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My 2 Cents

This Week:
Why Vouchers and School Prayer are Bad Ideas

There is a movement afoot in Congress to amend the Constitution to "allow prayer in public schools." I find this phrase amusing because it shows the arrogance of our elected and appointed officials. As if they could prevent someone from praying anywhere. What a joke.

Of course what they mean is group prayers led by students or teachers or some other school official. I have several concerns about this concept. First of all, who decides what prayer is prayed? Most Christians, it seems to me, overwhelmingly object to government at any level interfering with their church, but don't seem to have a problem with the church having some say in government. This is because everyone assumes it will be their religion that is having the influence. But consider this for a moment. What if some child's parents sue the government for equal access (to which they would be entitled) and forces your school to include Voodoo chants immediately following the group prayer? And forces your child to participate? Sound unlikely? Remember there is a vast "diversity" movement on the loose in this country where any ideas, no matter how reprehensible, are considered the equal of any "good" idea you may have.

So before you jump on the school prayer bandwagon, ask yourself: do I want my child practicing Voodoo worship at school? I know I don't.

Oh, but that can't happen here! That's what you probably thought when they "banned prayer" in the first place.

Another thing to consider is that we have a Republican congress right now who is predominately Protestant. What happens 2 years from now when the neo-pagan dirt worshipping environmental whackos take control? New Age crystal worship could become the "official" religion of congress and, by extention, your school district. If the feds have any input into what happens inside your school's doors, they can pretty much dictate anything that goes on in there. As Helen Reed Johnson once said, take the king's shilling, do the king's bidding.

Vouchers

Which brings me to my next subject. Some people who don't like paying taxes for schools they don't use are advocating a program whereby they still pay taxes, but they are directed to their own school by means of a "voucher." The feds already are telling the states what cirriculum to teach (Goals 2000). If vouchers become reality, and this amendment passes, the day is not far off when the feds will be telling you not only what you must teach your children, but what prayers you can (or must) pray. Regardless of the fact that your children don't attend public schools.

I propose that instead of vouchers, people who can prove that their child is attending some school besides a public school (ie parochial or home school) should not have to pay school taxes in the first place. This redistribution scheme reeks of Big Government. If parochial schools can excel with a percentage of the money that public schools get, then public schools need to become more efficient and competitive. Of course the first step is to throw out the unions, but that is another article.

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