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June 30, 2005
You say "inclusive," I say "but no."
Chris links to a St. Petersburg Times article on the LIFE vs. Homeschool World flap. If you don't follow homeschooling news and haven't heard about this, here's the scoop: LIFE, Inc., a homeschool support group, had an ad on Homeschool World's website. However, LIFE, Inc. describes itself as an organization that "welcomes all educators regardless of religion, race, teaching style, politics, marital status, age or sexual orientation."
Ted Pride, the webmaster, says this language is too overt for their website, and explains that "not discriminating on sexual orientation basically means discriminating against most major religions, since the two are mutually exclusive."
That's nice, isn't it? That ties everything into one nice, neat package: you can discriminate against gays, or you can discriminate against most major religions. Take your pick! Anti-gay, or anti-God?
But in all honesty, I don't care who is and who is not allowed to advertise at the website. What frightens me most is Mary Pride's attitude toward the issue altogether:
Mary Pride is president of Homeschool World, which publishes Practical Homeschooling magazine. She also is the author of Mary Pride's Complete Guide to Getting Started in Homeschooling, a leading homeschool text. She called the flap with LIFE a "nonstory.""What we're looking at here," she said, "is Christian bashing."
Oh, yes, that's exactly what it is. Bashing. Christian bashing. You poor thing.
Pride said that if she had been in communication with Willingham, she would have questioned only whether LIFE is a true homeschool support group because the statewide organization promotes homeschooling as one of several educational options. She likened LIFE's inclusive statement to a "manifesto."
Yup. First silence the argument by claiming religious persecution, and then question their legitimacy. Finish up by accusing them of having a "manifesto," by which folks usually seem to mean "an agenda to undermine the morals of the righteous."
Pride finishes off with this winner: "'Inclusive' is a good enough word without going into what they include,' she said."
So in the end, her problem was really that they spelled out what they are inclusive of? Yes, by all means, be inclusive. Just don't say that you're inclusive of them out loud, okay? That way we can all pretend that "inclusive" means excluding whomever we want to exclude.
The good news is that you can go here to find a fast-growing list of honestly inclusive homeschool support groups. When I first looked at this list three days ago, Texas wasn't there. I wasn't surprised. There's a Texas listing now, though.
Posted by lynx at June 30, 2005 8:54 AM
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» Who Knew? from Caerdroia
Steph points to a truly revealing story of pure Idiotarianism. If a homeschooling support group advertised themselves as "welcom[ing] all educators regardless of religion, race, teaching style, politics, marital status, age or sexual orientation", what... [Read More]
Tracked on July 1, 2005 5:27 PM
Comments
You have html crud visible.
Posted by: Daryl Cobranchi at July 1, 2005 10:26 AM
Whoops! Thanks.
Posted by: Stephanie at July 1, 2005 12:39 PM
Oh funny - netiquette: letting someone know when their code is showing. Chivalry is not dead! Very cool. :-)
This is just weird. You must pick? I dunno. I'm not inclusive, but my list of restrictions aren't among the norm. You can't live in our commune if you're a socialist or a certain Supreme Court Judge. Well, or if you're a jackass. Otherwise, we're pretty inclusive. But Ms. Pride probably wouldn't want to come, either. So, does that mean we've picked anti-Christian? Does that mean I'll be locked out while Zorak and the boys press their noses against the window and snicker?
And I'm waiting for you to blog about Eminent Domain. Please? I've decided not to blog politics separately. I don't have the energy to keep two homes, and it's such a part of who we are and how we live that it feels quite foolish to separate the two. Weee.
Dy
Posted by: Dy at July 1, 2005 10:35 PM
Oh, Dy ... I haven't blogged about eminent domain because I'm so sick about it that I haven't had the heart to blog about it. That's why I never blogged about McCain-Feingold either. That poor, poor Constitution ... it was such a *good* idea ... too bad there were all these people around to muck it up.
Posted by: Stephanie at July 1, 2005 11:53 PM
Thank you for the link...to bad Nevada is not on the list. I can hope!
Posted by: Mama Bear at July 2, 2005 3:57 AM
Oops, and sorry about the typo. I really do know the difference between to and too!
Posted by: Mama Bear at July 2, 2005 3:57 AM
Christian bashing? I'm just baffled. Absolutely baffled.
Posted by: Sarah at July 2, 2005 2:12 PM
Great article... thanks for the post
Posted by: Lea at July 3, 2005 6:07 AM
I have noticed lately that there is a tendency among the religious right to claim that they are being discriminated against when they are usually discrimintating...but this one took the cake. Thanks for sharing the link. I do feel that any website and/or magazine should have the right to be inclusive or exclusive in what ads it will run, even if their position angers me. I would show my dissaproval by not supporting them.
Posted by: Kim C at July 4, 2005 10:56 PM
Steph... have you been abducted? Did DHS find you? Do we need to launch a recovery mission?
I blogged eminent domain just for you. It stinks, but it's midnight and I'm tired, overly caffeinated and iron deficient. But still, it's there, with love.
Dy
Posted by: Dy at July 5, 2005 11:46 PM
Sort of like "don't ask, don't tell" for the homeschool set as far as Mary's concerned, eh?
The anti-gay vs. anti-Christian setup was tried here just last week, by the provincial government after the nationl same-sex marriage bill passed. Now the Conservatives (big and little c's) are worried about *their* rights. Harrumph.
Posted by: Becky at July 7, 2005 8:23 PM