and old tests to memorize. The homeschoolers definately had the edge because they were learning a way of solving all similar problems where-as the others were looking to solve only the problem on the test.

The homeschooler group always seemed to be in the A-B range. Good homeschooling teaches children to learn for themselves, which is what college is all about!!!