Enlightened Europe?
The Washington Times has a story this morning about a German family who had to leave their home and come to the United States in order to be able to make choices for their own children;
Mr. Romeike, wife Hannelore, and their children live in a modest duplex about 40 miles northeast of Knoxville while they seek political asylum. They say they were persecuted for their evangelical Christian beliefs and home schooling their children in Germany, where school attendance is compulsory.
When the Romeikes wouldn’t comply with repeated orders to send the children to school, police came to their home one October morning in 2006 and took the children, crying and upset, to school.
“We tried not to open the door, but [police] kept ringing the doorbell for 15 or 20 minutes,” Mr. Romeike said. “They called us by phone and spoke on the answering machine and said they would knock open the door if we didn’t open it. So I opened it.”
Mr. Romeike, like many conservative parents in the U.S., said he wanted to teach his own children because his children’s German school textbooks contained language and ideas that conflicted with his family’s values.
I hope the same scenario never plays out for Mr Romeike in this country – but the odds it will are getting worse. Before I get labeled a bible-thumper, I’m defending the choice aspect of the discussion not the religious aspect. Responsible parents have the right to educate their children the way they see fit without government intervention.
We’ve too long been slaves to the educator unions and the “inflation” of diplomas so that we can employ more teachers who can pay more dues to support teacher unions so that high school diplomas and four-year college degrees are virtually meaningless.
Schools have become re-education day camps and the only thing missing is compulsory attendance. But since we have an administration and a Congress that worship at the feet of Europe how long before the police beat down doors to drag home-schooled children to theor daily dose of liberal tripe?
Category: Politics
I was stationed in Germany for 3 years back in the mid to late 70’s. Although it’s a Democratic nation, socialism has a large footprint. This whole situation with the Romeike family reeks of the socialist “we know what’s best for you” mentality.
For sure, that mentality has been incrementally foisted upon us here in the US and could be advanced in leaps and bounds by the Obama Administration. Obama worked side-by-side with terrorist and communist, Billy Ayers on the board of the Annenberg Challenge in Chicago, implementing Ayers’ radical educational initiatives.
We europeans owe our freedom to the blood of the American Heroes(and the sorrow of the families at home)
who saved our grandparents from nazi´s, and later via Nato, secured our freedom from stalinist warsaw pact.
And nowadays are fighting “the man made disaster”
Now its happing again, and i bet, this time nobody is gonna save our sorry asses.
I just wanted to thank all the great people(and families) of the US armed forces, for my freedom today, while i can!
THANK YOU! to your great country i owe my life and freedom!
From oversea, with respect and gratitude.
Mads from Denmark.
“Responsible parents have the right to educate their children the way they see fit without government intervention. ”
I agree, and would go further, in suggesting that the government has a mandate to PROTECT parental rights.
There is more about the home education situation in Germany at Educating Germany.