An article in today’s issue of the Texas Tribune examined whether Texas legislators, especially those mean-spirited Republicans who are reportedly planning to destroy public education in Texas, send their kids to public schools. The results may surprise liberals, but they are consistent with other studies that show heartless conservatives are more likely to contribute to charity than liberals.
According to the Texas Tribune survey, Democrats are more than twice as likely to send their kids to a private school – 19% vs. 7%. Even more interesting, Democrats are five times as likely to either have no kids or have kids too young for school. That seems to confirm the stereotype of Democrats as the party of urban singles and the Republicans as the party of community and family values. Two other interesting issues are raised in the article:
- Privacy. Almost 10% of the elected officials refused to participate in the survey, usually with the explanation that the question was too invasive.
- Irrelevant. One legislator (David Bradley, Beaumont-R) said he was annoyed at the suggestion that having kids in public schools had anything to do with being qualified.
Both of those positions are indefensible, and I can’t imagine serious politicians makings those arguments to their voters. Although having kids is not a requirement for elected office, it is a qualification that American voters consider and value before making voting decisions. Life in America may be less family-oriented than in the past, but there is no danger of any other lifestyle replacing it anytime soon.
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