Saturday, April 30, 2005

Home Schoolers and a Question

Hello folks,

Here is a update on the recent series of articles done by the Illinois Leader about home schooling. Scott Thomas a "conservative" radio commentator, wrote this article to explain his views of homeschooling.

THOMAS: Home Schooling not a good idea for most

To which readers and bloggers responded.

GUEST OPINION: Home-Schoolers Respond to Thomas Column: 13 Letters

A list of bloggers responses is located here

Mr. Thomas responded Thursday with this article. In which he labeled home schoolers as "odd".

THOMAS: Not persuaded by home-schoolers arguments

Then on Friday, Mr Thomas fellow Talk show host Kevin McCullough weighed in. Boy, what an article!

MCCULLOUGH: In Defense of "Odd" Homeschoolers

My comments: Boy, was I happy to see Mr. McCulloughs article! I think that if Mr. Thomas were to meet some homeschoolers on a informal type basis and was allowed to get to know them, he would no longer consider them odd. As a matter of fact, I bet he would like them! When we(Homeschoolers) come out and attack an article, we almost always tend to alienate the other person and place them more fully in the enemy camp. What do you think about that issue? When we meet someone with different views should we attack their views with logic? Or should we choose to let "our light shine" through our lives as it were? I tend to think there is a time for both. If you see by the persons words that they are not "hard core" I think the lighter approach is best, whereas with a hard core person you should proclaim the truth for the benefits of others who may be undecided.

What are your thoughts?

The Blogging Boy Scout,
Travis

2 comments:

Headmistress, zookeeper said...

I think that anybody who has gone so far as to write an entire article about what's wrong with homeschooling should probably be qualified as hard core, and I don't think it's likely that any approach would persuade. His mind was already made up, and therefore, no matter what anybody said, he was processing it through it his predetermined assumptions.

I also have to say that 'odd' is a rather subjective term. I think our family is odd if by that we mean very different from what is portrayed on television and what happens in most public school settings, and I like it that way.

This is American, we're supposed to like rugged individualists.=)

Kristin said...

Travis,
I would have to agree with you. The lighter approach is probably the best. Keep up the great blogging!
Kristin