Evening star., 1961-03-27

children are paying out Of
their own pockets to send
their children to school, and
are paying taxes to maintain
public schools which their
children will never use.
There are 6.5 million
students In private schools,
Is per cent of the students
in the Nation. These schools
cost the Government nothing.
However, should these schools
close down. the public schools
would be literally swamped.
Therefore, it would seem
equitable to either give
Federal aid to these schools
or concede tax exemptions
for parents of private school
children. Michael Lotus.
The "free" public school is
an enigma. Outwardly it pro-
fesses freedom for all, yet 1t
Supresses discussions on re-
ligion and the destiny of man,
and further restrictions on
freedom are sure to come.
Lest someone be quick to
correct me, one of the main
objections to aid for nom
public schools is that the
Government would have no
control over what is taught in
private schools, and that we
would have the Government
supporting Protestant Splint-
er groups, anti-God sects,
Disciples Of Satan, low pres
sure Communist groups, and
what not. What sort of an abb
surd situation have we let
ourselves get into? Who has
delegated to the Government
and the majority the right to
subvert education under the
guise Of freedom and democ-
racy and the common good?
Who dares TO use the power Of
taxation to suppress and pro-
hibit the freedom of speech,
expression and religion? Who
dares to equate freedom with
taxes for parks and roads?
Subject opinion to coer4
cion: whom will you make in
Quisitors? Fallible men: men
governed by private as well as
public reasons. And why sub
ject it to coercion? To pro-
duce uniformity. But is uni
formity desirable? No more
than Of face and stature.
(Thomas JefferSon.)
Those who begin coercive
elimination Of dissent soon
find themselves exterminat-
ing dissenters. Compulsory
unification Of opinion achieves
only the unanimity Of the
graveyard" (Justice Jackson }
Ever since Horace Mann
violated the principle of sep
aration Of church and state
by establishing unsupported
Protestant, "non-sectarian"
schools without making al
lowances for dissenters who
did not want that type of re-
ligion taught to their chill
dren, we have had difficulties.
It is this same inflexible
school support system which
threatens to break down sep
aration of church and state,
and is causing us to give up
our birthright for a mess Of
pottage. I propose a flexible
school taxation system, such
as exernpting from school
taxes those parents sending
their children to non-public
schools.
This would strike a ball
ance between the two school
systems. It would offer a
compromise solution to
Southern leaders and ensure
passage of an aid to educa-
ton bill. It would not en-
courage splinter school sys-
TENS to any great extent. It
will prevent a test of con-
stitutionality Of an education
bill discriminating against
those who support non-public
schools, that is, our really
free schools. No one would
be exempt from supporting
education.
Edmund A. Langr.
~ y M&
If giving the aid directly
to schools is truly proven un-
constitutional. why not give
aid directly to the student,
and have him pick the school
Of his own choice, as is now
done to college students? This
would be for the people and
not religion. Also. this need
not be full tuition, but o
grant to help pay for 1t.
Michael GalganO