Let's be Logical

I don't know that I have the corner on logic. In fact, I'm pretty sure my engineer husband would be the first to say I can be just as irrational as the next person, especially at certain times. But there is such a lack of logic around me at times, and from people who, when it comes down to it, are probably smarter than I am, but still they can't seem to think logically about some things.

For instance, I'm a homeschooling mom. I understand that something inside me starts to feel defensive when the story of the really bad homeschooling parents, who were isolating their children, abusing them, neglecting them, or just not educating them comes up. But really, why am I offended by that? Yes, there ARE bad homeschooling parents. Really bad ones. There are also mediocre ones. There are also good ones, and also really great ones. It is not logical for me to get offended when the story comes up. Just like it is not logical for someone to hear that story and say "Ugh. Homeschooling is bad. All homeschooling families are messed up. No one should homeschool."

So I will say this again, for anyone who is reading this (all 3 of you, who are probably already on board with homeschooling and also, most likely, part of my family) I promise to not get offended when the really bad homeschooling parents get what's coming to them. I promise to agree that they should not be allowed to homeschool, and in some cases, not even be allowed to keep their children. I promise I will not defend them, and not assume you to be anti-homeschooling if you comment on the wrongness of their situation. All I ask of you is that you don't hear the stories and think it says something about me, or about any other homeschooler. Don't think "Homeschooling should be illegal" or "homeschooling is what's wrong with the world," or "all homeschooling parents are messing up their kids."

And also, I promise not to do that to your profession. When I hear about bad teachers, I will never say "all teachers are bad." When I hear about bad doctors I will not think, "All doctors are bad." When I hear about bad pastors I will not think "All pastors are bad." Truth is, I've had great teachers, and some not so great. I've had great doctors and some I wouldn't go back to. I've had great pastors....actually, out of the three men who were at one time my pastor, all three of them are pretty great. But still, I know that doesn't mean all pastors are great. I won't even think "All politicians are bad." The truth is, some of them DO care. And it's illogical to think every last one of them are bad.

The bottom line is, we live in a very broken world. We are just a bunch of broken people, building broken systems. Some of us try our best and care about people and try to work the broken system for the good of others and the world, and some of us care only about ourselves and try to work the broken system in our favor. And sometimes, even those of us who try to care about other people are found guilty of caring only about ourselves. So be careful. Be careful what conclusions you come to. If you think homeschooling deserves to be illegal because of the bad homeschooling parents, then think about what that would mean for your profession. In a country where judging others is considered the worst sin of all, we are really all just a bunch of judgmental people. We are constantly making illogical judgments and lumping people into stereotypes and saying "there oughta be a law!" at the slightest provocation. And it seems to me that it is illogical ideas like this that are mostly to blame for all our broken systems that end up tying the hands of the good parents, the good teachers, the good doctors, the good politicians, and so on.

So there it is. A call to logic. Hopefully it made some sense. If not, you can blame it on my irrational tendencies.