Happy Constitution Day!
In the week that includes this day, September 17th, both federal law and laws in all 50 states REQUIRE that the US Constitution be taught in the public schools. Most schools ignore this requirement. When it is brought to their attention, many school actively FIGHT complying. (We can reserve for another time a discussion as to whether the federal government has the power to require this teaching -- but certainly the states do, in their publicly-funded schools.)
Be sure that YOUR children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, neighbor's children, Scouts, et cetera, get this information. There are excellent online resources and the As A Mom group has a special resources page located at this link: Read It Save It.
Spreading understanding of our Constitution is crucial: without the underpinning of the principles in the Declaration of Independence, and knowledge of how those principles were turned into civil governance BY the Constitution, all the political activity taking place can and will be twisted by those antithetical to freedom.
But we have to start earlier than politics, and even earlier than understanding the Constitution and the LIMITED federal government it created. We have to start with ourselves.
I have been watching the lead-up to the big vote (tomorrow!) in Scotland whether to stay as part of the UK or to break free. These descendants of William Wallace, who risked everything for freedom -- how will they vote? For the freedom their forebears died to obtain? Or will they remain with the UK? Despite all the rhetoric going on, a crucial point no one will speak about openly is the British welfare system. So many people in the UK live "on the dole" in one way or another -- and Scotland has always been more short of cash than the southern reaches of the island. I see the potential for a vote-by-pocketbook, where a majority of the population votes to ensure that the "free" money streaming up from the richer cities of England keeps coming. A song by the Proclaimers cries, "I can't understand why we let someone else rule our land, cap in hand." The answer is: handouts. Good luck to the Scots; whichever way they decide tomorrow there will be rancor and repercussions.
So why the segue into Scottish politics? Because the same forces are at work here. We have forgotten our Constitution. We have forgotten WHY the federal government was to be SEVERELY restricted and limited in scope. People assume government is supposed to control every aspect of their lives - and most want it so, either for their own benefit or to control others (always, of course, for "their own good" - which always leads to great evil, as I have posted before).
We have also lost civility - the ability to live together under rules of common politeness and with respect for others' wishes to live their own lives in peace. We are no longer "permitted" (i.e., we allow the severely offensive rules of "political correctness" to self-censor for fear of excoriation by thoughtless, hate-filled -- but LOUD -- people who seek control of public discourse) to hold or speak any but MSM-approved drivel-opinions without enduring censure and name-calling. We have lost respect for EVERYONE - all thugs are seen as helpless victims, reacting to the terrible (and white-patriarchy-caused) circumstances of their lives, unable to choose (because the left's "sympathy" for the poor is based on deep-seated, deeply-hidden hatred and disgust for them) to act differently. Because (the underlying assumption is) they are all eternal children who cannot grow up and can never be responsible for their own choices. Anyone wishing to protect themselves from thuggery is called hate-filled.
None of that is true.
What HAS happened is loss of understanding of those principles in the Declaration of Independence. Those principles - that all are EQUAL (in the eyes of the law, in inherent rights, and as beloved children of God), and have the right to live their own LIFE (and protect that life - else you have NO "right" to your life) in LIBERTY (free from interference by government except in matters where you infringe the rights of others by crimes), and to pursue "happiness" - which is the Platonic Ideal of excellence in your own fields of endeavor. It's ALL there, in the Declaration and the Constitution -- waiting for us to rediscover it. So that ALL people in this nation can make their lives examples of the triumph of their individual human spirits.
I will end this post with two notes from the renowned expert and scholar on the US Constitution, Publius Huldah. They are on the "Ask Questions" page of her web site (linked below) - but there are no direct links to individual responses, so you will have to dig a bit to see them in their native habitat. All emphases are in the originals.
Link to Publius Huldah's "Ask Questions" page.
From Publius Huldah's Ask Questions on September 15th (two days ago), in response to a post by "Jim":
"The Bible? What’s that?
The Constitution? Are you serious? Don’t you know the supreme Court decides what it means?
The above is what most people believe. It’s a lie – but they believe it.
Alexander Hamilton told us long ago that when federal judges usurp powers, the remedy is IMPEACHMENT! Federalist Paper No. 81 (8th para).
Members of Congress are never impeached: They may be expelled by their respective Houses. Art. I, Sec. 5, cl. 2
But Jim – the problem is not the judges or the people in Congress. The problem is WE THE PEOPLE who are so ignorant and morally blind that we elect the people in Congress, we elect the President who appoints the federal judges, and we elect the US Senators who confirm them.
Our Framers said over & over that our system depends on the American People having the virtue and intelligence to elect men of virtue and intelligence to office."
and Jim's response: "The Bible and Constitution? Therein lies the problem. It is true that the People are no longer even familiar with the Bible or the Constitution. With the Bible being removed from the schools, which previously was encouraged and contains our voting instructions, Exodus 18:21, if it were taught. The Constitution not being taught let alone our History, even common civics, the fundamental functions and operations of our local governments are not even taught, nor is there a desire to learn or be a part of. Our schools fail us on intelligence, delivering diplomas instead of knowledge. Our Churches fail us on virtues with their fear of being holy. And both fail us in wisdom? I fear our fate with this ignorance and apathy among the populace."
And me, so you needn't go look up the verse referred to in the text: Exodus 18:21 (NASB) "Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.
And more from her commentary, just yesterday, in response to "Spence" in a discussion of the (truly insidiously evil) proposal for a Convention of the States (COS):
"I know, Son. That is one of the things which is so infuriating about the COS conspirators. They actually have grass roots people believing that a convention is how THE STATES will rein in the feds. BUT THE STATES HAVE BEEN TOTALLY COMPLICIT IN THE TRANSFER OF OUR RESERVED POWERS TO THE FEDS.
The morally blind & profoundly ignorant American People elected everyone in Washington DC – or they were appointed or hired by someone whom the American People elected. Same for our corrupt State governments. Some of the brain dead people who have jumped on the convention bandwagon actually think they will elect the delegates. Of course they won’t – but even if they did, they would just elect more corrupt people to be delegates.
We are drowning in a sea of Ignorance, moral corruption, and Lies. This is not a good time to put our Constitution on the chopping block."
On this Constitution Day, 2014, may we all re-dedicate ourselves to learning our Founding Principles. And may God have mercy on us all and aid us in our efforts to restore the Constitution and the nation that He inspired.
In the week that includes this day, September 17th, both federal law and laws in all 50 states REQUIRE that the US Constitution be taught in the public schools. Most schools ignore this requirement. When it is brought to their attention, many school actively FIGHT complying. (We can reserve for another time a discussion as to whether the federal government has the power to require this teaching -- but certainly the states do, in their publicly-funded schools.)
Be sure that YOUR children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, neighbor's children, Scouts, et cetera, get this information. There are excellent online resources and the As A Mom group has a special resources page located at this link: Read It Save It.
Spreading understanding of our Constitution is crucial: without the underpinning of the principles in the Declaration of Independence, and knowledge of how those principles were turned into civil governance BY the Constitution, all the political activity taking place can and will be twisted by those antithetical to freedom.
But we have to start earlier than politics, and even earlier than understanding the Constitution and the LIMITED federal government it created. We have to start with ourselves.
I have been watching the lead-up to the big vote (tomorrow!) in Scotland whether to stay as part of the UK or to break free. These descendants of William Wallace, who risked everything for freedom -- how will they vote? For the freedom their forebears died to obtain? Or will they remain with the UK? Despite all the rhetoric going on, a crucial point no one will speak about openly is the British welfare system. So many people in the UK live "on the dole" in one way or another -- and Scotland has always been more short of cash than the southern reaches of the island. I see the potential for a vote-by-pocketbook, where a majority of the population votes to ensure that the "free" money streaming up from the richer cities of England keeps coming. A song by the Proclaimers cries, "I can't understand why we let someone else rule our land, cap in hand." The answer is: handouts. Good luck to the Scots; whichever way they decide tomorrow there will be rancor and repercussions.
So why the segue into Scottish politics? Because the same forces are at work here. We have forgotten our Constitution. We have forgotten WHY the federal government was to be SEVERELY restricted and limited in scope. People assume government is supposed to control every aspect of their lives - and most want it so, either for their own benefit or to control others (always, of course, for "their own good" - which always leads to great evil, as I have posted before).
We have also lost civility - the ability to live together under rules of common politeness and with respect for others' wishes to live their own lives in peace. We are no longer "permitted" (i.e., we allow the severely offensive rules of "political correctness" to self-censor for fear of excoriation by thoughtless, hate-filled -- but LOUD -- people who seek control of public discourse) to hold or speak any but MSM-approved drivel-opinions without enduring censure and name-calling. We have lost respect for EVERYONE - all thugs are seen as helpless victims, reacting to the terrible (and white-patriarchy-caused) circumstances of their lives, unable to choose (because the left's "sympathy" for the poor is based on deep-seated, deeply-hidden hatred and disgust for them) to act differently. Because (the underlying assumption is) they are all eternal children who cannot grow up and can never be responsible for their own choices. Anyone wishing to protect themselves from thuggery is called hate-filled.
None of that is true.
What HAS happened is loss of understanding of those principles in the Declaration of Independence. Those principles - that all are EQUAL (in the eyes of the law, in inherent rights, and as beloved children of God), and have the right to live their own LIFE (and protect that life - else you have NO "right" to your life) in LIBERTY (free from interference by government except in matters where you infringe the rights of others by crimes), and to pursue "happiness" - which is the Platonic Ideal of excellence in your own fields of endeavor. It's ALL there, in the Declaration and the Constitution -- waiting for us to rediscover it. So that ALL people in this nation can make their lives examples of the triumph of their individual human spirits.
I will end this post with two notes from the renowned expert and scholar on the US Constitution, Publius Huldah. They are on the "Ask Questions" page of her web site (linked below) - but there are no direct links to individual responses, so you will have to dig a bit to see them in their native habitat. All emphases are in the originals.
Link to Publius Huldah's "Ask Questions" page.
From Publius Huldah's Ask Questions on September 15th (two days ago), in response to a post by "Jim":
"The Bible? What’s that?
The Constitution? Are you serious? Don’t you know the supreme Court decides what it means?
The above is what most people believe. It’s a lie – but they believe it.
Alexander Hamilton told us long ago that when federal judges usurp powers, the remedy is IMPEACHMENT! Federalist Paper No. 81 (8th para).
Members of Congress are never impeached: They may be expelled by their respective Houses. Art. I, Sec. 5, cl. 2
But Jim – the problem is not the judges or the people in Congress. The problem is WE THE PEOPLE who are so ignorant and morally blind that we elect the people in Congress, we elect the President who appoints the federal judges, and we elect the US Senators who confirm them.
Our Framers said over & over that our system depends on the American People having the virtue and intelligence to elect men of virtue and intelligence to office."
and Jim's response: "The Bible and Constitution? Therein lies the problem. It is true that the People are no longer even familiar with the Bible or the Constitution. With the Bible being removed from the schools, which previously was encouraged and contains our voting instructions, Exodus 18:21, if it were taught. The Constitution not being taught let alone our History, even common civics, the fundamental functions and operations of our local governments are not even taught, nor is there a desire to learn or be a part of. Our schools fail us on intelligence, delivering diplomas instead of knowledge. Our Churches fail us on virtues with their fear of being holy. And both fail us in wisdom? I fear our fate with this ignorance and apathy among the populace."
And me, so you needn't go look up the verse referred to in the text: Exodus 18:21 (NASB) "Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.
And more from her commentary, just yesterday, in response to "Spence" in a discussion of the (truly insidiously evil) proposal for a Convention of the States (COS):
"I know, Son. That is one of the things which is so infuriating about the COS conspirators. They actually have grass roots people believing that a convention is how THE STATES will rein in the feds. BUT THE STATES HAVE BEEN TOTALLY COMPLICIT IN THE TRANSFER OF OUR RESERVED POWERS TO THE FEDS.
The morally blind & profoundly ignorant American People elected everyone in Washington DC – or they were appointed or hired by someone whom the American People elected. Same for our corrupt State governments. Some of the brain dead people who have jumped on the convention bandwagon actually think they will elect the delegates. Of course they won’t – but even if they did, they would just elect more corrupt people to be delegates.
We are drowning in a sea of Ignorance, moral corruption, and Lies. This is not a good time to put our Constitution on the chopping block."
On this Constitution Day, 2014, may we all re-dedicate ourselves to learning our Founding Principles. And may God have mercy on us all and aid us in our efforts to restore the Constitution and the nation that He inspired.
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