I was a professional teacher for almost 10 years. I have been homeschooling my son (and others in co-ops) for over 6 years.

What experience in teaching and/or child development do you have which makes you so confident?

I mean, I'd never go to a thread on car repair and confidently give my opinions on that subject (while insulting those who disagreed with me), because I have no experience with car repair. The people on that thread with experience would rightfully consider me to be kind of a joke.

If you actually think that getting a teacher's credential makes one a good teacher, or if you think that what public school teachers do - managing classrooms (often multiple classrooms) of 20-30 students - is similar to what homeschooling teachers do (or that teaching is like being a doctor) then your ignorance would seem to be as great as your confidence and bigotry.

I suspect that there are other reasons your children feel sorry for kids who have to spend their days with their parents, considering their frame of reference.

Dude, if you believe that most parents can equal most teachers in classrooms, you must also believe that most parents can equal most airplane mechanics in hangers.

"Dude," if you actually believe that teaching a few kids (or even a classroom) is like being an airplane mechanic, I wonder seriously if you have any real experience as a teacher, at all. Do you?

As far as answering your points, you're rebutting positions that I haven't articulated. As I've stated several times, you're having a chat with an imaginary Bigguns.

You've talked about "concerns," haven't you? I've asked you to provide evidence to support those concerns. If you can't, that's fine, but don't pretend like you haven't voiced "concerns" (and have the guts to consider that your concerns are unfounded, as they are).

And your seeming obsession with the homosexual analogy gives me the creeps. It's likely you're a fundy and the fundy obsession with homosexuality is ubiquitous.

Well, that's easier than answering the question, which you seem loathe to do, maybe because it would force you to consider how inconsiderate your line of reasoning is.

And your intuition regarding my religious feelings are as accurate as your intuition regarding homeschooling. I'm a devoted secularist who thinks that evidence is necessary to justify a belief or a "concern."

Ah, I see you've been a teacher. Strange then, that you think teaching is as difficult or precise (or dangerous) as being an airplane mechanic, when that's just so obviously untrue to anyone who's been a teacher.

I'm glad you're admitting that your position is about your "perception," instead of evidence.

Since, and I'll say it again, there is no evidence that homeschooled kids fare worse than kids who go to private school.

I see. It's defensive, then. You think teaching is as hard as being a doctor, because you've been a teacher. That's how you identify yourself, and you think people who choose to teach their own kids can't possibly have the expertise that you have.

Well, I'm sorry you feel threatened by parents who choose to not utilize the services of public school teachers, but your simplistic thinking and bigoted, judgmental attitudes don't reflect well on your profession or yourself.

I want to say something more sophisticated and polite than, "provide some evidence to justify your "concerns" or shut the fuck up." I really do, but sophisticated comments are notoriously ineffective against bigotry.

The anti-homeschooling arguments I've seen here today are no different than fundamentist religious arguments. They are faith-based and fuel a need to judge other people.

It's not surprising, but it's always sad to see how liberals can be just as judgmental, irrational, and bigoted as conservatives.

Adios, amoebas!