The statement, “Carrie went to school and look how she turned out,” should never be used…
- because we never really learn how she, in fact, turned out
- as a “pick-up” line
- to defend homeschooling
Well, actually, the answer is “all of the above,” but I was really aiming at number 3.
Here’s why.
Carrie is a fictional character in a movie
Sissy Spacek is the actress that played "Carrie"
Yes, the fictional character, Carrie, *was* a public school student and, yes, she *suffered mental anguish* as a result of her mother’s religious fanaticism, even though she was exposed to other influences outside her home; but we can’t really use her as an example during homeschool debates… because she’s not a real person.
Thank you for listening.
Was there a particular inspiration for this post?
I think blurring the lines between fantasy and reality is a constant theme of human life…hence the unquestioning belief in the fairy tales that are the basis of all religions.
Sissy Spacek is a real person though, who played another real person as a cautionary tale for what happens when “education” is provided by ignroant, abusive backward hicks at home — Coalminer’s Daughter.
From the first week of her explosion onto the American scene last summer, I thought of poor Bristol Palin as Loretta Lynn. Except I don’t think she can even sing . . .maybe her mother and she put together tell the story as one composite character, hmmm.
So it’s all good?
Poverty, abuse, etc., all encouraged by and wrapped in a blanket of religion? No problem.
Because you will become a movie star and/or famous singer? Or get to run around with your famous politician Mom?
God is great indeed. :)
(Shhhh…ignore all those other kids who suffer the same slings and arrows and never see a stage of any kind.)
Nance
Not to mention that there’s no saving someone with the stage, from all that poverty of spirit and abuse of belief.
The empty places in the heart can never be filled with fame and money — I thought most religions taught that, but damned if I am not left slack-jawed at what passes for “holy and moral” these days in America.
Daryl:
Ding, ding, ding. Why, yes, Daryl, there was a particular inspiration for this post. :D It was a debate about homeschooling that happened in real life!
Somebody used Carrie to defend homeschooling, seriously? [shudder] All the more damage to our PR, as trustworthy of teaching our own. . .
A far better example of what happens when you send good, clean, wholesome children to the US public schools would have been Grease. Just look how poor Sandy turned out. :-)
Yes, she was certainly a Girl Gone Wild of her time! :)
Teresa,
You’ve reminded me of John McCain’s “Cross in the dirt” story and Ronald Reagan’s false WWII bomber pilot story. How really, really scary that some of our most powerful leaders are quite simply delusional.
Personally I have no problem with the corrupting influences of school. High school would have been a a lot less fun without them :)
But there’s all the same influences in church. Anybody who ever knew a PK (preacher’s kid) knows that! ;-)
Ever hear Hitchens talk about how much “church” there was in his British schooling btw?
“Search the scriptures!”