Rapture Prediction Leads to Letters Column

HARBESON: The emailman delivers> SOUTHERN INDIANA — I’m a little embarrassed because I don’t have a regular column prepared this week. I thought that whole Rapture thing was going to happen over the weekend.

Oh sure, I knew I’d still be here but I also figured chaos would reign long enough that a newspaper column would not be necessary for a while. Oops!

So, I’m relying on my readers to be my personal saviors. Let’s hear what a few of them have to say.

In a column on the subject of vouchers, I pointed out that government officials were celebrating choice while the system itself was still completely controlled through compulsory funding and compulsory attendance.

Several people had a few thoughts to add.

From Tom — “‘School choice’ is one of those subjects that just bugs the (nicely descriptive term deleted) out of me. I’m always running into people who claim that vouchers or tax credits are ‘a move in the direction of freedom,’ and who can’t understand that simply giving people a putative range of choices within a bad system is a way of strengthening that bad system, not weakening it.”

From Jill — “I hope the majority of responses that you receive are about how people hadn’t thought of those aspects (compulsion and coercion — not to mention ‘reform,’ which makes me cringe) of our education system before. Hopefully, you have turned on some ‘light bulbs’ in the minds of your readers. Education is definitely a hot-button issue, and the politicians know it (as they’re always hiding behind children).”

And one more from Fred — “Although many are going ga-ga over the voucher system, I wonder how many have looked far enough ahead to see the potentially negative effects that it will have on the private/parochial sector when they have to adhere to ‘government regulations’ in order to earn government dollars?”

I wrote a column pointing out how the new coffee shop in the New Albany Public Library proves that people are willing to pay for what they use, which generated this response from Dan: “You make it sound like people have to pay to get coffee at the library. Is that true? Are they discriminating against the coffee-poor? Or are they catering to the coffee-rich? (I always get this mixed up.) Clearly ... tax dollars ... should be spent to provide coffee-equality!!!”

In the same column, I discussed the idea of moving from the current coercive funding model to one where library funds are raised through voluntary means. This led to some brainstorming from Christa: “Lots and lots of churches have libraries with no coerced funding. I imagine other community organizations would also create libraries if there were no public libraries. One of my favorite ‘libraries’ is the genealogy collection at our local historical museum which is provided by a private, not-for-profit society.

“And someone could just put books in the Redbox for 99 cents per night (or maybe per week) ... Amazon should just start something like Netflix with real paper books (not just e-books).

“... There are lots of solutions in the free market ... Actually those of us who have to buy the PLAC card are used to paying a sort of subscription to use the library. It’s really not a stretch at all to think that others would pay as well.”

Finally I received several responses from people who think they solved the puzzle of where Clarksville’s lost car engine and Charlestown’s lost receipts for the JayC gift cards ended up. This theory from Tom may be the most likely: “My guess is whomever took the engine is using it as a paperweight to hold down the receipts for 950 gift cards.”

Now that’s what I call a government solution.

— Sellersburg resident Debbie Harbeson is thankful for readers who are willing to be her personal savior by providing column content.

Free Your Family From Government Schooling

HARBESON: You can choose your child’s education

> SOUTHERN INDIANA — Now that Indiana’s government has passed the school voucher law, proponents are excited about increased choice in education.

But let’s be clear, the increased choice they’re talking about still falls inside a coercive system of funding, which means we will see all the associated problems and flaws that always come with force.

All we’ve really seemed to accomplish here is to add one more special interest group — private schools — into the mix of those who will continue to fight to gain access to the pot of government-controlled funds designated for education.

Vouchers just make those fights more complicated because now more fists will fly as they all wrestle in the mud for some of the money.

Meanwhile, individual student needs and interests are still pretty much ignored. For example, vouchers continue to promote the idea that we must choose a single institution, whether government-run or privately-run, for education. Vouchers continue to promote the idea that a curriculum controlled and manipulated by standardized testing can meet individual learning needs.

Is this kind of choice good enough for your child? If so, fine. If not, you can get your family out completely.

If you are tired of all of the constant government manipulation and control you can leave. If your child’s needs are not being met inside government-approved educational institutions of any sort you do have another choice. It is possible to free your family, to become independent and take control if you want.

How? By going independent and choosing home education.

When home educating your family, you have the freedom to focus completely and totally on your child’s individual needs, interests and learning style. There are many ways to help a child learn and by being independent you can choose from a wide array of ideas and find what works for your child.

You can benefit from having immediate flexibility to change any aspect of your child’s education if you decide a specific choice is not working.

You don’t have to worry as much about the effect politicians, school boards, administrators, teacher unions and other special interest groups will have on your child’s education from one school year to the next or from one legislative session to the next. You can let your child’s needs and interests take the lead when you go independent.

Now, you may have concerns and that’s understandable. But if you are interested in this idea, please don’t let anyone try to tell you that you can’t do it. If you want to be independent and take control, you can.

Lots and lots of families have done it already, including mine. And we are glad to help you find the way that works for your family in your individual situation.

For every obstacle you think may be standing in your way, there are others who have overcome the same obstacles. Some have wondered if they had the funds, or the education, or the time and found ways around these obstacles. So if you want to do it, you can do it.

If you are interested, now is the perfect time to investigate the idea further because your family will be taking a summer break from your current schooling option anyway.

So are you interested? Do you want to learn more about home education? Contact me and I’ll be happy to discuss how you can take charge, how you can be independent and still have access to many resources as well as plenty of support and assistance.

You can do it if you want to do it and I’m here to help you. All you need to do is ask.

Sellersburg resident Debbie Harbeson is willing to wrestle in mud if it could help even one family gain educational independence. But she’d prefer chocolate pudding.