Government and Education
Document 029.28.1.0.....#51...Government and Education.
Subject: Government and Education.
Date: 29 April, 2002 2:13 PM
Government and Education
Public schools . as American as apple pie. Or are they? From the mid-1600s
to the mid-1800s, public schools were quite rare. One in three of America's
Founders had just a few months or less of formal schooling. Yet, they were
well educated - largely at home. When public schooling became more common,
it was local with parental oversight. Quality? Take a look at any
McGuffey Reader, then in wide usage. Their content puts today's school
curriculum to shame.
Recently, over 500 college seniors from 55 top schools took a
high-school-level American history test . four
out of five scored a "D" or worse! None of the colleges even require
American history to graduate. This is the
educational system into which the federal government pumps many billions of
your tax dollars each year.
Wasting cash is bad, but subverting young minds is far worse. "Free
education for all children in public schools" -- a quote from the U.S.
Constitution? No. It's the 10th plank of The Communist Manifesto! Control of
education is key for totalitarians. Castro's "school" quickly resumed
indoctrinating Elian. When Vietnam fell,
independent thinkers were sent to re-education camps. America's youth are
today targeted by radical federal
Pavlovian programs.
Our freedoms cannot survive a dumbed-downed citizenry. A first step in
restoring quality education is to
boot out the federal bureaucrats. Your congressman must oppose any bill that
permits federal meddling in our schools. America can again become a land of
informed, moral people by returning education to its free-market roots.
The Abolitionists are still among us, raging as roaring lions. The goal is
now to abolish history, specifically, the history of the Southern
Confederacy. Abolitionists, better than many Christians, understand the
importance of symbols. So every symbol and vestige of heritage of the Old
South must be abolished. Hence the Confederate battle flag must go, along
with the statues of Confederate heroes, the street names honoring such
heroes, and the memories of the Confederacy.
The Abolitionists tried to reeducate and reprogram the South. One hundred
plus years of controlling government schools and imposing Yankee-fied
textbooks on students has failed. Twelve bold Southern scholars and poets
proclaimed that failure in the classic book, I'll Take My Stand. The high
school boys who yearned for pickup trucks and deer season never read that
book; but, thankfully, they didn't bother to read the textbooks either. Hank
Williams, Jr.'s song "If the South Had Won, We'd Have Had It Made" and
Charlie Daniel's "The South's Gonna Do It Again" did more to fortify
Southern school boys in trusting the "fierce pull of blood" (to quote
William Faulkner) than the schools did in erasing memory and heritage. The
flags went on the license plates and baseball caps and the battle raged on.
Rev. Ben House
Martin Barker replies to a student Dear Crystal;
SOUTHERN HERITAGE:
Webster defines Heritage as: "1. Something inherited; inheritance;
birthright." Webster defines Southern as: "1. Of or relating to ... the
south. 2. n. A native of the south, esp. U. S., of the South.
What descendants of Southern ancestors have inherited or have claim to are
moral standards of chivalry forever gone from our modern society at large.
It encompasses a time when a man's word was as good as a binding contract.
This inheritance denotes a duty of loyalty beyond ones personal comfort or
gain. Loyalty, even when the cost might entail forfeiture one's life.
Duty was cherished as an example of being a part of Southern culture. Men
and Women were expected to not only follow the examples set by their
forefathers, but to love those examples and pass them on to their children.
After the War of Northern Aggression, while the South laid in ruins and
personal fortunes were totally destroyed along with all the infrastructure
of the Confederacy, all that remained was a spirit that no aggressor could
take or destroy. These same men and women who so valiantly defended their
homes and way of life were forced to call upon God and reserves of personal
perseverance to rebuild their homes without benefit of Federal handouts or
constructive intervention. The intervention that did come was under the
auspices of "Reconstruction," which was little more than the aggressor
keeping his heel on the neck of the vanquished. That act coupled with the
war itself, possibly cemented the resolve of spirit you see today in those
of us who revere our heritage.
This spirit then was our inheritance! It is a spirit of independence and
self determination that was bred from the beginning of the Union and
carefully worded in the Constitution of The United States. It is this spirit
that many today resent, and some seek to destroy.
The relics of "The Old South," specifically the Confederate Battle Flag and
Confederate monuments, stand as a memorial and reminder of that spirit to
those of us who celebrate our Confederate ancestors. Those who do not share
this heritage find those reminders repulsive. Many of them, instead of
accentuating the positive side of their own heritage, seek to destroy ours.
So, Crystal, our Southern Heritage is pride, spirit and humility. Pride in
that our forefathers stood up to tyranny, spirit in that although defeated
in battle their spirit was not broken and we are still willing to stand up
to tyranny, and humble in that living in an occupied nation (The Confederacy
was a Nation) we submit ourselves to the service of the well being of the
reunified Union. I hope this helps you in some small way. Martin Barker
Lincoln's war destroyed the original constitutional relation between the
states and the federal government. His own defenders say so in spite of his
explicit, clear, and consistent professed intent to "preserve" that
relation.
The Civil War wasn't just a victory of North over South; it was a victory
for centralized government over the states and federalism. It destroyed the
ability of the states to protect themselves against the destruction of their
reserved powers.
Since the Constitution doesn't forbid the states to secede, the North found
it necessary to violate the Constitution in order to suppress Southern
independence. Lincoln was forced to usurp legislative powers by raising
troops and money and by suspending the writ of habeas corpus; when Chief
Justice Roger Taney ruled such acts unconstitutional, Lincoln wrote an order
for Taney's arrest! He never followed through on that, but he did illegally
arrest 31 antiwar members of the Maryland legislature and install a puppet
government. [He caused to He went on to crush freedom of speech and press
throughout the North. Such was Lincoln's idea of "preserving the
Constitution" and "government of the people, by the people, for the people."
Joseph Sobran
The Enumerated Powers and Duties. The very first sentence of the first
Article of the Constitution states: "All legislative powers herein granted
shall be vested in a Congress of the United States." Neither the president
nor Supreme Court justices can make laws- except by usurpations tolerated by
Congress. The legislative power, together with the power of the purse, makes
Congress the most powerful [if they are not gutless as ours now appear to
be] of the three branches of the federal government.
Congressional Powers.
Many, but not all, of the powers of Congress are contained in Article I,
Section 8. The full list, including the law-making powers, follows: >Levy
Taxes. >Borrow money on the credit of the United States. >Declare war.
>Spend when authorized by an appropriations bill. >Pay the federal debts.
>Constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme
Court. >Coin Money. >Raise armies, a navy, [and now an air force] and
provide for the common defense. >Control the postal system. >Establish
federal courts lower than the Supreme Court. >Standardize the value of
currency. >Call a convention on the application of two-thirds of the states.
>Override presidential vetoes. >Regulate interstate and foreign commerce.
>Regulate patents & copyrights. >Make its own rules and discipline its own
members. >Establish bankruptcy laws. >Fill a vacancy in the presidency in
cases of death or inability. >Conduct a census every ten years. >Provide for
punishment of counterfeiting, piracy, treason, and other federal crimes.
>Standardize weights & measures. >Introduce constitutional amendments and
choose the mode of ratification. >Est laws governing citizenship. >Limit the
appellate jurisdiction of the federal courts, including the Supreme Court.
>Est uniform times for elections. >Exercise exclusive jurisdiction over the
District of Columbia. >Receive electoral votes for the presidency. >Oversee
all federal property and possessions. >Keep & publish a journal of its
proceedings. >Initiate all bills for raising revenue (House only!). >Approve
treaties, cabinet-level appointments, and appointments to the Supreme Court
(Senate only!)
>Impeach (House only) and try (Senate only) federal officers.
These are the powers of Congress; there are no non-enumerated powers.
Leaving nothing to interference, the Constitution even specifies that
Congress may pass laws "necessary and proper" for executing its specified
powers. Congressmen [Senators and Representatives] have simply to study
and apply the Constitution in order to restore sound government. That most
fail to do so is not the fault of the Founders, but of the people who elect
the Congressmen and send them to Washington.
Informed constituents should always evaluate how their U.S. representative
and senators vote in light of the constitutionally authorized powers of
Congress. They should use this knowledge not only to apply informed pressure
on their congressmen but to inform and activate their fellow citizens.
Executive Powers.
The powers of the presidency follow >Appoint Supreme Court justices and
other federal judges (subject to Senate confirmation). >Execute federal
laws. >Convene &/or adjourn sessions of Congress under extraordinary
circumstances. >Conduct foreign affairs. >Appoint cabinet-level officers
(subject to Senate confirmation). >Veto b
ills. >Temporarily fill vacancies that may occur during the recess of
Senate. >Grant pardons and reprieves to federal offenders. >Recommend
measures to Congress to consider. >Report to Congress on the state of the
union. >Serve as commander in chief of the armed forces. >Commission U.S.
military officers. >Make treaties (subject to Senate confirmation).
Judicial Powers.
The power of the federal Judiciary is limited to judging: >all cases
arising under the Constitution, federal laws, and treaties; >all cases
affecting ambassadors, other public ministers, and consuls; >all cases of
admiralty and maritime jurisdiction; >controversies to which the U.S. is a
party; and >controversies between two or more states, a state and the
citizens of another state, citizens of different states, and citizens of the
same state claiming lands under grants of different states. The chief
justice of the Supreme Court has the exclusive authority to preside at the
Senate trial of an impeached president. The Constitution only established a
Supreme Court and granted to Congress the power to establish lower federal
courts (Article III, Section1). Thus Congress possesses the power to abolish
all federal courts except the Supreme Court. Congress can also limit the
appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme court itself (see Article III, Section
2). And of course, Congress can also impeach federal judges, [such as Alcee
Hastings of Florida who is now serving as a U.S. Rep in direct violation of
the Constitution] who are to serve only during times of good behavior. The
limited powers of the federal Judiciary and the checks that Congress has
over it make it the weakest of the three branches of government. Under our
system of government, the federal government may not execute any
non-enumerated power, no matter how desirable, unless the power in question
is first granted to the federal government through the amendment process
(Article V). To do so without constitutional amendment is usurpation. States
may exercise numerous powers not listed above, although the particulars vary
from one state to the next depending on the state constitution. End of
quote.
When in the course of human events, those who are entrusted with any
particular duty decide to abdicate that responsibility and do other things,
they become irrelevant, at best, and tyrants at worst. When those charged
with preserving the liberty of a nation decide that it is more important to
guard their elite status, their rank and privilege, their salaries and
retirement, then those individuals and the institution which they comprise
becomes irrelevant.
The Constitution clearly provides that only Congress shall Declare WAR. The
founding Fathers greatly feared the inevitable tyranny of allowing one man,
or even one branch of government, the absolute power to determine
foreign policy and military policy for the nation. For this reason, they
established a "separation of powers", giving Congress the power to declare
war, and calling the President into the role of Commander in Chief when war
is declared.
It is a perversion of the Constitution for the President to send troops
when and where he will, and to authorize himself with "Presidential Decision
Directives," such as PDD 25, which he claims is the basis on which Michael
New was ordered into Macedonia. (And which he then classified so that even
Members of Congress are not allowed to read it! It is an 8 page PDD, and an
unclassified summary consisting of 13 pages was made public to selected
members of congress). Chester L McWhorter Sr
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Confederate Memorial Day Address by Larry Beane Cumming, GA, 22 April 2000
First of all, I would like to thank the Hiram Parks Bell Camp of the Sons
of Confederate Veterans for inviting me to speak on this solemn and
important occasion.
Confederate Memorial Day is perceived by much of America as a quaint
Southern eccentricity, a stubborn gathering of a few odd people locked into
a nostalgic anachronism. Northerners, especially, find such celebrations
curious. Many transplants to Georgia are shocked to learn that Confederate
Memorial Day is actually still a State Holiday.
Now, I am myself a transplant to Forsyth, and to Georgia. But as an ethnic
Southerner who grew up in the North, I have a unique vantage point to
observe the cultural differences between North and South, between the
world views of Northerners and Southerners. But unlike many transplants, I
did not come to Georgia because my job sent me here, nor did I come looking
for prosperity. My wife and I chose to come to Georgia precisely BECAUSE of
Georgia's Southern heritage. To us, those who celebrate Confederate Memorial
Day are not the oddballs and the eccentrics - but rather those who do NOT
honor the memories of the Confederate dead are, to us, the folks that
we find strange and abnormal.
Like that of our Confederate ancestors, OUR generation is caught in a
whirlwind of rapid change and a sense that the old ways are swiftly becoming
caught in the rapid-moving stream of modernity. We too are in a war to
preserve the status quo from change. Like our ancestors, we also reject the
notion that all change is good, that all "progress" is an improvement, and
that long-standing social, political, and economic contracts need to be
abolished simply because self- declared social elites claim this to be the
case.
But unlike our ancestors, we are not in a literal war waged with shot and
shell [yet] , fought with infantry, artillery, and cavalry, executed with
'right wheels' and 'ready, aim, fire.' Unlike our ancestors, we are not
starving
and dying on a horrific battle ground in a melee of gunpowder, explosions,
and the shrieks of dying men. We are not being shot at. We are not being
killed. But we are in a war nonetheless.
We are in a war of CULTURE. Our enemies are advocates of 'change.' They do
not merely seek to surgically remove the elements of our culture that can
and should be reformed for the better. No, our enemies seek a sudden and
irrevocable revolution in the way we think, communicate, govern ourselves,
and exist in the context of family and society.
One simple example is the social construct of manners. The South is known
for "please," "thank you," "sir," and "ma'am." Southern gentlemen hold doors
for Southern ladies. Southern children rise for Southern elders. Southern
hats are removed when the Southern anthem Dixie is played or sung. Southern
people say grace before Southern meals. Southern culture is ensconced in
manners and politeness. Now, to some outside the South, this is a refreshing
attitude that calls to mind a time when civility and charm were encouraged
and expected. But to others, such antiquated mores and customs are
ridiculed, lampooned, and mocked.
Sadly, this Southern trait of politeness is giving way to the more brusque
and base "modern" and "progressive" means of communication. How often do you
hear someone at Kroger bark at the clerk: "Gimme a pound of hamburger!" - no
"please," no "thank you," not even a smile. Not even a "hello" or "how are
you?" But "GIMME" spoken like a spoiled and petulant child. Sometimes, the
customer is chatting away on a cell phone unable to even make eye contact
with the butcher. And this is progress? This is an example of "change" so
desired by the mockers of Southern culture?
Is it really to much to say "thank you?" Perhaps this is why much of the
United States mocks Southerners for
celebrating Confederate Memorial Day. In the mass media, we are told nearly
on a daily basis that since it is the year 2000, we need to "let go" to "get
in step" with the times, we need to "change," we need to "rejoin the rest of
the country" - we need to become "progressive" and stop wasting our thoughts
on the past. Mockers - which sadly are not all Northerners - would have us
give up our Southern identity, cease flying Confederate flags, abolish
Confederate Memorial Day, and learn to talk to the butcher like a dog - the
way that is perfectly acceptable in much of the country. After all, it is
the year 2000, isn't it? And when the year ends in three zeroes, isn't that
some sort of urgent imperative to "change" our entire moral code and social
contract? Yes, because of Y2K, the argument goes, we should cease saying
"y'all" and start saying "hey you." We should stop singing Dixie and start
singing whatever the top-40 charts tell us is popular.
After all, this is the year 2000.This Confederate Memorial Day celebration
is really about saying "thank you." It goes beyond mere politeness. Our
gratitude in this case is deeper than waving to a fellow driver who lets you
change lanes, or saying "thanks" to the waiter who doesn't charge you for an
extra cup of coffee. No, we are saying "thank you" because hundreds of
thousands of men gave their lives. When their State and country called,
these men put on the uniform and were willing to sacrifice their very mortal
existence. These men had wives, children, homes, farms, parents, and
communities. These were real, living, breathing people. They had hopes and
dreams just as we do today. But when their country called, they left it all
behind. A quarter of a million Confederate soldiers kissed their wives and
children, marched away from home for the last time, and never came back.
This ceremony today is a public act of appreciation. It is an affirmation
and an acknowledgment that we do not take their sacrifice for granted. It
seems so little in exchange for their precious lives.
As these men breathed their last on the battlefield, bled to death in the
hospital, and died of starvation and exposure in prison camps, they wondered
if their families were all right. They wondered if they would be remembered
back home. They wondered if they were dying in vain.
The mockers of today - the same people who gloat over the loss of the
Confederate States of America and the devastation of our land - would say
"yes, the Confederate soldier died in vain." They taunt us - as well as our
Fallen Dead - with hateful rhetoric that these men suffered and died for
nothing. But we know better. We are here today to answer the dying veteran's
three questions. First, yes, your families ARE all right. We suffered some
tough times after your deaths. Your families endured brutal invasion,
oppressive occupation, and corrupt puppet governments. But we
survived. We struggled through poverty, two world wars, and a great
depression. But we survived. We limped through Korea, Vietnam, and the Civil
Rights Movement. But we survived. We are still here, and we still fly your
flag and sing Dixie.
And yes, you men ARE remembered. Confederate memorial Day is still a
holiday in Georgia and many other States. Your flag is incorporated in two
State flags - including Georgia's. The Sons of Confederate Veterans has more
then 25,000 members - many times larger than its Yankee counterpart. People
still flock by the thousands to museums, battle re-enactments, and
battlefield parks. War Between the States books still fill the shelves in
book stores.
And no, you men did NOT die in vain. Yes, your cause of political
independence did not come to fruition. Your government was toppled. Your
Constitution was raped. But, ironically, in losing the political battle, the
South won the war of cultural independence. For in defeat, a nation was
born. The South's unique experience as a region and as a people is shared by
no other group of Americans. We were forged in the furnace of war,
occupation, and reconstruction. The battle flag carried by the men that we
honor today, has become a de facto national symbol of a proud, defiant, and
freedom-loving people.
The Confederate soldier gave us something more lasting and permanent than a
mere political nation. The Confederate soldier gave us an example of
manhood, of valor, of courage, of a burning desire for freedom, devotion to
duty, and love for one's family in spite of the odds, in the face of
overwhelming force, and in the very jaws of death.
These men did not request temples and pyramids in their honor. But they did
want to be remembered. It is fitting and proper that the citizens and States
who asked these men to lay down their lives say "thank you." Our
neighboring State of South Carolina said "thank you" in 1962 by
commemorating the centennial of the War with a war memorial. Not made of
marble or bronze, this memorial was, and is, a simple cloth replica of the
military ensign these men rallied around in battle. The Memorial battle flag
was placed on the Dome of the State Capitol in Columbia. It still flies
today in graceful deference and submission to the sovereign U.S. and State
flags. It occupies* the half-mast of the Capitol flag-pole as an official
"thank you" from the government and people of the Palmetto State for the
26,000 men - soldiers, sailors, and marines - who did not come back home.
However, there are people today who don't believe in saying "thank you."
Worse yet, there are people who want to take away your right to say "thank
you." The NAACP has launched a boycott of the Palmetto State in an effort to
force the State to cease saying "thank you" to the men that she asked to die
in her defense. The NAACP has made its goals clear: the complete
annihilation of any tax-supported monument, memorial, flag, ceremony, or
historical display that says "thank you" to any Confederate soldier,
anywhere. It is not enough that they refuse to say "thank you" to the men
who died - they wish to CRIMINALIZE the gratitude shown by the State of
South Carolina to her soldiers that died in her defense.
The South Carolina State Senate has just voted to bring down the flag. The
bill will now go to the house. The NAACP has already said they will not
support the current bill, since it leaves a single flag on State property to
fly on a short pole. Even with this pathetic concession - this slap in the
face to the veterans of the State - this bill is not in accordance with the
NAACP's "final solution" of complete and total eradication of all public
gratitude to these fallen military heroes.
This war against dead soldiers is being led by NAACP officers and other
racial agitators who are themselves millionaires, who drive luxury cars,
live in mansions, vacation abroad, rub elbows with heads of state and
diplomats, and make more money than even the President of the United States.
Yes, the business of convincing all of us of their "oppression" has served
them well. They live better than any of our Confederate Dead could have ever
hoped to.
And this juggernaut is coming to Georgia. Our beloved State also said
"thank you" to her veterans with the then-approaching centennial in 1956. In
that year, the State flag was changed to incorporate the beloved soldier's
flag in the design. For thirty years, this design was not questioned. It
offended no-one. The currently-anti-flag Atlanta Journal and Constitution
was on record in 1956 of enthusiastically supporting the flag. For thirty
years, the NAACP had no complaints about the design. Martin Luther King
never uttered a word about being "offended." In those
days, Southerners, black and white alike, still universally believed in
saying "thank you."
But in the year 2000, Martin Luther King III - whose name and parentage
guarantees that he will never have to work a day in his life, a man who has
never been denied the right to vote, a man never forced to sit in the back
of a bus or use segregated drinking fountains, a man who lives off the
coat-tails of his father - now claims that our State flag - our "thank you"
flag - has to go. He is calling for a similar boycott against us next year.
Jesse Jackson, another "oppressed" multi-millionaire agrees. Not only do
they not believe in saying "thank you," they seek to impede your ability to
do so. They want to criminalize any official act of "thank you" on behalf of
any level of government - in spite of the fact that these same governments
asked these men to die in their defense. Make no mistake, ladies and
gentlemen. If they have it their way, you and I would be jailed today for
meeting on public property in a public Confederate ceremony. We may even one
day be eligible to be tried in a Federal court on "hate crimes" charges for
saying "thank you" to our heroic veterans.
This is what the forces of "change" want. They want government suppression
instead of gratitude. They seek to impose the atheistic, vile, and deviant
culture of Madison Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard upon us. They do not want
you to sing Dixie, say prayers, nor teach your children that marriage is a
lifelong sacred pact between one man and one woman. They want movies and
television to portray you as evil, backward, and stupid. They want a
paternalistic, Marxist government that penalizes you for hard work and
claims authority over every aspect of life - even compelling you to answer
questions about how many toilets you have in your house. They seek racial
division and discord through discredited and failed quota systems. They seek
to elevate deviant sexual behavior to a benign lifestyle choice that you
will be compelled to accept. They seek to infiltrate orthodox Christianity
and turn the Church into an impotent social club devoid of theology. They
want public schools to be breeding grounds of socialism and gun control.
Part of their agenda is to train us into not saying "thank you." They seek
to cut us off from our past by rewriting our history and brainwashing us
into hating our own ancestors. These elites demand that we accept, without
question or dissent, their blatant and Orwellian lies about our history in
an effort to bring about their version of Utopia. Unfortunately, in their
multi-cultural, "tolerant" Paradise of the future, people like you and me
will simply have to be disposed of.
So what do we do? First of all, we need to look to our ancestors that we
honor today. These men set the standard. These men set the precedent. These
men did not die merely for States Rights, for Constitutional principles, nor
to defend their homes and lands from enemy invasion. Yes, they did fight for
all of these things - but NOT ONLY for those things alone. They fought for
these things in the context of bequeathing them to their children and
grandchildren.
These men fought desperately to leave us a free country and a culture
unadulterated by a larger American culture already intent on
self-destruction.
So we must understand that just as our revolutionary ancestors fought for
their grandchildren, who in turn grew up to defend liberty as Confederates -
who in turn fought for us - we have the obligation to fight today for
generations yet unborn. We have the obligation to leave them a culture and a
nation cleaner and freer than the way we inherited it. In spite of the odds,
we must fight.
How do we do that? Again, let us take the clues from our ancestors of the
War Between the States generation: our great-grandmothers. For it was the
women of the South who kept our civilization alive in the aftermath of
defeat and reconstruction. These unsung heroes are the very people who
started Confederate Memorial Day. Year after year, it was the Steel
Magnolias of Southern womanhood who stoically kept the children fed, nursed
the wounded, comforted the dying, ran the farms and family businesses in the
face of economic hardship, the ever-present danger of brutal invasion, and
under the constant stress of knowing their husbands could die any day.
Indeed, our great-grandmothers are also worthy of our thanks and praise.
They also have lessons to teach us. They saw to it that their fathers,
brothers, husbands, and sons would never be forgotten - by erecting
monuments and memorials across the South in the decades after the war. Our
grandmothers transmitted our civilization to the next generation - with
grace, dignity, and unselfish devotion to their families. They never forgot
to say "thank you" - and neither must we.
It is fitting that we meet annually to publicly declare our gratitude to
our great-grandfathers - and to our great-grandmothers. But this is not
enough. We owe it to our brave and heroic dead to do more. If you are not a
member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans** or its ladies' auxiliary - the
Order of Robert E. Lee - you should be. If you have no Confederate ancestry,
there are still many organizations you can join and support. Confederate
heritage
is American heritage. No-one who wants to fight will be turned away. Every
Georgian - men and women alike, regardless of ancestry - can have a Sons of
Confederate Veterans' license plate on his car. Support our heritage by
flying a Georgia or Confederate flag at your home 24-7. Write letters to the
editor in defense of our heritage. Teach your children to sing Dixie and
recite the salute to the Confederate flag. Teach them the history of the War
for Southern Independence, as well as your family's or your community's role
in that great and noble cause. Don't swallow the lies of the elites in
media, government, and academia. Truth is on our side! Write letters to your
State Representatives encouraging them to draw the line at our State flag.
Tell them our fallen heroes are entitled to this simple "thank you" - it was
earned with their blood! They did not die in vain in an evil cause - they
died for Georgia, for freedom, and for you and me.
Beyond all of these things, there is something else we all can do to wage
this war. We can take our Southern identity seriously. We don't have to take
part in the violent, vulgar, and vapid culture of New York and Los
Angeles. We can - and should - secede from the Godless and self-absorbed
culture that dominates most of the U.S. By saying "please" and "thank you,"
by opening doors for ladies, by showing chivalrous deference to children and
the aged, by saying grace before meals, by attending church faithfully, by
educating ourselves about our history and unique culture, by being
hospitable to strangers, and taking our religious beliefs seriously in our
daily lives. And most of all, by doing all of these things in front of our
children, setting for them a real example of honor and righteousness - we
are continuing the struggle for independence waged by our valiant ancestors
of 135 years ago. We are insuring that their Cause of Independence will
continue forward to the next generation.
Thanks again to the Hiram Parks Bell camp of the Sons of Confederate
Veterans. Most of all, "thank you" to our great-grandfathers and
great-grandmothers for all they did for us. Thanks be to God for giving us
such a noble heritage - and the honor of its defense. May we prove ourselves
worthy in word and deed.
Thank you and God bless you. Larry Beane
<http://www.southernmessenger.org/_themes/copy-of-southern/ablrule.gif>
A history professor at St. Louis Community College, who takes issue to the
claim that "Black History Month is necessary because current history
textbooks fail to pay homage to contributions" of black Americans.
Instructor Brian Elsesser states that text books are closely reviewed to
make sure that Black Americans are not ignored. For instance, he gives the
example that there are checks to make sure "references of Robert E. Lee do
not outnumber references to Frederick Douglas." Plus he mentions that every
book has a chapter entirely devoted to slavery.
Elsesser also mentions that we are in a lamentable state when students know
more about Malcolm X than about Harry S. Truman. He concludes his letter
with the conclusion, "We don't need a special month of ethnic studies laced
with pop culture to make up for bad textbooks; we need to begin taking
American History seriously." Jerry C Brewer
<http://www.southernmessenger.org/_themes/copy-of-southern/ablrule.gif>
Immediately following the War for Southern Independence, a systematic
removal of positive references in regard to the southern region as a whole
began, and continues to this day. The reason behind this effort was simple:
to remove the luster of uniqueness that has long been associated with the
region to better "homogenize" it into the Union. It would seem, however,
that in 1999, again nearly 150 years after the Southern independence
movement, scholars and administrators would not be so hesitant at the
inclusion of accurate portrayals of Confederate and Southern history in
their efforts to educate the young people of America..
Yet this is far from the actual case. We have already seen a high profile
case in North Carolina where a course on Southern history was yanked from
the curriculum of a college, no less, because it was deemed as politically
incorrect. The reaction from the education field was split nearly right down
the middle in regard to whether the course content was in fact accurate and
needed, or merely inaccurate and unnecessary in the age of the coming
millennium. Newspapers were plastered with letters and editorials in
reference to this, and again, opinion was divided.
What is the problem here? It appears that again, the basic Lincolnian
fundamental of Federal control over the individual state or person is at the
core. At least in the public school arena, the curriculum is often dictated
by Federal funds that specifies which core lessons will be taught from the
material available from that money. Simply stated, If a school or school
system decides to deviate from the "approved" areas of content in a
curriculum area, they risk their funding being taken away. In essence, the
message can be deciphered as "teach what we think you should be teaching, or
you do not get our funds.."
Public schools in America in 1999 can not exist without Federally based
funding. Even though much of that funding may be distributed through state
as opposed to Federal entities, the money in question is still Federal in
its origin. As a result, lack of individual creativity (or courage) on
behalf of the teacher leads to lessons not included in approved texts and
materials being virtually nonexistent.
What can be done? While the classroom teacher is limited by "standardized"
standards, they do have a certain amount of individual freedom when it comes
to actually facing their individual classes on a daily basis. Even though
the texts and standards they are using to base their lessons on are often
government based and approved, they do have the freedom and ability to
inject information they deem worthy into their lessons for the benefit of
their students.
Here is where Southerners have a window of opportunity. We must be
proactive enough not to merely complain that our children may not hear what
we know to be the accurate history of our region in their classes; rather,
we must meet with our children's teachers, and remind them that we feel this
knowledge should be a priority for all children. More times than not, these
teachers simply have not thought about it, or, more often, have not been
given a reason to. And, in that light, we must remember that the teachers
themselves are more than likely uneducated in regard to accurate Southern
history. Again, we must not blame them, for they are victims of the same
system today's
students (and many of their parents) are.
Rather, we should take the time and energy to compile and offer factually
based information to our educators for them to present to their students -
making sure not to present rumor or hearsay that renders our history
susceptible to attack and demeans the very reason behind our concerns. Only
by enlightening our teachers to facts they themselves may not be aware of
can they offer the same to our children.
Education in the new millennium can offer lessons in Southern history that
perhaps have never been covered in the public education forum. But for that
to occur, we as concerned citizens must take a positive and active role in
helping it happen. Randy Young
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A
Chester L McWhorter Sr, c/o 504 N. Brighton Rd, Lecanto, Occupied Florida.
CSA. 34461. Ph: 352-344-9073. Fax: Same. E-mail:
robertthebruce@naturecoast.net
029.28.1.0 # 51 End.
"We can't be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary
Americans." Comrade Pres W. J. Klinton. USAToday. 11 Mar 93. Pg 2A. "You
know the one thing that's wrong with this country? Everyone gets a chance to
have their fair say." Comrade Pres W. J. Klinton. 28 May 93. The Courtyard.
City Hall, Philadelphia. "I'm not going to have some reporters pawing
through our papers. We are the President." Comrade Hillary Diane Klinton.
