One of the ill effects of government programs, especially schools, is that they are neutering in nature. For example, you may or may not agree with war in Iraq, but an honest assessment of the Bush Program, including the implementation of Democracy, is that they hope to neuter Islam, at least certain segments and factions of it. Now, in one sense, this may allow certain elements of diversity to spring up for a season, but it is at the expense of the preceding worldview and ideology. I don’t really have a problem with this occurring, realizing it is inescapable, but the problem arises when a certain segment, like most secularists, think they are “neutral” rather than neutering in their approach and theory. They assert that some how they aren’t really neutering a worldview, but just being neutral.

This can be readily seen in a case in Madison, Wisconsin where a student is suing for getting a ‘zero‘ on an art project. According to the report, the “assistant principal Cale Jackson told the boy his religious expression infringed on other students’ rights” and “Millin (the teacher) stated the cross in the drawing also infringed on other students’ rights.”  In this instance, one students “rights” are exalted over another’s. There is no neutrality in a democracy (or any system), but someone’s “rights” is always violated. The question is, whose and why? As is, if we take democracy as an absolute standard, then we are left with the masses declaration of rights as holding the answer to the “whose and why”. The same is the problem when we start to appeal to “civil rights” as well. Who determines what a “civil right” is? Is it the civil magistrates? If so, on what grounds do they determine rights & wrongs, and can they in turn change their minds on rights?

Now, I am sure this student will get some press with some mainstream conservatives and they will denounce the decay taking place in our public schools, maybe even argue for vouchers, but almost none of them will argue for the separation of school and state and point out that the problem is one of ideology and inherent in our current understanding of democracy & rights. Until that issue is discussed, then we will be left with power politics, which the Democrats are much better at playing, because they keep making more promises with your tax money.