It seems to me that Jeff Rosen gets it about right. The Supreme Court has made the perfectly sane decision that as long as the choice for religious education is the parent’s and not the state’s, then public money can be used for parochial schools. I’m vehemently opposed to more aggressive conservative funding directly for religious institutions, but I see nothing wrong with this. Given the appalling choices that many minority kids in big cities face, it also seems to me a powerful public interest to let them avail themselves of the best education they possibly can. The notion that kids are overwhelmed by the religious atmosphere of parochial schools is equally overblown. I went to a high-school that was state-funded in England, and whose official religion was Anglican. I went to Anglican services every morning, and the school assembly was actually held in the local church. But I can honestly say that nothing helped firm up my Catholicism more. This Supreme decision, especially in contrast with this week’s extremist ruling on the Pledge of Allegiance, strikes me as a very hopeful sign for the future of these issues. And for the hopes of a generation of kids. Now all we have to make sure is there there is an American Catholic church left to provide the education.
SOMEONE BLOGGED THE DEBATE: A relatively fair assessment, although in retrospect, I think I was too defensive and overly paranoid about the audience. And who says I’m “paunchy?” That’s a 32 inch waist, buddy.
The Dish 