The Catholic bishop of Harrisburg, Pa., Bishop Joseph McFadden is being criticized for comments where he compares American public schools to the system that Hitler and Mussolini sought to create. I actually think that part of the criticism of McFadden is misplaced, though he is certainly worthy of criticism. McFadden’s controversial statements follow a call for Catholics to organize against President Obama and his health care program by leading Catholic leaders.
In an interview with the ABC affiliate in Harrisburg, McFadden was objecting to the lack of school vouchers in Pennsylvania and the lack of choice for many parents: “In the totalitarian government, they would love our system,” McFadden said. “This is what Hitler and Mussolini and all them tried to establish — a monolith; so all the children would be educated in one set of beliefs and one way of doing things.” The Anti-Defamation League has condemned the statement and said “he should not be making his point at the expense of the memory of six million Jews and millions of others who perished in the Holocaust.”
I understand the sensitivity to such a comparison, but I do not think that the Bishop was referring to the Holocaust. People should be able to make comparisons to aspects of prior totalitarian regimes without fear of being call insensitive to the Holocaust. The Nazi regime was a worldwide tragedy with many aspects and precursors that are the subject of historical and political discourse.
Where McFadden is wrong is that the comparison is wildly misplaced. First, Hitler was raised by a devout Catholic mother and many Nazis were taught in religious schools. Indeed, the Vatican was criticized by some for not doing more to confront the Nazi regime. Second, the fascists sought to use schools to indoctrinate children to accept narrow values to the exclusion of other values and the objectification of other people. American public schools do the opposite. They are motivated by pluralistic principles to help shape citizens who are tolerant and well-rounded. They are the antithesis of what fascists want from education.
Finally, this is about vouchers and whether the people of Pennsylvania should subsidize alternative schools, such as Catholic schools. With the church experiencing severe shortfalls in attendance and donations, they need more from the state more than ever. However, there are very good reasons for opposition to vouchers. I attended Catholic schools for part of my earlier education and I am very thankful for the education that I received in those schools. However, Leslie and I are committed to the model of public education. While we can afford a private education, we have kept our children in public schools where they are taught in a more diverse class. I have long been an advocate for public education, particularly in the elementary and middle school levels, as a critical part of shaping good citizens. While I have often been critical of the curriculum particularly on civics, I believe that the public schools have always been the key to maintaining a citizenry that is educated and tolerant.
The comparison to Hitler and Mussolini reflects less disrespect on the part of Bishop McFadden than it does a lack of understanding of the fascistic agenda on education: dogma and exclusionary learning. While I believe Catholic schools are excellent choices for learning, it is outrageous to compare fascistic systems to our public schools. Hitler and Mussolini would find our current curriculum in public schools to be a threat to their type of indoctrination model for children.
Source: ABC
Given the fact that Hitler learned his anti-Semitism at an early age from the Catholic Church, was supported in his rise to powe by them, signed a Concordat with his regime, was responsible for running the Odessa rat line to get Nazi war criminals out of Europe and many other outrages, this bishop and the church have NO basis for criticism.
Then we have the Panzer pope now whose history is whitewashed by claiming he was only building foritifications on the Eastern Front. In FACT it was the slave labor doing the work while he held machine guns to keep them in line. Then we have them trying to canonize the most obnoxious people who are guilty of supporting mass murder such as Stepanic who was a great partisan of the genocidal Ustashi regime. Pius XII complained to Musolini about the fact that the Italian troops in the Italian part of Yugoslavia were sheltering Serbs, instead of turning them over to the Ustashis for mass murder.
In short, it is we who should be condemning the Cathoic church for its role in fascism in Spain, Italy, and Germany.
ARE,
Some should know as much history…….
puzzling,
You are definitely not describing the majority of public schools in this country.
Swarthmore Mom:
It may not lower the price of top private schools but I am pretty sure around here people in DC pay for private schools because of the quality of the DC public school system. If they had a voucher system they may opt to send their children to Fairfax or other surrounding public school.
Granted some people send their children to exclusive private schools for bragging rights so it may not effect the top private schools at all.
Bron,
“With vouchers children from DC public schools could come to Fairfax and enjoy the same level of excellence or they could use them at one of the local private schools or send them out of state to a boarding school if that was what they wanted to do.”
Do the Fairfax Public Schools have school choice? We do in Massachusetts. Cities and towns can choose to opt in. If so, children from poor districts can attend schools in wealthy districts that participate in the school choice program. Of course, there is a cost to the poor districts, which lose money. Money from the poor districts follows children to the wealthy districts. One hurdle is transportation for the children from the poor districts to the wealthy school systems, which can often be many miles away.
Public Schools.
Mandatory. Monopoly.
Failed in global competitiveness. Absurd zero tolerance policies. Widespread promotion of mind-altering medications. Conditioning minds for a lifetime without privacy or independence. Surprise drug raids. Twelve years of pro-State propaganda. Prison-level security. Punishment of nonconformity. TSA gauntlet at Prom. Webcam surveillance in the home. Corporal punishment. Ketchup = vegetable. Banned private lunches. Strip searches for Tylenol. Ubiquitous surveillance cameras. Fines for swearing. Handcuffs and arrests for tantrums. Compelled psychological testing. Incompetent, abusive and violent teachers protected by unions. Tasers and pepper spray used on children. Glorification of US wars and American exceptionalism.
Any empire would love this system. And we live in one.
Elaine:
“You may want to see your tax dollars help to support for-profit private and religious schools. I don’t.”
I see my tax dollars used for all kinds of things I dont agree to either; funding of the arts, abortion, public science funding and the list goes on and on. And that is the problem with big government, it really doesnt care what the individual thinks.
Why should art be publicly funded? If an artists works are good, they will be purchased by the public. Many people have deep convictions about when human life begins, why should they have to see their tax dollars used to fund abortions? And conversely if someone believes in abortion they should be able to donate to any charity they want or to have their tax dollars fund abortions. And public funding of science? Just wait until an evangelical Christian becomes president, what a 10th century show that will be. Angelology will be the new genetics, science will answer that age old question of how many Angels can dance on the head of a pin.
I am always amazed when someone cites private schools, or specifically Catholic schools as good choices for educating children. I do not claim they are always bad choices, but simply want to say that they are not all good choices. It is possible to have a really bad private school, even a really bad Catholic private school. I know this because I attended a really bad Catholic private school for six and a half years.
I owe my elementary education to the New York City Public Library.
My problem with vouchers is spending my tax dollars to support organizations over which neither I, not my elected representatives have any control.
And before anyone gets upset – Yes, I do know that we need to do a better job of educating America’s children.
Bron, Vouchers won’t lower the price at the top private schools. They have large numbers of students applying, and they can easily fill the seats with the top 1% while offering scholarships to very high scoring students that do not have the means to attend.
Mike Spindell:
There are some school systems which fail to provide students with an education. There should be some method to provide parents what they are paying for. Public education is not free, our tax dollars pay for it.
I am for vouchers in education and it has nothing to do with segregation or religion. But I will admit that I dont think government has any business in education. But in a free society if people want to go to government schools that option should be available.
It should be about what a family thinks is best for their children.
The current system of education limits competition, who can afford $25,000 to $40,000 a year to send their children to a private school? Vouchers might lower the price of private schools, at the very least children in poor performing public schools could go to other schools or even other public school systems where the outcome is much better.
I imagine private schools flourish where public education flounders. Where public education fails, only the poor are hurt. The rich can afford the private schools and the middle class can afford to move to a better school system.
In Fairfax we have an outstanding public school program with many bells and whistles; they have many programs for good students such as AP and IB. One of my children got a world class high school education in the IB program. The teachers were all outstanding and were well credentialed, they all had at least masters degrees in their field and a couple had a PhD.
With vouchers children from DC public schools could come to Fairfax and enjoy the same level of excellence or they could use them at one of the local private schools or send them out of state to a boarding school if that was what they wanted to do.
You are right about the excellence of the Fairfax County schools, bron. There is a public magnet school there that produces more national merit scholars than any other high school in the country. My son’s girlfriend went to those schools so I am a bit familiar with them. I agree with you on that but not about the use of vouchers as a solution.
Since The Most Reverend McFadden likes to recall the history of Hitler and Mussolini as an avenue to make his point, why don’t we recall a bit of The Most Reverend McFadden’s own history to illustrate the sheer irrelevancy of anything the man has to say about education. or anything else.
In 1988, while serving as administrative secretary to Cardinal Krol, McFadden was designated as a go-between with the family of an abuse victim in order to free Archdiocese managers of the legal duty to report the victim’s abuse. (It was during McFadden’s service as a secretary to Cardinal Krol that Krol is believed to have excused and enabled the sexual abuse of hundreds of children within the Philadelphia Archdiocese.) http://www.philadelphiadistrictattorney.com/images/Grand_Jury_Report.pdf
Having served and protected pedophile priests well, he has been promoted up the ranks to the position he now enjoys.
and John Wayne Gacy and all of the other child rapists of our time would love Catholic schools and churches, which have been supporting known child rapists for at least our lifetimes.
Elaine – Exactly right. Better still in MN at least if the private school does take in a child with special needs (rare beyond elementary where needs are often discovered) the local public school is on the hook for all the additional costs to provide services for that child.
The Catholic High School in Richfield MN took 1 twin but rejected the other with equal academic ratings – wanna guess which twin has MS & which does not?
The ultimate goal for these groups is the destruction of public education plain and simple. They can not remain in power in a neutral environment and must have control to teach the foundational lies that will buttress their political stranglehold on the nation.
Bron,
You may want to see your tax dollars help to support for-profit private and religious schools. I don’t. Private and parochial schools can pick and choose the children who attend them. Public schools must accept all children who live in their districts.
Prof:
Fairfax County has great schools and excellent programs for children with above average intelligence. You are probably going to get the same quality of education in Fairfax that you would at Sidwell Friends or Georgetown Prep or any of the other fine local private schools.
There are many excellent public schools in this country but there are others which are not, shouldnt parents be able to have access to the same quality of education that parents of school age children in Fairfax County enjoy?
Vouchers are one way to provide access in public school systems which fail to provide a good education.
Mike,
You’re right. There are plenty of people and organizations in this country who want to privatize schools.
*****
Gates Foundation Raises Eyebrows with Grant to Right-Wing Lobbying Group
Submitted by Josh Glasstetter on December 7, 2011
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/gates-foundation-raises-eyebrows-grant-right-wing-lobbying-group
“We don’t want to be part of the controversy.” That’s what Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Gates Foundation, told NPR when asked why the foundation’s work on reproductive health avoided support for abortion care. While this was a grave disappointment to global women’s health advocates, it wasn’t altogether surprising. Despite the Gates Foundation’s staggering wealth and influence and willingness to try new – sometimes controversial – approaches, it steadfastly steers clear of political fights.
That’s why a recent award of $376,635 to a right-wing lobbying group, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), is raising eyebrows, and more, in progressive and philanthropy circles. Knowingly or not, the Gates Foundation has just stepped on a political landmine.
ALEC is engaged in all of the fiercest political fights of our day – working hand-in-hand with companies seeking to roll back healthcare reform, environmental protections, workers’ rights, corporate accountability, and taxes on the wealthy. The Gates Foundation, which is “dedicated to the idea that all people deserve the chance to live a healthy and productive life,” should know that those aims are incompatible with ALEC’s efforts to undermine Americans’ health, safety, and economic security to benefit the bottom line of its corporate backers.
The stated purpose of the Gates Foundation grant to ALEC is “to educate and engage its membership on more efficient state budget approaches to drive greater student outcomes, as well as educate them on beneficial ways to recruit, retain, evaluate and compensate effective teaching based upon merit and achievement.” On the face of it, this pales in comparison to ALEC’s other education work, which promotes large-scale voucher and privatization schemes that would destroy, not improve, the public education system.
Interestingly, Lee Fang recently reported in The Nation on the various ways that the Gates Foundation and ALEC are working – independently – to promote for-profit distance learning. These programs typically undermine public schools while benefiting technology and software companies, including Microsoft. The educational value of such programs is also highly contested.
But the bigger issue here is that the Gates Foundation – a grant-making behemoth – is legitimizing ALEC and all of its egregious lobbying by directly supporting a portion of the group’s work. One can only hope that the Gates Foundation staff responsible for the grant were narrowly focused on education policy and unaware of ALEC’s broader agenda. Either way, the foundation seems headed into the middle of a controversy, which is remarkable for an organization that took pains to avoid “the controversy” in the reproductive health arena.
*****
How Online Learning Companies Bought America’s Schools
by Lee Fang
The Nation
11/16/2011
http://www.thenation.com/print/article/164651/how-online-learning-companies-bought-americas-schools
Excerpt;
If the national movement to “reform” public education through vouchers, charters and privatization has a laboratory, it is Florida. It was one of the first states to undertake a program of “virtual schools”—charters operated online, with teachers instructing students over the Internet—as well as one of the first to use vouchers to channel taxpayer money to charter schools run by for-profits.
But as recently as last year, the radical change envisioned by school reformers still seemed far off, even there. With some of the movement’s cherished ideas on the table, Florida Republicans, once known for championing extreme education laws, seemed to recoil from the fight. SB 2262, a bill to allow the creation of private virtual charters, vastly expanding the Florida Virtual School program, languished and died in committee. Charlie Crist, then the Republican governor, vetoed a bill to eliminate teacher tenure. The move, seen as a political offering to the teachers unions, disheartened privatization reform advocates. At one point, the GOP’s budget proposal even suggested a cut for state aid going to virtual school programs.
Lamenting this series of defeats, Patricia Levesque, a top adviser to former Governor Jeb Bush, spoke to fellow reformers at a retreat in October 2010. Levesque noted that reform efforts had failed because the opposition had time to organize. Next year, Levesque advised, reformers should “spread” the unions thin “by playing offense” with decoy legislation. Levesque said she planned to sponsor a series of statewide reforms, like allowing taxpayer dollars to go to religious schools by overturning the so-called Blaine Amendment, “even if it doesn’t pass…to keep them busy on that front.” She also advised paycheck protection, a unionbusting scheme, as well as a state-provided insurance program to encourage teachers to leave the union and a transparency law to force teachers unions to show additional information to the public. Needling the labor unions with all these bills, Levesque said, allows certain charter bills to fly “under the radar.”
“In the totalitarian government, they would love our system,” McFadden said. “This is what Hitler and Mussolini and all them tried to establish — a monolith; so all the children would be educated in one set of beliefs and one way of doing things.”
I think that he knows its bad…they have been doing it for years as well….Now when does that piece of coal turn into a diamond…
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The issue is school vouchers. These vouchers are being pushed by people who have political, rather than educational agenda’s, though they pretend it is in the interests of children. One segment of those pushing this agenda are the remnants of segregationists who don’t want their children attending school with people of color. Another segment represents religionists who want the government to subsidize the propagation of their religious belief and maintain their church members via indoctrination of their children. Finally, there are those who politically believe that government doesn’t have a role in education. These segments often overlap, however, in all cases their overarching aim is to destroy free public education in this country for all citizens. They have already made inroads towards that aim and done so
by refusing to openly state the true aims of the voucher movement.
As something of a history buff (especially around Nazi Germany), the lack of actual historical perspective from this bishop is not surprising. Most Americans have little idea of the complexity of the rise of totalitarian regimes in the 20th century. Too often the simple “they bad, we good” mantra is used with no real concept of what happened.
Hitler (and to a lesser extent Mussolini) came to power by claiming all kinds of wrongs being perpetrated on the “real people” (i.e. non-Jewish Germans) by the “international Jewish/Bolshevik conspiracy”.
Driving dissent and free speech and thought from the public was a major tactic of the Nazis. Simply put, they only allowed there point of view to be heard, all else was treason.