What would our founders think? July 4th column by Gary Mienert

What would our founders think?

This is the fourth year I’ve been privileged to write a column for the Lakeland Times for Independence Day.  It is an honor for me to do so.  With celebratory intentions I’ve always attempted to write about our glorious nation and its bright future. Apologizing in advance, this column will not entirely reflect that objective.

Our founding fathers provided us with two of the greatest documents ever written: The Declaration of Independence which we celebrate today and the Constitution. Those two magnificent instruments set us apart from every nation in the world, guiding us as we became the model for others to follow.

How would our founding fathers judge us today?

Thomas Paine’s musings from the distant past offers us a partial answer to that question. He wrote: “A thousand years hence, perhaps less, America may be what Europe is now…the noblest work of human wisdom, the grand scene of human glory, the fair cause of freedom that rose and fell.”  What would possibly cause him to prophesize the fall of the United States?

A significant concern was explained succinctly by Thomas Jefferson as he philosophized “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never will be.”  In other words how can an ignorant or poorly educated electorate possibly contribute to and sustain a vibrant and successful society? Even a minimal examination of our educational system will explain why we are failing our coming generations.  “To be ignorant of one’s ignorance is the malady of the ignorant”

The 2015 world wide “Program for International Assessment” laid out the ugly truth so clearly we are unable to deny our failings.  Using average scores of fifteen year-olds from 65 countries the USA scored 24^th in science, 39^th in math and 24^th in reading.  The study also found that contrary to the strongly held belief, money spent on education is the solution; it actually had little or no effect.

The reasons for failures are numerous.  Advancing poorly equipped students into the next class is rampant and destructive to the student and eventually society.  Concocted “political correctness” is being used in an effort to raise students self esteem and equalize the stature of struggling students.  Actually it destroys competitive spirits of other students and in the end fails to help anyone.

The most worrisome atrocities perpetrated on the students are professors who refuse to accept debate or opposing opinions from students. Students who disagree with professors on debatable subjects are forced to answer test questions in line with the professor’s demands rather than what might be correct.  Weaker students, sadly, will eventually accept and adopt what the professor espouses regardless if it is wrong!  A close friend confided in me her “Conservative” grandson passed a college exam by entering eight of ten answers to which he didn’t agree but rather what the professor demanded.

A Physical Education Instructor was recently asked to teach a Health Class in addition to her PE classes.  A significant part of the “health” class consisted of “facts” regarding Global Warming!  Additionally, another chapter instructed how one should assimilate with transgender individuals!  The students were receiving what they were told to believe.

Although many colleges and universities fail to provide badly needed Political Science classes there are many others from which to choose.  Following are just a few:  “Joy of Garbage” Santa Clara University, “Alien Sex” University of Rochester, “Arguing with Judge Judy” University of California, Berkley. “Maple Syrup” Alfred University. “Oh, Look, A Chicken” Belmont University.

A survey of college and university professors garnered very interesting data.  The professors teaching “Social Sciences” were asked to rank themselves in one of three categories. 24% acknowledged themselves as Radicals, 20.6% as Activists and 17.6% Marxist.  Those who taught in the “Humanities’ were the next highest with 19% as Radicals, 26.2% Activists and 5.0% Marxists.  “Business” professors ranked next but considerably lower.  5.3% Radical, 3.2% Activist and a mere 1.9% as Marxist.  We must however look at these percentages with a slightly jaundiced eye because in past surveys the participants often understated their positions.

Our founding fathers previously living in an Anarchy struggled mightily to establish the “People’s Law” in the balanced center between Anarchy and Tyranny.  For many years they struggled until our Constitution was finally completed and accepted.  Because of the diversity of 13 colonies thousands of compromises had been made to arrive at an acceptable conclusion.  Finally “People’s Law” balanced equally between “No Law” (Anarchy) and “Ruler’s Law” (Tyranny).  They trusted us to keep it balanced.

Why you might ask have I focused on our deteriorating education system in a column for Independence Day?  We must never forget Jefferson’s warning “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never will be.”  In my opinion we may well be on a direct and ever increasing pace to a disaster and uneducated students as well as adults may become our foes.  This has happened before when they were called “useful idiots” by a leader conveniently using them.  His name was Vladimir Lenin!

How inconsolable our founders would be that a Socialist masquerading as an independent was able to gather millions of voters who would have gladly joined Lenin.

The greatest disgrace regarding our election is the activities of our previous president and his fellow left leaning staff.  As we know, he has set up an organization called “Organizing for Action.”  They are behind the strategic and tactical implementation of the “resistance” we are seeing daily.  In plain words, they are attempting to delegitimize and destroy our duly elected president.  At last count his volunteers number 32,525.  If that isn’t enough we can count on the left leaning ninth circuit court of appeals and others with the same intent; the overthrow of our legitimate President.

President Reagan said, “Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction.  It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation.”

Gary Meinert

50phalanx@gmail.com