The Statue of Liberty says “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” It doesn’t say anything about homeschoolers.
You might remember that German family, the Romeikes, that fled their home country because they weren’t allowed to homeschool their children and were threatened with losing custody of their children. You might also recall that they applied for asylum in America.
But the U.S. Justice department led by Attorney General Holder decided that the right to educate your children as you see fit wasn’t important enough and they rejected the family’s bid. So they took their case to court.
But today, a U.S. appeals court incredibly and horribly sided with the U.S. Justice Department and denied the family asylum. If this decision stands, they will be returned to Germany where they risk having their children being taken from them if they continue refusing to send their children to the German public schools.
Think about that. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals decided that the freedom to educate one’s children as one sees fit is not a fundamental right – at least not enough for asylum seekers.
The Home School Legal Defense Association, which represented the Romeikes in the case, said it will appeal the decision.
“We believe the Sixth Circuit is wrong, and we will appeal their decision,” Michael Farris, HSLDA founder and chairman, was quoted as saying in The Christian Post. “America has room for this family, and we will do everything we can to help them.”
This is a disturbing decision. It’s odd that in the same time we’re refusing to secure our southern border and we’re seeking to legalize millions, we’re not allowing families that are seeking the freedom to educate their children.
You can read more about this by clicking here.
May 15, 2013 at 4:37 am
perhaps try Canada
May 15, 2013 at 7:26 am
If they allow them in for this, then they open the door to making education a specific given right of the American people, which we do not currently do, really. That then opens the door to discussing how/why we fund schools the way we do, etc. Just an idea…but I can't imagine it isn't part of it.
May 15, 2013 at 12:19 pm
The solution is to fund all schools with taxpayers' money – public, religious, non-religious, whatever. If the schools meet the secular standards demanded by the state, with regard to the teaching of secular subjects, there is no good reason why these schools should be deprived of financial support by the state.
America has a lot to learn from the UK in this matter – like Germany.
May 15, 2013 at 12:29 pm
I didn't know immigrants had to even have a reason to enter the process of naturalization. I thought anyone could apply. Is this some special circumstance? How is asylum defined?
May 15, 2013 at 12:40 pm
I do not agree with the court's decision BUT will the family actually be returned to Germany? Or will they have the decision to go to another country? Just wondering.
May 15, 2013 at 1:13 pm
Send the Romeikes to Britain, not Germany.
We have a civilised school system that allows all parents to educate their children as they see fit.
May 15, 2013 at 1:50 pm
GSmith, You are dead wrong that increasing government subsidy of all schools is the answer. In Canada the Catholic schools are forced to allow people who advocate positions against the teachings of the church in their schools BECAUSE THEY ARE GOVERNMENT FUNDED! Freedom to educate children as one sees fit is a First Amendment right; Freedom of religion/belief, freedom of thought/word. This ruling is the result of the Obama Justice Department actively working to overturn another judge's ruling. Obama's administration has been undermining the First Amendment since he came into office. Only now is the lap-dog media fighting back, because they have been spied upon via the Associated Press phone taps. More government intrusion on the education of children is the last thing we need.
May 15, 2013 at 2:53 pm
Hey now, don't go and notice reality, and whatever you do, don't draw logical conclusions. That would lead to becoming all loony and stuff. You might start to sound like Ron Paul.
May 15, 2013 at 3:39 pm
Yes, Suzanne, I should have mentioned that a basket case like Canada must be omitted from any consideration of those nations with sensible, civilised systems of education.
That is why the Romeikes probably don't want to be expelled from the US and forced to go to Canada.
State funding for all educational establishments is not 'intruding' by the state but simply provision by the state with its future citizens' welfare in mind. The state is safeguarding its own future by paying for the education of all its children, whatever their philosophy of life. This is the only sensible solution to problems such as the case of the Romeikes.
May 15, 2013 at 3:51 pm
Every mother and father has the natural, inalienable right and duty to care for and educate their children according to their objectively-rational values. The state in Germany is illegally and against human rights and the Natural Law forcibly substituting itself, it's agencies, for the parents, in respect of their children. This is an egregious attack, backed up by brute physical force, on the most fundamental rights of both the children and their parents. It is tyranny in its most extreme, inhumane form. Please support such families against such persecution (which is becoming more widespread) and write to the Ambassador for Germany to protest. Tyrannical Government claims your children as its property to do with them as it wishes. It is the children who suffer most, and are most harmed by taking them from their loving parents and forcibly indoctrinating them.
May 15, 2013 at 4:08 pm
I have no real problem contributing to the funding of public schools (although I wish they were better run…and before anyone asks, yes, I vote in school board elections).
I will have a huge problem if ever the government tells me that I *must* send my children to public schools.
The schools are there for my convenience. Like public transportation, public libraries, and other publicly-supported programs, I will choose if and when I want to make use of those programs.
May 15, 2013 at 4:53 pm
GSmith, You really need a little logic lesson. If I pay for something I own it. If you pay for something, you own it. If the government takes our money and pays for something, they own it.
Matthew A.S., as far as I can tell, public schools are paid for by us for those who won't pay for it themselves. While it is better than nothing for many children, it is just barely that. I can tell you that the public schools I have taught in are little more than warehouses for kids to keep them out of trouble. They don't really do a very good job at that, as evidenced by the daily police presence in most middle and high schools across the country. These children learn to 'socialize' with each other, but not much more. This is what happens when the government applies a one-size-fits-all standard to education. I think we would be better off allowing voters to choose where their education dollars will be spent. If they want to contribute to the public school warehouse system, they can contribute as they would to a presidential campaign on their IRS form. As Lynda said, it is every parent's responsibility to educate his/her own child.
May 15, 2013 at 5:18 pm
Sorry, Suzanne Carl, you just don't get it.
He who pays the piper, calls the tune.
The money acquired by the government is paid by the taxpayers. The taxpayers call the tune to which the government must dance, otherwise there is a change of government at the next election.
"I think we would be better off allowing voters to choose where their education dollars will be spent." Your words, not mine!
In short, according to you, Catholic parents should have the right to send their children to Catholic schools, funded by the taxpayers who are also funding other people's schools, all in the interests of the state which is providing for its future.
As a Catholic taxpayer, my taxes serve to provide an education for my non-Catholic fellow-citizens. Likewise, their taxes should serve to provide an education for the children of Catholic citizens, who are also taxpayers.
May 15, 2013 at 8:30 pm
Sorry, I mentioned the White House petition for the Romeike family on the wrong post. Please sign it and tell people about it. Thanks.
May 15, 2013 at 8:53 pm
If this family is willing to change their names, they could come to Utah and live quietly, alongside all the polygamists who also live under the radar. It's not that difficult to do, so long as one has a way of earning a living that is readily transportable — e.g. if you're an aerospace engineer, probably not, but if you're a plumber, then no problem.
May 15, 2013 at 9:54 pm
GSmith, I wouldn't turn the money over to the government in the first place. We should do away with the government indoctrination centers all together. Why do you advocate for a government middle man that has proven to be so untrustworthy? They spend twice as much per student as private schools, and 4 times as much as most home schoolers. The schools are a tax boondoggle that must come to an end.
May 16, 2013 at 3:10 pm
Ann Barnhardt declared a tax strike some time ago. The IRS cleared her bank account, took her home. She has a website. Of course, if a significant percentage of the public went on strike, the IRS could not then pIck them off, one by one.
May 16, 2013 at 3:35 am
I'm wondering if anyone is noticing that the Catholic bishops are no friends of homeschooling. It's like pulling teeth to have them participate in the life of the Catholic home school community. It's often even harder to jump through their arcane bureaucratic hoops to get home schoolers the sacraments. Down here in TX, they want us in their awful schools for big bucks. So, we have enemies in both Church and state these days, despite the fact that tons of vocations come from our families and we are, in the main, model citizens.
Just as bishops have been in league with government to take away our medical freedom through Obamacare, I predict they'll be lock-step with the state to take away the freedom to educate our own children. Their short-sighted tyranny is sadly predictable. They'll cry later, of course, when their own freedoms are at stake. They always do.
May 16, 2013 at 10:12 am
Tragically, most of the Bishops are part of the statist political elite. They fail to do their duty to the Faithful, and to souls in general. They kow-tow to the powerful who abuse their public positions to attack basic human rights and freedoms, and marriage and family, and the Church. On the other hand, they mock and sideline those who are faithful to the teaching of Christ's Church. As someone once said, in a different context: they have the buildings, we have the Faith.
May 16, 2013 at 11:59 am
Perhaps, Lynda, if someone were to publish a 'hit list' of these politically elite bishops, the faithful laity would know who to get rid of in order to restore the Church to her true faith and teaching.
Not even Michael Voris, for all his talk of militancy, puts any flesh on the bones of his anti-bishop rhetoric, by naming those bishops who must be deposed if the Church is ever to recover from her present malaise.
May 16, 2013 at 3:23 pm
The Faithful know who these Bishops are – they are probably in the majority in Western countries. However, the Faithful are in the minority in the Church, and the dissenters are in control in most dioceses. Those who are loyal to the Magisterium and comply with Church doctrine are on the margins in most dioceses. Such errant Bishops do wrong mostly by what they fail to do, rather than by what they do.
May 16, 2013 at 12:04 pm
"GSmith, I wouldn't turn the money over to the government in the first place…" – Suzanne Carl.
I'll come and visit you in jail, Suzanne!
May 16, 2013 at 1:02 pm
Professor Bitch Sue, so – do away with the "government indoctrination centers" – but keep the religious ones? What do you teach over there at that PUBLICLY FUNDED UNIVERSITY anyway? "How To Be A Dumb Fuck 101"?