||||| From: "ewsnead" Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology Subject: School Vouchers: Implications? Lines: 88 X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Message-ID: Date: Fri, 28 Jun 2002 19:56:34 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 67.201.178.11 X-Complaints-To: abuse@verizon.net X-Trace: nwrddc04.gnilink.net 1025294194 67.201.178.11 (Fri, 28 Jun 2002 15:56:34 EDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 28 Jun 2002 15:56:34 EDT Path: news2.lightlink.com!news.lightlink.com!news-out.visi.com!hermes.visi.com!newsfeed.wirehub.nl!news-out.nuthinbutnews.com!propagator-sterling!news-in.nuthinbutnews.com!cyclone1.gnilink.net!spamfinder.gnilink.net!nwrddc04.gnilink.net.POSTED!680d4bf7!not-for-mail Xref: news2.lightlink.com alt.religion.scientology:1529920 I wonder whether the Scientology legal department is smacking its lips at the prospect of vouchers for religious education funded by public monies (re the recent Supreme Court ruling). Taken from the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60474-2002Jun28.html "The Supreme Court declared today, in one of its most important rulings on education in years, that it can be constitutional for public money to underwrite tuition at religious schools," the New York Times says. "The justices voted, 5 to 4, to uphold Cleveland's school-voucher program and, by extension, similar programs across the country. Such programs are valid as long as parents can choose among a range of secular and religious schools, the majority said . . . "President Bush and many political conservatives support vouchers, and today's ruling was a resounding victory for them. The ruling 'clears the way for other innovative school choice programs,' Mr. Bush said in a statement issued by the White House. . . . "But Justice John Paul Stevens called today's ruling . . . 'profoundly misguided.' He wrote, 'Whenever we remove a brick from the wall that was designed to separate religion and government, we increase the risk of religious strife and weaken the foundation of our democracy.'" The Los Angeles Times cautions that vouchers -- worth up to $2,250 a year in Cleveland -- have a long way to go: "Many Americans need to be persuaded that vouchers are the answer to their complaints about public education. And public school teachers, through their unions, will be a powerful voice arguing against replicating the Cleveland experiment that was upheld by the court, experts say. Stanford University political scientist Terry M. Moe, the author of a book about Americans' attitudes toward schools and vouchers, said voters know little about the issue so they are susceptible to arguments from teacher unions that making vouchers widely available would harm the public schools." Hallelujah, says the Wall Street Journal editorial page: "The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday struck the greatest blow for equal public education since Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. In the process it also stripped away the last Constitutional and moral figleaf from those who want to keep minority kids trapped in failing public schools . . . "This should sweep away for good the objection that school choice violates the separation of church and state. That fog of illegitimacy has been thrown up to stop voucher plans everywhere. But as Justice Sandra Day O'Connor pointed out in her concurring opinion, state money flows to religious institutions throughout our society." But Slate's Dahlia Lithwick suggests the Supremes are pulling a fast one: "The hysteria over yesterday's 9th Circuit decision to ashcan the Pledge of Allegiance quieted today when the Supreme Court handed down its decision in Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, proclaiming that there's still a place for God, sectarianism, and religious chauvinism in this country. The high court upheld the constitutionality of Cleveland's voucher program -- a program that will pour many millions of taxpayer dollars into religious education -- because it truly believes that to do otherwise would show antipathy to religion. And God knows, the Constitution didn't intend for that to happen. "Under the guise of promoting 'free choice' and state aid 'neutrally given,' the Supreme Court approved a voucher scheme for a school district in which religious schools hold a virtual monopoly. The justices spend much of this opinion disputing whether this is a real monopoly: Is the monopoly intentional? Are there meaningful 'barriers to entry' for secular schools seeking to join the program? But these discussions are beside the point. Because the practical effect of this decision is that the so-called wall between church and state has been demolished in Cleveland and will soon be demolished around the country. . . . "In practice, somewhere around 82 percent of the participating schools have a religious affiliation, and an astounding 96.6 percent of the kids in the program chose to opt into religious (principally Catholic) schools." Hmmm. Interesting numbers. -- _________________________________________________________ El Ron Hubbard at cause over MEST: "Mary Sue, where's my GODDAMN rum 'n coke!!?"