Children's Boot Camp for the Culture Wars

The latest documentary from the makers of the Boys of Baraka, with some scary stuff -- not only for "extreme liberals" but for anyone who cares about the constitution...

“Extreme liberals who look at this should be quaking in their boots,” declares Pastor Becky Fischer with jovial satisfaction in the riveting documentary “Jesus Camp.” Ms. Fischer, an evangelical Christian, helps run Kids on Fire, a summer camp in Devils Lake, N.D., that grooms children to be soldiers in “God’s army.”

These schools/camps sound just like the madrassas in the Middle East.

Those of us who support voucher programs need to have a clear answer for the inevitable question that opponents will raise (as Hillary Clinton did a few months ago) about making sure that vouchers don't go to schools that teach this kind of stuff (this woman, Becky Fischer, would no doubt expand her camps into schools if there were money for it).  I'm a big believer in giving parents the right to choose the best school for their child, but draw the line WAY before we get to using taxpayer money to send children to schools like this.

The answer is fairly simple and, as best I understand it, is in fact in place in every voucher program: vouchers can only be used at accredited schools (I'm not familiar with state-by-state accreditation standards, but assume that a Becky Fischer madrass would not be able to get accredited).

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Children’s Boot Camp for the Culture Wars

By STEPHEN HOLDEN

Published: September 22, 2006

http://movies2.nytimes.com/2006/09/22/movies/22camp.html

“Extreme liberals who look at this should be quaking in their boots,” declares Pastor Becky Fischer with jovial satisfaction in the riveting documentary “Jesus Camp.” Ms. Fischer, an evangelical Christian, helps run Kids on Fire, a summer camp in Devils Lake, N.D., that grooms children to be soldiers in “God’s army.”