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in public education brought Americans into

Homosexuality. The treatment of homosex-

regular conflict last year. Whether it was deal-

uals personally, and homosexuality in princi-

ing with prayer in public school districts,17

ple, repeatedly led to clashes between parents

accommodating the holidays of all faiths,18 giv-

and students who opposed homosexuality on

ing equal access to religious student groups,19

moral grounds and those who wanted all stu-

or teaching about the Bible,20 the friction

dents to learn about--and to tolerate--homo-

sexuality. Public schooling's mission to unite

between religious freedom and compelled sup-

diverse people came into direct conflict with

port of religion in public schools was constant.

varying moral and ethical values.

Several states--17 by our count--experienced

In Lexington, Massachusetts, conflict broke

some sort of religious conflict instigated by

out when a teacher read the book King & King

public schooling.

to second-grade students. The book is about a

prince who falls in love with another prince,

Examining Freedom's

marries him, and at the end it shows the two

Foundation

kissing.

"My son is only 7 years old," parent Robin

Wirthlin told the Boston Globe. "By presenting

As noted at the outset of this report, the

Superintendent

this kind of issue at such a young age, they're

primary argument for state-controlled, uni-

Paul Ash laid

trying to indoctrinate our children. They're

versally accessible elementary and secondary

intentionally presenting this as a norm, and

schooling is that it is essential to the nation's

bare the problem:

it's not a value that our family supports."

unity, prosperity, and freedom. However, as

"We couldn't run

Lexington Superintendent Paul Ash coun-

can be seen from the preceding discussion,

a public school

tered that the schools' obligation is to be

public schooling actually creates a great deal

inclusive and expose students to all kinds of

of conflict. In light of this, we must question

system if every

lifestyles. "Lexington is committed to teach-

the validity of the unity argument.

parent who feels

ing children about the world they live in, and

To do that, we look first at the evolution of

in Massachusetts same-sex marriage is legal."

thought driving American public education

some topic is

Moreover, Ash laid bare the heart of the pub-

over the centuries, especially the writings of

objectionable . . .

lic schooling problem: "We couldn't run a

public schooling's foremost advocates. Then,

decides their

public school system if every parent who feels

by examining the historical record of American

some topic is objectionable to them for

education, we assess the extent to which the

child should be

moral or religious reasons decides their child

education promises of these advocates were

removed."

should be removed."15

realized. Finally, we discuss whether public

schooling is truly the "foundation of our

In Utah the homosexuality debate was a lit-

democracy," or if some other force binds our

tle different from Lexington's but had the same

nation together.

roots. There, a state legislator tried to ban Gay-

Straight Alliance clubs, while club defenders

From Political Revolution to Industrial

argued that they are entitled to equal protection

America

and, hence, to have their organizations in

In the period between the Revolutionary

schools just like any other group. Conservatives

War and ratification of the Constitution, when

like Utah Eagle Forum President Gayle Ruzicka

the brand-new United States was struggling to

argued, however, that "most of the districts

don't want the clubs."16

establish a stable republic, several leading

Americans asserted that a system of public

At least eight states, including Utah,

schooling was critical for a democracy to sur-

Massachusetts, and others, suffered disputes

vive. In 1779, for instance, Thomas Jefferson

over homosexuality's treatment in the public

introduced his "Bill for the More General

schools.

Diffusion of Knowledge" in the Virginia legisla-

Religion. Though overlapping several of the

ture, which, if enacted, would have established a

other categories, the treatment of religion itself

6