Subject: RE: [extropy-chat] Boycott National Geographic

From: "Brian Lee" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 21 Mar 2005 15:35:56 -0500

I went to NG's site to email them my opinion on this matter and saw this in 
the Geography Bee FAQ 
(http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geographybee/faq.html):

""""""""""
2) Who can participate in the National Geographic Bee?

Bee registration is open to schools and homeschool associations with 
students in grades four through eight who are not over the age of 15 by the 
time of the national level. A student must be enrolled in a school or 
homeschool association that is registered with the Bee. Also, students of 
the eligible grade levels must be following a school schedule and academic 
course load comparable to the majority of the student's grade-mates and 
age-mates. A student may not be enrolled in more than two academic courses 
at the high school and/or college level during each school year of the 
competition. We reserve the right to disqualify a student if we believe the 
rules have not been followed.

Schools from all 50 U.S. states, the U.S. territories, and the U.S. 
Department of Defense schools participate in the National Geographic Bee. 
Students enrolled in public or private schools may not compete as part of a 
homeschool association's Bee and, conversely, students who are homeschooled 
must participate through a registered homeschool association.
"""""""""

It seems like the restriction is really around schools with less than 6 
Geography Bee participants. So it does not directly prevent homeschoolers, 
but makes it harder. There are homeschool associations that allow parents to 
group together to join stuff like this.

BAL

>From: Mike Lorrey <[email-masked]>
>To: ExI chat list <[email-masked]>
>Subject: [extropy-chat] Boycott National Geographic
>Date: Sat, 19 Mar 2005 16:47:39 -0800 (PST)
>
>I realize that most members of this list, if not all (as well as
>myself) recognise what a great resource the National Geographic Society
>is, and has been over the years. The quality of their publications and
>programming is stunning and informative. I have enjoyed their magazines
>and programs quite a bit over the years, particularly the highly
>detailed fold out maps they frequently publish in NG (no, Spike, the
>nude native girls are only an occasional feature).
>
>However, something has come to pass with NG that is really incensing
>me. NG has made it a mission to improve geographic education in the US,
>and sponsors the National Geographic Bees for school age children. Last
>years winner was a boy from the New Hampshire town of Francestown who
>happens to be homeschooled. This is not an accident, as home schooled
>children regularly take many top placements in this annual competition,
>which has helped significantly to promote the idea that homeschooling
>produces quality educated children, contrary to the bible-addled
>backwoods hick that the NEA likes to promote.
>
>This year, NG has a new rule that bans all homeschooled children from
>the Geography Bee competition. This is not just prejudiced, bigoted,
>and discriminatory, it is a violation of the 14th amendment. It is
>apparently in response to NEA pressure, which sees homeschooling and
>education vochers as a threat to its agenda to teach its
>socialist/statist ideas to all of Americas children. The NEA is
>responsible for promoting the Geography Bee in schools and influences
>buying decisions for school district purchasing of geographic education
>materials.
>
>As such I am part of a group of folks who are announcing a complete
>boycott of all National Geographic products until this policy changes.
>This means no tv programs, no magazines, no NG sponsored ecotourism,
>etc. You are encouraged to communicate your own disapproval of NGs
>actions to its leadership, which you can find a list of at:
>http://www.nationalgeographic.com/about/masthead.html
>the phone number for National Geographic headquarters is 202-857-7000.
>(Hit (3) to get the staff directory). You can email the NG with your
>own opinions of their discrimination at:
>http://www.nationalgeographic.com/community/email.html
>
>This is an issue that you can have an enormous impact on by copying the
>above text into an email to your local newspaper's "letters to the
>editor" mailbox and posting it to some of your favorite lists, fora, or
>websites. Thanks for your help.
>
>Mike Lorrey
>Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
>"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
>It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
>                                       -William Pitt (1759-1806)
>Blog: http://intlib.blogspot.com
>
>
>
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---

From: Mike Lorrey <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 21 Mar 2005 21:59:03 -0800 (PST)

--- Brian Lee <[email-masked]> wrote:
> 
> It seems like the restriction is really around schools with less than
> 6  Geography Bee participants. So it does not directly prevent
> homeschoolers, 
> but makes it harder. There are homeschool associations that allow
> parents to group together to join stuff like this.

a) many states, like NH, mandate that homeschoolers have a
'professional' teacher appointed by the parents to oversee or audit the
childs progress a  few times a year. That person also helps coordinate
the childs participation in any extracurricular activities the school
district offers (which under Title IX they can't refuse to
homeschoolers), so each homeschooler has a preexisting affiliation with
a public school system in many such states.

b) it is unconstitutional for states to compell membership in a
homeschool association. Compelled association is a first amendment
violation. Many homeschoolers do not belong to a homeschool
association, and compelling their membership in one is burdensome not
to mention unjust.

c) while NG is the sponsor, every Geography Bee is a public event at a
public venue, and therefore under the case law is a public accomodation
under the 14th Amendment. Homeschoolers cannot be excluded from public
school geography bees. The NG rules you cite create not separate teams,
but entirely segregated competitions, a 'separate but equal' status
which was ruled unconstitutional in the 1950's. Shall we start
excluding asian kids because they do well also? How about separate
competitions for black kids so their self esteem isn't damaged?

d) the separate competitions force homeschool parents to drive much
more so their kids can compete, therefore creating barriers to entry
and discouraging homeschoolers from participating.

d) the NEA has put the NG under pressure because the NEA feels
threatened by the fact that 'amateur' educators are producing better
product than the 'professionals'. They have made the NG create a
separate 'special olympics' for homeschollers so that public school
parents are not exposed to homeschoolers and their parents, where they
might learn how easy it is to homeschool and the benefits of
homeschooling to the childs academic acheivement.

Mike Lorrey

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---

From: "Brian Lee" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2005 09:38:58 -0500

While I disagree with NG's policies, I don't think it is necessarily 
targetting homeschooling specifically. It targets any small school that 
doesn't have enough participants.

While I will no longer subscribe to NG's publications because of this issue, 
I think that NG is free to create any restrictions it sees as fit. NG does 
not receive public funds and so it should be able to restrict participation 
without worrying about the 14th ammendment.

The same way I support gov't non-intervention in home school, I support 
National Geographic's right to create competitions without government 
intervention.

BAL

>Subject: RE: [extropy-chat] Boycott National Geographic
>Date: Mon, 21 Mar 2005 21:59:03 -0800 (PST)
>