THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA

An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Volume IV, Issue # 123, October 21, 2002
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Government Committed to & Acting in Accord with Conservative Principles
Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity
Home Page   Main Menu   Recent Articles   Site Map   Website Index   Issues & Controversies
  Cyberland University   Political Science, Philosophy, & History: Lectures   U.S. Constitution
  American Constitutional Law   American Constitutional System   American Political System
  Conservatism, Liberalism, & Radicalism   How America Goes to War
  World War IV: Islamist Terror War Against the U.S.A. & the West

WHEN ELECTED GOVERNMENT OFFICEHOLDERS ARE CORRUPT & DO NOT REPRESENT THE PEOPLE, WHOSE FAULT IS IT?  THE VALUE OF A SOUND CIVIC & POLITICAL EDUCATION
By Deborah Venable

Two weeks ago, my children and I spent several days studying the United States Constitution and its predecessor, the Articles Of Confederation. We had discussed the Declaration Of Independence in depth the week before. These home schooling sessions, once again, uncovered the inadequacies of our public school education.

We discussed the various forms of government and the misuse of the word, “democracy,” to describe our own form of government. Exploring the benefits of our constitutional representative republic provides a clear picture of the brilliant human intelligence it took first to define all the pitfalls of human nature that necessitate government, and then to proceed to craft a document that, if followed, would preserve hard won freedom for generations to come. As we discussed the functions of each branch of our govern- ment, it became evident that much of this information was new to my children, or perhaps had even been previously misinterpreted for them.

We discussed the chain of succession for the Presidency and noted the qualifications for the various levels of legislators and executives as prescribed in the Constitution. We imagined scenarios where a possible replacement for the President, so prescribed, might not qualify for the Presidency. The Constitution makes it very clear that the line of succession depends on these qualifications to make such a replacement valid. We identified a situation in recent history where this line would have been broken because of such a disqualification.

As we discussed the fact that the President of the United States is currently considered to be the most powerful individual in the world, it became clear just what an awesome responsibility rests on the electorate of this nation to choose the very best representa- tives we can find to fill our government. Each step in the process, each person who gains elected office, and each decision they make has an impact on the entire world.

The one fact so often glossed over by the American people who complain about their government, and by all people who find fault with our system of government, is that we have the power to effect a drastic change in our House of Representatives and our Senate every two years. We could completely replace all 435 souls in the House every two years, along with a third of the Senate! Within four years, we can replace the House twice, two-thirds of the Senate once and the executive branch of the federal government in total. Within six years we can finish replacing the final third of the Senate. That, my friends, is "Power" with a capital P.

So, whose fault is it if our government does not represent us? Whose fault is it if career politicians are firmly ensconced in their offices for a lifetime, to abuse the people they represent and the Constitution they are sworn to uphold? Whose fault is it if bad law continues to flow forth from the cesspool that has become our legislature? Our houses of Congress and our executive leaders are answerable to all who transfer our power of government to them–all of us, eighteen years of age and older, are responsible. That reflects badly on the adults in this country who shirk this responsibility by ignoring their electoral duties entirely, or by refusing to educate themselves well enough to perform those duties with intelligence. We wallow in self-righteous victimhood instead of accept- ing the blame for a government gone astray from individual rights--a government that feeds itself on power it shouldn’t have.

Individual rights require the exercise of individual power to protect and preserve them. Our Founders understood this all too well when they laid the foundations of our govern- ment. Strength does not come from weakness of character or dependence on power devolved from benefits not earned, but rather it comes from commitment to a shared vision of the best humanity has to offer. It comes from our refusal to accept that a corrupt govern- ment cannot be changed, and from an acceptance of the fact that we control our government, instead of our government controlling us. Those of us who will not accept responsibility for being the solution to our problems have become our biggest problem.

Each and every individual adult in this country has the power and the responsibility to affect change in our situations, both personally and governmentally. It is time that those who would represent us are forced to face their employers with honesty and integrity, or lose their jobs. They can all be replaced, thanks to the brilliance of our Founders and the clarity of our Constitution. Our public educators are not making that clear. Our govern- ment representatives do not fear us, and they should. Instead of our government fearing the American voters, the majority of the people in this country have fear and contempt for much of our government.

Whose fault is it?

The Socialist agenda in America is clearly geared toward making people believe they should act as a group instead of acting as individuals. Individual learning is not encour- aged in public school (not that our educators will admit it), but instead we find more and more dependence on methods of group learning. Cooperation is not the same as communal compliance. There is a big difference. Standardization does not guarantee excellence, but can actually quell it. Conditioning the individual to accept what benefits all will not guarantee justice, insure freedom, or install good government. If benefit is not earned, it should not be bestowed. If power is not respected, it should not be transferred. If knowledge is not truth, it will render a society powerless to protect itself. Therein lies the evil of Socialism and the best reason to take responsibility for your children’s education.

Empower your children's minds with the knowledge of truth so that they can take control of their future and resist the philosophies that will put them in peril. They will only be victims of their own ignorance if you do not empower them in this way. If they become adults in an America that has abdicated its sovereignty to a fantasy of world government promising peace for the benefit of all, and their individual power has been compromised, whose fault will it be?

More on Education & America's Schools

A Practical Guide to Homeschooling



Copyright 2002 SierraTimes.com



Reprinted with Permission of SierraTimes.com
Reprinted from SierraTimes.com
October 13, 2002

SierraTimes.com
URL:
http://www.SierraTimes.com





Return to Top of Page

Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE,
Public Issues & Political Controversies


Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE,
Volume IV, 2002


Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Subject Matter Highlights


Return to POLITICAL EDUCATION Homepage

CONTACT & ACCESS INFORMATION




LINKS TO PARTICULAR ISSUES & SUBJECT MATTER CATEGORIES
TREATED IN THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, U.S.A.:

Africa: Black Africa * Africa: North Africa * American Government 1
American Government 2 * American Government 3 * American Government 4
American Government 5 * American Politics * Anglosphere * Arabs
Arms Control & WMD * Aztlan Separatists * Big Government
Black Africa * Bureaucracy * Canada * China * Civil Liberties * Communism
Congress, U.S. * Conservative Groups * Conservative vs. Liberal
Constitutional Law * Counterterrorism * Criminal Justice * Disloyalty * Economy
Education * Elections, U.S. * Eminent Domain * Energy & Environment
English-Speaking World * Ethnicity & Race * Europe * Europe: Jews
Family Values * Far East * Fiscal Policy, U.S. * Foreign Aid, U.S. * Foreign Policy, U.S.
France * Hispanic Separatism * Hispanic Treason * Human Health * Immigration
Infrastructure, U.S. * Intelligence, U.S. * Iran * Iraq * Islamic North Africa
Islamic Threat * Islamism * Israeli vs. Arabs * Jews & Anti-Semitism
Jihad & Jihadism * Jihad Manifesto I * Jihad Manifesto II * Judges, U.S. Federal
Judicial Appointments * Judiciary, American * Latin America * Latino Separatism
Latino Treason * Lebanon * Leftists/Liberals * Legal Issues
Local Government, U.S. * Marriage & Family * Media Political Bias
Middle East: Arabs * Middle East: Iran * Middle East: Iraq * Middle East: Israel
Middle East: Lebanon * Middle East: Syria * Middle East: Tunisia
Middle East: Turkey * Militant Islam * Military Defense * Military Justice
Military Weaponry * Modern Welfare State * Morality & Decency
National Identity * National Security * Natural Resources * News Media Bias
North Africa * Patriot Act, USA * Patriotism * Political Culture * Political Ideologies
Political Parties * Political Philosophy * Politics, American * Presidency, U.S.
Private Property * Property Rights * Public Assistance * Radical Islam
Religion & America * Rogue States & WMD * Russia * Science & Ethics
Sedition & Treason * Senate, U.S. * Social Welfare Policy * South Africa
State Government, U.S. * Subsaharan Africa * Subversion * Syria * Terrorism 1
Terrorism 2 * Treason & Sedition * Tunisia * Turkey * Ukraine
UnAmerican Activity * UN & Its Agencies * USA Patriot Act * U.S. Foreign Aid
U.S. Infrastructure * U.S. Intelligence * U.S. Senate * War & Peace
Welfare Policy * WMD & Arms Control


This is not a commercial website. The sole purpose of the website is to share with interested persons information regarding civics, civic and social education, political science, government, politics, law, constitutional law and history, public policy, and political philosophy and history, as well as current and recent political developments, public issues, and political controversies.



POLITICAL EDUCATION, CONSERVATIVE ANALYSIS

POLITICS, SOCIETY, & THE SOVEREIGN STATE

Website of Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr.

Government, Politics, Public Policy, Legal Issues, Constitutional Law, Government & the Economy, Cultural Values, Foreign Affairs, International Relations, Military Defense & National Security, Geopolitics, Terrorism & Homeland Security, American National Interests, Political Systems & Processes, Political Institutions, Political Ideologies, & Political Philosophy

INDEX FOR THE ENTIRE WEBSITE

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z




THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA

An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis

Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor

Conservative & Free-Market Analysis of Government, Politics & Public Policy, Covering Political, Legal, Constitutional, Economic, Cultural, Military, International, Strategic, & Geopolitical Issues


Conservative Government Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity