Indoctrination
And with the full weight of the federal government pushing mandatory random suspicion-less drug testing in schools as being nothing more intrusive than a health inoculation, it’s almost surprising that anyone is willing to step up and discuss the real facts about student drug testing.
So it’s heartening that, despite the losses, there are school districts all over the country who are standing up to the drug czar, that are listening to SSDP and DPA and NORML representatives at drug testing summits, and that there are newspapers willing to editorialize (even if not perfectly) against a massive testing regime.
Good. This kinda got me to thinking about my kids. They’re gonna have it rough, I think, growing up in a world where, increasingly, schools are becoming authoritarian and they’ll have a father not afraid to tell a school administration when it crosses the line. No, you’re not drug-testing them. No, they’re not wearing a uniform. No, you will not arbitrarily search their personal belongings without good reason. Etc. I wonder at what age I should have the little l libertarian conversation with them. And explain to them that, no, daddy isn’t just a contrary prick. He just doesn’t like to see public officials cross the line and has no problem telling them when to knock it off. I wouldn’t be trying to convert them as much as letting them know where I came from.
Conversely, I wouldn’t want my kids to take my views so much to heart that they generally become oppositional to authority just for the sake of being oppositional.
May 21st, 2007 at 10:15 am
If I ever have children (the jury’s still out on whether I want them or would be able to keep up with them), I’ve already decided that I’m going to home-school them. You hear about awkward kids growing up with no social interaction, etc, etc, etc, but there are so many great programs to get kids visiting that have nothing to do with school that I would have no problem keeping my kids out of the BS circus that is the public school system in Memphis…or anywhere else, for that matter. I’ll encourage them to pursue whatever beliefs and outside knowledge that they want (within reason)…if I don’t feel right forcing a belief on my own children, there’s no way I’m going to let anyone else do it for me.
May 21st, 2007 at 10:53 am
…they generally become oppositional to authority just for the sake of being oppositional.
I hate to break the news to you, Unc, but that’s gonna happen anyway when they hit their teens.
May 21st, 2007 at 10:58 am
You’re not seriously considering sending your children to public schools, are you?
May 21st, 2007 at 3:24 pm
You just wrote yourself out of public schools. That’s a GOOD deal for the kids!