German Homeschoolers Granted Political Asylum
Jan 27, 2010 | Filed Under: In the News,Parenting News | Tags: Education, International
A German couple who fled to Tennessee so they could homeschool their children was granted political asylum yesterday by a U.S. immigration judge.
The best part of their new homebase: Only a short car ride to DOLLYWOOD!
The decision clears the way for Uwe Romeike (roh-MY-kee), his wife and five children to stay in Morristown, Tenn., where they have been living since 2008. Romeike says his family was persecuted for their evangelical Christian beliefs and for homeschooling their children in Germany, where school attendance is mandatory. (I bet Ali Lohan is relieved she doesn’t live there.)
When the Romeikes wouldn’t comply with repeated orders to send the children to school, police came to their home one October morning in 2006 and took the children to school. German state constitutions require children to attend public or private schools and parents can face fines or prison time if they don’t comply. As Romeike did: the couple was fined the equivalent of about $10,000 over a two-year period.
“We didn’t pay it all because we couldn’t,” he said. “We went to court and tried to fight against it, without success.”
The U.S. government can appeal the asylum ruling. A spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement declined to comment in an e-mail.
Romeike said in an interview that when his oldest children were in public schools they had problems with violence, bullying and peer pressure.
“I think it’s important for parents to have the freedom to chose the way their children can be taught,” Romeike said.
Yeah, I suppose. But to willingly leave a country where — be still, my beating heart — beer and soft pretzels are considered a perfectly good breakfast…? I can’t imagine ANYTHING trumping that.
Phil
says:
This discussion shows that typical anti-American prejudices in Europe are totally right. Once again the Americans behave arrogant, considering theirselves as the ideal democracy. A state that shows totalitarian tendencies e.g. with its intelligences wants to blame a Europe state for religious persecution. Many Europeans think that the US are fanatically and ridiculously Christian and this case only lets us think we’re right.
February 1st, 2010 at 2:16 am -We Germans have our system and it is good for stopping indoctrination and totalitarism. You might think that your system is better and it’s your right to think so, but it is unacceptable to insult the German system just because it doesn’t fit with your fanatic ideology.
phil
says:
This discussion shows that typical anti-American prejudices in Europe are totally right. Once again the Americans behave arrogant, considering theirselves as the ideal democracy. A state that shows totalitarian tendencies e.g. with its intelligences wants to blame a Europe state for religious persecution. Many Europeans think that the US are fanatically and ridiculously Christian and this case only lets us think we’re right.
February 1st, 2010 at 2:26 am -We Germans have our system and it is good for stopping indoctrination and totalitarism. You might think that your system is better and it’s your right to think so, but it is unacceptable to insult the German system just because it doesn’t fit with your fanatic ideology.
And this is by far one of the most stupid things I’ve ever heard an American to say:
“We can’t expect every country to follow our constitution (…)The world might be a better place if it did.” (Judge Burman)
Actually, the whole of Europe is laughing about the US-system which is considered to be savage and by far not as tolerant and modern as the European ones are.