The Obama administration is arguing in federal court that a homeschooling family from Germany should be deported back to their homeland, despite what they say is religious persecution. The German government prevented Uwe and Hannelore Romeike from teaching their five children at home instead of sending them to government-run schools, fining them and threatening to prosecute them if they don't obey.
When they took their three oldest children out of school in 2006, police showed up at their house within 24 hours, only leaving after a group of supporters showed up and organized a quick protest.
But their legal troubles were just beginning. Germany began fining the family, ultimately racking up a bill of more than 7,000 Euros ($9,000).
After they fled to the United States in 2010, the Romeike family initially were granted political asylum and found a home in Tennessee. They had a sixth child. But then U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) appealed the asylum decision in 2012.
The federal Board of Immigration Appeals sided with the government despite a 2011 policy that gives the government broad discretion to pursue only high-priority cases.
ICE would not provide details about the case, or its reasons for pursuing the Romeikes.
'We do not comment on pending litigation,' ICE public affairs officer Brandon Montgomery told MailOnline.
Under what theory does that constitute grounds for political asylum?
Apparently a court thought it to be a legitimate reason...
To me, a better question would be, "of all the asylum granting decisions that the Obama Administration could choose to contest, why has it picked this one?"
The answer, "Because they're in the pocket of the NEA and the NEA hates home schooling" immediately comes to mind as one logical explanation....
Our legal history has been much more accommodating of eccentric behavior which is claimed to be protected on religious grounds than many others. I don't see that being compelled to send your children to school amounts to the level of 'religious persecution' which justifies an exception to immigration law. They are free to supplement the school education as much as they want.
I often wonder if we should allow the Amish to stop schooling their kids after 8th grade, such a low level of education is a severe handicap for anyone becoming an autonomous adult in the modern world. Aren't we just allowing them to cripple their own children?
I often wonder if we should allow the Amish to stop schooling their kids after 8th grade,
Well, you know, I suspect that even the most humble Amish eighth grader knows that 46 is not one fourth of eighty...
I believe we should think long and hard before we allow moral societal constructs to be dictated by the most stupid and intellectually lacking among us....
If it's rube versus the Amish, I'll take the Amish any day..
If Germany doesn't allow homeschooling, then it doesn't allow homeschooling. Under what theory does that constitute grounds for political asylum?
Well if Stupidastan doesn't allow the Flying Spagetti Monster worshipers, do we not allow those seeking asylum also?
Freedom of worship is an entirely different issue. There is nothing preventing these parents from indoctrinating their children however they wish, AFTER they have spent the day in a secular school.
"Hang on while I log in to the James Webb telescope to search the known universe for who the fuck asked you." -- James Fell
Recognizing that a country may ban it without infringing on some amorphous and tenuous "right" does not mean that I am against it, any more that I am "against" music because I recognize the right of governments to enforce noise ordinances.
"Hang on while I log in to the James Webb telescope to search the known universe for who the fuck asked you." -- James Fell
Thanks for the explaination. Now I agree they may be "reaching" under the political asylum law in trying to get into the USA so they can home school, but so what? As I said, are not people "reaching" in trying to get into the USA under the same law for religious or other persecution?
If you wanted to marry another man and lived in a state that had no chance of ever passing a gay marriage law, would you move to another state or country where you could?
People who are applying for asylum in order to practice their religion or to avoid persecution because of their political beliefs are seeking to gain rights that are recognized under U.S. and international law.
If I wanted to marry another man and lived in a state where that was likely to be legal forever, of course I would want to move somewhere that it was legal but I wouldn't expect to enter by claiming political asylum.
"Hang on while I log in to the James Webb telescope to search the known universe for who the fuck asked you." -- James Fell
People who are applying for asylum in order to practice their religion or to avoid persecution because of their political beliefs are seeking to gain rights that are recognized under U.S. and international law.
So I guess bringing up your children the way you want to is not covered under the US and international law?
No, strangely enough neither U.S. nor international law gives parents complete and absolute power over how their children will be treated. Otherwise you would be granting asylum to parents who wanted to practice female circumcision, and not their daughters who were trying to escape from it.
"Hang on while I log in to the James Webb telescope to search the known universe for who the fuck asked you." -- James Fell
You were the one who spoke of parents being able to raise their children however they want. Being confronted with the natural consequence of that is in no way moving the goalposts. And slippery slopes are only a fallacy if they are not such a natural consequence.
We only grant asylum to those who can demonstrate that their country of origin is unwilling or unable to protect their fundamental human rights, and that they are in fear of persecution as a result. Is home schooling a fundamental right? I've yet to see any argument that says so, other than "because that's the way the parents want to raise their kids." Which brings us back to female circumcision.
"Hang on while I log in to the James Webb telescope to search the known universe for who the fuck asked you." -- James Fell
