We recently finished reading Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? by Richard Maybury and are now part-way through Whatever Happened to Justice? These are impressive must-read books, and there's a lot I'd like to say about them. But for the moment, just one point (which will, I'm sure, drive Scott nuts).
Benjamin Franklin is quoted on page 49: "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters."
I am in favor of smaller government and more freedoms. And yet, what about this quote? Isn't it true? Well-behaved teenagers don't need as many rules as do the kids who are controled only by lots of rules and lots of punishments. Our society is becoming increasingly corrupt. What does this mean with regard to our willingness to accept more regulation, more controls, and loss of freedoms?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
What can I say? I sure wouldn't disagree with Mr. Franklin! We are corrupt, and we have harsh masters, and it will only get worse. I'm aware of that.
ReplyDeleteI just don't know what to think. Should I be in favor of the Patriot Act? Should I be in favor of increased homeschooling regulations? Should I be in favor of all those other laws, regulating our home improvements and our seat-belt use and gun registration and who-knows-what? I think the govt is too big and that's part of the problem. And yet, if "we" can't behave decently ourselves, maybe we need harsh masters. And yet, on the other hand, when the harsh masters are at least as corrupt as the ones they're trying to control....
ReplyDeleteJust a thought--at times could it be necessary to give up some of our own freedom to serve our neighbor? For example, the public access computers at the library where I work have to have filters on them to protect patrons of all ages from walking past and getting an eyeful of disgusting porn. We attempted to run them unfiltered, assuming that it would not be a problem since they are in a very public area, but it quickly became a problem. So, to protect our patrons (especially the young), we had to filter them--thus limiting the freedom of other patrons.
ReplyDelete(I am now going to get the can opener to open a big, juicy can of worms.......) I also wonder at times about our concerns about homeschooling regulations. I know that no one wants the government taking away our freedoms to raise our children as we see fit. However, currently living in one of the least regulated states, I have seen too often abuses of these freedoms by parents. What about children who are being educationally neglected? Is the freedom to homeschool also a freedom to not school---to provide no education? And because of my fear of losing my own freedom is it right for me to look the other way as that happens? I don't have an answer--just wanted to ask the question. Its been bothering me for awhile now.
Beth
I'm just tired of MORE laws being put on the books to MAKE people OBEY the laws that were ALREADY there. Not shouting, caps used just for emphasis.
ReplyDeleteBeth, I was gone almost all day yesterday. But while we were doing errands, I had a kid take dictation on notes for a response to your question about homeschooling freedoms. So what looks like I'm ignoring you is due to errands and Bible class yesterday, and bread-making and laundry and physics and math today. Talk to you later....
ReplyDeleteWhat age of student is reading the books with you?
ReplyDeleteMarie, the "Uncle Eric Model" says the books are for highschool and up -- possibly age 12 and up, with a good teacher. Right now, I'm reading it with a 14- and a 17-yr-old. I think, with the older kids, they were all 14 or older when we read them. Katie may have been 11 or 12 for Penny Candy, and she "got it" somewhat, but I think I had her read it again on her own during her junior or senior year of high school.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what the names of the three stages of classical ed are, but these books are appropriate for people who can handle the third stage.
Ah, my eldest is finishing the first stage now. That gives me time to shop for a good bargain on the books!
ReplyDelete