My love for the sport and science of weightlifting developed my fondness for bodybuilding, and especially its icon, Arnold Schwarzenegger. I try to remember Arnold as the great hero of a sport before the full-time use of drugs transformed the winning physiques from classically-sculpted men to huge, vein-popping, belly-bloated monsters. So my soft spot for Arnold usually excuses - or ignores - his political transgressions. However, I was happy to see Arnold speak up on and defend homeschooling. On Friday, "the California Court of Appeals issued a ruling in a juvenile court proceeding that declared that almost all forms of homeschooling in California are in violation of state law. (Private tutoring by certified teachers remains an option.) Moreover, the court ruled that parents possess no constitutional right to homeschool their children." The threat from those with the force of government on their side is that continued homeschooling on the part of parents can lead to the removal of children from the home.

Justice H. Walt Croskey, whose opinion was joined by two other judges, then ordered: "Parents who fail to [comply with school enrollment laws] may be subject to a criminal complaint against them, found guilty of an infraction and subject to imposition of fines or an order to complete a parent education and counseling program."

"The question [now] is whether it's going to be enforced," said Dacus. He said criminal infractions could involve fines or community service, and civil penalties could involve parental counseling.

But he said the California legislature has adopted "education neglect" rules that could be used "as grounds for the removal of a child from a family." Such cases usually are handled in juvenile court and by social services agencies.

Schwarzenegger formally declared opposition to this Nazi tactic and he has vowed to fight the ruling and protect those peaceful, independent people who believe that they have a right to direct and perform the education process for their own children. (Imagine the gall!)