[extropy-chat] Boycott National Geographic

[Mike Lorrey]

--- Brian Lee <brian_a_lee at hotmail.com> wrote:
> 
> It seems like the restriction is really around schools with less than
> 6  Geography Bee participants. So it does not directly prevent
> homeschoolers, 
> but makes it harder. There are homeschool associations that allow
> parents to group together to join stuff like this.

a) many states, like NH, mandate that homeschoolers have a
'professional' teacher appointed by the parents to oversee or audit the
childs progress a  few times a year. That person also helps coordinate
the childs participation in any extracurricular activities the school
district offers (which under Title IX they can't refuse to
homeschoolers), so each homeschooler has a preexisting affiliation with
a public school system in many such states.

b) it is unconstitutional for states to compell membership in a
homeschool association. Compelled association is a first amendment
violation. Many homeschoolers do not belong to a homeschool
association, and compelling their membership in one is burdensome not
to mention unjust.

c) while NG is the sponsor, every Geography Bee is a public event at a
public venue, and therefore under the case law is a public accomodation
under the 14th Amendment. Homeschoolers cannot be excluded from public
school geography bees. The NG rules you cite create not separate teams,
but entirely segregated competitions, a 'separate but equal' status
which was ruled unconstitutional in the 1950's. Shall we start
excluding asian kids because they do well also? How about separate
competitions for black kids so their self esteem isn't damaged?

d) the separate competitions force homeschool parents to drive much
more so their kids can compete, therefore creating barriers to entry
and discouraging homeschoolers from participating.

d) the NEA has put the NG under pressure because the NEA feels
threatened by the fact that 'amateur' educators are producing better
product than the 'professionals'. They have made the NG create a
separate 'special olympics' for homeschollers so that public school
parents are not exposed to homeschoolers and their parents, where they
might learn how easy it is to homeschool and the benefits of
homeschooling to the childs academic acheivement.

Mike Lorrey
Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
                                      -William Pitt (1759-1806) 
Blog: http://intlib.blogspot.com


		
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