Home-School Family may Lose U.S. Asylum

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, September 6, 2013 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

The stakes are high for a German family who fled their homeland to escape persecution for homes-schooling their children. They received asylum in the U.S., but the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a June 26th brief in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to oust the Romeike family, basing its opposition on this quote from a foreign court: “The European Court of Human Rights has held that parents could not refuse the right to education of a child on the basis of the parents’ convictions … it is the state that makes decisions about educating children, not parents.” Question: Why does the DOJ base asylum in the U.S. on a European Court decision?

The Romeikes left Germany after police appeared on their doorstep in 2006 to forcibly take their children to public school. The German court says religious or philosophical motivation develops “parallel societies” that must be counteracted, so German schools can produce lock-step citizens by socializing all students, regardless of parental preferences.

Since the German Supreme Court considers socialization a key to solidarity, the German government, not parents, decides how children are educated and uses “socialization” to counteract religious doctrine, produce social uniformity and eliminate individuals that disagree with government. If the DOJ persuades the withdrawal of this asylum, the Romeike family’s future could be tragic, because international decisions are undermining U.S. standards.

Food for thought: Of four ways Webster’s New World College Dictionary Fourth Edition defines “socialize,” the third definition is: “to subject to governmental ownership and control, nationalize.” That reminds me of the following frequent argument against home-schooling in the U.S.: “Children need to be in public schools so they can be socialized!” Our naivete about what socialization really means has allowed the stripping away of students’ parental, religious, community and personal values, hence, their individualism. The final result is not only the loss of values and individualism, but the ultimate loss of this country’s social structure.

More food for thought: The U.S. Senate’s 61-38 vote on a dangerous U.N. treaty December 4, 2012 was disturbing. If two-thirds of the senate had voted for that treaty, international forces could have interfered in U.S. healthcare. The 38 no-votes prevented adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, already ratified by 117 countries and signed by 153, including the U.S. Now, a Senate resurrection of that treaty is rumored.

Thanks to our Founding Fathers, no treaty has power over this country unless it’s ratified by two-thirds of the U.S. Senate, but that December vote revealed that 61 of our 100 U.S. senators are willing to let the U.N. interfere in the medical care of disabled U.S. citizens. That vote was just shy of the necessary vote of 64 (33×3+1=100). No wonder more hearings are planned for it. If it is ratified, anyone with disabilities could complain directly to the UN and by-pass U.S. doctors, parents, courts, and all levels of government.

The Senate, also, recently voted 53 to 46 to keep the U.S. out of the UN Small Arms Treaty. So, 46 U.S. senators voted to abolish the Second Amendment rights of U.S. citizens and give the U.N. jurisdiction over firearms. Call Senators Isakson and Chambliss toll-free at 1 877 851-6437 and ask them to vote NO on all U.N. treaties! For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.