Discrimination in Head Start

[proud2BlibKansan]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/28/opinion/28wed4.html

September 28, 2005

Discrimination in Head Start

House Republicans have an alarming plan for Head Start, the early
childhood program for some of the nation's most impoverished children
and their families: They want to give religious groups that sponsor
local Head Start programs license to discriminate by not hiring
otherwise qualified individuals who do not share a particular religion.

Last week, the House voted 220 to 196, mostly along party lines, for
this smashing of constitutional and civil rights protections by tagging
it onto an otherwise positive Head Start bill that unanimously cleared
the House education committee last May. Sponsored by Representative John
Boehner, Republican of Ohio, and backed strongly by the White House, the
amendment would allow for the purging of caring and effective teachers
on the basis of their religion. Parents who subscribed to a different
faith than the religiously affiliated sponsor could be disqualified as
classroom volunteers.

This move seems solely designed to placate the Republicans' right-wing
base. Many religiously affiliated groups participate in Head Start
programs, but they are not among those clamoring for a religious
exclusion from the antidiscrimination requirements, which have been part
of the program for decades.

In recent years, the Senate has blocked similar attempts by House
Republicans to make discrimination based on religion an official feature
of publicly financed programs. In the name of preserving the
Constitution, and the successful Head Start program, it must do so
again. The program serves fewer than half of all eligible children, so
what it needs is more money, not religious discrimination

[jaxx]

1. And there you have faith-based initiatives.

Which you and I pay for, discrimination and all. If this gets by, we'll be seeing more of it soon. I don't like my money spent on discrimination......anywhere.


By Executive Order, effective immediately, each of the following Cabinet agencies will create its own Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives to work in tandem with the White House OFBCI, to make federal grants available to Faith-Based and Community Initiatives nationwide.

Cabinet Centers for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives:
Department of Health and Human Services;
Department of Housing and Urban Development;
Department of Labor;
Department of Justice; and
Department of Education.
http://www.faithbasedcommunityinitiatives.org/

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. At least the NY Times sees the problem with this.

[goclark]

2. Surprise! Surprise!

1,2,3 NO!

GW Bush has got to go!!!


Don't mess with Head Start, NO!!!

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Oh I wish I could say I am surprised