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What bothers me about this isn't that the State of West Virginia wants  
to teach it's kids to hunt. I have spent enough time in West virginia
that I understand that hunting is something that is pretty basic to  
the fundamentals to the people who have lived here a long time.

I would not suggest that it isn't right for the people of WV to decide  
to inculcate that tradition in their kids. They have the right to  
decide that for themselves.
In fact, to suggest they shouldn't, to me, is like the White Man  
deciding Native kids should be put in white-run schools.

No, what bothers me about this is that it, like almost everything  
else, was probably NOT arrived at in a fair, balanced, even handed  
way, given our legislative systems.

I get angry when I hear politicians talk about their viewpoints. They  
aren't supposed to have any. They are supposed to be the live body  
casting the vote that's indicative OF THE WILL OF THEIR PEOPLE.
How did that get lost?

If you want to preach localism, with enough variety and specialties to  
encourage small, independent trade again, you've got to let the Inuits  
kill their seals and the WV to kill their too populous deer
and those crazy people up their in the great White North crouching in  
the snowy dark mating fungus with milk to make fabulous cheese.

It's all good.

But included in this has to be the freedom to opt out if the will of  
the majority is not your thing. I opted Maeve out of the birth control  
chapter in her public school sex-ed course because it was abstinence,  
only. WTF?
My kid is going to have every option at her disposal to stay safe and  
healthy, not some crazy religionist's idea of what's ok for her.



The California thing, I understand, is a closer look at a law already  
on the books. It was an effort made to handle a situation where  
someone felt the children were actually in danger, so they pulled
this out of their hats to get the kids somewhere safe. The point is,  
the law was already on the books. And again, I can see both sides of  
this equation. I understand the community having a vested interest in  
seeing all
kids are being educated to a certain level. It should be left up to  
the parents to find the way to get the kids there. I just can't  
imagine this is really going to undermine the homeschool movement in  
California, of all places.
I think it's sort of a tempest in a teapot.

Cheers



On Mar 8, 2008, at 9:45 AM, Gene GeRue wrote:

> Yet more proof of the political abuse of public education:
>
> "Hunting is on the decline across the nation as participation has
> fallen over the last three decades, and states have begun trying to
> bolster this rural tradition by attracting new and younger people to
> the sport.
>
> "In West Virginia, state lawmakers gave final approval on Friday to a
> bill that allows hunting education classes in all schools where at
> least 20 students express interest. The goal is to reverse a 20
> percent drop in hunting permits purchased over the last decade, which
> has caused a loss of more than $1.5 million in state revenue over that
> period. At least six other states are considering similar
> legislation. . . ."
>
> http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/08/us/08hunting.html? 
> _r=1&hp&oref=slogin
>
> And in California:
>
> "Parents who lack teaching credentials cannot educate their children
> at home, according to a state appellate court ruling that is sending
> waves of fear through California's home schooling families. . . ."
>
> http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-homeschool6mar06,1,2557238.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
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