To read the tribute to SFC Marcus Muralles, please click here
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Driving Me Nuts!
Last week, an 18-year-old kid murdered his 14-year-old girlfriend's parents, and then the two of them ran off "to get married and start a new life." They were found, and the guy confessed.
In the news, it's come out that both kids were homeschooled. I just heard a "legal expert" say that he thinks homeschooling in high school is "dangerous" because there is no socialization. "There is no contact with kids their own age."
This is wrong, and this in insane. They were both very active in their church's youth group, and they did other "outside" activities. They don't need to spend every day with "kids their own age" to be well adjusted.
One thing that has been mentioned, and then glossed over, is that Ludwig and another friend had planned on doing some sort of home invasion. Obviously, the kid was a bit of a criminal wannabe going into this. It wasn't because he was homeschooled. It was because he's a bit off. (One could make the argument that he didn't go off earlier because of the calming influence of homeschooling... if one wanted to, that is.)
Let's look at some of the other stories that have been in the news about teenagers going off and shooting things up, shall we?
Too many people have a knee-jerk reaction when they hear about homeschooling. "The parents are paranoid." "Religious nuts." "It's a cult!" (Don't laugh- I've heard that one.) Yes, there are some whacky, paranoid people who homeschool their kids, but the vast majority of people who choose to teach their kids at home (and those kids) are perfectly normal, average people.
Don't blame homeschooling for these people's deaths. Look at the parents (but don't start on the guns thing- they have a Constitutional right to own those guns). Look at the young man who committed the crime. Look at his friends. That's where you need to look.
In the news, it's come out that both kids were homeschooled. I just heard a "legal expert" say that he thinks homeschooling in high school is "dangerous" because there is no socialization. "There is no contact with kids their own age."
This is wrong, and this in insane. They were both very active in their church's youth group, and they did other "outside" activities. They don't need to spend every day with "kids their own age" to be well adjusted.
One thing that has been mentioned, and then glossed over, is that Ludwig and another friend had planned on doing some sort of home invasion. Obviously, the kid was a bit of a criminal wannabe going into this. It wasn't because he was homeschooled. It was because he's a bit off. (One could make the argument that he didn't go off earlier because of the calming influence of homeschooling... if one wanted to, that is.)
Let's look at some of the other stories that have been in the news about teenagers going off and shooting things up, shall we?
- Columbine- public high school
- Michigan grade school kid shoots and kills classmate- public school
- Georgia teen shoots up high school- public high school
- Oregon youth murders parents and classmates- public high school
- Missippi youth shoots classmates- public high school
- Jonesboro, Arkansas- public school
Too many people have a knee-jerk reaction when they hear about homeschooling. "The parents are paranoid." "Religious nuts." "It's a cult!" (Don't laugh- I've heard that one.) Yes, there are some whacky, paranoid people who homeschool their kids, but the vast majority of people who choose to teach their kids at home (and those kids) are perfectly normal, average people.
Don't blame homeschooling for these people's deaths. Look at the parents (but don't start on the guns thing- they have a Constitutional right to own those guns). Look at the young man who committed the crime. Look at his friends. That's where you need to look.
