Shades of gray

I've spent more time in my kitchen and out in the snow than online, but I've tried to do some catching up while waiting for batches of cookies in the oven.

I was surprised, and I gather I wasn't the only one, by the recent New York Times article, "Huckabee Draws Support of Home-School Families", not because the reporter made it sound as if most home schoolers support the Huckabee candidacy, but because he made it sound as if most American home schooling families are Republican and evangelical Christians. And as if the HSLDA speaks for most American home schoolers, and as if it should be speaking on anything other than its own method of home schooling. Which it shouldn't. But I digress.

Of course, I've also read a fair amount online about libertarian home schoolers for Ron Paul, and Mormon home schoolers for Mitt Romney. Though I haven't read much about home schoolers voting for the only candidate who is actually home schooling -- John Edwards.

For the record, I'm the only one in this household eligible to vote in next year's U.S. election; and yes, I envy my all-Canadian husband, who has one less thing to think about next year; though we may be facing a Canadian federal election, too, in which case we're probably going to vote for different parties, which throws that family unity business mentioned in The Times out the window. I'm a registered Democrat (I started off as an Independent in college but wanted to vote in the primaries when I moved back to NY), would have voted Independent in 1980 had I been old enough, have never voted Republican, and based on the current slate don't plan to start now. I'd sooner vote for Santa Claus than any of the Republican candidates. Some of the Democratic ones, too, come to think of it; and no, I'm not swayed by moneyed talk show hosts either. I also tend to think that the best and brightest stay far, far away from politics, especially the nasty and expensive business of Presidential politics, and don't blame them a bit. So what we get tends to be the wealthy middle to bottom of the barrel. I seem to remember a number of people like that from my college days, and can't say I'd want any of them taking care of my legal or health matters, let alone in the White House.

Of all the issues facing Americans, and North Americans, a candidate's thoughts on home schooling are at the very bottom of my long list. Below, say, where he or she stands on gardening. Unless that gardening is somehow related to the Farm Bill. But that would make things complicated, wouldn't it? And we can't have complicated.