I have in mind a post on the education of the Founders as well as their views on education, something in line with the fact that Raising Patriots is an effort at self-education, for us and for our posterity. But before we dive into subjects like that, I thought I should explain why I decided to start this blog now, rather than, say, a couple of years ago. What motivated me, indeed moved me, to launch it when I did?
One reason is that my twelve-year-old son has, for the first time, a class on American history. My son is immensely important to me, and I want him to have the best education possible. He’s had a great history education to this point, having already been introduced to Hebrew, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Middle Ages, and Renaissance/Reformation era history. But now American History is in his curriculum. As his father, I wanted to be able to supplement what he receives in school, so I began doing some research, listening to lectures online, finding original sources, reading books, and so on. And basically, what I found is that there is so much more depth to the subject than I was ever taught while in public school, or at university. So along the way of looking out for my son, I discovered important truths that I believe others should know and would want to know. This all came about during the last few months.
But the second reason is that, while I understood for a long time that there have been problems with our government, I never realized the degree to which our government has betrayed the trust of the American people. Republicans and Democrats, for years and years, have not just screwed up a lot of things through inefficiency, unintended consequences, and occasional corruption. They have not just increased the burden on American citizens through excessive taxation. They have not just played a hand in wrecking the economy and putting a lot of people out of work in the process. Those hurt, certainly, but the injury is not restricted to just those things. No, over the years our federal government also trampled on the very Constitution which they swore to protect and uphold, and that is a very real and significant threat to our Liberty and to the long-term viability of our Nation.
Like many Americans, I had a certain level of trust in those who were elected to office. And, like most Americans, there is a lot going on in my life already, between family, church, and work, as well as other interests I want to pursue. So whatever energy I can channel to those instead of the realm of politics, I am grateful to have. And these two things together gave rise to the naïve assumption that we were “safe enough” in the hands of our elected officials, so that we only had to pay attention to a small number of “hot button” issues whenever the need arose.
This administration changed my mind.
Our new President arrived on the scene right after the housing fiasco and subsequent $700B bailout. With the support of his party, he rushed a mammoth stimulus bill through the Congress, complete with nine thousand earmarks (which he said he didn’t approve of during his campaign). Let’s just say that this got my attention.
Next came the bailouts of the auto industry giants, GM and Chrysler. The President fired the management at GM.
Then came the attempt at Cap-and-Trade, which would regulate industry production of greenhouse gases through new standards and a huge compliance bureaucracy.
And the big one that has so many Americans riled, government-mandated health care.
Then there were other things, like the White House involvement (along with the NEA and Serve.gov) in a conference call obviously intended to influence artists, encouraging the artistic community (at the behest of a grant-providing government bureau) to devote its creative talents to the promotion of administration agenda items. Also, newspapers requested bailouts, and the President is open to the idea. Bills are under way in both the House and the Senate to make “selected” newspapers — one of the traditional, primary sources of independent political news, analysis, and opinion for our society — tax-exempt.
Add in a large number of unaccountable, unvetted Czars, 25,000 new federal employees since December 2008, and possible Presidential control over the Internet, for good measure.
Let me be clear: President Obama is by no means unique in expanding government power beyond Constitutional bounds; it is just that he, along with the 2009 Congress, have picked up that ball and run with it as fast as possible. By doing so, they have accomplished far more than just stirring up the normal partisan, right vs. left reaction; they have reawakened a uniquely American spirit, a spirit that they do not themselves understand. One might even say a Jeffersonian spirit.
Thomas Jefferson once wrote, “The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield & government to gain ground.” I believe Jefferson. Our government is gaining ground, and our liberty is at stake.
Why now? Now you know.
