ACLU: Vouchers Unconstitutional - Disabled Children Must Suffer

Posted on November 15, 2006

Re-invigurated by the Democratic victories of last week, the American Civil Liberties Union now sees the political climate as such favoring their brand of liberalism.

Let’s face it, disabled children require special needs. And some private schools are better equipped to handle the needs of the disabled than public institutions. But this is beyond the logic (or lack thereof) of the ACLU.

From the Tucson Citizen:

Voucher programs to help disabled and foster children attend private schools violate the state constitution, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona and People for the American Way contend the programs amount to state funding for private or religious schools.

The groups are asking the Arizona Supreme Court to bar the programs, but not until the 2007-2008 school year. The challengers said the delay is to avoid hurting people who relied on the programs in good faith.

A key legal issue in the case will be whether the court finds that the beneficiaries are the children or the schools, said Tim Keller, an attorney for the Institute for Justice, a group that supports school-choice programs.

Let us not lose sight of the fact that the ACLU and other liberal organizations see Public Education as the only quality education. The fact remains that it is actually their indoctrination center for their brand of liberalism.

The truth of the matter is that competition promotes quality and they are afraid that they will lose their hold on Public Education.

Any and all voucher programs are a threat to their indoctrination of YOUR children and they cannot permit it. They will use any and all legal arguments twisting and contorting the meaning of the law to suit their purpose.

Doubt me? Check out the 45 goals of the Communist Party in the US as read into the Congressional record on January 10, 1963. Pay particular attention to #17 and #18.

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7 Responses to “ACLU: Vouchers Unconstitutional - Disabled Children Must Suffer”

Jeff Molby on November 15th, 2006 9:48 am

I’m no friend of the public school system. I think change needs to be made and all options should be on the table.

But, I’m not convinced that vouchers are the right answer. On a small scale, they work perfectly, but if they ever reach a critical mass, it could easily have detrimental effects on the children of minority religions as well as those that simply want a secular education.

Any and all voucher programs are a threat to their indoctrination of YOUR children and they cannot permit it.

If the state of affairs is ever such that the only way to get a good education is to go to the schools of a certain religion (some would contend this is already the case), I would consider that to be an ever more egregious form of indoctrination.

I’d be happy to hear any suggestions that are out there.
Draven32 on November 15th, 2006 9:55 am

There are plenty of secular private schools.

Give kids vouchers. Maybe even privatize ‘public’ schools- and watch them go away when no one chooses to go to them.
Jay on November 15th, 2006 9:59 am

There are plenty of secular private and public schools. Vouchers give people choice. I thought liberals were all about giving people choice.
Draven32 on November 15th, 2006 10:10 am

Only the choices they want us to have, Jay. For instance, they want us to ‘choose’ not to be able to defend ourselves, and indoctrinate all the children in public schools that we shouldn’t be allowed to do so.
Jeff Molby on November 15th, 2006 4:51 pm

There are plenty of secular private and public schools.

Currently, yes. If, however, the vouchers are a huge success among the largest religions in this country, the amount of funds available to secular schools or those based on minority religions may not be sufficient to provide a reasonable education.

If that happened (i’m not certain it would, but it’s definitely a possibility), the only realistic way for a low-income child to get a good education would be to attend schools that espouse certain popular religions. This would certainly violate the establishment clause.

I’m not saying that there isn’t a way to make it work (and I’m also not defending the status quo), but it’s not as simple as saying “let everyone have vouchers.”
Draven32 on November 15th, 2006 6:00 pm

The amount of funds would be the same available anywhere else, in theory. If the secular schools are any good, they will keep the students. If they suck, like public schools, they won’t.

I said in theory above, because in the Los Angeles school system a vouchered child gets much less than what is given to the LAUSD for the same child- by at least a factor of two.

So, both secular and religious private schools are already making do with less money than public schools.
kerwin_brown on November 16th, 2006 4:15 pm

“If that happened (i’m not certain it would, but it’s definitely a possibility), the only realistic way for a low-income child to get a good education would be to attend schools that espouse certain popular religions. This would certainly violate the establishment clause.” Jeff Molby

I went to a small religious school and from what I know such a school would be acceptable to the voucher program. Charter schools are basically private schools paid by public money so the basic arrangement itself is not being challenged. I do not see the establishment clause being violated as religion affiliation would not be the criteria under which the government selects what schools are funded and which ones are not though parents may use that criteria. I do question the free exercise of religion as legislatures generally attach strings to funds they hand out and those strings may conflict with religious doctrine. I also object to the voucher program because it does not include home schooling.