Exactly. We are seeing the end result of bifurcated media, and a populace which prefers it that way.

I am easy come easy go on how equality in rights are given. Granted, if i were gay, i may feel i wanted to be able to marry. On that point i am pretty ambivalent. I am not ambivalent about the rights of partners is gay couples. I think they should be viewed equally to those of straight couples.

With respect to religious education and the public school system. I find the argument that they are taught things they disagree with and therefore might be able to opt out, as idiotic as the argument parents who pay for private school's make that they pay twice. They do. By choice.

I mean, lets be honest, setting aside perhaps sex ed, the big thing they might object to is the teaching of evolution. I object to people bei g stupid but if you want to teach your kids about the earth being created in 7 days, the arc, a manger in bethlehem, knock yourself out, find a private school and pay for it. We do not pay taxes to educate our own off spring specifically, we pay them as a societal reaponsibility to educate everyone collectively (i know, i am a communist). If you do not like the curriculum, or want to pay for a different type of service you are free to do so but it does not waive the collective responsibility to pitch in together

Societal responsibility to educate everyone collectively. Sounds like a control mechanism. Like the public teacher school unions. It didn't take long for you to get angry and start calling people stupid. So much for only supporting core functions of government. Why should it matter that some independent schools don't teach evolutionary theory as fact? There is not evidence the children who graduate from these schools don't do well academically in subsequent studies nor that they are not good citizens. If the goal of a school is to educate students shouldn't good outcomes be enough? I wouldn't have a problem with my local Christian, muslim school, jewish school or any other independent school as long as they are not teaching students to persecute others. I don't feel the need to control what philosophically they teach. But it seems to me you do. Modern liberalism seems to me to be about control.

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They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot