Using what you pay for- paying for what you use
I was recently drawn into a debate in the comments on another blog. The author was telling the story of his son who has Asperger's Syndrome. In relating his experiences he mentioned that his son is enrolled in a public school for kids with special needs. This was latched onto as hypocrisy by some commenters. I think this is a gross misunderstanding of reality by people who simply do not wish to understand, so here is my two cents' worth.
I have no objection to people using what they pay for. You and I are forced to pay for public schools whether we use them or not. This is similar to the situation with government roads. You pay for them, and in the case of roads, it is impossible to avoid them, so there is no hypocrisy in using what you pay for.
Welfare involves people using things they didn't pay for. Things that other people were forced to pay for. This is not what the author was involved in. Not by a long shot.
The hypocrisy is in pretending that it is OK to have a government monopoly, or to force people to pay for something twice if they wish to use an available private option. Opting out of the government "option", including not paying for it if you choose to not use it, should always be allowed.
There is nothing carved in stone saying that using public schools is against the Libertarian Commandments. I do not think public schools are the best choice for educating your children, and in many (or most) cases I think they are even abusive. However, as long as you are being forced, at gunpoint, to pay for these schools, it is your choice to use them with a clear conscience. Until you notice your children are being harmed; then the game has changed
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The Albuquerque man who admitted murdering a couple (that's two people) on March 7th has been indicted on 17 charges. This is stupid, wasteful, and ridiculous on a scale only possible under government. Forget everything except the two murder charges and save some of that stolen "tax" loot for other things. This is what happens when you get to spend money you didn't have to earn. Just another reminder that there needs to be a separation of court and state.
