Letters and Replies

Regarding the Abolition of Government Schools

To the Editor:

I want to thank C. Bradley Thompson for his excellent (and disturbing) article on government “education” [“The New Abolitionism: Why Education Emancipation is the Moral Imperative of our Time,” TOS, Winter 2012–13]. Among the many disturbing facts Dr. Thompson reports, one that affected me personally concerns homeschooling in California. I have done (and continue to do) some homeschooling for local California families and was disturbed to learn that what I do was ruled illegal by some judge named Croskey. I was relieved to find by the end of the paragraph that Croskey (partially) reversed his ruling. What an abhorrent man and system! I, too, am an abolitionist.

Dan Norton

Irvine, California

To the Editor:

I agree completely with C. Bradley Thompson’s conclusion that government schooling needs to end, and that reform is not possible because the very nature of the system is flawed [“The New Abolitionism: Why Education Emancipation is the Moral Imperative of our Time,” TOS, Winter 2012–13]. The first step must be to repeal compulsory schooling laws. Not until forced schooling has ended, and freedom in education has been established, can learning and innovation in education truly flourish.

Jenne Hiige

San Luis Obispo, California