In an age when too many people would rather quietly sit and allow others to dictate in order to avoid a conflict, showing your children how to stand up for values becomes more and more important. When you homeschool your kids, you are already going part of the way. Society, and many of our families, tells us that homeschooling is abnormal and does not allow our children to “learn societal norms.” As homeschooling families we intentionally choose to raise our children outside those norms because we do not agree with them. We make a stand locally. But often we are quiet when other issues come up that violate our principles and values. We fear reprisal for voicing our opinion even more because we homeschool and we wish to protect our family. Part of us wants to pass unnoticed through life so that we can fulfill our most important mission: to raise and educate our children without government or societal influence.
But we need to speak. For years I have tried to suppress my husband’s desire to speak. Fortunately, I was not often successful. And today I think that I need to support and encourage him, though.
Yesterday I learned about a man named Elijah Lovejoy who stood as an abolitionist and a Presbyterian minister against repeated attacks by pro-slavery mobs during the time of the Missouri Compromise. He penned a letter that really spoke to me:
“In the “Observer” of Thursday, I shall come out, openly, fearlessly, and as I hope, in such a manner as becomes a servant of Jesus Christ when defending His cause. And whatever may be the consequences I think, I trust, that through the grace of God, I am prepared to meet them – even unto death itself. My friends are trembling, my enemies – numerous and influential – are open and fiercer in their threats, but I can truly say I was never more calm. I have fasted and prayed. I have earnestly sought the path of duty and think, I am assured, that I have found it and now I am determined that not all the fury of men or devils shall drive me from it. Yet you need not be disappointed to hear that I have fallen a victim, at least to the lash or the tar barrel. If they content themselves with whipping, I shall not run until I have been whipped as often, at least, as Paul was – eight times.”
Sadly, by continuing to write in the Observer (his newspaper) and continuing to fix press after press after it was crushed or burned by pro-slavery mobs, Elijah Lovejoy was shot not long after writing this letter and the printing press was thrown on his body and both were burned. But at the time John Quincy Adams noted that Elijah’s death caused a shock felt around the world. It helped to cement people’s courage and willingness to stand for their values.
What our children need to understand that you may not prevail as an individual, but losing your conscience by betraying your values through silence is worse than death and silence allows your society to succumb to the will of progressives. And that is a history lesson worth teaching.
