115 replies to this topic

[Michael Hardner]

GOP legislators in Louisiana have realized to their horror that their bill to provide vouchers for private religious schools can actually be used by Muslims.
Rep. Valarie Hodges, a Republican who represents East Baton Rouge and Livingston, now says she wishes she hadn’t voted for the Jindal voucher bill. “I actually support funding for teaching the fundamentals of America’s Founding Fathers’ religion, which is Christianity, in public schools or private schools,” Hodges told the Livingston Parish News. "I liked the idea of giving parents the option of sending their children to a public school or a Christian school,” Hodges added. The newspaper reported that she “mistakenly assumed that ‘religious’ meant ‘Christian.’”

This representative is an utter moron with not even the basic idea of constitutional rights against discrimination. As we liberals belly laugh at the caricatures before us, the sad fact is that public institutions are being taken over by religious and private interests.

The Tea Party stands with the Taliban on the issue of religious education.

Note that the blog points this out too:

The law has already gone into effect and provides for NO STATE OVERSIGHT regarding curriculum or educational standards.

TEA PARTY NEWS TODAY

FreedomWorks Celebrates Historic Education Reform Victory in Louisiana

Governor Jindal's school choice success expected to spark a national commitment to education reform

This is the kind of "choice" that Auguste1991 has pointed to in the past, as characterizing the right wing. So be it. Muslim children in the state will have state high school diplomas sanctioned by Muslim clerics only, while "hillbilly" white kids have their school funding decimated and will be unable to pay to get a proper education.

Any thoughts on this issue as I have unearthed it here ?

[bush_cheney2004]

This representative is an utter moron with not even the basic idea of constitutional rights against discrimination. As we liberals belly laugh at the caricatures before us, the sad fact is that public institutions are being taken over by religious and private interests....


Any thoughts on this issue as I have unearthed it here ?

What a crock....better go read Canada's Constitution Act and preferences given to Catholics and Protestants in four provinces.

[Michael Hardner]

What a crock....better go read Canada's Constitution Act and preferences given to Catholics and Protestants in four provinces.

Hey, nobody is saying that discrimination is a BAD thing, but a country has to decide: are we going to DISCRIMINATE or not ? Every country gets a little confused trying to answer the question - see Dredd Scott for an example maybe...

[Michael Hardner]

And, by the way, the worst kind of discrimination is discrimination against clowns.

No one should favour clowns from their own country, but should favour clowns in other countries and southern states with their laughter EQUALLY.

[bush_cheney2004]

Hey, nobody is saying that discrimination is a BAD thing, but a country has to decide: are we going to DISCRIMINATE or not ? Every country gets a little confused trying to answer the question - see Dredd Scott for an example maybe...

Sorry, not buying it. This form of religious discrimination was instantiated in Canada's founding documents, and has been carried through several rewrites. Canada decided a long time ago.

[bush_cheney2004]

...No one should favour clowns from their own country, but should favour clowns in other countries and southern states with their laughter EQUALLY.

Works for me...Canada has it's "southern" provinces and clowns to go with it.

[Canuckistani]

Sorry, not buying it. This form of religious discrimination was instantiated in Canada's founding documents, and has been carried through several rewrites. Canada decided a long time ago.

Ontario, which does have protestant and catholic school boards just said no to Muslim schools. It's time we got rid of this bullshit. Government schools should be secular.

I believe most provinces have a vouchers system for private schools, which can be any religion. The only problem there is the province gets lax with ensuring the private school meets the same standards as the public ones. EG Bountiful. With Muslims asserting themselves more and more, I think this issue will become more prominent, and, I hope, lead to a clamping down.

Edited by Canuckistani, 07 July 2012 - 10:27 AM.

[bush_cheney2004]

Ontario, which does have protestant and catholic school boards just said no to Muslim schools. It's time we got rid of this bullshit. Government schools should be secular.

Okay...that's great, but until that happens, Canada's Constitution Act still enshrines that "bullshit".

[Canuckistani]

Okay...that's great, but until that happens, Canada's Constitution Act still enshrines that "bullshit".

It's grandfathered in for catholics and protestants. Not much problem there, as long as the province makes sure the religious based schools maintain standards. And I believe they do, since both catholic and protestant school boards are "mainstream" they're not just for those two denominations. They also have catholic and protestant social services, doesn't seem to be a problem either. If some other religious group sues because they want their own publicly funded school board, that's when it will hit the fan. As we saw in the last Ontario election, pandering to religious factions is a good way to get your ass kicked at the polls.

[bush_cheney2004]

It's grandfathered in for catholics and protestants. Not much problem there, as long as the province makes sure the religious based schools maintain standards.

Are you serious? It's OK to have preferences for Catholic and Protestant school funding because they were "grandfathered"?

And I believe they do, since both catholic and protestant school boards are "mainstream" they're not just for those two denominations. They also have catholic and protestant social services, doesn't seem to be a problem either.

Different topic...doesn't explain why such preferences aren't struck down or provided to all religions.

If some other religious group sues because they want their own publicly funded school board, that's when it will hit the fan. As we saw in the last Ontario election, pandering to religious factions is a good way to get your ass kicked at the polls.

Matters not to me...I prefer that this backward CONSTITUTIONAL preference continue in Ontario and other provinces if only to have wonderful ammunition for every thread like this one.

[Michael Hardner]

Sorry, not buying it. This form of religious discrimination was instantiated in Canada's founding documents, and has been carried through several rewrites. Canada decided a long time ago.

Right so where is the contradiction or comedy?

[Canuckistani]

Are you serious? It's OK to have preferences for Catholic and Protestant school funding because they were "grandfathered"?

My preference is not to have them, but we've got them, and there doesn't seem to be a problem. These are both mainstream boards, as I understand it. (My province doesn't have them.)

Different topic...doesn't explain why such preferences aren't struck down or provided to all religions.

Because, if as you say, it's in the constitution, it's very difficult to change. So far there hasn't been a challenge to this, so it will likely continue on for now.

Matters not to me...I prefer that this backward CONSTITUTIONAL preference continue in Ontario and other provinces if only to have wonderful ammunition for every thread like this one.

We'll if it matter to you, you should immigrate here so you get a vote. As for ammunition, ammunition for what? Who are you shooting, why, and do they even know they've been shot?

[bush_cheney2004]

My preference is not to have them, but we've got them, and there doesn't seem to be a problem. These are both mainstream boards, as I understand it. (My province doesn't have them.)

"Doesn't seem to be a problem" was great for slavery too...until it wasn't, in Canada and the USA. The history of influence and actual damage by religious organizations and schools in Canada is well documented and consistent with government complicity (e.g. Residential Schools).

Because, if as you say, it's in the constitution, it's very difficult to change. So far there hasn't been a challenge to this, so it will likely continue on for now.

Tooooooooo hard...OK. You're right of course...see Meech Lake.

We'll if it matter to you, you should immigrate here so you get a vote. As for ammunition, ammunition for what? Who are you shooting, why, and do they even know they've been shot?

It is perfect ammunition every time some smug Canadian points at the "south" for this and similar topics. They really have no defense.

Edited by bush_cheney2004, 07 July 2012 - 10:49 AM.

[Canuckistani]

"Doesn't seem to be a problem" was great for slavery too...until it wasn't, in Canada and the USA. The history of influence and actual damage by religious organizations and schools in Canada is well documented and consistent with government complicity (e.g. Residential Schools).




Tooooooooo hard...OK. You're right of course...see Meech Lake.





It is perfect ammunition every time some smug Canadian points at the "south" for this and similar topics. They really have no defense.

Defense from what? The system works fine, much better than yours. We had our little scare with religious funding (for Christians) by the conservatives in Ontario, they got their asses handed to them as a result, so it's doubtful anybody will go there again. It's not theoretically perfect, but works well in practice. Just like our abortion (lack of) laws. Remember that politics is the art of the possible. That's why you have such a dog's breakfast of new healthcare legislation. Because something sane, like our system, just wasn't possible down there.

[kraychik]

Again, I point to this thread, exhibit A, a clear evidence of the smug anti-Americanism that is endemic to the Canadian left. The reality is that America guarantees a much greater degree of individual sovereignty and protection from governmental discrimination than in Canada. Bush_cheney2004 accurately points out the hypocrisy given the discrimination that is enshrined in some of Canada's laws, although I think this is now primarily at the provincial level. There's a lot more institutionalized racism, sexism, and other unjustifiable discriminations codified into law in Canada, but we can address that later. Canada does not have the moral high ground compared to the USA when it comes to protections from religious, racial, or other unjustifiable discriminations practised by the government. So the smugness from the Canadian left here is quite rich.

Alright, so the Louisiana Republican state legislator was silly not to realise that this change to the funding mechanism of education would also fund religious Muslim schools. Somehow this translates to American "public institutions being taken over by religious and private interests"? Talk about hysteria.