Another HSLDA Travesty: Trump's UN Speech

https://hslda.org/content/hs/international/20190925-trumps-historic-un-speech-should-help-persecuted-homeschoolers.aspx

The twists and turns of history. Public education is largely a result of the sacral state and in the United States its genesis was championed by dyed in the wool Protestants that wanted to bring about social conformity and cultural unity especially in the face of massive immigration.

These 19^th century Protestants created a monster and over the course of the 20^th century it turned on them and today public education's call for conformity and uniformity represents forces many of their Evangelical descendants reject and would distance themselves from.

Taking a dissident position they came to champion homeschooling as an alternative and while they would have decried the very notion in previous generations and certainly resisted the prerogatives of Roman Catholic parochial education, they now appeal to the Constitution... even though their 19^th century forebears believed that compulsory public education was in keeping with the very same Constitutional heritage that is so zealously touted.... and conveniently (if disingenuously) touted by means of a narrative of continuity.

When it comes to issues of history and law, Evangelicals have been known to play a little fast and loose with the facts and often resort to romanticism and mythology. That may seem unkind but I'm afraid it's a constant.

But the Evangelical dominated HSLDA seems determined to utterly shatter their integrity by lavishing praise on Trump's UN speech in which he defended homeschooling and religious liberty. These are fine things to stand for and support but they should distance themselves from Trump and decry his taking up the mantle or any association with him.

Why? Because he has no moral standing when it comes to these questions. He doesn't stand for these things. In the eyes of the world he doesn't represent religious liberty or liberty at all. He heads a government which embraces authoritarianism and tyranny, both in its domestic rhetoric and in its international relations. His administration has shown blatant disregard for the Constitution and indeed many of the basic principles of the Classical Liberalism which undergirds it.

He certainly has no regard for the protections of minority groups, which is in keeping with the universal principles supposedly outlined in the founding documents. He does not believe in equal protection under the law and thus Trump has no regard for the Constitution or its principles. He cannot with any integrity appeal to these principles let alone rebuke others for failing to do so. If anything Trump's lens through which he views the Constitution is tribal, the rights and principles are not universal but at best only apply to the cultural construct he believes comprises the 'true' or 'genuine' nation.

How then can he have any credibility as he appeals to these foundations in order to make his case? He doesn't.

Rather, what he's doing is pandering to his Evangelical base and weaponising their pet issues in order to bully and threaten both allies and enemies that aren't in full conformity or in a state of abject obeisance to his claims of sovereignty. He's establishing a narrative for antagonism toward enemies and potential enemies and a means of brow-beating non-conformist satrapies. He cares nothing about the issues beyond how they can be used as tools to further his personal interests.

The speech was ridiculous, a sham and a mockery of the very principles it purported to represent and uphold.

This is precisely why we never joined HSLDA and have never supported the organisation. At this point we're nearly done with homeschooling and to be honest I'd probably seek help from the ACLU before I'd turn to HSLDA.

They (HSLDA) are unethical and unprincipled and yet pretend to be otherwise. They represent the heresy of Christo-Americanism and Dominionism. I want no part of them or the larger Christian Right. To praise Trump's speech is a farce and I think they know it too. But once again, there's money to be made and promoting Trump earns points.