More on National Public School Choice Week: Huppenthal is language-challenged

by David Safier

I've already noted that Huppenthal is history-challenged when it comes to the Founding Fathers' mixed record concerning slavery — they often condemned slavery in principle while benefiting from it in practice. (And, amazingly, Michele Bachmann did Hupp one better — or one worse, as the case may be.)

It turns out Hupp is language-challenged as well. Here he is saying yet again that private schools are public schools.

"I consider these (private school) students to be public students and part of the public school system," [Huppenthal] explained. "Our obligation to educate these kids extends to all of them."

This retired English teacher doesn't even need Dr. Word to help him out here. The fact that private schools educate members of the public doesn't make them public schools, anymore than Walmart is a public market because it sells to the public — or an exclusive private golf club is a public club because its wealthy members are part of the public. When you broaden the definition of "public" that far, the words "private" and "public" lose their meanings.

For Hupp's history problems, I recommend he enroll in an Ethnic Studies course. For his problems with the English language, I recommend one of the following: a refresher course in language usage; a refresher course in political morality; a listening tour where he sits quietly and listens to what intelligent people who don't agree with him have to say.