The Rise of Government 'Privileges"

USA Today ran a story about how some public school districts are trying to enforce year round conduct standards on their students. The current target of these conduct contracts are students involved in extracurricular activities. You can be sure that the rest will soon follow. What bothers me about public schools enforcing conduct standards (some of the prohibited conduct is not illegal, BTW) is that you have to sign one in order to participate in extracurricular activities. School administrators justify this intrusion into students private lives by the "it's a privilege, not a right" mantra. Every adult who drives has no doubt heard that driving is a privilege and not a right. The first time you hear that, it's slightly shocking, since not being able to drive in America is basically a condemnation to poverty (unless you live in Manhattan or have a chauffeur).

However, the privilege argument begins to fall apart when over zealous school administrators try to apply it to public schools which are funded by public taxes. Driving can be seen as a right because as a citizen, I don't have to do it. I could opt to not buy a car, not get a driver's license, not pay insurance, etc. However, as a minor in America, I can't opt out of school attendance. As a property owner in the US, I cannot opt not to pay my property taxes which fund the schools and their extracurricular activities. So what kind of privilege are we talking about where I have to pay for it but the government can require me to give up my constitutional rights in order to take advantage of it? Using this logic, the fire department could tell me that their pumping water on my burning home is a privilege and not a right, and If I really want that privilege, I better sign their contract saying I'll be good 24 hours a day (and they define what 'good' is) and perhaps wax their cars while I'm at it.

It won't be long before an unelected government administrator tries to convince us that corruption free government is a privilege, not a right.

What will you be willing to give up to get it?