I read these letters today, and I just wanted to cry. I realize Central Florida is very much a fundamentalist area, but this was a painful reminder indeed.
These letters are from two 11th grade students at Landmark Christian School in Haines City, Florida.
President Barack ObamaFrom the first one:
Lately I've been hearing people talk bad about anyone who speaks out against Barack Obama. They are being called racist, ignorant, or not "open minded." I just want to say off the top that I am not racist, or ignorant, and I have a very open mind toward things, and, contrary to most beliefs, a majority of right-wing conservatives are not ignorant racists. On the other hand, I do see the fact that Barack Obama's policies are going against many of the rights that our nation was founded on. He wants to take money from people who worked hard all their life and give it to people who did not work as hard, or did not work at all for it. This spreading around of the wealth is not only not fair for the working people, it is also a characteristic of socialism (the first step into communism). I am not going to go on a rant, talking bad about our President, but I do want to say that I do not agree with his policies, I do not judge by name or color, I judge by words and actions. If you cannot see past the charisma, speech quality, and promises of wealth, and see the fact that he basically stands strong for socialism, then I am not the ignorant one, you are.
To that person, I say...are you one of the approximately
42,000 students going to private religious school on my taxpayer money? Gee, I would hope not.
From the second letter:
"… We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation …" These words came out of the mouth of our own President, Barack Obama. Either he has forgotten our history or he has chosen to ignore it, because America was founded on Christian principles. The pilgrims came over to America from England to seek religious freedom. The Constitution and other foundational documents were written to protect our religious rights. "In God we trust" is written on all of our coins for a reason. Without God, America would not be such a prosperous nation. In Psalm 9:17, the Bible says, "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." America is quickly forgetting God, especially if its leader, who was elected by the people, claims we are not a Christian nation. We need to turn back to God before he turns his back on us.
I guess Florida Democrats have decided they are fighting a losing battle against the religious right here. I know of several Democrats who are supportive of these views now, especially in our neck of the woods.
The Gradebook Blog at TBO.com has more on this moving to the right by our state on this issue.
Blurring political lines in the voucher wars.John Kirtley, arguably Florida's leading voucher supporter (probably a tie between him and Jeb Bush), is now a member of the board of directors of the Hillsborough Education Foundation, which raises money for public schools.
Kirtley's new gig further blurs the political lines in the voucher wars. Democratic lawmakers in Florida continue to migrate to the pro-voucher position. And just last month, Step Up for Students - the voucher group Kirtley chairs - announced a partnership with the Hillsborough teachers union to help train private school teachers.
I really very much like a comment from the comments section of that blog:
Splintering segments of the community in private religious schools, minority focused schools and magnet schools is not advancing our society.
Children are not learning a broad curriculum together, they are instead being isolated from one another and focusing on ego-centric curriculum that is self serving rather than focused on the common good.
It's a mistake to cater to a population that does not want to look beyond themselves to become part of something bigger and in all likelihood better than what they can create on their own.
Amen.
And I really do hope those two letter writers are not going to
private religious school on my
taxpayer money.
More than two years ago, the state stopped giving tuition vouchers to students who wanted to leave failing public schools for private school. Since then, Florida's other two programs that pay private-school tuition for disabled kids or poor children have grown by 21 percent and 65 percent respectively. Today, 42,000 Florida students attend private school on the public's dime. And a new study touting voucher benefits could trigger more expansion.
Why is the number growing? As more people learn about the programs, more sign up. Low-income families are thrilled they can afford to find a school that meets their children's needs. Why are these 2 programs still allowed?
..."A 1999 lawsuit that challenged vouchers targeted only Opportunity Scholarships, offered to students at public schools that had received two F grades in a four-year period. The Florida Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional to do that.
But no one has fought the two other programs in court. The state's teachers union, one group that sued to kill Opportunity Scholarships, isn't planning to go after those two because of the cost and time involved. Critics argue the court ruling should apply to all three programs because they are so similar. But the Supreme Court justices noted it would be improper to make that assumption.
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