Are Students Learning America is a Republic? Maybe Not. Ah Heck. Let's Just Change the Pledge of Allegiance.

Are you concerned about the curriculum used in your school? Do you live in an area you believe upholds your values and historical understanding of the United States? Do you want your children to understand how their government is set up to operate? Do you want your children to live under a Constitution which provides clear direction or a Constitution that can be bended (elastic clause) for more Federal control vs state sovereignty?

Below is an email from a school board member in Franklin County Missouri. If what he writes alarms you, contact your district and read what version of history your district students are learning. The title of the history book, "The Living Constitution" might just alert you to the book author's beliefs and the Constitution's application allowing the Federal Government's grab for more and more power:

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The Living Constitution

By Dennis Schillings

Review by Jerry Breihan

September, 2011

I have reviewed four books used at Franklin County R2 school relating to government and history. Here are my findings on the book used by the 7^th grade for studying the U.S. Constitution entitled The Living Constitution, by Denny Schillings.

The “Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag” is as follows: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all.”

According to Schillings, the pledge should be changed to read, “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Representative Democracy for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all.”

Nowhere in the book does Schillings use the word Republic.

Most of the book appears to be adequate in explaining the U.S. Constitution with the exception of a few enormous errors.

· Concerning the Preamble, Schillings explains the principles of a representative democracy and that this principle is established in Article I. Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 18 of the Constitution reads “To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.” Schillings’ explanation of Paragraph 18: “18. To make laws needed to carry out the Constitution and govern the nation. The framers expected the future to bring conditions they had not foreseen. They wanted to let Congress carry out its duties, without being limited by the ‘enumerated powers.’ This elastic clause lets Congress expand its powers as needed.” Even a brief reading of the writings of the founders indicates this explanation to be false. What can the federal government do? Only the nineteen areas of authority listed in Article I, Section 8, examples “1. To coin money, regulate the value thereof. . ., 2. To declare war. . . 3. To establish post offices. . . “

“Remember democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” John Adams, 1814

The 10^th Amendment states, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.” Schillings’ explanation of the 10^th Amendment states, “This amendment aims to make the state’s relationship to the federal system clear.” There is no aiming. This amendment makes the relationship clear. If you read the founding father’s thoughts on this separation of powers, they say it is so clear that we would not even need the Bill of Rights. In the Federalist Papers, James Madison, in Federalist Paper 41 puts it this way, (paraphrasing) How can this be misunderstood what the federal government can do and what the States can do when the different parts are not even separated by a pause or a semicolon? What James Madison means in Federalist Paper 41 is the fact that the federal government can only do what the Constitution gives it authority to do.

Is it any wonder that a lot of citizens say, “We all know the federal government always trumps state government”? We all need to be working to teach our children correct history, for instance:

- What is the difference between a democracy and a constitutional republic? First of all, our founding fathers did not intend to and did not set up a Democracy. All of our founding fathers came out of countries that were in chaos and knew that democracy itself does not work.

- Definition of a democracy. Whether a pure democracy or a representative democracy, 50% + 1 is the law of the land. Example: we have four lambs and five wolves and we all vote on what to have for supper. The vote total is five votes to have lamb chops, four votes to NOT have lamb chops. What do we have for supper? Lamb chops.

- Definition of a constitutional republic. The sovereignty of the government remains with ALL the people (whether you are a wolf or a lamb). No matter what the vote is, we cannot violate the rules of the written Constitution. Murdering someone for supper is not allowed by this constitution. No matter what the vote, lamb chops are not on the menu.

This is a very important distinction and the reason why the founding fathers insisted on a written constitution. Three of the founding fathers (Edmund Randolph, VA, George Mason, VA, and Elbridge Gerry, MA) did not vote to ratify the constitution because it did not have a Bill of Rights.

- Who created the federal government (not central government)? Was it the federal government who created the states, or was it the states who created the federal government? The federal government is nothing more than an agent the states hired to help them, not to dominate them. The government should never be allowed to do to an individual what an individual is not allowed to do to another individual. One of the sayings by the founding fathers was “Is lex, rex or is rex, lex?” meaning is law the king or is king the law? In our country, it is lex, rex.

Thanks,

Jerry Breihan

School Board Member, FCR-2