Education Politics

(Crossposted at Cocking a Snook!)

Pick a frame, any frame. What is a public university all about, really? Higher Education? Bwahahahahah.
And which is really the right frame for news like this to be understood and perhaps acted upon?

Status of the case

UCF announced Wednesday that it had dismissed the complaint Cook filed against the Catholic Campus Ministry, which sponsors a weekly service in the Student Union. Cook had alleged personal abuse, hazing and alcohol-policy violations, claiming he was grabbed and that the sacramental wine offered during the service should not have been allowed. School officials didn't find enough evidence to pursue his complaint.

Furbush said the Senate will have a special hearing to consider Cook's impeachment.

Apparently this story is now so major that Tom Foley wants the Republican National Convention all the way up in Minnesota to pay for extra security muscle to protect any Catholic delegates from -- um, not sure what -- but if you're not a public university or cable news watcher and you don't read the PZ Myers' science blog Pharyngula, maybe you haven't been following this news?

Haven't heard the battle cry, "It's a Frackin' Cracker!" yet?

Okay then, here's the basic plot so far, but check out some links too; this story's got literally onion-like layers, and you may find most of them test your powers of belief:

If they systematically hit their own small, weak children, mortify their flesh when they have an independent thought or expression on their baby faces,and call that godly and good government of the private sphere, what do you think they'll use the power of real government to do to you and YOUR kids if you don't slap on a smile and fall into line?

Yesterday was National Spank Out Day 2007, which I'll say more about in a minute and you can read about it here too. But more urgently, I just learned today is National Loyalty Day and Thursday is National Prayer Day. I learned this not in the public marketplace of ideas but in a dark corner of ritualistic beliefs and practices -- from homeschool parents who pray (and urge each other to whack their kids early and often.)

I cross-posted the following at Snook this morning and I've been getting strong reactions all day. Read on down for an update at the end of the post and please do comment here or there, or both. The time has come to at least talk openly about it:

RANT WARNING!

I grew up here in Florida and know the stories, speak the native languages.

Not Spanish. I mean idiomatic dialects like Goldwater Republican. Metaphorical Methodist. Southern Democrat. Spring Break Speak. Hiassen. Government in the Sunshine. Even PublicSchool Speak.

For a while our National Tourism slogan was "Florida-- the rules are different here!"
It encouraged folks to dream of our white-sugar beaches and sunshine as the Promised Land, to plan idyllic pilgrimages here with faith they would be welcome as if to heaven, however they got here and however long they wanted to stay and live it up.

But the rules here aren't so different anymore.

Not sure when it happened, that the Trinity of God, Government and Guns took over again. I have been slow to notice, with all this gentle, loving, respectful and mannerly pretense that religious education is a private non-governmental realm of the spirit, not the State.

National Day of Prayer State Capitol Rally Thursday, May 3, 2007 Homeschoolers are invited to take part in this important day of prayer for our state and nation and participate in the children's prayer walk. If older youth would like to help stamp prayer passports, please email -- Volunteer time is from 10:30 am - Noon, report to the tent in the courtyard