The Downey Patriot

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Letter to the Editor: School vouchers are long overdue

Dear Editor:

Did you know Alan Turing, “The Father of Artificial Intelligence” who cracked Nazi secret codes, was gay? He died shortly after he was told he was a criminal for being gay. How about Sally Ride being the first lesbian American astronaut? I bet you didn’t know that Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay Americans to hold an important office, was shot and killed in 1978 by someone who disagreed with his beliefs in equal rights for gay people.

Well, guess what? If you have a child in second grade (seven years-old), this is what they are being taught in a nearby public school district.

Just as disturbing, kindergartners are learning about slaves, and first graders are being taught that white people mistreated black people. Call me old-fashioned, but I sure would like to know why it is a teacher’s responsibility to inform five, six and seven-year-old children about racial prejudice, gender equality and identity politics. What happened to age-appropriate content?

I certainly understand that the world will be a better place if children (and adults) are taught to be good, understanding and compassionate citizens toward all people. However, at what age are we to subject them to the cold, hard truth of life? Who gets to decide when children learn about sex, let alone sexual orientation? If public schools have deemed it necessary to teach their version of morality and ethics, why not bring back God and prayer in school? Who chooses the curriculum? Do you trust their judgement? Should you?

These are all questions I ask that will hopefully encourage those who have never thought about the importance of school vouchers or school choice to ask for yourselves. At the very least, it may be worth becoming more involved in your child’s school, especially in regard to what ideology they are being taught.

In my opinion, it is time that parents (not the academic elite, teachers’ unions, and political junkies) have a greater role in deciding who should indoctrinate our kids.

One place you may want to start looking is californiaschoolchoice.org. I just stumbled across their website while researching a solution to the social engineering problem being thrust upon us and our impressionable children. Is this serendipity? You decide. All I know is school vouchers are long overdue.

Jeanine Yotsov
Downey