"Homeschooling German Family Gets Political Asylum in U.S." DISCUSS.

[srhs]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20100302/us_time/09171196809900

I searched...sure hope this wasn't already posted.

[Melaine]

I read about this family a long time ago through HSLDA, IIRC. I think it's great that they are getting asylum....I know a lot of people in the US are afraid that it will become more difficult to homeschool and we might eventually face the same type of persecution in America.

[katydid1971]

I think that there are people who face terrible treatment in their countries (torture, rape, genecide) who we turn away. These people are far from that and have other options in Europe.

[Ceepa]

ETC: OK, I reread the article and see why people are upset.

[BabyMine]

I think that there are people who face terrible treatment in their countries (torture, rape, genecide) who we turn away. These people are far from that and have other options in Europe.

:yeahthat: It's wonderful that they want to provide their children a better education through homeshooling but they need to be put below the people filing for green cards that are fearing their lives.

[Cam&Clay]

I am sure this is purely based on religion. Germany's schools are federalized. Their schools are fantastic, and I have always been jealous of the way teachers are viewed there. They are considered civil servants (professionals even!) and are paid well. Teachers there do much better than here in the US where beginning teachers barely make a living wage.

Having said that, however, I don't believe that homeschooling should be illegal at all. It should be up to the parents.

[MommyofAmaya]

I think that there are people who face terrible treatment in their countries (torture, rape, genecide) who we turn away. These people are far from that and have other options in Europe.

:yeahthat:

I did alot of asylum work in my former life..... although I support the right to homeschool, this is certainly not the worst example of persecution I have seen (and many of those were denied).

[kijip]

I support home schooling but I think this is an abuse of the asylum system and their immigration to the country could have been accomplished a different way. The group that helped them did it this way to make a political point out of them. I know a woman, sold into sex slavery, who was denied asylum here. I am outraged that a middle class family from an economically stable and generally safe country would be given asylum instead of her and people like her. Also, I am sure there are many people around the world who would like to school their children differently than allowed by their government. Are our doors supposed to open to all of them?

Germany is a nation with political and economic freedoms, if they want the right to home school in Germany then they can advocate to change the law there as it was in many states here. They did not face torture, rape or death for their beliefs in Germany. In the alternative, they could have relocated to Austria or another nearby nation that allows home schooling.

[Katigre]

Immigration law in the US is completely screwed up. I would not be surprised if part of the reason they were granted asylum over other people applying is because

1. They have legal connections and influence through HSDLA (I also think this was a test case for HSDLA (who I generally don't support) to see if they can branch out globally instead of just US influence.)
2. They are from a Western European country (which gets preference over immigrants from 'less desirable' countries :mad: )

That said...I think it is wrong that they were threatened with their children being removed by CPS for homeschooling. I strongly believe in the right of families to homeschool their children. I have no problem with some type of mandatory progress reporting but I am strongly opposed to forbidding the practice altogether. I know that there is a whole German ex-pat community in the UK because of Germany's strict anti-homeschooling laws.

[codex57]

I support homeschooling. However, I do NOT think this should be grounds for asylum.

[MelissaTC]

I think that there are people who face terrible treatment in their countries (torture, rape, genecide) who we turn away. These people are far from that and have other options in Europe.

ITA. I can understand why they would want to leave Germany but it does make me sad to think of the people turned away who seem more worthy in my mind.

[bubbaray]

This story was from a few weeks ago. Apparently the German gov't is PI$$ED. They are up in arms over there that the USA considers that German citizens are in need of asylum....

[malphy]

I'll admit I just don't get it.

I thought asylum was for life threatening situations?

I don't understand why homeschooling would be illegal.

It may be difficult or uncomfortable for them because they choose to homeschool but it is not life threatening. I do not think it is fair that a family (of I think 5) should take up the space that could go to people facing physical harm to their life and limb.

We cannot even properly take care of the citizens that are already here and we are going to add more when there is no actual danger to the family?

I know some will probably say there is a pyschological danger (or something along those lines) but I'm sorry, this situation does not come close to rising to the seriousness required for asylum.

[edurnemk]

There's lots of countries that don't allow homeschooling, so what now? Will they grant asylum to every family who wants to homeschool in those countries?

[o_mom]

I'll admit I just don't get it.

I thought asylum was for life threatening situations?

I don't understand why homeschooling would be illegal.

It may be difficult or uncomfortable for them because they choose to homeschool but it is not life threatening. I do not think it is fair that a family (of I think 5) should take up the space that could go to people facing physical harm to their life and limb.

We cannot even properly take care of the citizens that are already here and we are going to add more when there is no actual danger to the family?

I know some will probably say there is a pyschological danger (or something along those lines) but I'm sorry, this situation does not come close to rising to the seriousness required for asylum.

Asylum is for fear of persecution, not just physical harm. Having the police forcibly remove your children and being fined for not wanting them to go to public school apparently qualified as that. Since they homeschool for religious reasons, it probably came under religious persecution.

Germany has made homeschooling illegal. They have mandatory attendence with fines and police enforcement of it. It is beyond just the truancy laws here, because in the US if you are homeschooling you are not subject to mandatory attendence.

I didn't see anything in there about them living on public assistance. They might be, but maybe not. We allow over a million people to come here legally every year, so I don't think it is a matter of not having room. I don't know if the number afforded political asylum is limited, that would be more concerning to me.

I do think that they had other options and chose this one to make a statement (along with HSLDA). If they had tried normal methods of immigration first and been denied, I could see pursuing asylum, but not as the first choice. I do agree that there are other people who have more serious problems than this.

[blisstwins]

We have a long history of privileging immigrants from some countries over others. Homeschooling should be legal, but in the scheme of things it saddens me that asylum was granted when others are turned away.

[TwinFoxes]

I support home schooling but I think this is an abuse of the asylum system and their immigration to the country could have been accomplished a different way. The group that helped them did it this way to make a political point out of them. I know a woman, sold into sex slavery, who was denied asylum here. I am outraged that a middle class family from an economically stable and generally safe country would be given asylum instead of her and people like her. Also, I am sure there are many people around the world who would like to school their children differently than allowed by their government. Are our doors supposed to open to all of them?

Germany is a nation with political and economic freedoms, if they want the right to home school in Germany then they can advocate to change the law there as it was in many states here. They did not face torture, rape or death for their beliefs in Germany. In the alternative, they could have relocated to Austria or another nearby nation that allows home schooling.

:yeahthat:

In Japan they have very strict gun control laws. Should we let people seek asylum here because they want to take advantage of our second amendment laws?

[dcmom2b3]

Huh. I have a meeting today with a woman who fears being subjected to FGM and an arranged (forced) marriage if she returns to her home country. She was denied asylum, both initially and in her two appeals from the initial decision.

I don't want to minimize the German family's situation, but can't help it. Immigration law and policy is out of whack.

[mommy111]

I support home schooling but I think this is an abuse of the asylum system and their immigration to the country could have been accomplished a different way. The group that helped them did it this way to make a political point out of them. I know a woman, sold into sex slavery, who was denied asylum here. I am outraged that a middle class family from an economically stable and generally safe country would be given asylum instead of her and people like her. Also, I am sure there are many people around the world who would like to school their children differently than allowed by their government. Are our doors supposed to open to all of them?

Germany is a nation with political and economic freedoms, if they want the right to home school in Germany then they can advocate to change the law there as it was in many states here. They did not face torture, rape or death for their beliefs in Germany. In the alternative, they could have relocated to Austria or another nearby nation that allows home schooling.
Although I strongly believe in parents' rights to homeschool, I have to agree with everything Katie said here.