Re: Theological Attack On Public Schools

[Greg Burton <gburton@sltrib.com>]

 First of all, I will apologize to Dale if he took the mention of his
military career as a negative. I certainly didn't infer that it was
negative, merely pointed out that I thought it was strange that he would
call government schools pagan while he, a government employee, won't
stomach the same label.
  I do not believe this notice ad hominem at all. I do, however, consider
his calling public schools pagan — disregarding, for now, the government
label — hypocritical if he isn't going to accept the same label for
government employees. He, like government school teachers, works within the
system.
  Let's dig slightly deeper in logic. If my referring to a military
employee as a pagan government employee is ad hominem, then it would seem
to follow that while debating the merits of public versus private schools a
person who starts by labeling public schools as "pagan government" would
also be slipping in a little ad hominem flourish to prejudice the debate.
  Furthermore, I refuse to indulge some patriotic romancing of the
military. They serve the country, I respect that. I owe them gratitude.
School teachers also serve the country, and I respect that. I owe them
gratitude — and I'm guessing that the perks (travel, pension, retirement,
college tuition) are better for soldiers than teachers. Putting your life
on the line in a submarine is a courageous thing to do. So is subjecting
yourself to a lifetime of packed classrooms, low pay, little respect and
parents and community members who second guess your every move. On top of
all this, nice guys like Dale and Dougs snicker and call you pagan behind
your back. My parents taught me better. So did my public school teachers.
So did my preacher.
  But, if it offends, I will stop referring to Dale as a pagan government
(meaning, of course, that the government is pagan, not Dale) employee.

  Final postscript. Dale has yet to address the larger national trends in
public versus private school enrollments over the last 40 years. Public,
up. Private, down. What in God's name is wrong with private schools in
America? Are they broken? If not, why are they tossing kids out windows? Is
creationism really less attractive than Darwinism?

  not insincerely, greg burton

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