Why do they keep doing this?

Why do they keep asking Miss America contestants questions about subjects of import? Aren't they supposed to ask things like "how would you make the world a nicer place?" or "why do you love your home state?" or "your ass and a hole in the ground: compare and contrast."

Does it not occur to them that someone whose career aspirations include strutting around half-naked to be judged like a calf at a county fair might not have the most well-reasoned, most clearly thought-out opinions on current affairs?



And why would anyone be surprised when her answer to a question about Wikileaks is this word salad:

"You know when it came to that situation, it was actually based on espionage, and when it comes to the security of our nation, we have to focus on security first and then people's right to know, because it's so important that everybody who's in our borders is safe and so we can't let things like that happen, and they must be handled properly," she said.

(Chicago Tribune)

You know, maybe she might have had less trouble with a generic question.

Scanlan said the question was easier for her than a generic one, because she has routinely discussed current events with her family since she was young.

Egads! Really?

This might be a good time to point out that Ms Scanlan, who is probably a perfectly nice person, was homeschooled through 11th grade. So, yeah, another triumph, good going homeschoolers! And she has already been accepted to Patrick Henry College, which sounded impressive to me, until I googled it.

The mission of Patrick Henry College, as adopted by the Board of Trustees September 28, 2002, is "to train Christian men and women who will lead our nation and shape our culture with timeless biblical values and fidelity to the spirit of the American founding. In order to accomplish this mission, the College provides academically excellent higher education with a biblical worldview using classical liberal arts core curriculum and apprenticeship methodology." The College's vision is "to aid in the transformation of American society by training Christian students to serve God and mankind with a passion for righteousness, justice and mercy, through careers of public service and cultural influence." [1]

Uh-oh.  Sounds like Dominionism to me. Another triumph for homeschooling!

Asylum? What the Hell?

On Jan. 26, the Roemeike family of Germany was granted Asylum in the USA.

Seems strange, since Germany is a democratic, free country and is considered an ally. I guess the Roemeikes must have been some sort political dissidents, or maybe adherents to some strange cult that is banned in Germany.

Um, no.

They're home-schoolers.

Home-schoolers. Given asylum in the U.S. Asylum to avoid being persecuted for home-schooling.

This can't be right.

Well, according to TIME Magazine:

The Romeikes are not your typical asylum seekers. They did not come to the U.S. to flee war or despotism in their native land. No, these music teachers left Germany because they didn't like what their children were learning in public school - and because homeschooling is illegal there.

I guess Germany still holds to that antiquated notion that children are entitled to a decent education.

"It's our fundamental right to decide how we want to teach our children," says Uwe Romeike, an Evangelical Christian and a concert pianist. . . Romeike decided to uproot his family in 2008 after he and his wife had accrued about $10,000 in fines for homeschooling their three oldest children and police had turned up at their doorstep and escorted them to school. "My kids were crying, but nobody seemed to care," Romeike says of the incident.

So, that's fine. If you don't like the laws in your native land, you're certainly entitled to go to the nearest US Embassy and fill out an application to come here and wait your turn along with the other would-be emigres. But how do you get bumped to the front of the line with a ridiculous asylum plea?

Romeike's wife Hannelore tells TIME the family was contacted by the Virginia-based Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), which suggested they go to the U.S. and settle in Morristown, Tenn.

Wow. Some kooky group of anti-normal-society religious fanatics puts in a good word for you and you get granted asylum?

Hey, I don't like the law that says I can't smoke pot! Can I get asylum in Amsterdam?

Homeschoolers

Is there anyone who home-schools their kids who isn't a paranoid survivalist, a religious fanatic, a white supremacist, or some combination of the above? Who else would want to keep their kids from seeing or interacting with the outside world? Want to see an example of their paranoid, hate-and-fear-based reasoning? Look no further than this article by the ironically named Charlie Butts and Jody Brown:

Calif. school day would honor homosexual pioneer

The California State Senate is poised to vote on a bill making an official "homosexual day" in every public school

Ok, so right away, you know that's not true. There is not going to be "homosexual day" in any school. So to what does this refer?

It would be called "Harvey Milk Day" in honor of the openly homosexual San Francisco Board of Supervisors member who was shot and killed in 1978

Ok, so see, you were lying. Sentence One of your article was a lie. And if I've learned anything from Judge Judy, and I have, it's that if you start out by lying to me, I'm not going to be inclined to believe anything else you say.

Randy Thomasson of SaveCalifornia.com says the legislation designates just another day to indoctrinate children in the tenets of homosexuality.

Right, just like when they started observing Martin Luther King day, and everyone turned black!

Oh, any gay readers, could you maybe fill me in on what your "tenets" are? Cause I seem to be missing them. To me, you just seem like everybody else, but in better shape.

"That's why we've called California parents to get their kids out of the government schools and into the sanctuary of homeschooling or a good church-schooling instead," he shares.

Ah, there it is! Yes, let's home-school the kids. Sure, they'll come out thinking that the world is seven thousand years old, and the sun revolves around the world, but by God, our sons are going to like titties, and our daughters are not!

But wait, you say, home-schooled children are actually very well educated? What prestigious group of academics is making this assessment?

Home schoolers get 'A' from marketing exec

Marketing exec? What marketing exec?

Josephine Nicholas is the CEO of Published Daily, a firm started by her brother and run with the help of two other siblings. All four were home-schooled.

Oh, isn't that just adorable? Josie and her siblings are running their own little business that no one's ever heard of and is probably headquartered in their parents' garage! How sweet! Well, surely she's qualified to make judgements about education!

The lovely, and not at all insane-looking Josephine Nicholas





Josephine says, according to research, home schoolers typically score higher and are more ambitious than their peers.

Um, Josephine, if you're going to cite "research," it's customary to include a footnote, or endnote, or something which refers to said research, like who conducted the study, their methods, etc. No, no, it's OK! I understand. See, that's the sort of thing they teach you in real school. You had no way of knowing.

"Once they're graduating -- and many of them are actually graduating younger than their peers -- and as they graduate they're moving into society in general," she notes.

Yeah, mom getting tired of "teaching" you is not actually the same thing as "graduating." Anyone can graduate early if your fake school has no actual requirements. I could home-school Professor Junior and let him "graduate" once he learns to spell his name. But that wouldn't really count for anything.

as they graduate they're moving into society in general," she notes. "Whether it's going and getting a job and really being productive in the work force, or actually many of them are creating their own jobs and creating jobs for others by starting their own businesses."

Wow, moving into society in general! What an accomplishment! And getting jobs, and being productive in those jobs! My God! That level of acheivement is hardly ever seen from grads of actual school! Although, in their defense, graduates of real school would probably know how worhtless this type of anecdotal evidence is. So that's something.

Blessed Arrows

This outfit, Blessed Arrows, actually raises money to pay for vasectomy and Tube-tie Reversals.
Because people who can't afford to pay for surgery really should be having lots and lots of kids!

These geniuses are affiliated with the egregious "quiverfull" movement that encourages evangelical nuts to have as many kids as possible. Each kid apparently is an arrow to be fired in the culture wars, so it's important to have your quiver full of these arrows or something like that.

Here is a picture from one of these lunatics' websites:



Ah, yes! Children as weapons! God love the family values crowd!

Here's a nice quote:
We believe that God is the best birth controller,

(I can think of a few more effective methods)

Oh, and they home-school! Good way to make sure your future jihadists don't get infected with any of that science!