The Battle of Lexington Reenactment-The Shot Heard Round the World
Camp Constitution Press attended the annual reenactment of the Battle of Lexington. The original battle took place on Lexington Green on April 19, 1775. The event is reenacted by the Lexington Minutemen and His Majesty’s Tenth Foot Regiment on Patriots Day April 18. The reenactment draws thousands of people from around the country who brave the early morning cold to watch this historically accurate event. One of the more moving scenes of the reenactment is the death of Minuteman Jonathan Harrington who dies across from the green in his wife’s arms. The original home is still standing. One of the Lexington Minutemen, Charlie Price, portrays Prince Estabrook, a slave and member of the Lexington Minutemen, who was wounded during the battle.
After the battle, the Lexington Minutemen regroup and march to the cemetery a short distance from the Lexington Green to honor the fallen Minutemen buried in the cemetery. Camp Constitution videotaped the events:
Camp Constitution Radio Interviews Publius Huldah on the Dangers of an Article V Convention.
Camp Constitution Radio, heard on WBCQ The Planet Shortwave, was honored to interview Publius Huldah on the dangers of an Article V Convention.
Camp Constitution 2015 Pictures
MUSKET TRAINING & PICTURE ARCHIVE
During this year’s fabulous camp, the newspaper staff collected over 1400 photos from several cameras during the course of publishing the daily camp newspaper. Campers and staff interested in downloading choice photos should go to the archive here. I expect the archive to be online for a few months, but there is a considerable amount of disk space associated with the archive, so it will most likely be removed to dvd storage at some point. Get your photos while they are available! The sample photo was taken during the musket training provided by “Patriot” Pastor Garrett Lear. Andrew Affleck, Junior Patriot Camper, fires a blank round with guidance & instruction by the good Pastor. The lesson included fundamental facts about the concept of a militia, the duty and requirements of those who served, the tools of the trade and inspirational dialog. This was an extremely popular event with the entire camp.
“Crimes of the Educators” by Alex Newman and Sam Blumenfeld Not Wanted at the Thomas Crane Library
A few weeks ago, I stopped by the Thomas Crane Library in the historic Quincy, MA, and donated a copy of “Crimes of the Educators by Alex Newman and Sam Blumenfeld. Yesterday, I found this E-mail in my inbox:
Hello Mr. Shurtleff,
Thank you for thinking of the library for your book donation. I am sorry to say that it does not meet our selection criteria. It will be at the circulation desk for you to pick up at your convenience. Thank you.
Deirdre Sullivan
Acquisitions Librarian
Thomas Crane Public Library
40 Washington Street
Quincy, MA 02169
Selection criteria? It sound like one of those vague terms that means “We don’t want your book because it exposes something the masses don’t need to know.” Well, I did a search of the libraries “selection criteria, and found such gems as “Heather Has Two Mommies,” a book promoting the Lesbian lifestyle, and “At Swim Two Boys,” a novel that can be defined as “homoerotic.” So, it looks like the library’s gate keepers have told us just what they mean by “selection criteria.”
A friend of mine who happens to be a retired school teacher was a bit outraged and contacted the library. This was the response she received:
Thank you for email regarding the recent donation of the book “Crimes of the Educators” by Samuel Blumenfeld and Alex Newman.
All gifts of books and other materials for the library’s collection are subject to the same criteria used for purchased materials. For non-fiction works, some of the relevant criteria are accuracy, authoritativeness, literary quality and readability, relative importance in comparison to other works on the subject, and availability of the material at nearby libraries.
Based on an examination of the book and the lack of any authoritative critical reviews, our collection development librarian has determined that “Crimes of the Educators” doesn’t meet our selection criteria and will not be added to the collection.
We do strive to develop a balanced and objective collection of materials that provides a diversity of perspectives. On the topic of public education, the following recently published titles are available at the Crane library:
· The Teacher Wars by Dana Goldstein
· One Nation Under Taught: Solving America’s Science, Technology, Engineering & Math Crisis by Dr. Vince M. Bertram
· The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education by Diane Ravitch
Although “Crimes of the Educators” will not be added to our collection, it is available from at least two other Old Colony Library Network libraries, including the Thayer Library in Braintree. Whenever we do not select an item for our local collection, we are always happy to help patrons get what they want either at a nearby library or via interlibrary loan borrowing.
Sincerely,
Megan Allen
The book met the criteria for the neighboring library but not Quincy’s. The book “Crimes of the Educators” is a hard back book published by World Net Daily. Co-author, Alex Newman is an international journalist, educator and consultant who has lived in different parts of the world, and speaks four languages. The late Sam Blumenfeld, was a former editor for Grosset and Dunlop, had his own book publishing business, has authored over 10 books, had his articles appear in dozens of publications including “Boston Magazine, and “Reason,” has lectured in all 50 states, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. He even did a stint as a substitute teacher in the Quincy public schools. Now let’s examine the real reason why the gatekeepers at the library don’t want folks to read it. Here is a portion of books’ introduction:
“In the United States, the socialist utopians a new and unique method of conquering a nation: by dumbing down its people, by destroying the brainpower of millions of its citizens. The plan to dumb down America was launched in 1898 by socialist John Dewey, outlined in an essay titled “The Primarcy education Fetich.” In it he showed his fellow progressives how to transform America into a collectivist topiary taking over the public schools….”
The book has chapters exposing death education that leads to suicides, the drugging of children for the purpose of treating ailments caused by educators themselves, the moral dumbing down of our children, the making of a Black underclass, and the latest scheme of the “progressives” bankrolled by Bill Gates, Common Core.
Ms. Sullivan asked me to come by and pick up the book. I suggested she keep it and put it on display in September when the hypocrites at the Thomas Crane Library have their banned book week
http://www.patriotledger.com/article/20140919/NEWS/140915767
Readers are encouraged to buy a copy of the book, and donate it to their local libraries. it is available on Amazon:
http://www.slblf.com/crimes-of-the-educators.html
I was a close friend of Sam Blumenfeld and had the opportunity to interview him about his book on Camp Constitution Radio a few months before he passed:
Sam Blumenfeld, Author, Homeschool Pioneer, and Camp Constitution Instructor Passes Away
Camp Constitution lost a great friend with the passing of Samuel L. Blumenfeld. Sam passed away on June 1, a day after 89th birthday. Sam was born in New York City on May 31, 1926. His parents were immigrants from Poland. He was educated in New York City public schools which taught intensive phonics, and where the principal would recite the 23th Psalm over the PA system each morning. Sam served in World War II in the Northern Italy Campaign towards the end of the war. He wrote a few poems of his experiences in the war. He graduated from New Your City College, and, travelled to Europe to study. He also visited an Italian family he befriended during the war. Sam went to work for several publishing companies including Grosset and Dunlop. A life-long anti-communist, Sam founded the American Friends of Algeria, and later The American Friends of Katanga. In his library where rare documents concerning these two organizations including a letter from Dr. Moise Tsombe whom Sam visited in 1964. Sam went to work for “The Review of the News” a weekly conservative magazine published by The John Birch Society. He was instrumental in the founding of the Jewish Society of Americanists. He started his own publishing company, Coleridge Press, which published a biography of Lillian Nordica, a famous opera star.
While an editor for Grosset and Dunlop, he was asked to join a reading reform organization founded by his friend Watson Washburn, a New York Attorney. Sam was surprised to learn that American students had a reading problem. Mr. Washburn told him to read “Why Johnny Can’t Read” by Rudolph Fleish. This book set him on a life-long crusade to promote intensive phonics. Sam researched how the look-say method of reading was introduced in the U.S., and was the first person who had the moral courage to expose the conspiracy to deliberately dumb-down the American people. He travelled in all 50 states speaking to groups on the subject. He was a regular at homeschool conventions, Tea Party rallies, radio and talk shows. Sam’s books included “How to Start Your Own Private School.” The NEA: Trojan Horse in American Education, “How to Tutor, and his last which he co-authored with Alex Newman “The Crimes of the Educators.” We were pleased to help with Alex Newman’s visit to meet Sam a few days prior to his death. His most influential work was his book “Alpha Phonetics.” This workbook was used by several generations of parents to teach their children how to read. Sam’s work influenced hundreds of thousands of people.
Sam was a supporter and instructor at Camp Constitution. He bequeathed his library and papers to Camp Constitution’s director knowing that Camp Constitution will help keep his work alive for generations to come. Sam was a national treasure who will be greatly missed. Camp Constitution created a collection of Sam’s work on its scribd.com page and will be uploading many of his writings in the moths to come. Here is a link to the scribd page: https://www.scribd.com/collections/14209868/Sam-Blumenfeld
Thanksgiving Day 1789
THANKSGIVING DAY 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 increase 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.
Camp Constitution wishes all a Happy Thanksgiving. Please visit our camp book store https://campconstitution.net/store/products/category/books/
Happy Constitution Day: How Well Do Know Your “Freedom Manual?”
Today we celebrate the 227th Anniversary of the U.S. Constitution. Sadly, most Americans know little to nothing about this great document. Camp Constitution mans information tables at various venues the year and offers those who stop by our tables to take a simple 10 question quiz. We challenge you to take it.
Constitution Quiz:
1, Which amendment protects the right to keep and bear arm
2, What is the age requirement for the U.S. Senate?
3, Which amendment reads “From each according to his abilities, to
each according to his needs?”
4, Lawmaking abilities are vested in which branch of government?
5, How many amendments does the Constitution have?
6, Which branch of government has the power to regulate education?
7, Where in the Constitution is foreign aid mentioned?
4, Congress- Article One, Section One.
5, Twenty-seven
6, None. The U.S. Constitution does not grant any power regarding education in the Constitution.
7, It isn’t mentioned. The Constitution never gave the federal government any power to give taxpayer money to foreign countries. A treaty may include financial arrangements but this wouldn’t be foreign aid.
8, 2/3 of those present (Article II, Section, II, Paragraph II)
9, The House of Representatives (Article I, Section II, Paragraph 5
10, Congress (Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 11
Thank you for taking the quiz. We hope that this will challenge you to both learn more, and help others learn about this incredible document. We also hope that you will take an important role in the freedom movement. If you would like more information about Camp Constitution, please visit our web site www.campconstitution.net
For a downloadable copy:
Camp Constitution 2014
Camp Constitution’s 2014 annual family camp held at the Toah Nipi Christian Retreat Center in Rindge, NH ended last week. This year’s camp drew attendees as far as Florida and Michigan. Mrs. KrisAnne Hall, attending for the first time, was a bit hit with staffers and campers alike. Along with her inspirational, and motivational classes, she did several radio shows while at camp featuring interviews of campers. Instructor, Garret Lear, “The Patriot Pastor,” added a class on the use of a musket and several campers had the opportunity to fire the musket. Campers also heard from Mr. Larry Cleveland, a life-long Rindge resident who organized a successful attempt to stop Agenda 21 type programs from being implemented in the town. He demonstrated how informed citizens can indeed fight “city hall.” Leadership workshops conducted by Earl Wallace, author of “The Three Dimensional Leader” motivated the camp’s junior counselors to start an on-line monthly magazine, and produce a promotional DVD which should be available shortly. On the last full day of camp, senior campers did a distribution of U.S. Constitution to members of the business community in nearby Jaffrey, NH.
The all-day field trip to Old Ironsides and Bunker Hill ws complimented by classes about the famous battleship by a former crew member, and camp instructor, Norman Tregenza. Campers also visited the boyhood home of Uncle Sam in nearby Mason, NH. Owner Jean-Pierre Mouraux travelled from Sonoma, CA to open the house for the campers.
Super campers were awarded to veteran campers Jillian Kalis and Ben Leveillee. They were awarded a free tuition for next year’s camp. Runner-ups were first time campers Dominic and Madeleine Girard. Super counselor went to Mr. Chris Kalis who travels all theway from Michigan with his family to attend. Dates for next year’s camp will be announced soon.
Videos of classes and activities can be found on Youtube and camp photos are available on the camp’s facebook pages.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7jnzBzBiNYDdeZnCmuy5kQGVfwPW8J6t
Camp Constitution Conducts a Presentation to a Public Elementary School
Last week, Tom Moor and I were invited by the Windemere School PTO in Ellington, CT to give presentations to its fifth and sixth grade classes. This was the first time that Camp Constitution had the opportunity to give classes in a public school. There were over 400 students that got a lesson on the U.S. Constitution from an Americanist perspective. Mr. Moor started the classes with his rendition of “The Preamble Song,” and an overview of our week long family camp. I conducted a power point presentation on the Constitution which included a refutation of some of the myths that the students will or have heard including the misguided notion that the Constitution is outdated, and that it promoted slavery. The students heard, many for the first time, that rights come from God, that the U.S. Constitution does not give rights but protects them, and that the United States is a republic. We asked the students and teachers on hand if they could name their member of the U.S. House of Represenatives. Only one teacher knew. Mr. Moor and I were very well received by both students and teachers.
All of the students and teachers received a pocket size copy of the Constitution and a camp brochure. There is still time to register for our 2014 week-long summer camp which runs from July 13-20.