What I won't be watching (unfiltered spewing ahead, you've been warned)

So there's this actor who seems to have lost his mind as so many have over the past two years or so, and he has made a movie. It's a movie about homeschooling. Now, you all know that I am a huge advocate of homeschooling, but I won't be watching this movie. There are a couple of reasons for this. 

First, since this fall will be my 26th year of homeschooling, I'm pretty sure that there is nothing this particular movie can teach me. This isn't meant to be anything but a mere statement of fact. I just don't need it. That alone wouldn't be reason enough for me to write about it. There are plenty of homeschooling resources out that which aren't aimed at me and that is just fine. I don't need them, other people find them helpful, and life goes on. If this were just a nice movie about the benefits of homeschooling this would certainly fall into that category.

But it isn't. Well, maybe the movie itself is; I'll never know because I made it (barely) through the trailer and that was more than enough for me. This movie is aimed at Christians and it was my first clue that it was going to make me grind my teeth. I should emend that to be more precise. This movie is aimed at a particular kind of Christian. The kind of Christian who is convinced that the world (and particularly the US) has been taken over by the devil and so their children are not safe.

If it were actually things that are worth being worried about, I might sympathize. School shootings are scary. Very scary. Crazy people trying to overthrow the US government? Scary and worrisome. The continued racism that people of color navigate every day? Terrifying if you happen to be parenting a child of color. So, yeah, there's a lot of scary stuff in the world. This isn't what the film, at least in the trailer, is addressing.

The trailer is fear mongering at it's best (worst?). It implies that the government, through government schools, is planning on completely taking away parental rights and control over people's children. If those children attend government schools, they are going to be brain-washed into a whole host of beliefs which will doom them to hell forever. I may be exaggerating a little bit, but only a little. It really is that bad. 

And what are these horrific, soul-sucking things that they will be learning in school if you do not homeschool them immediately and forever? Well, at the top of the list is critical race theory. 

Sigh. 

I may have to sigh a couple more times before I can move on. 

Double sigh.

Really? 

I'm not sure how you defend this one without coming right out and saying you're a racist. I really don't. And for the record, it's not critical race theory. It's history. As in actual history about everyone and not white-washed within an inch of its life. There is just no getting around the fact that white people did (and still do) horrific things to non-white people. I honestly do not understand how this is even an issue. For everyone buying into the fear mongering, either just accept the fact that you are comfortable believing racist ideas or go find your brain where ever you happened to place it and stop watching Fox news. (Once I hit post, it will be an fun evening's entertainment to watch friend numbers click down.) Sometimes you just have to stop sugar coating things and tell the truth. 

The other thing they will be learning in school is that LGBTQ+ people exist. They exist and lead perfectly normal lives just like anyone else. The worst that will happen is that maybe children will understand that they are humans just like everyone else and deserve the same respect. The trailer, though, does imply that this is some sort of contagious disease that your child will catch if exposed. I've got news for you. If your child is gay, the type of schooling they had isn't going to matter any more than the type of schooling they had influences their hair color or their eye color. What will happen is that if you continue down this path and if your child is gay then you stand a very good chance of losing your relationship with that child. It's not really about your schooling choices.

I absolutely cannot stand the fear mongering. Please, go count how many times "Do not be afraid" appears in the Bible. It's a lot. Why are you so afraid? Do you truly not believe that God loves and can take care of your children? Do you think there is some sort of unspoken parenting litmus test that you must pass or God is going to doom you and your children? None of it makes sense. If you believe God loves you and that God is all-powerful then where is the fear coming from? 

Here is a better litmus test. If someone, who purportedly speaks for what God says, moves you to a place of fear instead of a place of peace and love, then I would look very closely as to whether or not that person is actually speaking for God. 

And to those of you who hear homeschoolers that think, "Ugh, those crazy people who think Trump actually won the election." Please believe me when I say not all of us are like that. Though I will be first in line to admit that it is tiresome to have to continually say, "I'm a homeschooler, but not the crazy kind."