I was stunned when a friend told me that the Home School Legal Defense Association has endorsed a presidential candidate. HSLDA has made some serious mistakes in the past. They purport to support homeschoolers, and yet they have no qualms about alienating huge batches of homeschoolers.
Homeschoolers must work together to protect their freedoms. No matter how strongly I support issues such as pro-life laws, simplifying the tax code, gun rights, or marriage, I do recognize that there are homeschoolers who disagree with me. If homeschoolers are willing to divide ourselves over social issues, we will begin to sell each other out (as HSLDA has been willing to do in the past).
I agree that a moderate Republican will probably not beat a Democrat. I'm not too terribly fond of the Republican Party, and my friend Scott loves to encourage us to learn more about the Constitution Party (which is for smaller government, even if it is too overtly Christian). HSLDA's claim that we need a true conservative on the Republican ticket is a valid claim. But there are other options beside the guy HSLDA is endorsing, who happens to be a governor who requires annual re-registration of homeschoolers with the government. Pr Eckardt suggests Fred Thompson as a Reaganesque candidate. I don't want to support any candidates at this point: right now it's necessary for my mental health to be rather ignorant of the campaigning.
But I do know one thing about the campaign. Any organization that wants to protect homeschooling freedoms ought not be endorsing candidates. A good way to defeat an enemy is to divide and conquer. Homeschoolers are willing to be our own worst enemies, dividing ourselves from within.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I agree. Somewhat akin to a pastor endorsing someone in Bible Class. There are all sorts of voters in a congregation and a pastor must serve them all....not alienate some of them!
ReplyDeleteYes. And there are ways to speak God's Word relative to the issues in the campaign, and even mention candidates' names, yet without endorsing someone and/or alienating members.
ReplyDeleteIf the goal of the HSLDA is to unify homeschoolers and defend homeschooling freedoms they should also not endorse any particular religious/theological position. I have had the experience several times over the past 19 years of homeschooling of trying to have association with other homeschooling families of varying beliefs--which would have worked fine if not for the attempted 'unifying' of the group--not on the basis of homeschooling, but on the basis of a statement of faith. I see the same problems with the HSLDA. There is an underlying theological agenda that I cannot get on board with.
ReplyDeleteOh, dear, I'm very sorry to hear they have done that. I've been a member of HSLDA for nearly 20 years now, and they helped us a lot when our special needs son was born in 1993. That said, they've done a few things I was not happy with, and you can add this to the list. I really don't think they have any business making a presidential endorsement.
ReplyDeleteMaybe at this stage HSLDA PAC could have listed a handful of candidates who had done some good things for homeschooling families. Perhaps Huckabee could have been in that list. Others, such as Ron Paul, would have been in the list, too.
ReplyDelete