The Weekly Sam: What is Wrong with Government Education by Sam Blumenfeld
The enormous failure of our government school system was nicely
summed up by a Boston high school teacher in a recent issue of Education
Week (12/9/98). He said:
“I have about 30 kids in my U.S. history class. They come from nine
different countries; most of them can’t read. Even if they can read the text,
they don’t know what it means. How am I supposed to teach U.S. history to
kids who can’t read? I could come in here every day for 20 years and still
not figure out how to do it.”
different countries; most of them can’t read. Even if they can read the text,
they don’t know what it means. How am I supposed to teach U.S. history to
kids who can’t read? I could come in here every day for 20 years and still
not figure out how to do it.”
Obviously, this particular teacher had no idea how these kids got into
high school without knowing how to read. He had no idea what goes on in
primary school that prevents these children from learning to read, and he
had no idea what to do with older students who are functionally illiterate.
Clearly, the teacher himself is part of the problem. His ignorance of how the
system functions prevents him from helping his students get through it in
one piece . In other words, the compartmentalization of teachers explains
why so many of them have no idea of how the total system works and why
the system can lurch from crisis to crisis without any effective change taking
place.
high school without knowing how to read. He had no idea what goes on in
primary school that prevents these children from learning to read, and he
had no idea what to do with older students who are functionally illiterate.
Clearly, the teacher himself is part of the problem. His ignorance of how the
system functions prevents him from helping his students get through it in
one piece . In other words, the compartmentalization of teachers explains
why so many of them have no idea of how the total system works and why
the system can lurch from crisis to crisis without any effective change taking
place.
The real blame for the system’s dysfunction, however, must lie with the
professors of education, the state departments of education , and the
administrators who have all conspired to create the functional illiteracy that
plagues the public schools of America — once considered the most literate
and advanced nation on earth. Deliberately induced illiteracy among
students is a vital part of the plan to dumb down Americans so that they will
be unable to resist the imposition of social and political control by an
arrogant universitarian elite determined to create a new world order based
on humanist-socialist values.
professors of education, the state departments of education , and the
administrators who have all conspired to create the functional illiteracy that
plagues the public schools of America — once considered the most literate
and advanced nation on earth. Deliberately induced illiteracy among
students is a vital part of the plan to dumb down Americans so that they will
be unable to resist the imposition of social and political control by an
arrogant universitarian elite determined to create a new world order based
on humanist-socialist values.
This “education” plan is part of the utopian socialist agenda set down
by the progressives at the turn of the century. The progressives were
members of the Protestant academic elite who no longer believed in the
religion of their fathers. They put their new faith in science, evolution, and
psychology. Science explained the material world (matter in motion),
evolution explained the origin of life (organisms crawling out of the
primordial ooze), and psychology explained human nature and provided
the elite with the scientific means of controlling human behavior.
primordial ooze), and psychology explained human nature and provided
the elite with the scientific means of controlling human behavior.
These men were also socialists. Why? Because they had to deal with
the problem of evil. The Bible tells us that evil is the result of man’s innate
depravity, his innate sinful nature. But since the progressives did not
believe in the Bible, they decided that evil was caused by ignorance,
poverty, and social injustice. And what was the cause of social injustice?
Why, it was this horrible capitalist system with all of its inequities. Socialism,
it was believed, would remove these inequities and thereby solve the
problem of evil. By the way, the progressives did not get their model of
socialism from Karl Marx. They got it from an American by the name of
Edward Bellamy whose book, Looking Backward, published in 1888,
projected the fantasy of a socialist America in the year 2000.
the problem of evil. The Bible tells us that evil is the result of man’s innate
depravity, his innate sinful nature. But since the progressives did not
believe in the Bible, they decided that evil was caused by ignorance,
poverty, and social injustice. And what was the cause of social injustice?
Why, it was this horrible capitalist system with all of its inequities. Socialism,
it was believed, would remove these inequities and thereby solve the
problem of evil. By the way, the progressives did not get their model of
socialism from Karl Marx. They got it from an American by the name of
Edward Bellamy whose book, Looking Backward, published in 1888,
projected the fantasy of a socialist America in the year 2000.
And so, the progressives, dedicated to their utopian ideal, decided to
do all in their power to change America from an individualistic, capitalist,
and religious society into a socialist, collectivist, humanist or atheist society.
How were they to accomplish that? Through the education system. They
would change the curriculum and teaching methods in the public schools so
that American children would emerge as young socialists willing to change
our way of life into a socialist one.
do all in their power to change America from an individualistic, capitalist,
and religious society into a socialist, collectivist, humanist or atheist society.
How were they to accomplish that? Through the education system. They
would change the curriculum and teaching methods in the public schools so
that American children would emerge as young socialists willing to change
our way of life into a socialist one.
The socialists realized that the transformation might take as much as a
hundred years to complete. In fact, John Dewey wrote in 1898: “Change
must come gradua.lly. To force it unduly would compromise its final success
by favoring a violent reaction .” Dewey then outlined the long-range strategy
which the progressives were to adopt:
hundred years to complete. In fact, John Dewey wrote in 1898: “Change
must come gradua.lly. To force it unduly would compromise its final success
by favoring a violent reaction .” Dewey then outlined the long-range strategy
which the progressives were to adopt:
What is needed in the first place is that there should be a full and frank statement
of conviction with regard to the matter from physiologists and psychologists and from
those school administrators who are conscious of the evils of the present regime.
Educators should also frankly face the fact that the New Education, as it exists today, is
a compromise and a transition: it employs new methods but its controlling ideals are
virtually of the Old Education. Wherever movements looking to a solution of the
problem are intelligently undertaken, they should receive encouragement, moral and
financial , from the intellectual leaders of the community. There are already in
existence a considerable number of educational “experiment stations,” which
represent the outposts of educational progress. If these schools can be adequately
supported for a number of years they will perform a great vicarious service. After such
schools have worked out carefully and definitely the subject-matter of the new
curriculum, –finding the right place for language-studies and placing them in their right
perspective, the problem of the more general educational reform will be immensely.
simplified.
One hundred years later we can see how successful the Dewey plan
has been in transforming our educational system into one that serves the
needs of the atheist socialist state. Dewey was aided and abetted by a
cadre of reformers that included such luminaries as Edward L. Thorndike,
James McKeen Cattell, Elwood P. Cubberly, George D. Strayer, Charles
Judd, James R. Angell and a host of others. Thorndike, Cattell, and Strayer
ran educational mafia out of Teachers College (Columbia), Cubberly
reigned at Stanford, and Angell became president at Yale.
has been in transforming our educational system into one that serves the
needs of the atheist socialist state. Dewey was aided and abetted by a
cadre of reformers that included such luminaries as Edward L. Thorndike,
James McKeen Cattell, Elwood P. Cubberly, George D. Strayer, Charles
Judd, James R. Angell and a host of others. Thorndike, Cattell, and Strayer
ran educational mafia out of Teachers College (Columbia), Cubberly
reigned at Stanford, and Angell became president at Yale.
Change in the curriculum of public education has happened so
gradually that most parents haven’t the faintest idea what is happening to
their children, four million of whom are being drugged daily with Ritalin so
that they can sit in their classroom seats and be socialized without
resistance.
gradually that most parents haven’t the faintest idea what is happening to
their children, four million of whom are being drugged daily with Ritalin so
that they can sit in their classroom seats and be socialized without
resistance.
What is truly amazing is the coherence and continuity of the
progressive agenda which is as much alive today at it was when Dewey and
company were pontificating. For example, The Whole Language Catalog, a
sort of bible of the whole-language movement published in 1991, has 15
entries for John Dewey in its index. After citing his debt to Dewey, Kenneth
Goodman, the leading guru of whole-language philosophy, writes:
progressive agenda which is as much alive today at it was when Dewey and
company were pontificating. For example, The Whole Language Catalog, a
sort of bible of the whole-language movement published in 1991, has 15
entries for John Dewey in its index. After citing his debt to Dewey, Kenneth
Goodman, the leading guru of whole-language philosophy, writes:
Whole language picks up where the progressives left off . … [It] takes the
philosophy and positive, child-centered view of the progressive educators and adds
the knowledge of language, of learning, of child development, and of teaching, and
builds a strong scientific base under them . It is this combination of science and
humanistic educational and social philosophy that forms the foundation for whole
language curriculum . … We use the psychological concepts of Piaget and Vygotsky to
underscore Dewey’s concept of learning as transaction: pupils making sense of their
world and being changed themselves in the transactions. (p. 281)
philosophy and positive, child-centered view of the progressive educators and adds
the knowledge of language, of learning, of child development, and of teaching, and
builds a strong scientific base under them . It is this combination of science and
humanistic educational and social philosophy that forms the foundation for whole
language curriculum . … We use the psychological concepts of Piaget and Vygotsky to
underscore Dewey’s concept of learning as transaction: pupils making sense of their
world and being changed themselves in the transactions. (p. 281)
In the early days, the progressives were mainly supported by the major
philanthropic foundations. Today, the reforms are being underwritten by
federal and state governments. Three recent federal programs are funding
the massive restructuring of American education in accordance with the
progressives’ plans: Goals 2000 (enacted 3/31/94), School-to-Work
Opportunities Act (enacted 5/4/94), and the Improving America’s Schools
Act, a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (enacted 10/20/94) . Thus, the Congress of the United States has
become an accomplice in the progressive plan to restructure American
education in the socialist mold.
Apart from needing the funds to carry out their plan, the progressives
also realized that coherence and continuity of their agenda over a hundred
years was vitally necessary if the plan was to be successful. Thus, in 1901
they created the National Society for the Study of Education, wherein the
progressive leaders would be able to formulate their programs of reform,
debate their effectiveness and pass on the baton to their loyal disciples. By
studying their yearbooks, the first of which was published in 1902, one can
follow the inexorable progress of the socialist takeover of American
education.
also realized that coherence and continuity of their agenda over a hundred
years was vitally necessary if the plan was to be successful. Thus, in 1901
they created the National Society for the Study of Education, wherein the
progressive leaders would be able to formulate their programs of reform,
debate their effectiveness and pass on the baton to their loyal disciples. By
studying their yearbooks, the first of which was published in 1902, one can
follow the inexorable progress of the socialist takeover of American
education.
All of this was accomplished by tenured professors of education and
behavioral psychologists, working within a maze of well funded professional
organizations, publishing journals, writing textbooks, holding hundreds of
conferences, seminars, and conventions each year. None of this has been
visible to the average parent who puts a child in a public school. Parents
assume that their schools are run by local school boards, superintendents,
principals, and teachers. What they don’t see is the invisible hand behind
this constant pressure for reform that keeps recreating the curriculum .
The average teacher may feel that there is some kind of invisible hand
at work, but teachers would rather blame failure on cultural trends,
excessive television viewing, dysfunctional parents, and such student
disabilities as attention deficit disorder and dyslexia.
behavioral psychologists, working within a maze of well funded professional
organizations, publishing journals, writing textbooks, holding hundreds of
conferences, seminars, and conventions each year. None of this has been
visible to the average parent who puts a child in a public school. Parents
assume that their schools are run by local school boards, superintendents,
principals, and teachers. What they don’t see is the invisible hand behind
this constant pressure for reform that keeps recreating the curriculum .
The average teacher may feel that there is some kind of invisible hand
at work, but teachers would rather blame failure on cultural trends,
excessive television viewing, dysfunctional parents, and such student
disabilities as attention deficit disorder and dyslexia.
Obviously, this is a system of education that cannot be supported by
any Christian. Local control no longer exists. It was inevitable that a
government education system would become a federal system controlled
by those who have been leading us toward totalitarian socialism. Do I
exaggerate? To be convinced that the end goal is a totalitarian system, all
one has to do is read the Student Data Handbook for Early Childhood,
Elementary, and Secondary Education (NCES 94-303). This is the official
guidebook for the computerized data-gathering system dreamed up by our
totalitarian bureaucrats. The data will include massive information on
health, family, religion, attitudes, psychological assessments, etc. For
example, the attitudinal test is described as: “An assessment to measure
the mental and emotional set or patterns of likes and dislikes or opinions
held by a student or a group of students. This is often used in relation to
considerations such as controversial issues or personal adjustments .”
All of this sensitive, personal data will be housed in a central computer
in Washington making it easy for “educators” to control just about everyone.
But the question is simply this: does the government of a free people have
the right to collect this kind of information on all of its citizens for its own
political or social purposes? Should the government of a free people record
the attitudes and opinions of its citizens so that it can engineer their r
personal adjustment?
the right to collect this kind of information on all of its citizens for its own
political or social purposes? Should the government of a free people record
the attitudes and opinions of its citizens so that it can engineer their r
personal adjustment?
The time has come for Christians to realize what has become of the
“land of the free and the home of the brave.” If Christians want to restore
the full measure of our freedoms, they will have to do what they are
reluctant to do: remove their children en masse from the public schools.
What is needed now is not accomodation to the plans of the American
Pharoah but a full-fledged exodus of Christian children. That’s the easiest
and most peaceful way to put an end to the socialist agenda and return
America to its basic constitutional principles. Will Christians have the
courage to do what must be done? That test will be upon us sooner than
anyone anticipated.
“land of the free and the home of the brave.” If Christians want to restore
the full measure of our freedoms, they will have to do what they are
reluctant to do: remove their children en masse from the public schools.
What is needed now is not accomodation to the plans of the American
Pharoah but a full-fledged exodus of Christian children. That’s the easiest
and most peaceful way to put an end to the socialist agenda and return
America to its basic constitutional principles. Will Christians have the
courage to do what must be done? That test will be upon us sooner than
anyone anticipated.
(The above article was written by Sam Blumenfeld back in the late 1990s. Sam predicted that government schools would get worse and he was right. Please visit and sign up for the Sam Blumenfeld Archives-a free on-line resource hosted by Camp Constitution: https://campconstitution.net/sam-blumenfeld-archive/
Will Boston Human Right’s Commission take action against Mayor Wu and other city officials who participated in a non-whites city sponsored event?
Boston’s Human Rights Commission was established in 1985. It became dormant by the mid-1990s but in 2019, Mayor Marty Walsh reactivated it and appointed seven members. After reading their credentials, it is a safe bet that not one of them is a subscriber to Fox News. From its website:
“The Human Rights Commission advances equity, understanding, and respect for all.
“Our mission is to enforce Human Rights, to engage in relationships and partnerships that embody the principles of dignity and respect, and to create a culture of human rights compliance and accountability. We act as a driver for social change based on principles of substantive equality, equity, and inclusion for all.
“Our work includes public, community, and private partners. We provide outreach and information, education, and technical help. We refer discrimination complaints to the right entities for resolution. We also seek to find and understand patterns and practices of systematic discrimination.” And:
“The Commission has the power to conduct hearings and call witnesses and can issue reports and the results of investigations. The Commission also has the power to adopt rules and regulations and recommend legislation to the City Council and the Mayor.”
They have a “Respond to Hate”: toolkit where I found this:
Report to government anti-discrimination agencies.
Report to City of Boston Human Rights Commission.
Report to community organizations.
Support the victim(s)
I contacted the commission by E-mail and asked if they will take action against Wu and her racist colleagues. So far, the commission has not released a statement on the subject. Bostonians especially those that were victims of Wu and her colleague’s blatant racism have a duty to file a formal complaint with the commission and demand an investigation. If the commission refuses, its board members are nothing more than enables of what they profess to oppose and should resign, and the organization abolished.
Readers can give this august body a call 617-635-2328 or E-mail them HumanRights@Boston.Gov to file a complaint.
I was a victim of religious discrimination back in 2017 when Mayor Walsh refused to give me and my organization a permit to fly the Christian flag. It took almost five years to get justice but on May 2, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 9-0 in our favor. http://www.lc.org/flag This act of discrimination cost the city a few million in legal fees. To my knowledge, Boston’s Human Rights Commission took no action on our case. Let’s hope it will take action against Wu and her associates.
P.S.: The commission has failed to release a statement on the surge of anti-Semitism in the wake of the Hamas’ atrocity against innocent civilians.
A bumper sticker a Boston resident recently gave to me.
December 16, 2023, marks the 250th or Semiquincentennial of The Boston Tea Party
December 16, 2023, marks the 250th or Semiquincentennial of The Boston Tea Party where members of the Sons of Liberty-some dressed up as Mohawk Indians- boarded three ships docked at Griffins Wharf in Boston, and dumped 46 tons of tea into the harbor.
Background to the Tea Party:
The British Parliament passed the Townshend Act in 1767 which levied direct taxes against the Colonists. Prior to this, colonial governments elected by the people were the only entities that levied taxes. There was much opposition to the Townshend Act on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1770, Parliament repealed the Townshend Act with the exception the tax on tea. On May 10, 1773, Parliament passed the Tea Act giving, for the first time, the East India Company a monopoly on the export of tea. The East India Company would appoint certain colonial merchants-consigners- the sole right to sell the tea to the detriment of other merchants who lost their livelihoods. While “Taxation without Representation” was one of the rallying cries of the Revolutionary War-along with “No King But King Jesus, the biggest objection Boston colonists had was that the tax was used to pay the salaries of the governor, and other colonial leaders, making these officials beholding and dependent to the Crown instead of the colonists.
In the fall of 1773, seven ships loaded with tea and other cargo sailed to America-four to Boston, one to Philadelphia, one to Charlestown, SC., one to New York City. Local Patriots in Philadelphia and New York convinced the consigners to resign, and the tea went back to England. In Charleston, S.C, the tea was never claimed and ended up rotting in storage. The Dartmouth was the first ship to arrive at Boston’s Griffin Wharf. By law, it had 20 days to land the tea, or it would be confiscated. Two other ships, the Beaver and Eleanor arrived a few weeks later. A fourth ship ran aground on Cape Cod. Colonists petitioned Governor Thomas Hutchinson to let the ships return the tea to England. His sons Thomas and Elisha just happened to be the consignees. Indeed, if the ships did not unload the tea, the owners were told that their ships would be fired upon as they sailed past Castle Island.
The Tea Party
The 16th of December fell on a rainy and chilly Thursday. It was the last day that the Dartmouth had to unload its cargo. The meeting at the Old South Meeting House was held in the morning where attendees were read letters of support from surrounding towns. The meeting ended and reconvened in the afternoon. The meeting lasted a few hours and instructed that the ship owners are to have an interview with Governor Hutchinson to get permission to sail without unloading the tea. At 6PM, close to forty percent of the 16,000 Bostonians arranged themselves in and out of the Old South Meeting House. No word as of yet from Hutchinson and the ship owners. Josiah Quincy (member of the Committee of Correspondence) spoke of the peoples’ resolve and popular acclamations of willing to gives their lives. Others spoke in similar tones to the attendees. Finally, around 7PM, they receive word that the ships must unload the tea.
Samuel Adams stands and says the words “This meeting can do nothing more to save the country,” In the back of the room and outside in the street, the Sons of Liberty- reacted to that remark by moving swiftly to Griffin’s Wharf and board the three tea ships Dartmouth, Eleanor, and Beaver. The men, some dressed as Mohawk Indians, extracted the tea from the cargo holds and disperse the leaves into the waters of the harbor. They were given strict orders not to do any damage or hurt any of the crew members of the three ships. Men were posted in small boats preventing anyone from taking the tea. The Caption of the Beaver, Hezekiah Coffin, turned over the keys to the storage holds and encouraged his men to participate in “Tea Party.” Forty-sic tons of tea worth approximately $2 million in today’s money ended up in the Harbor.
The British government’s response to the “Tea Party” was the passing of what became known as The Intolerable Acts which included the closing of Boston Harbor. This helped further unify the colonies and led our nation’s independence.
I highly recommend a visit to the Tea Party Museum located on Congress St and close to the location of the Tea Party. The museum has two replicas of the ships-the Beaver and Eleanor, reenactors with attendee involvement and a multi-media presentation that brings history alive. Among the museum’s collection is an original tea chest recovered from the event. Their website: https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/
In 2018, I had the opportunity to attend the Tea Party Reenactment with media credentials. A link to the video of the event:
In 1874, Oliver Wendall Holmes wrote a poem entitled “A Ballad of the Boston Tea Party” A portion of that poem is found at an historic plaque at the site of the original location of the Tea Party on Boston’s Atlantic Ave.
U.S. Supreme Court Frees Christmas From the “Lemon Test” by Liberty Counsel
The following is a news release from Liberty Counsel. We at Camp Constitution are honored and humbled that God choose us to take a role in the undoing of “The Lemon Test” and brough the incredible men and women of Liberty Counsel http://lc.org/flag into our lives
“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” 1 Corinthians 1:27
ORLANDO, FL – The return of the Christmas season prompts a return of the annual scrutiny of Christmas expressions in the public square. For years, opponents to religious expression and activist courts have fought using the U.S. Supreme Court created “Lemon Test” to remove the Ten Commandments, crosses, Nativity scenes, and other religious symbols and displays from public property. However, the “Lemon Test” had been inconsistently applied through the years and the High Court recently abandoned it in favor of the original and historical textual meanings of the Constitution. The ruling changed the legal landscape in America where the public and private sector cannot censor religious expression.
The “Lemon Test” Is Dead
The “Lemon Test” was a three-part test developed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1971 (Lemon v. Kurtzman) to evaluate if government actions would favor one religion over another and violate the Establishment Clause. The test was designed to be a universal way to resolve cases arising under the First Amendment Establishment Clause, and whether they involved government expression of religious speech, such as legislative prayer, public funding that flows to religious groups, religious displays, etc.
For 51 years, the “Lemon Test” had been used by courts to distort the Free Exercise Clause and the Free Speech Clause to remove religious symbols and displays from the public square. However, all that changed in 2022 when the U.S. Supreme Court eliminated the “Lemon Test” over a series of rulings favoring a new “test” of “historical practices and understandings” to determine the extent of religious expression in the public square.
On May 2, 2022, Liberty Counsel received a 9-0 decision by the U.S Supreme Court in Shurtleff v. City of Boston which struck down censorship of Christian viewpoints within the public forum the City of Boston had created for flag raisings. The High Court unanimously ruled that the City of Boston violated the Constitution by censoring a private flag in a public forum open to “all applicants” merely because the application referred to it as a “Christian flag.” The High Court soundly rejected Boston’s use of the “Lemon Test” to justify censoring Christian viewpoints in public.
The Shurtleff case paved the way for a later decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, where Liberty Counsel argued in an amicus brief that the school could not suppress Coach Joe Kennedy’s private religious speech to silently pray on the football field after games. On June 27, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of Coach Kennedy. Relying on both the First Amendment Free Speech and Free Exercise Clauses, the High Court ruled that the Bremerton School District violated Coach Kennedy’s constitutional rights by firing him for prayer on the football field after games. In the ruling, the High Court buried the court-made “Lemon Test,” citing Liberty Counsel’s decision in Shurtleff involving the Christian flag.
In place of the “Lemon Test,” the High Court instituted a new “test” of “historical practices and understandings” meant to resolve constitutional conflicts through the original meanings of the Constitution’s text and common historical practices.
Today, the law is clear. The First Amendment does not permit any city, state, or the federal government to eliminate religious viewpoints regarding a federally and state recognized holiday.
Christmas Expression in Public Is Allowed
Liberty Counsel has addressed and overturned hundreds of attempts to censor Christmas in the private and public sector. These instances include:
- Retracting unconstitutional bans on Christmas holiday symbols, decorations, and expressions for city employees within public buildings.
- Lifting bans on public school students wearing red and green colors and acknowledging Christ’s birth in their classrooms.
- Restoring Nativity scenes that had been banned from public property.
- Returning Christmas carols to seniors who were silenced in their nursing homes.
With the death of the “Lemon Test,” a multitude of questions still arise about whether it is legal to include Christmas symbols, decorations, and expressions in public to celebrate the season.
Nativity scenes that are publicly sponsored and displayed on public property are constitutional under the “history and traditions” test now recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court. These displays can, but are not required to, include a secular symbol of the holiday. Privately sponsored Nativity scenes or religious symbols are also permissible on public property that has been opened to the public for expressive activity. No secular symbol is necessary.
In government spaces, the First Amendment and Free Exercise Clause protects Christmas holiday symbols, decorations, and expressions by employees.
As for public schools, they are not religion-free zones that must be devoid of Christmas expression. Classroom discussion of the religious aspects of the holidays is permissible. A holiday display in a classroom may include a Nativity scene or other religious imagery. Public school music teachers have the freedom to include both religious and secular Christmas songs in their musical programs. A choral performance may include religious songs and does not have to contain an equal number of religious and secular music. If the students select their own songs independent of the direction of school officials, then there is no requirement that the songs include secular songs.
Students may distribute religious Christmas cards to their classmates during noninstructional time, before or after school or between classes. If the students are not required to dress in uniform, then they may wear clothing with religious words or symbols or don religious jewelry.
Recently, Liberty Counsel sent demand letters to the City of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin as well as Holt Public School District in Michigan demanding they rescind their unconstitutional bans on Christmas holiday symbols, decorations, and expression within public buildings.
While the City of Wauwatosa quickly backpedaled and rescinded their ban, they originally advised for decorations to be “neutral” without “favoring any particular belief system.” As for Holt Public Schools, it has currently issued directives focused on “Decentering Christmas” and “Racial Justice” that not only prohibits the celebration of the Christmas holiday through symbols, decorations, and expression, but promotes hostility on the basis of religion and race.
Christmas holiday bans such as these violate the U.S. Constitution and the Free Speech and Exercise Clauses by showing hostility toward Christianity. It does not matter what the motive might be, the First Amendment does not permit government entities to eliminate the traditional elements, symbols, or expression of a federally and state recognized holiday such as Christmas.
Learn more in Liberty Counsel’s legal memorandum detailing how courts and our Constitution preserve the freedom to celebrate Christmas and religious holidays.
As a result of unconstitutional censorship of religious holidays, Liberty Counsel launched its annual Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign in 2003 designed to educate and, when necessary, litigate to ensure religious viewpoints are not censored from Christmas and holiday themes. In addition, the campaign also provides a Naughty and Nice List that catalogs some of the stores that are censoring Christmas and some that are publicly celebrating it.
Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “The First Amendment protects religious viewpoints from being censored by the government. Religious symbols and displays consistent with the Christmas holiday season are appropriate and constitutional on public property, including in public schools. Christmas is a recognized federal and state holiday. It makes no sense to pretend it does not exist or that the holiday should be stripped of Christian symbols and themes.”
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Joe Scarborough, Before He Became a Mouthpiece for the Deep State…
Joe Scarborough, as a freshman member of Congress, co-sponsored Ron Paul’s bill to get the United States out of the United Nations. So, it was no surprise that he would be invited to speak at a John Birch Society (JBS) meeting. Joe spoke at a February 1996 JBS Council Dinner and was enthusiastically received by the attendees. In his introductory remarks, Joe referred to a JBS Council member and his wife as close friends and praised the work of the JBS.
But something changed. Today, he is little more than a mouthpiece for the Establishment he once opposed. He even married the daughter of Zbigniew Brzezinski, who was one of the Deep State’s top operatives. He recently ranted on his Morning Joe Show that if Trump gets reelected Trump will execute his enemies and made a nauseating panegyric to Joe Biden.
A link to a downloadable audio of the speech: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/shurtleffhal/episodes/2023-03-29T16_16_44-07_00
Will the Documentary “The Fall of Minneapolis” lead to the Exoneration of Derek Chauvin
Last week, I became aware of the recently released free documentary “The Fall of Minneapolis.” The documentary produced by Liz Collin, a reporter who lost her job in the wake of the George Floyd riots. Based on her book it contains interviews by some Minneapolis police officers including Derek Chauvin via phone from his prison.
The information in this documentary may lead to the exoneration of Chauvin and his fellow officers. Shortly after the release of this documentary, Chauvin was stabbed in prison. Was the Establishment’s narrative right or was it a lie. Watch the video and make up your own mind.
Christian Nationalism: The Latest Bugaboo of the Left
According to vocabulary.com a “bugaboo” is a noun: A source of concern “the old bugaboo of inflation still bothers them–type of concern, headache, vexation, worry -something or someone that causes anxiety, a source of unhappiness.
The Left does an excellent job promoting bugaboos especially in the wake of the election of Congressman Mike Johnson to Speaker of the House of Representatives. The recent bugaboo off the Left used to scare its donors is Christian Nationalism. An on-line search for the term will lead to a plethora of articles from the usual suspects: The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, and the pens of clergy in liberal Christian churches -the ones that consider the U.S flag a symbol of hate but fly the banner of the anti-Semitic Black Lives Matter.
According to Brian Karem a columnist at Salon, Chrisitan Nationalism is a bigger threat to the United States than Hamas.
So, what is Chrisitan Nationalism, and should we be concerned that these Chistian Nationalists are on the verge of taking over the United States and setting up a theocracy? If you ask a staff writer from the sources mentioned about or the ladies on “The View” or a theological professor at an Ivy League college or an anchor on CNN, and MSNBC, they will tell you that Christian Nationalism is the believe that the United States was founded as a Christian nation and only Christians should be allowed to live here. They may even add the word “white” to convince you that this dangerous movement about to destroy democracy is racist as well. Here is how Wikipedia defines it:
“Christian nationalism is a type of religious nationalism that is affiliated with Christianity, in which the end goal is to achieve a Christian theocracy within a society. It primarily focuses on the internal politics of society, such as legislating civil and criminal laws that reflect their view of Christianity and the role of religion in political and social life.”
And according to the Left, if you are flying one of these flags, you are most likely a Christian Nationalist:
A perusal of our nation’s organic documents proves that the United States was founded by those of the Chrisian faith. Here are just a few examples:
Mayflower Compact 1620:
IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c. Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the first Colony in the northern Parts of Virginia; Do by these Presents, solemnly and mutually, in the Presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick…”
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut 1639
FORASMUCH as it hath pleased the Almighty God by the wise disposition of his divine providence so to Order and dispose of things that we the Inhabitants and Residents of Windsor, Harteford and Wethersfield are now cohabiting and dwelling in and upon the River of Connecticut and the Lands thereunto adjoining; And well knowing where a people are gathered together the word of God requires that to maintain the peace and union of such a people there should be an orderly and decent Government established according to God,,, to maintain and pressure the liberty and purity of the gospel of our Lord Jesus which we now profess…”
The Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, and they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights.
Massachusetts State Constitution:
Article II.
It is the right as well as the duty of all men in society, publicly, and at stated seasons to worship the Supreme Being, the great Creator and Preserver of the universe. And no subject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained, in his person, liberty, or estate, for worshipping God in the manner and season most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience; or for his religious profession or sentiments; provided he doth not disturb the public peace, or obstruct others in their religious worship.
New Hampshire State Constitution:
[Art.] 6. [Morality and Piety.] As morality and piety, rightly grounded on high principles, will give the best and greatest security to government, and will lay, in the hearts of men, the strongest obligations to due subjection; and as the knowledge of these is most likely to be propagated through a society, therefore, the several parishes, bodies, corporate, or religious societies shall at all times have the right of electing their own teachers, and of contracting with them for their support or maintenance, or both. But no person shall ever be compelled to pay for the support of the schools of any sect or denomination. And every person, denomination or sect shall be equally under the protection of the law; and no subordination of any one sect, denomination, or persuasion to another shall ever be established.
George Washington’s farewell address:
“…Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness…”
And, in a letter to Massachusetts Militia officers, President John Adams wrote:
“Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”[1] Morality and virtue are the foundation of our republic and necessary for a society to be free…”
I have been a Christian for most of my adult life and have been involved in Patriotic organizations since 1988. While the political and theological views of people that make up the Christian church and the Patriot movement vary widely, I do not know of any group of Christians whose goal is to set up some sort of Christian Republic excluding all others. Indeed, the vast majority of those the Left call Christian Nationalists are sympathetic to the State of Israel and either serve or support missionaries all over the world.
Contrary to the teaching of International Atheists, Christians are instructed to live peaceably with their neighbors, to love their neighbors and to pray for their enemies. Christians have the duty to speak out against the “unfruitful works or darkness,” (Ephesians 5:11) and an obligation to fulfill the Great Commission where they are commanded to “make disciples off all nations.” (Mathew 28:19-22). I think that troubles the Atheist Internationalists the most.
To use a sports analogy: Christians, have, for the most part, been sitting on the sidelines, while the Left has dominated the playing field. But conservative Christians are now in the game and putting points on the board. This frightens the Left and they have a need to promote fear and hatred of Chrisian conservatives. That fear and hatred has been manifested in the Biden Administration with its weaponization of the Justice Department. But, as we are told by our Lord in Matthew 16, “The Gates of Hell shall not prevail.”
Readers who are looking for a church or need prayer may E-mail me campconstitution1@gmail.com.
George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation
[New York, 3 October 1789]
By the President of the United States of America. a Proclamation.
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation—for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war—for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed—for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted—for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions—to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually—to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed—to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord—To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us—and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
Go: Washington
This is a presentation on the History of the Pilgrims by our late friend Pastor Garrett Lear conducted at Camp Constitution’s 2020 annual family camp
Camp Constitution wishes all a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving.
The Weekly Sam: Did the KGB Kill Kennedy? by Sam Blumenfeld
Today, marks the 60th anniversary of the assassination of President John Kennedy. Our late friend Sam Blumenfeld did extensive research on the assassination and went on a speaking tour of the United States. He steadfastly believed that the KGB with the help of the CIA was responsible. He planned to publish a book about his findings but got as far as this unpublished manuscript:
http://blumenfeld.campconstitution.net/Manuscripts/Did%20The%20KGB%20Kill%20Kennedy.pdf
We would like to publish this and are looking for a volunteer to edit the manuscript.
A link to a downloadable audio presentation on the subject:
https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/shurtleffhal/episodes/2022-11-23T12_14_53-08_00
None Dare Call It Conspiracy
I recently saw a meme that read: “I need new conspiracy theories because all my old ones have come true.” ‘The Insiders” now called the “Deep State” and its operatives have derided those who dare draw different conclusions that the narrative they put forward as “conspiracy theorists.” Like being called a racist or some type of “phobe”, that label is supposed to end the discussion. Many conservatives will begin a sentence with the clause “While I am not a conspiracy theorist…” This immediately puts them on the defensive. And while there are plenty of crazy theories out there, some of which I believe are manufactured to discredit those who don’t accept the Deep State’s narrative, there have been numerous articulate promoters of the conspiratorial view of history- the late Garty Allen being one of them.
Gary Allen’s epiphany is explained in his article “How the Left Turned Me Right.” In the article, Gary tried to set a conservative on his college football team straight. The player loaned him a short stack of books to prove his position, and Gary read them. Instead of refuting his teammates worldview, the information in the books changed his mind and became on the nation’s top promoters and defenders of the conspiratorial view of history. From the mid 1960’s until his death in 1988, he wrote extensively on the subject covering morality, economics, race relations, banking, and international affairs. He also did on-site reporting. His articles in the monthly “American Opinion” https://s3.amazonaws.com/camppictures/CampArchive/index.html proved that he was a generation ahead of his time. Unlike many conservative authors that come out with a ghost-written book every other month that contains little useful information, offering no solutions accept to vote Republican and, of course, buy the author’s next book, Gary’s books were meant to be widely distributed.
In 1972, Gary Allen published None Dare Call It Conspiracy. Over six million copies were distributed, and the book is still having an impact on people today. Gary also toured the country and appeared on many independent radio stations. Here is one of Gary’s presentations that he gave on the subject:
A link to a free downloadable audio version: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/shurtleffhal/episodes/2017-10-01T18_26_18-07_00
Recently, a friend donated a batch of 1st edition paperback versions still in their original box. They are available from our on-line bookstore: https://campconstitution.net/product/none-dare-call-it-conspiracy-paperback-1st-edition/