Upon leaving Independence Hall in Philadelphia at the conclusion of the 1787 Convention, a passerby asked Benjamin Franklin what form of government the delegates had formed. Legend has it Franklin responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.”
Whether or not that was the exact phrase Franklin used is up for debate. Yet, the message he gave to that Philadelphian and to all future Americans is well-taken. The effort The Framers put forth in drafting the Constitution is meaningless – unless We The People do what’s necessary to give life to those words.
The first step is understanding how our government is constructed, why it’s constructed that way, what your rights are, and what authority the federal government actually has. If this isn’t understood, it’s impossible to know when your rights are being violated. Furthermore, you’ll not know the remedy for the violation of your rights. What we’ve witnessed, especially since 2020, is a federal government that’s blatantly exceeding its constitutional authority.
Polling across numerous policy issues indicates roughly half of Americans agree with this federal government overreach. You might ask, ”Why?” Well, the answer is multifold. Too many people don't understand why the Pilgrims risked their lives to traverse the Atlantic Ocean to the New World. Too few people understand our Founding Principles, the principles of federalism, or the origin of our individual rights – let alone how a bill becomes a law. Education is the foundation of knowledge, and our educational system has become woefully inadequate to these ends.
"I think by far the most important bill in our whole code is that for the diffusion of knowledge among the people. No other sure foundation can be devised, for the preservation of freedom and happiness...Preach, my dear Sir, a crusade against ignorance; establish & improve the law for educating the common people. Let our countrymen know that the people alone can protect us against these evils [tyranny, oppression, etc.] and that the tax which will be paid for this purpose is not more than the thousandth part of what will be paid to kings, priests and nobles who will rise up among us if we leave the people in ignorance." – Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson understood that a knowledgeable and informed electorate is critical to the preservation of liberty. An ignorant populace is more easily controlled by the “experts” or “ruling class.” Those are the “kings, priests and nobles” Jefferson referred to. This point has been relentlessly driven home the past few years, and the result is exactly what Jefferson and many of our Founding Fathers predicted. They were not soothsayers. They simply understood human behavior because they understood history.
This is why education and ensuring we have an informed electorate is the primary mission of the Convention of States Project. Our mission statement is to, “Develop an army of citizen activists committed to the principles of self-governance.” Studying Absolute Truths and actual history has to be self-guided due to the general failure of our public education system.
Too many school districts today emphasize the advancement of political agendas over teaching students mastery of subject. Parents who’ve spoken against the education establishment are labeled domestic terrorists at the direction of the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers. The establishment doesn’t like to be challenged. And yet, citizens challenging the establishment is exactly what the Founding Fathers expected of us. Otherwise, we risk devolving into a tyrannical government.
Tuesday, April 4 is election day in Missouri. Several local issues will be decided throughout our state. School Board elections will be decided as well. School Boards set policy for school districts and have a direct impact on the education of our students. The results of tomorrow’s election will have a direct impact on our students. Learning mastery of subject and Absolute Truth will have a direct impact on the survival of our republic. It’s our individual responsibility to make our voices heard through the ballots we cast April 4. Take the opportunity tomorrow to be an active, engaged and knowledgeable citizen. Practice self-governance by casting your vote.
In liberty,
Brett
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