Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Josiah Cantrall American Non Thinker

Mr Cantrall wrote Repeal Obamacare - but Keep Socialized Education? for American Thinker, apparently he put little thought into it.

Horace Mann (1796-1859)
Horace Mann, often called the Father of the Common School, began his career as a lawyer and legislator. When he was elected to act as Secretary of the newly-created Massachusetts Board of Education in 1837, he used his position to enact major educational reform. He spearheaded the Common School Movement, ensuring that every child could receive a basic education funded by local taxes. His influence soon spread beyond Massachusetts as more states took up the idea of universal schooling.  

Mann's commitment to the Common School sprang from his belief that political stability and social harmony depended on education: a basic level of literacy and the inculcation of common public ideals.

Apparently Mr. Cantrall is unaware that before Horace Mann's idea of universal schooling took hold much of the population was illiterate.  Or perhaps he just doesn't care.

According to Mr. Cantrall

However, as we all know, "free education" isn't free, but subsidized through tax levies on all citizens -- even those with no school-age children and those who have chosen to educate their children privately.  Herein lies the genius of the left: by dictating the funding of government-run education and health care programs, millions of families are left with few alternatives outside the government's control.  Although the right to enroll their children in private schools remains, this "right," for all practical purposes, often cannot be exercised due to income limitations. The reality is that many middle- and lower-income families cannot afford to pay taxes towards our public schools while also sending their own children to schools of their choice.  The same holds true for health insurance policies -- thus, freedom of choice is suddenly available only to the elite and wealthy.

On the contrary public schools ensure that ALL children will receive an education, not just the children of the elite and wealthy that can afford to educate their children.  School taxes are a mere pittance of the taxes you pay in most areas and a well educated community provides benefits to all in the community. Those who wish are still free to send their children to private schools or to homeschool them. And in many states homeschool restrictions are very lax and do not provide any undue hardship for parents wishing to homeschool. Without public schools many children would not receive even a basic education as their families would not have the resources to provide an education for them. To the detriment of not only the children, but the communities in which they live.

Just like public education aims to ensure that every child can read and write The Affordable Care Act seeks to ensure that each American has access to affordable health care. 

Monday, October 17, 2011

Crown of Thorns by Stephane Groueff

Biography of Boris III of Bulgaria. Very interesting college level reading.King Boris III, helped save the Bulgarian Jews from Hitler and tried to keep Bulgaria out of WWII as much as possible.