Mike Farris Hits Ron Paul

[falconplayer11]

Mike Farris is among the most well-known figures in the American homeschooling movement. How are we to respond to his recent Facebook status (below)?

"Ron Paul is an enemy of the legal principles that the homeschooling movement has used successfully to defend our freedom to teach our own children. He recently said that he does not believe that the 14th Amendment trumps the 10th Amendment. He said this is an abortion context (which proves that he is not politically pro-life) but, let's examine what this means in a homechooling context.

In the 1920s, the State of Oregon banned all private education. This Oregon law was challenged as a violation of the 14th Amendment. The Supreme Court ruled that the 14th Amendment's Due Process Clause prohibited states from banning private education because this overrode parental rights in an unconstitutional fashion.

If Ron Paul's philosophy were applied to this case, then Oregon's law would have prevailed under the 10th Amendment.

The case I won before the Supreme Court of Michigan for homeschooling freedom was based on the 14th Amendment. The federal constitutional principles of religious freedom and parental rights overrode the power of Michigan to require homeschoolers to all be certified teachers.

The homeschool victory that I argued before the Court of Appeal of California when that court had previously ruled that homeschooling was illegal in that state--was based on the 14th Amendment.

I could go on.

Home schooling would be legal in about 3 states in this country today if Ron Paul's view of the Constitution was actually practiced by the Supreme Court.

So I have a quesxtion for all of the members of Homeschoolers for Ron Paul: Do you agree with Ron Paul that the states have the exclusive authority over the legality of homeschooling and the 14th Amendment provides no constitutional right to homeschool?

How can you support a candidate who denies the very constitutional principle that our movement used to win our freedom?

Supporting Ron Paul in the name of homeschooling is like supporting Barack Obama in the name of reducing the national debt."

[Badger Paul]

Do you believe the Feds should exercise power of education? Because if you believe in the 14th Amendment you surely do.

[randomname]

Such a bullshit charge. Paul is the candidate most favorable to homeschoolers. Campaign should respond & turn into a positive.

[axiomata]

Instead of building a strawman, this guy should ask Paul directly. Given his answer to states banning contraception last night, I'm quite sure he'd like his judges to protect homeschooling from state overreach.

[mosquitobite]

Um, Ron Paul was the only one on stage still campaigning on abolishing the DOE!!

[ZanZibar]

Please provide a link / source?

[torchbearer]

you can't fix stupid. not even with homeschooling apparently.

[falconplayer11]

Please provide a link / source?

It's on his Facebook, which is private. So I can't. Sorry!

[mosquitobite]

IMO, the good news is most home schoolers and their parents are critical thinkers. That's why they home school (Most, not all).

They are not going to take one man's word for it, I don't think.

[Created4]

What kind of responses is he getting on his Facebook page? What he is saying is definitely a strawman attack. This is straight from the official campaign website on homeschooling:

In many cases, homeschooling families must forgo the second income of one parent, as well as incur the costs of paying for textbooks, computers, and other school supplies.

And with combined taxes taking almost 50 percent of the average family’s income, there is little left over for low- and middle-class parents to even consider other educational opportunities.

That’s why, during his time in Congress, Ron Paul has introduced legislation to:

* Help parents better educate their children by providing parents with a $5,000 per child tax credit for tutors, books, computers, and other K-12 related educational needs.

* Ensure that the federal government treats high school diplomas earned through homeschooling the same as other high school diplomas.
PUT PARENTS BACK IN CHARGE

Congressman Paul wants parents to have the freedom to choose the best educational options for their children, and his commitment to ensuring homeschooling remains a practical alternative for American families is unmatched by any other Presidential candidate.

As President, he will veto any legislation that encroaches on homeschooling parents’ rights.

Returning control of education to parents and teachers on the local level is the centerpiece of Ron Paul’s education agenda.

My guess is that Mike Farris opposes Ron Paul for other reasons (Israel??) and is trying to turn homeschoolers against him for the wrong reasons.