The Romeikes’ Fight for Freedom
Last week, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against
the Romeike family, German Christian homeschoolers who immigrated to the United
States seeking asylum because of threats of crippling fines and potential loss
of custody of their children by the German government. The Romeikes’ crime: choosing to homeschool
their children, according to their Christian principles.
Originally, a judge granted the Romeikes asylum. However, the Obama Administration sprang into
action. The U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement challenged the ruling, which was overturned by the Board of
Immigration Appeals in 2012. The Sixth
Circuit upheld that decision, and the legal battle continues, potentially all
the way to the Supreme Court.
The plight of the Romeike family leads me to two conclusions:
1) Germany really hasn’t changed all that much since the days of the Third
Reich, and 2) The devastating effects of the Obama presidency will be deeper
and longer lasting than many of us had hoped.
These are rather bold claims, and may seem a bit unfair, so I will
explain what I mean.
To be fair to the German government, the law against
homeschooling was enacted in 1918, before the rise to power of Adolph
Hitler. However, the corruption of the
youth by the government was central to the culture of the Third Reich. The Nazis knew many people opposed their
ideology, but through the schools and through compulsory participation in the Hitler
Youth, they figured they could steal the minds of the young and transform
society completely inside of one generation.
Now, in 2013, Germany still hasn’t learned its lesson. Parental rights are still being usurped by
the government. And given the recent
attempt to outlaw circumcision in Germany, which had many people concerned
about the return of institutional anti-Semitism, the continued demand that families
follow government direction with their children’s education, should make every
parent shiver. The ludicrous
consequences for defying this unjust law (potential loss of custody) show just
how out of control the government is, regarding this policy.
Facing all this, the Romeike case for asylum would seem like
a slam dunk to most people. It was to
Judge Lawrence Burman. But not to the
Obama administration. I understand that
Mr. Obama may not have personally filed the challenge, but if we stop the buck
where President Truman suggested, this travesty is a reflection of his
administration.
At a time when the government is looking the other way at
countless illegal immigration cases from Latin America, they go full force
against a Christian family from Germany who has followed American legal policy
at every step. I am not attempting to
comment on illegal immigration in general, but it seems to me that there is a
double standard being applied. Is there
a reasonable explanation as to why?
Perhaps.
But regardless, it concerns me that our government can not stand
up for the basic rights of a family that simply wants to raise their children
according to their religious beliefs. I
understand there may be complicated relations with a foreign government, but if
people can not turn to the United States of America for sanctuary from
persecution, where in this world can they go?
We have heard some scary statements recently regarding who
children really belong to. I will not
put those statements in the mouths of anyone in the Obama administration, but
to those of us who believe in parents’ rights, the Romeike case should be a
wake-up call to remain ever vigilant.
We also need to support the Romeike family. First, please pray for them. Next, let’s write our Congressmen and get
their story out there. Perhaps with enough
pressure, and God’s Grace, we can force a change in their situation.
