March 09, 2008

March 9, 2008

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March 07, 2008

Homeschooling

The news that a court ruled homeschooling unconstitutional utterly shocked me today.

The courts decision actually included the words, “parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children.” What on earth? Forgive my outburst, but I hardly understand. How did the nation’s first children get educated? Doesn’t one suppose that most pioneer children were educated at home? (Please, let me know if that’s an incorrect assumption.) If the government insists on taking any and all responsibility for our children’s education, why don’t we let them take responsibility for some diapers and sleepless nights, too?

Ok, ok. To be fair, I understand at least a teeny-tiny bit. I’ve often said that people do not necessarily know what is best for themselves—and I think it is true. I realize, too, that there are many parents who really shouldn’t be home-schooling their children, for a variety of reasons. (Possibly including the parents originally involved in this case.) Finally, I can think of all sorts of children who I would rather not be homeschooled. Perhaps, for instance, the children of radical militants might well be better off if they were educated anywhere but at home. But that doesn’t change my opinion that I would far rather have a lesser educated society than to be force fed only the whims of the state!

Granted, the Court in this case is allegedly upholding a existing California law—a law that has been on the books for years, but not enforced. I guess I can give them credit for not legislating from the bench. But this law seems deeply misguided.

I hear echoes of Orwell. Or Huxley. Or Bradbury. Or Solzhenitsyn. Do you?

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March 06, 2008

Ithaca Weather

I feel I could have a daily blog just on Ithaca’s weather. Having lived here for just a few months, I think I’ve seen everything. Most days my blogs would be excited ones about how amazingly beautiful it is outside. At the same time I’ve wanted to write a lot of blogs about how disappointed I am in this winter weather. I thought we were supposed to be getting a lot of snow! We are in upstate New York after all. Don’t they get a lot of snow? Evidentially we are in the wrong part of the state for that.

Despite my complaint about the lack of snow, Ithaca weather is amazing. Well, it is for someone who loves all kinds of weather, especially the “bad” stuff. We’ve had drenching rains, glorious sunshine, peaceful snowfalls, high winds, gloomy clouds. Just about everything.

Today is a beautiful spring day. The rivers are melting, as well as the snow. Yesterday we had cold rain all morning. Two days before that we had a beautiful snowfall that transformed the sticks in the ground (trees) into a fairy land.

As disappointed as I am that we haven’t had many chances to go skiing or sliding because of lack of snow, I am glad we live in Ithaca. It really is amazingly beautiful!

In Christ

Rita

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