The Conversation’s John Hayward already hit on the left-wing Politico’s use of “Creationism” as a straw man to lobby in favor of Democrats and powerful teacher unions and against the rights of underprivileged children to get a shot at decent education. As did David Harsanyi at The Federalist. What I found fascinating was Politico’s selective use of what is and is not a “taxpayer dollar.”
The left-wing outlet breathlessly titled its investigative piece against school choice: Special report: Taxpayers Fund Creationism In the Classroom. Which can only mean that Politico apparently believes that government money (in the form of a voucher) given to someone represents “taxpayer dollars” and that whatever is purchased with those dollars is something taxpayers are funding and is therefore the business of Politico.
Fair enough.
But why is Politico only concerned over how parents of underprivileged children spend their “taxpayer dollars?” Why is Politico singling out poor and predominantly minority parents for “Special Reports” on this subject?
Where are the Politico “Special Reports” on all “taxpayer dollars” spent in this way? After all, the government directly hands all kinds of people money, not just struggling parents desperate to get their child out of a failing public school.
Should Politico and taxpayers be concerned when a welfare recipient gives a portion of their welfare money directly to a church that teaches Creationism?
What about school teachers, who the government hands “taxpayer dollars” to in the form of a paycheck; shall we wring our hands when public school teachers use “taxpayer money” to pay the tuition for their child to attend a school that teaches Creationism?
What about all bureaucrats; firemen, policemen…. Should Politico “Special Report” the fact that millions of civil servants could and might use “taxpayer dollars” in the form of a paycheck to pay for tuition at a school that teaches Creationism?
Maybe it should be illegal for welfare recipients to even put even one “taxpayer dollar” in the Sunday collection plate of any church that teaches Creationism.
Maybe civil servants should be told they cannot put a single “taxpayer dollar” of their paycheck in that same collection plate.
Maybe teaching Creationism should be outlawed.
Maybe believing in Creationism should be outlawed.
How else can we stop “taxpayer dollars” from funding the scourge of Creationism?
Or is this really about something else?
Does Politico have another agenda?
I think it does.
It is this simple: Democrats and left-wing outlets like Politico have spent the better part of a decade turning the word “Creationism” into a divisive buzzword. On top of that, leftists like those that run Politico, despise school choice for the very simple reason that public schools are part of a massive taxpayer money machine that keeps Democrats in power.
It works like this: Tens of billions of taxpayer dollars go to public schools every year, and skimmed off the top of that pile of gold, in the form of union dues, are millions of dollars that go directly to Democrat campaigns — local and national — through teachers unions.
Therefore, school choice is an existential threat to Democrats. The fewer dollars that go to public schools, the fewer dollars that go to fund Democrat campaigns and the armies of union officials who work for those campaigns.
Obviously, to Democrats and Politico, the kids are expendable in this equation.
To decent people, however, the choice is simple:
1. Do we further destroy underprivileged children by forcing them into the meat-grinder of failing public schools because this system benefits Democrats? Or…
2. Do we give parents their God-given right to choose how their child will be educated with a ticket out of a failing public school and into one that might save that child?
When this is the choice, the Politicos of our country are always happy to use a bogeymen like “Creationism” to side with The Powerful and against The Children.
Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC
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