Curtis Dahlgren
Presidents' Month or Black History Month? Who says so?
By Curtis Dahlgren
"The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God; and there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence . . . [The people] may change their rulers, and the forms of government, but they will not obtain a lasting Liberty." – Pres. John Adams
"It is only when the people become ignorant and corrupt, when they degenerate into a populace . . Usurpation is then an easy attainment, and an usurper soon found." – Pres. James Monroe
"It is impossible for the man of pious reflection not to perceive in [the Constitution] a finger of that Almighty hand which has been so frequently and signally extended to our relief in the critical stages of the revolution." – Pres. James Madison
"I am sure there never was a people who had more reason to acknowledge a divine interposition in their affairs than those of the United States, and I should be pained to believe that they failed to consider the omnipotence of that God, who is alone able to protect them." -Pres. Washington
"Possessing a chosen country . . acknowledging and adoring an overruling Providence . . what more is necessary to make us a happy and a prosperous people? Still one thing more, fellow-citizens – a wise and frugal Government, which will restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvements, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned." – Pres. Jefferson
"WHAT WOULD THE FOUNDERS DO?" is the title of a book by Richard Brookhiser. He says that the talent level of the Founders was "humiliatingly high." If you don't understand "humiliatingly high smarts," don't even bother asking. You won't comprehend, and "WWTFD" (what would the founders do?) is almost a moot point now; less than 20 percent of eighth graders are "proficient" in history. That stat hasn't changed much after 20 years, billions of dollars, and No Child Left Behind. Now the educrats are trying to sell Common Core. They claim to be spending more time on math and science, but they have tons of time for "social science" – which replaced history – and all the politically correct "engineering" (including ex-cluding any mention of Jefferson's "overruling Providence)."
It all started out so innocent-sounding: "a more realistic history." Like Washington never cut down a cherry tree, and Daniel Boone never wore a coonskin cap ("It was beaver"). I'll bet Washington cut down a lot of cherry trees, and besides, don't you just hate it when people miss the point? Talk about picky! When society starts to accept the premises of the Left, one thing leads to another (trickle-down dumbing-down). I'll bet that the "proficiency" standards of 2016 are nothing compared to 8th grade graduation requirements 100 years ago. Today, the 80 percent who are virtually clueless when it comes to history still get a pass to senior high school (and next, a free college "education"?).
To paraphrase Madeline Albright, there must be a "special place in hell" for those who fail to defend Americanism. I'm not writing about the New Hampshire primary, but it was last night. No matter what happens the rest of the year, as John O'Sullivan wrote, the Donald has at least slain the dragon of political correctness and conventional wisdom in political consultancy (they ought to be hired like some lawyers: "We win or you don't pay a dime").
Talk about missing the point! When Trump quoted II Corinthians, not a single "soul" in the media commented on the meat of the message: Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty; all they could talk about was the way "2 Corinthians" sounded. Likewise, when Marco Rubio said that your Prez knows "exactly" what he's doing to the country, not a "soul" in the mainstream media appreciated the substance of his quotation (which was a statement of fact that will have a bearing on the election in November – whether Rubio's still around or not)! One of silly season's most refreshing lines was turned into a gaffe. But he's no Dan Quayle.
The real question is why is this Black History Month instead of President's Month? Martin Luther King, George Washington Carver, and Jackie Robinson were born in January (and without Jackie we wouldn't have had a Dr. King, bless his heart).
- "When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world." – George Washington Carver
- "If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music." – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Speaking of the Super Bowl half time show, which I wasn't, how low can it go? Music is getting a bad rap, seriously. Cam Newton has an excuse for his second half: he stiffened up during that half time half-hour. Kudos to the Golden Ager.I don't mean Bernie, I mean Manning. He was a bit slow during the whole game, but he got 'er done.
P.S. Speaking of those "SOCIAL" sciences in the public schools, here are some headlines from WND in March last year:
Orwellian nightmare unleashed on schoolkids
Cupcake cop goes ballistic on grandma, 78
Public school has students 'bowing to the sun god'
Middle-schoolers get taste of '50 Shades of Grey'
Prestigious women's college to consider transgenders
Banned? 'Hope,' 'Stand with Rand' and' Christ is risen!'
Horrid result when teacher confiscates cell phone
Government grills grade-schoolers over lesbianism
Parents aghast! School films girls changing clothes
Kindergarten perp: School backs off handcuffed 4-year-old
Firestorm: U.S. school makes girls follow Islam dress code
Activists: Schools must teach sex consent to kindergartners
7 teen girls get pregnant on school trip
PPS: Those are the kind of headlines we never heard of when we were reading "The Weekly Reader." EH? Just one more thing, ma'am:
I was privileged to see the last couple innings of Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series on TV. Our public high school called an impromptu assembly for the occasion. I still gratefull for that, but it's ironic that 60 years later there's no safe place in a public school for quotations from the Founders if they used the name of God, or "the Supreme Judge of the Universe."
Not all is bad news, though (almost, but kudos to the "Supreme" Court of the U.S. on the EPA and "Executive orders." Maybe not all is lost. More to come? One last quote by Marx, ma'am:
"A child of five could understand this. Someone go fetch a child of five." – Groucho, not Karl
© Curtis Dahlgren
February 11, 2016
"The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God; and there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence . . . [The people] may change their rulers, and the forms of government, but they will not obtain a lasting Liberty." – Pres. John Adams
"It is only when the people become ignorant and corrupt, when they degenerate into a populace . . Usurpation is then an easy attainment, and an usurper soon found." – Pres. James Monroe
"It is impossible for the man of pious reflection not to perceive in [the Constitution] a finger of that Almighty hand which has been so frequently and signally extended to our relief in the critical stages of the revolution." – Pres. James Madison
"I am sure there never was a people who had more reason to acknowledge a divine interposition in their affairs than those of the United States, and I should be pained to believe that they failed to consider the omnipotence of that God, who is alone able to protect them." -Pres. Washington
"Possessing a chosen country . . acknowledging and adoring an overruling Providence . . what more is necessary to make us a happy and a prosperous people? Still one thing more, fellow-citizens – a wise and frugal Government, which will restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvements, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned." – Pres. Jefferson
"WHAT WOULD THE FOUNDERS DO?" is the title of a book by Richard Brookhiser. He says that the talent level of the Founders was "humiliatingly high." If you don't understand "humiliatingly high smarts," don't even bother asking. You won't comprehend, and "WWTFD" (what would the founders do?) is almost a moot point now; less than 20 percent of eighth graders are "proficient" in history. That stat hasn't changed much after 20 years, billions of dollars, and No Child Left Behind. Now the educrats are trying to sell Common Core. They claim to be spending more time on math and science, but they have tons of time for "social science" – which replaced history – and all the politically correct "engineering" (including ex-cluding any mention of Jefferson's "overruling Providence)."
It all started out so innocent-sounding: "a more realistic history." Like Washington never cut down a cherry tree, and Daniel Boone never wore a coonskin cap ("It was beaver"). I'll bet Washington cut down a lot of cherry trees, and besides, don't you just hate it when people miss the point? Talk about picky! When society starts to accept the premises of the Left, one thing leads to another (trickle-down dumbing-down). I'll bet that the "proficiency" standards of 2016 are nothing compared to 8th grade graduation requirements 100 years ago. Today, the 80 percent who are virtually clueless when it comes to history still get a pass to senior high school (and next, a free college "education"?).
To paraphrase Madeline Albright, there must be a "special place in hell" for those who fail to defend Americanism. I'm not writing about the New Hampshire primary, but it was last night. No matter what happens the rest of the year, as John O'Sullivan wrote, the Donald has at least slain the dragon of political correctness and conventional wisdom in political consultancy (they ought to be hired like some lawyers: "We win or you don't pay a dime").
Talk about missing the point! When Trump quoted II Corinthians, not a single "soul" in the media commented on the meat of the message: Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty; all they could talk about was the way "2 Corinthians" sounded. Likewise, when Marco Rubio said that your Prez knows "exactly" what he's doing to the country, not a "soul" in the mainstream media appreciated the substance of his quotation (which was a statement of fact that will have a bearing on the election in November – whether Rubio's still around or not)! One of silly season's most refreshing lines was turned into a gaffe. But he's no Dan Quayle.
The real question is why is this Black History Month instead of President's Month? Martin Luther King, George Washington Carver, and Jackie Robinson were born in January (and without Jackie we wouldn't have had a Dr. King, bless his heart).
- "When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world." – George Washington Carver
- "If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music." – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Speaking of the Super Bowl half time show, which I wasn't, how low can it go? Music is getting a bad rap, seriously. Cam Newton has an excuse for his second half: he stiffened up during that half time half-hour. Kudos to the Golden Ager.I don't mean Bernie, I mean Manning. He was a bit slow during the whole game, but he got 'er done.
P.S. Speaking of those "SOCIAL" sciences in the public schools, here are some headlines from WND in March last year:
Orwellian nightmare unleashed on schoolkids
Cupcake cop goes ballistic on grandma, 78
Public school has students 'bowing to the sun god'
Middle-schoolers get taste of '50 Shades of Grey'
Prestigious women's college to consider transgenders
Banned? 'Hope,' 'Stand with Rand' and' Christ is risen!'
Horrid result when teacher confiscates cell phone
Government grills grade-schoolers over lesbianism
Parents aghast! School films girls changing clothes
Kindergarten perp: School backs off handcuffed 4-year-old
Firestorm: U.S. school makes girls follow Islam dress code
Activists: Schools must teach sex consent to kindergartners
7 teen girls get pregnant on school trip
PPS: Those are the kind of headlines we never heard of when we were reading "The Weekly Reader." EH? Just one more thing, ma'am:
I was privileged to see the last couple innings of Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series on TV. Our public high school called an impromptu assembly for the occasion. I still gratefull for that, but it's ironic that 60 years later there's no safe place in a public school for quotations from the Founders if they used the name of God, or "the Supreme Judge of the Universe."
Not all is bad news, though (almost, but kudos to the "Supreme" Court of the U.S. on the EPA and "Executive orders." Maybe not all is lost. More to come? One last quote by Marx, ma'am:
"A child of five could understand this. Someone go fetch a child of five." – Groucho, not Karl
© Curtis Dahlgren
The views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.
(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)
