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 Log Cabin Openly Embraces Divisive Educational Scam Taxpayers would be Supporting Private Religious Schools |
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Compiled By GayToday
"The Bush voucher plan poisons the well of education reform," said Americans United Executive Director Barry W. Lynn. "This is a curious first step for a man who assumed office saying he wanted to be 'a uniter and not a divider.' "If Bush really wants to unite Americans," Lynn added, "he'll stop kowtowing to the Religious Right and sectarian special interests and move on to real education reforms that the people support. The president-select has sought to downplay the contentious aspect of his plan; referring to vouchers as "scholarships."
Exit polls in Michigan and California reflected that voucher opposition existed across racial, religious and socio-economic lines. Low-income, inner city voters rejected vouchers at the same rate as wealthy suburbanites. "Vouchers are not scholarships," said Lynn. "They are an attempt to force taxpayers to support religious and other private schools at a time when many of our public schools are overcrowded and under funded. The American people see right through this ruse and reject vouchers out of hand." Every federal court that has looked at vouchers has declared them unconstitutional, noting that they violate the constitutional separation of church and state. Most recently, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled December 11 that Cleveland's voucher plan violates the First Amendment. "Vouchers harm public schools, violate the Constitution and are not supported by the people," Lynn said. In contrast, The Log Cabin Republicans released a statement yesterday in which the gay and lesbian Republican organization announced its support for Mr. Bush's education plan, including vouchers. Log Cabin officials used the GOP code words "expanding parental choice" by which is meant stripping public schools of needed funding and providing moneys to parents— at taxpayer expense—so that their children may be sent to private schools. Such schools, it must be noted, are largely denominational, including Roman Catholic and Southern Baptist institutions. |
