Wake Up NEA!
Aug. 18, 2005 at 7:38 AM
Homeschooling
The NEA wants to send Walmart back to school with a campaign called Wake Up Walmart. And encourages parents to boycott Walmart this year.
Think you just got a bargain on those rolled back prices? Think again. You may have just helped break unions and dismantle public schools.
The company has drained billions from public coffers — money that could otherwise fund schools. And the Walton family, multi-billionaires thanks to Wal-Mart and Sam's Club profits, contribute heavily to anti-public education efforts like private school voucher initiatives and anti-public educations PACs.
Couldn't the same be said about the money spent on this campaign? Shouldn't it be going to educate the children? Oops! I forgot, we're not supposed to question the teachers.
Well I'd like to start a counter campaign and call it Wake Up NEA. They are not your children. I am pro-choice in the education of my children. I believe I am free to choose where my children go to school AND where I buy their school supplies.
I hope you will join me in this campaign and buy your school supplies at Walmart this year.
YOU are in charge of your children's education NOT the NEA.
Here's an editorial in the Boston Globe written by a homeschool graduate who sees things the same way.
5 Comments and Trackbacks
posted by Boltbabe on Aug. 18, 2005 at 8:11 AM
Holy smokes! What an inane theory~ I can't believe the time people spend on issues like these. I agree with you about choice. I think boycotting should be reserved for a last resort on a large scale of something important...not where I buy my school supplies because someone else doesn't like where the company spends their money. Ridiculous. I am not a huge Wal Mart shopper, although I have access to 2 within an 11 miles radius of my home and they are building another 4 miles away...good grief, how many do we need? My reason is that they are too crowded and it takes far too long to check out. When I see 38 registers and only 5-6 open at a time, while the check out lines are down the isles, my stomach turns. That's MY choice, not anyone else's. Funny, I bought sop much in school supllies from WalMart last year, I didn't need any this year. LOL!
posted by HomesteadMama on Aug. 18, 2005 at 8:38 AM
I may just have to sashay on over to the local Wally world and pick me up a few more boxes of crayons.......
posted by PatriciaWHunter on Aug. 18, 2005 at 10:47 AM
Thanks for the links, Spunky. Very well-written articles.
We don't happen to need any school supplies at the moment, but think I'll go buy some at Wal-Mart just cuz!
These are interesting articles for discussion as we approach Labor Day. We have taught our childlren the history of labor unions, and enjoy lively discussions about them this time of the year. We tend to celebrate Labor Day by appreciating the benefits of laboring and a study on what God has to say about work.
posted by spunkyhomeschool on Aug. 18, 2005 at 11:20 AM
The labor unions are huge in the Detroit area. The teachers union and the auto workers pretty much have ownership of policy. It will be interesting to see if this takes hold around here.
What is interesting to me is how the labor unions have changed over time. I grew up around the labor unions. And they represented their workers and their interests. It seems now that they have moved beyond that scope.
posted by JenIG on Aug. 18, 2005 at 6:28 PM
I'll join your Wake Up NEA campaign... just tell me where to sign.
<hey homestead mama, let me borrow one of them crayons...>