Homeschooling

Before you read much further, one should realize this particular post might see me beat around the bush for awhile - all to make a point. With that, I shall proceed.

Yesterday, I received notification of an opportunity to assist in educating the next generation. No, I'm not a parent, but as one who prays to one day enjoy the privilege of having children (making my husband's quiver full), I am deeply concerned with the influences children are exposed to - whether at school, on TV, or even at the mall. In the 1990s, the horizon for Americans and likely most in the developed world, was teeming with hope and aspirations that could be achieved within an apparent universal and inherent moral code. Yes, by the standards of many moral conservatives, the 90s continued to deviate further from this moral code, but at least the push for tolerance did not appear as harsh then as it does now, seeking to eradicate all forms of intolerance (those who are pro-tolerance are intolerant of those who show intolerance....isn't that a paradox...?). If you still are questioning the basis of my argument, well, look no further than the existence of the internet and social media; it was absent in the 90s and very much present in the 00s. So, while it is difficult to pinpoint a distinct difference between the 90s and now, there is a difference and definite progression from then to now (not towards perfection as alluded to in this definition, but towards post-modernism). On top of the scientific progression in the way of technology, biomedical science as rapidly progressed as well. With the advancement of scientific potential, a new field of research and therapies have arisen surrounding the use of embryos. Almost simultaneously, there was an uproar about all the unknowns and ethics surrounding embryonic research. Wikipedia even has a page devoted to this very topic. So, whether you (the reader) believe that human embryonic research is ethically sound or ethically perverse, I hope you can agree that there was and to some degree still is a dispute over how much (and what) research can be performed with these specimens.

So, back to where I started. Why did an opportunity to assist with the education of the next generation spark this tangent? Well, this particular opportunity spelled out a lab being performed in a local middle school that described the students would be engaging in research with fish embryos and testing the effects of various drugs on these embryos. Although this lab holds many beneficial educational components, I would argue there is a subliminal message being put forth - working with embryos is totally 'ok.' Albeit this ideology might not be the intentions of those who designed the lab, I can easily see how a middle school student today, subjecting a fish embryos to chemicals, could easily extend it to doing ethically questionable research on human embryos as an adult medical researcher. I'm not saying fish embryos are the same as human embryos; however, exposing children to these sorts of stimuli help to mold their ideologies and moral convictions as an adult. In a sense, instances like the one at this middle school are contributing to the disappearance of the debate over whether embryonic research is ethical or not. Thankfully, the discovery of how to reprogram adult stem cells is lessening the push to utilize human embryos for human advancement (or decline).

As such, I would encourage all current and future parents to be mindful of not only what their kids and grandkids are learning at school, but how they are learning it. Sometimes I think that this is the very reason children should be home-schooled...

If these topics are of interest to you, here is a link to another issue - The Lorax. ...and a different article on The Lorax.