Weekly Opinion/Editorial

MILITIA TALK IS A SMOKE SCREEN!
by Steve Fair

Monday was the fifteenth anniversary of the Murrah building bombing. Perpetrated by self proclaimed libertarians Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, the bombing forever changed Oklahoma. McVeigh said his motive for the bombing was to ‘send a message to the federal government. “Borrowing a page from US foreign policy, I decided to send a message to a government that was becoming increasingly hostile, by bombing a government building and the government employees within that building who represent that government,” McVeigh said. McVeigh referred to those killed in the bombing as ‘collateral damage,’ but never expressed any remorse for his actions. Collateral damage is that which is unintended or incidental to the intended outcome. McVeigh was supposedly flirting with radical ‘militia’ groups before the bombing.

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What is a militia? Webster defines a militia as “A military organization composed of citizens enrolled and trained for service in times of a national emergency.” Sounds a little like the National Guard, doesn’t it?

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Which brings us to the ‘militia’ talk that has been in the news recently. During the April 15th rallies across Oklahoma some Tea party movement leaders said they had discussed the idea to form volunteer militias with some Oklahoma lawmakers. Al Gerhart, who heads up Sooner Tea Party said the very thought of forming militias was scary. “But when do states start doing something to stop the federal government from rolling over them?” Gerhart asked.

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Two Republican lawmakers were quoted in an Associated Press article of being supportive of the volunteer militia proposal. State Senator Randy Brogdon, (R-Owasso), a candidate for the GOP nomination for Governor and State Representative Charles Key, (R-OKC), both say they were misquoted in the AP article.

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Brogdon says his comments were taken out of context. "Specifically, historical speculation about the frame of mind of the Founding Fathers as they wrote the Constitution was reported as if it were my deeply held belief. Then these misrepresentations were used to distort my true beliefs, while implying that I have violent intentions," Brogdon said in a press release.

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Then on Friday, former President Bill Clinton said that “legitimate” comparisons can be drawn between today's grassroots anger and resentment toward the government (Tea Parties) and the attitude of people prior to the bombing of the Murrah federal building. “Before the bombing occurred, there was a sort of fever,” Clinton recalled. “The fabric of American life had been unraveling.” “What we learned from Oklahoma City is not that we should gag each other or that we should hold less passion for the positions we hold, but that our words really do matter. There is this vast echo chamber, and the words fall on the serious and delirious alike,” the former president warned. “Have at it. Go fight. Do whatever you want. You don’t have to be nice. But be careful with what you say and do not advocate violence.”

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First, the Oklahoma legislature doesn’t need to authorize state sanctioned militias. We have the Oklahoma National Guard and don’t need paramilitary groups to supplement their responsibilities. If Oklahoma gets to the point that we need to form militias to protect ourselves from the federal government, we should secede from the union and start our own country.
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Second, President Clinton should not have used the OKC bombing as a political football. To imply that people who publicly protest the growth of government by attending a Tea Party are of the same mindset as Tim McVeigh is despicable. Tea Partiers are not wild eyed radicals who want to blow up federal buildings (like Bill Ayers).

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According to CNN, 31% of the movement is from the south, 29% from the Midwest, 28% in the west and 13% in the northeast. Is tea-party support gained mainly from the elderly? No. And that’s quite emphatic. By far the largest group represented is 30-49 year olds at 40%. Most Tea Party people are fairly well educated- most have some college. Sixty percent are Republicans, but over a third are Democrats. 80% have never been involved in politics in their life.

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Liberals/Progressives want to try and use this ‘militia’ talk as a smoke screen to get Conservatives to take their eye off the ball. They want to put conservatives on the defensive.
The real issue this year is the unprecedented growth of government. Last year’s federal spending surge was nothing short of historic. The twenty five percent spending increase in one year represented the largest non-war government expansion since the New Deal. The dollar is losing value world wide. America is in danger of losing our AAA credit rating. Those are real issues and that’s why the Tea Partiers are on the street. They recognize America is in trouble fiscally and spiritually and they are fed up. Watch for some real ‘change’ in November.

Weekly Opinion/Editorial

MEXICANS DON’T LIKE WIRE TRANSFER BILL!
by Steve Fair

On Thursday, the Mexican House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution denouncing U.S. states that impose ‘remittance taxes,’ or ones that are currently considering such legislation. They also called upon the Mexican government to take trade measures against those states. Oklahoma was the primary target, with Kansas considering a similar bill. Trade measures would be imposed in states like Oklahoma and Kansas by Mexico as a way to respond and retaliate.
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Mexican Legislators believe that recently passed legislation in Oklahoma to be an “immoral, abusive and harmful” act against immigrants´ rights, according to the resolution sponsored by Congressman Ildefonso Guajardo (PRI-Nuevo Leon). Mexico is the number-one international trade partner of both Oklahoma and Kansas, the foreign market where they export the majority of products and services.

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The reason the Mexicans are upset is that HB 2250, authored by State Representative Randy Terrill, (R-Moore) and Senator Anthony Sykes, (R-Moore) increased fees that people pay to wire money in Oklahoma. The bill imposes a $5 fee plus an additional fee of one percent of the amount over $500 for each funds transfer through any licensed money transmitter.

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In response to the Mexican resolution, Senator Sykes said, “Obviously, we have struck a nerve. No telling how many millions of dollars have been flowing to Mexico out of Oklahoma; a large portion of it, due to narcotics trafficking and illegal aliens who work for cash, pay no taxes, and then send it by wire straight to Mexico. Our state’s new regulations on the wire transfers of money have obviously put a dent in this flow of cash to Mexico, and serve as a great tool for law enforcement to identify those engaged in such activity.”

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Terrill said, "This fee does not cost the legal, law-abiding citizens of the state of Oklahoma one red penny. This represents an attempt by a foreign nation to interfere with the sovereign actions of a U.S. state. We clearly have not only the right, but the responsibility to legislate for the public health, safety, morals and welfare of our citizens-not theirs.”

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And it’s not just the Mexican legislature that has attacked the bill. Critics say the bill violates the Oklahoma State Constitution (SQ 640) by raising taxes without going to vote of the people. They say it will penalize poor people who are the primary ones who use wire transferring. They also claim it will create illegitimate wire transfer businesses to spring up because of the increased costs.

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The real problem with the Mexican legislature and the critic’s argument is this:
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First, as Sykes pointed out a large percentage of the money being wire transferred out of Oklahoma is by ‘illegal’ immigrants. It’s amazing how often some overlook the simple fact these people entered our country illegally. They are lawbreakers. You can criticize our immigration laws, the lack of courage of the federal government to enforce the laws, and our ‘need’ for immigrant labor in various businesses, but the fact remains these immigrants are still here illegally.
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Second, if the criteria for a law to be enacted were their creation would produce no other illegal activities or enterprise, few laws could be written. Crooks always find ways to get around the law. There are plenty of laws on the books that would take care of the ‘illegitimate’ wire transfer businesses that may pop up. People who reason like this are advocates of ‘situational ethics.”
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Third, culturally Mexico is a society that believes bribery and corruption are a part of life. In a USA Today story two years ago, it was reported that Mexicans spent a whopping US$2.58 billion in bribes in 2007, some 42% more than they doled out just two years before. An estimated total of 197 million bribes were paid in 2007- a per capita rate of two per person. BRIBEline, found that 85 percent of bribe demands came from people associated with Mexico's government.

Forty-five percent of total demands came from police, twelve percent from federal government officials and the rest from local officials, the judiciary, and the military or ruling party officials.

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The blatant hypocrisy of the Mexican legislature to condemn Oklahoma for standing up for the rule of law is disingenuous. They and the gringos who are criticizing HB 2520 only want dollars to keep flowing into ‘the city of palaces’ (Mexico) from ‘illegal’ immigrants. Every US state should follow Oklahoma’s lead and pass similar legislation to slow the flow of illegal monies back to Mexico.

SOUTHERN REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
MEMORABLE QUOTES
NEW ORLEANS- APRIL 2010

Mary Matalin- Former advisor to Dick Cheney- introduced Liz Cheney

“The Southern thing is the American thing.”
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Liz Cheney-daughter of former VP Dick Cheney- head of Keep America Safe- http://www.keepamericasafe.com/

“Nothing convinces people of the merits of conservatism more than seeing the alternative in action.”
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JC Watts- former Congressman- head of JC Watts Companies-http://jcwatts.com/

“We don’t need more taxes- we need more taxpayers.”

“We should exercise our first amendment rights and right to peaceful assembly, but we should do it in Christian love.

“The problem in Washington isn’t that we don’t tax too much, but we spend too much.”

“History will be kind to George W. Bush.”
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Newt Gingrich-former Speaker of the House- Head of American Solutions-http://www.americansolutions.com/

“This is the most radical administration in American history.”

“Obama has created a secular socialism machine in Washington that is telling Americans that he doesn’t care what they think- he’s in control.”

Three Assignments for Activists:

(1) Start talking about Obama’s SECULAR SOCIALIST MACHINE
(2) Use Solidarity slogan of 2+2=4 in the 2010 elections
(3) Evolve from the Party of No to the Party of ideas.
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Tony Perkins- Oklahoma native- former Louisiana State Legislator- Head of the Family Research Council- http://www.frc.org/

“One third of American children are growing up with no father in their life.”

A retiring Marine who was retiring from the service was asked why and he said, “When I joined the service, homosexuality was illegal, and then it was optional. I’m getting out before it becomes mandatory.”
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Sarah Palin- former Governor of Alaska- 2008 GOP VP candidate- Head of SarahPac-http://www.sarahpac.com/

“Someone should tell the President that just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”

“What wrong with our being the Party of NO if what Congress does violates the Constitution?”

“Let’s drill Baby drill, not Stall Baby Stall.”

“Our energy independence is directly tied to our national security.”
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Andrew Breitbart- News aggregator-former editor of the Drudge Report- Head of Breitbart.com- http://www.breitbart.com/

“Mainstream media is ‘on the other side.”

“I care more about America than I do about my stinking website.”
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Rick Perry- Governor of Texas

Republicans should be about three things:
(1) Strong Military
(2) Securing our borders
(3) Delivering the mail on time
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TED CRUZ- former Solicitor General of Texas- Candidate for AG, Texas- http://www.tedcruz.org/index.php

4 things Conservatives need to remember:
(1) Stand for principle
(2) Find the right candidates- ones with principle. Backbone, and communication skills
(3) Understand the opposition
(4) Demand Change
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David Vitter- U.S. Senator of Louisiana- Candidate for re-election- http://www.davidvitter.com/site/c.ktJUJ7MNIuE/b.5131285/k.BE82/Home.htm

“Reach out to our tea party brothers and sisters. The tea party movement will be the fuel to supercharge the November elections.”
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Rick Santorum- former U.S. Senator of Pennsylvania

“Conservatism did not fail America- conservatives failed conservatism.”

“America is a melting pot, not a mosaic.”
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Mike Pence- Congressman from Indiana

“I’m a Christian, a conservative and a Republican in that order.”

“Elect a Moral Congress.”
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Haley Barbour- Governor of Mississippi- Chairman of the Republican Governors Association-http://www.rga.org/homepage/

“You mention cutting the budget and that sends cold chills up some politician’s spines- those that have a spine.”

“The main thing is the keep the main thing the main thing.” Fred Smith- Federal Express

“Barrack Obama has worn out three sets of knee pads praying that in 2010, conservatives will be spilt.”
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Herman Kane- former President/CEO of Godfathers-Radio Talk Show Host-http://www.hermancain.org/biography.asp

“No where in the Constitution does it authorize a Department of Happiness."

Three things we need to do to win in November:

(1) Stay connected
(2) Stay Informed
(3) Stay Inspired

“The only way we will take back our country is by education. Give people information and that allows them to connect the dots themselves.”
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Ron Paul- Congressman from Texas

“Elect those who will obey the constitution and we’re be out of this mess in no time.”

“Obama is not a socialist- he is a corporatist.”

“The most dangerous man to government is one who thinks for himself.” Henry Louis Mencken

Weekly Opinion/Editorial

VOTER FRAUD PENALTIES MAY INCREASE!
by Steve Fair

Mickey Mouse, the Disney creation born in 1928, will not be able to register to vote in Oklahoma if a bill by House Speaker Chris Benge, (R-Tulsa) and Senate Pro Temp Glenn Coffee, (R-OKC) gets through the State House and is signed by the Governor. The bill seeks to deter election and voter registration fraud. Senate Bill #1921 passed the Senate by a vote of 33-10 back on March 9th. Last week, the bill passed out of the House Public Safety Committee by a vote of 6-1 and goes to the full House. It is expected to pass the House by a wide margin. It remains to be seen if the Governor will sign the legislation. He vetoed a Voter ID bill back in April 2009.

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SB #1921 would increase the maximum punishment for felony violations of Oklahoma election law from fines of $5,000 to $50,000. It would increase the jail time from two years to five years imprisonment.

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"We have seen in recent years groups inflating the voter registration rolls with the likes of Mickey Mouse to the benefit of certain candidates," said Benge, R-Tulsa. "It is our duty to ensure the people of Oklahoma trust our election outcomes."

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The measure also adds fraudulent use of an absentee and making a false application to an absentee ballot a felony. It would also make it a felony to knowingly collect or submit voter registration forms that contain false information.

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"Clearly the current law was not enough to deter ACORN and groups like it from committing voter fraud. Our hope is that this legislation and stricter penalties will help restore voter confidence in our democratic system," said Rep. Rex Duncan, (R-Sand Spring) who presented the bill in committee. "Free and fair elections are the backbone of our democracy, and it is important that those who would deliberately and purposely sabotage the voting process be prosecuted to the full extent of the law," Duncan concluded.

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Oklahoma’s colorful political history is littered with scandals. Most Oklahomans remember the County Commissioner scandal of the 1980s, which had over 200 people indicted/convicted, and the recent McMahan/Stipe/Phipps scandal, but few remember a voter fraud scandal that rocked Oklahoma in the early 80s?

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Back in 1983, then Oklahoma State House Speaker Dan Draper and House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon- both Democrats- were convicted of vote fraud. The convictions were later overturned, but it did force Draper to leave office. Draper and Fitzgibbon were accused of mailing illegal absentee ballots in an effort to get Draper’s dad elected to the legislature.

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Debates over election fraud are not new. They have been a staple of discussions about elections and democracy in the United States for more than a century. But in recent years, issues of fraud and voting integrity have increasingly come to the forefront of public policy discussions over the health of America’s democracy. With the consistently low voter turnout rates and obstacles to citizen participation motivated various efforts to increase voter registration and turnout—efforts that in turn raised questions about voting integrity. Critics of some reforms—such as Oregon starting mail-in voting, the loosening of guidelines for absentee ballot use, and, most notably, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (also known as NVRA or the “motor voter” law)—have charged that these reforms increase the potential for voter fraud. Other frequently proposed reforms, such as Election Day Registration, continue to be criticized on the same grounds. Implemented with the pretense they will make voter registration more convenient, they also make it easier to commit voter fraud.

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Benge and Coffee have the right idea- punish those who cheat in elections by increasing the fines and jail time, but they need to take another run at Voter ID. When he vetoed the ID bill in April, Governor Henry said, “At a time when it is difficult to attract more than half of the registered voters to the polls at any given election, we must make voting easier and more convenient for registered voters, not more difficult and confusing.” How is it confusing for a voter to have to show an ID to vote? It has never been easier to cast your vote. Most elections have early in person absentee balloting which has expanded the hours to vote by twenty hours. Twenty! Mickey Mouse said, “Arithmetic is being able to count up to twenty without taking off your shoes.”

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Walt Disney famously said about his creation, “When people laugh at Mickey Mouse, it’s because he’s so human; and that is the secret of his popularity.” But he’s not human and while Mickey may be popular, if Senate bill #1921 gets signed into law, Mr. Mouse won’t be voting in Oklahoma elections because those that got him on the voter rolls will be in jail.

COURAGE AND CONSEQUENCE!
A REVIEW OF KARL ROVE’S NEW BOOK

by Steve Fair

On a recent business trip to Mexico, I read Karl Rove’s book, Courage and Consequence-My life as a conservative in the fight. The 520 page book was interesting and gave a great deal of insight into Rove. A brilliant political strategist, Rove gives some insights into how to run campaigns that is both practical and insightful. The Rovian Campaign model is one that is well thought out. Few politicos can brag they ran two successful presidential campaigns, so when Rove talks strategy anyone who is interested in the mechanics of politics should listen.

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Where Rove gets off the tracks is when he begins to deal with the multiple attacks he endured while he served in the White House. He spends page upon page recounting the incidents that is designed to convince the reader there was never any justification for any investigation into anything Rove had done.
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He spends a inordinate amount of time on the “Joe Wilson/Valarie Plame’ incident and is critical of Patrick Fitzgerald, the Special Prosecutor assigned to investigate. Fitzgerald, a Chicago Republican, has earned a reputation of being hard nosed and fair, but Rove paints Fitzgerald as a being petty.
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Rove’s total life has been politics. He started volunteering in campaigns while in high school and has never done anything else. But unlike true political activists and most volunteers, Rove has made a very good living in the political consulting industry. In reading his book, you would think he was broke. Rove says the reason he left the White House was because he needed to provide more money for his family. No one begrudges a person who wants to make an honest buck, but Rove should not have painted himself as someone who has sacrificed while being involved in politics. He gets big bucks making speeches and commenting on politics on FoxNews. He still is a highly sought out political consultant, so the poverty line rings hollow.

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Rove defends former President George W. Bush throughout the book, which is understandable because not only are they friends, but Rove has earned a pretty good living running Bush's campaigns. I do believe Bush is a principled man, but he did expand government and Rove defends that action to preserve his conservative credentials.

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The most disturbing thing in the book is near the end- page 514 where Rove quotes Barrick Obama in his book The Audacity of Hope. Rove is mentioned in Obama’s book along with Newt Gingrich, Grover Norquist and Ralph Reed as "‘conservative operatives’ who believe the fiery rhetoric of NO NEW TAXES and WE ARE A CHRISTIAN NATION."

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Rove says he never said ‘America is a Christian nation’ and goes on to detail how he confronted then Senator Obama in the White House for ‘misquoting’ him. The disturbing part is that Rove says he doesn’t believe America IS a Christian nation, but a ‘nation of faith.’ Whether the grandson of a Presbyterian minister was just trying to ‘spin’ the message to be politically correct or is intelligently lazy doesn’t matter. The majority of the fifty six signers of the Declaration of Independence would have disagreed with Rove, as well as George Washington.
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I would recommend the book for it’s ‘textbook’ on campaigns (Chapter 4), but all in all, Rove’s memoir is too self serving and detailed. Rove is a secularist whose reputation of situational ethics in politics and campaigns is not diminished by what he writes in the book.

Weekly Opinion/Editorial

OPT OUT!
by Steve Fair

President Obama signed the health care bill into law last Tuesday. The highly controversial bill squeaked by in the U.S. House in a 219-207 vote late Sunday evening. No Republican voted for the bill. The Congressional Budget Office says the president’s health care plan will reduce the deficit over 10-years’ time, but voters are skeptical of the official government projections. According to a Rasmussen poll, eighty one percent (81%) believe the health care plan will cost more than projected. Voters overwhelmingly believe passage of the plan will increase the deficit and is likely to mean higher middle class taxes.
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On Tuesday, the Oklahoma State Senate approved House Joint Resolution 1054, authored by State Senator Randy Brogdon, (R-Owasso) by a bipartisan vote of 36-11. The Joint Resolution puts a state question on the ballot in November, which would allow Oklahoma businesses to opt out of Obama Care. Brogdon called the vote on an Obama Care opt-out measure an important step toward reasserting Oklahoma’s sovereignty as a state. “Overwhelmingly, the people who have contacted my office and those of Representatives Ritz and Reynolds ((the House authors) have expressed frustration and outrage at how Congress and President Obama railroaded the American people,” Brogdon said. “HJR 1054 would give voters that opportunity to amend the Oklahoma Constitution to include the “Freedom of Healthcare Choice Act." Brogdon is vying for the Republican nomination for Governor. Brogdon’s opponents are Congresswoman Mary Fallin and Yukon businessman Robert Hubbard.
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If the voters approve JR 1054 in November, it would prohibit any law or rule from directly or indirectly compelling an employer from participating in any health care system. It would also allow employers to pay directly for health care with paying fines or penalties. It would also stipulate that the purchase or sale of private health insurance not be prohibited.
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Other states are not just placing the issue on their ballots, but their Attorney Generals are suing the federal government. The list of states includes Texas, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Utah, North and South Dakota and Washington.
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According to the new Rasmussen poll, forty-nine percent (49%) of U.S. voters favor their state suing the federal government; thirty seven percent (37%) disagree and oppose their state suing to challenge that requirement. Fourteen percent (14%) are undecided. The poll also found most voters (53%) oppose a provision in the new health care law that requires every American to buy or obtain health insurance. Just 42% favor it.
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Thus far, Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson has not joined the other A.G.s. "We will review the bill once it becomes law,” said Edmondson, who was called on Monday by Fallin and both leaders of the Republican- controlled state Legislature to take action against the bill. “We also will review the case law and we will do what’s in the best interest of the state of Oklahoma, which may be filing litigation or joining litigation that’s already been filed. It is way too early.” Edmondson continued "I’ll not be stampeded into doing something by people playing politics with this issue.” Perhaps Edmondson has learned from past experience about filing lawsuits with other states.
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Back in 2000, Edmondson joined the state of New Jersey in suing the Boy Scouts to accept homosexual leaders. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against Edmondson's position, ruling that the Boys Scouts of America had the authority to set the criteria for leadership within their organization. After the suit, three fourths of the state legislature condemned Edmondson’s action. It has widely speculated that is what kept Edmondson out of the 2002 race for Governor. He is a candidate for the Democrat nomination for Governor this year. His opponent is current Oklahoma Lt. Governor Jari Askins.
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The real question is; will the national health care bill pass constitutional muster? Randy Barnett is a Georgetown law professor and U.S. Constitutional expert who believes the bill violates the founding document. Barnett says, “A mandate requiring all individuals to purchase health insurance would be an unprecedented form of federal action. The government has never required people to buy any good or service as a condition of lawful residence in the United States. An individual mandate would have two features that, in combination, would make it unique. First, it would impose a duty on individuals as members of society. Second, it would require people to purchase a specific service that would be heavily regulated by the federal government.”
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If the health care bill is found to be constitutional, I suggest the next ‘federal mandate’ for purchase be peanut butter and jelly. Every consumer in America should be required to have at least two jars of peanut butter and jelly in their pantry at all times. That would substantially increase individual consumption and in the process, my income. You say that’s foolish, but that is what the health care mandate does- it requires businesses and individuals to purchase a product. Not only does this health care bill violate the Constitution, but it seriously erodes our individual personal liberty. Oklahomans should ‘opt out’ when the issue appears on the ballot in November and we should elect an AG who will sue the feds.

Weekly Opinion/Editorial

DISTANCE LEARNING!
By Steve Fair

Clay Christensen is an economist and teacher who coined the term- Disruptive Innovation- to describe the process that a product or service takes in moving ‘up market’ to displace more established, conventional competitors. He believes that ‘distance learning’ will eventually replace conventional education institutions, much like discount retailers(Wal-Mart) replaced conventional retailers(Sears). Christensen says when established institutions pursue only ‘sustaining innovations’ that perpetuate what has historically helped them succeed, they unwittingly open the door to ‘disruptive innovations.’ He maintains that ‘distance learning’ is one of those ‘disruptive innovations’ to conventional education.

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‘Distance learning’ is not just for college students According to a December 2009 report by a seven member Oklahoma legislative task force on ‘Internet based instruction,’ http://www.oksenate.gov/publications/issue_papers/state_govt/ok_iitf_final_report_2009.pdf 2,500 fulltime Oklahoma high school students are taking their high school classes completely online this school year. That’s up from 1,100 students last year- an increase of 163%.

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The task force cites Christensen in their report. In his book, Disrupting Class, Christensen says, “We anticipate that most of this on-line learning will occur within the schools. Teachers will be supervising, tutoring, helping and mentoring these on-line learners. Many of the activities in today's schools that provide important lessons in socialization, learning how to work with others, behaving responsibly, and so on, will continue to be done. But of the instructional component of the work in our schools, the trajectory suggests that 50% will come from on-line sources, rather than a teacher in front of the classroom, in 2019.”

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The legislative task force concluded that "we should strive to provide the best educational
experience for each student based on their individual learning styles and needs. While online learning will never replace traditional classrooms entirely, it does provide for the needs of many students to accelerate or broaden their learning experiences, as well as provide opportunities for credit recovery for students who have fallen behind."

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The legislative task force’s conclusion is much like the response that Sears had to Wal-Mart. Sears refused to recognize the ‘disruptive innovation’ the big box retailer brought to the marketplace until it was too late. By stating, ‘online learning will never replace traditional classrooms entirely,’ the task force displays the same naïve mindset of Sears. If Christensen is right that most learning will be via the Internet in ten years, then it is reasonable to expect that five years from then- 2025- the majority of formal education/learning will be via the web- from home. That’s right- homeschooling.

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Homeschooling is not a new concept. More than 2,500 years ago, Alexander the Great was taught ‘at home’ by Aristotle, who was trained ‘at home’ by Plato. Many of our early Presidents and national leaders were ‘home schooled.’ According to the US Census Bureau, over two million school age children are homeschooled in America, with that number growing at a 15-20% rate annually.
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This ‘distance learning’ presents a challenge to conventional education. According to BYI professors, Drs. Scott Howell and Peter Williams in their thesis, “32 trends affecting Distance Education," “Faculty members tend initially to try to use their conventional classroom methods to teach at a distance and then become frustrated when attempts are unsuccessful.” They also say the faculty tends to resist the change to online teaching and feel isolated. Teachers also want more money to teach classes via the net because they spend more time on their distance courses than they do on traditional courses.

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Higher education will need to train teachers proficient in written communication as well as verbal. The on-line educator will also need to be able to have strong computer skills and be less subjective and more analytical.

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The trend in distance learning could present traditional common public education with a dilemma. First, in the foreseeable future, the bulk of the educational dollar will not be spent on buses and buildings, but on bright innovative teachers who are technologically savvy. There will be less students in the classroom and more on-line. Both student and teacher will work from home and the hours of instruction may be flexible. The current model of buildings and infrastructure will be replaced by technology.

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Second, with children being ‘home schooled,’ parents would logically take more equity in what their child is studying. The options for parents in texts and courses could be more diverse. Parents may elect to procure a curriculum consistent with their educational or religious philosophy instead of using their taxpayer provided text. With the ‘start-up’ costs equal to the conventional educational institution, the options for a child’s education will be increased substantially.

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President Lincoln was our first ‘poor’ President. Before he was elected, virtually all the Presidents were fairly wealthy men with formal educations. Despite his humble beginnings and no formal education, Honest Abe had a thirst for knowledge. He is widely considered to be one of our wisest Presidents. Lincoln loved to read and would read Shakespeare by candlelight as a young boy.

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Who knows- perhaps a future President will boast they read Aristotle at home by the light of their LCD computer monitor.