Dear benighted parents, you must understand that we operate under a “higher obligation”.
There is a magnificently orotund opinion article by one Professor Sarah J. Reynolds in the Indystar* (the newspaper formerly known as the Indianapolis Star):
“Parents’ rights debate missing key piece: Kids’ right to learn to be free thinkers.”
“Parents’ rights” have been widely discussed in local, state and national debates around education in recent years. Here in Indiana, Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office has released a “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” which specifies that parents “have a constitutional right to direct the upbringing and education of [their] child in the manner [they] see fit.” Many of these bills and discussions, however, crucially forget that the higher obligation in education is not to the parent, but to the child themselves.
We have a collective community responsibility to ensure that children’s education is not determined by or dependent on the whims of a few, but instead is truly preparing children for a future as independent, free-thinking citizens in a world beyond their parents’ control and vision. In our communities, we need to work together to collectively ensure that children’s rights to education are what is privileged in our schools and laws.
[…]
Certainly, the parental impulse to protect and guide and nurture is an important one, and one that strongly benefits children and their education. However, we must remember that impulses can lead even the well-intentioned astray. Protection can be stifling, guidance can seep into control, and forms of nurturing that were once age-appropriate must transform and transition into different varieties of love and respect as children mature. Furthermore, we are sorrowfully aware that not every parent has their children’s best interest at heart.
In the comments to the Indystar’s tweet, a lady called Orietta Rose shares her own sorrowful awareness that “less than 40% of 4th graders [in Indiana] were testing proficient or above in reading & math in 2022. Can’t read, but they’re learning to be freethinkers, right?”
*I’ve got a lot of fond memories of that dog.
I remember a former Republican Governor of Indiana saying that conservatives should NOT fight the “Culture Wars” – this is the result of so many “conservatives” refusing to fight them.
It was Woodrow Wilson who said that the purpose of education was to make young people as “unlike their fathers as possible” – in modern language, Woodrow Wilson “said the quiet part out loud”. He was a proto totalitarian (his “New Freedom” being serfdom by another name) – as the book he openly admired “Philip Dru: Administrator” by his chief adviser, Colonel House, showed. Indeed as Woodrow Wilson’s own book “The State” showed – if only people had read the large, turgidly written, work – rather than just having it on their shelves (unread) so they could say they owned the book written by the great “intellectual” who the newspapers and magazines said they should vote for.
By “free thinking citizens” Professor Reynolds means servile creatures of statism, who obey the “Progressives” on everything, and scream “Racist!”, “Sexist!”, “Homophobe!”, “Transphobe!”, “Climate Change Denier!” at anyone who dissents (on anything).
On education the reason for the poor performance in reading and mathematics is the “Progressive” methods that Professor Reynolds supports, which Republicans have done little to roll back.
As for the “Indystar” – I believe that once M. Stanton Evens edited the newspaper, how the culture has declined.
“We are coming for your children” is now a favourite chant of the left in the United States – especially in sexual, and sexual mutilation, matters.
And many local and State governments, and the Federal Government (including the FBI and the “Justice” Department) back the agenda of the left – and will do anything, anything at all, to push it.
The left are very confident. And why should they not be? After all this is an international movement – for example an ally of theirs (an Argentinian Arch Bishop – who is very “Progressive” on sexual matters, and is said to have a long record of covering up child sexual abuse) has just been named head of what used to be called the “Holy Office” in Rome.
Yes – what was once the “Inquisition” is now going to be used against Catholics who actually believe in the doctrines of their Church – rather than to push their doctrines (there is an historical irony here – the wheel has turned 180 degrees).
People think that because Argentina is in Latin America it must be a conservative place (which shows a deep lack of knowledge of what much of Latin America is really like) – actually it is a very “Progressive” place, economically (endless inflation and so on) and socially – at least socially these days.
The international establishment has little to teach someone from Argentina – such a person already understands the Progressive economic and social (cultural) agenda. They may or may not support it (there are still some conservative Argentines) – but they certainly understands what the agenda is.
And, yes, General Peron was a leftist.
“But he was a Fascist” – yes and Fascism was a Collectivist, Modernist, Progressive movement. Collectivist “Social Justice” (the destruction of traditional justice – to each their own) was at the core of Fascism.
Parents have a responsibility to ensure that children’s education is not determined by or dependent on the whims of a few, but instead is truly preparing children for a future as independent, free-thinking citizens in a world beyond their teachers’ control and vision.
Fixed that for you.
More seriously, that the good professor couldn’t see this obvious rejoinder (or at least, couldn’t appreciate its validity) demonstrates a level of groupthink that shows she is completely incapable of participating in preparing children for a future as independent, free-thinking citizens.
Mary Contrary – correct.
Orotund is my new favourite word