The recent revelations about horrific abuse of 13 children
and young adults in California have prompted a spate of commentary suggesting
that all homeschoolers effectively be treated as suspected child abusers. It's another example of why horror stories
make horrible law.
From NCCPR's column in Youth Today:
The real reason cracking down on home-schoolers has such
appeal, particularly for some of my fellow liberals, is because, well, “we” all
know what “they” are like. Although all sorts of people choose home-schooling
for all sorts of reasons, “home-schooler” immediately conjures up an image of
right-wing fundamentalists.
So try this. Whenever you read a proposal for compulsory
inspections of the children of home-schoolers, try substituting the word
“terrorism” for child abuse and “Muslim” for “home-schooler.” Then see if the
idea is still so appealing.
