OK Folks, I have two issues that have come to the forefront that have me riled up.
The first is the recent news that the country’s largest teachers union has moved to undermine the left-wing talking point that critical race theory is not taught to children — by voting promote it and arguing it is “reasonable and appropriate” to use CRT in social studies classes.
The National Education Association has approved a plan to “publicize” critical race theory and dedicate a “team of staffers” to assist union members looking to “fight back against anti-CRT rhetoric.”
New Business Item 39 also declares that the union opposes bans on critical race theory and the New York Times’ controversial 1619 Project – which roughly half the U.S. states have already implemented.
Additionally, the resolution calls for the union to “join with Black Lives Matter at School and the Zinn Education Project to call for a rally this year on Oct. 14 — George Floyd’s birthday — as a national day of action to teach lessons about structural racism and oppression.”
The third paragraph pledges to accomplish the following:
“Publicly (through existing media) convey its support for the accurate and honest teaching of social studies topics, including truthful and age-appropriate accountings of unpleasant aspects of American history, such as slavery, and the oppression and discrimination of Indigenous, Black, Brown, and other peoples of color, as well as the continued impact this history has on our current society. The Association will further convey that in teaching these topics, it is reasonable and appropriate for curriculum to be informed by academic frameworks for understanding and interpreting the impact of the past on current society, including critical race theory.”
However despite the approval, a note on the union’s website reads, “This item cannot be accomplished with current staff and resources under the proposed Modified 2021-2022 Strategic Plan and Budget. It would cost an additional $127,600.”
The move comes as districts around the country and liberal pundits have attempted to fend off anti-CRT parents by telling them the curriculum is too complex for K-12 students and is only taught to students graduate-level courses.
That claim is made despite evidence that critical race theory seminars are being offered to teachers and administrators and examples of CRT-themed topics being introduced in some classrooms.
Conservative lawmakers have already secured bans on CRT in roughly two-dozen states, with Iowa going as far as to declare it “discriminatory indoctrination.” And the topic on its own has prompted impassioned public comments at school board meetings around the country.
Critics say it’s a racist philosophy in and of itself that encourages stereotyping and labeling while highlighting divisiveness and anti-American rhetoric rather than unity and the virtues of the founding documents.
The NEA represents more than 2 million members – well over half of the 3.2 million public school teachers the U.S. Department of Education estimated were working in the country last year.
Michael Ruiz is a U.S. and World Reporter for Fox News.
Now for the second issue that really got to me last week.
Historynet.com
Claire Barrett
July 2, 2021
In a 285-120 vote, the House of Representatives voted last Tuesday to remove all Confederate statues from public display in the U.S. Capitol.
The bill, if passed in the Senate, directs the architect of the Capitol to identify and remove all statues and busts that depict members of the Confederacy from public display within 45 days of the resolution’s enactment. The statues would then be returned to the home states, with the option to replace them with another honoree, NPR reports.
In addition to statues that depict or glorify the Confederacy, the bill specifically mentions the removal of former Chief Justice of the United States Roger Taney, author of the landmark 1857 Dred Scott v. Sandford decision that declared no individual of African descent was, or could ever be a U.S. citizen. His statue is to be replaced with one of Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court Justice.
“The halls of Congress are the very heart of our democracy,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., ahead of the vote. “The statues that we display should embody our highest ideals as Americans, expressing who we are and who we aspire to be as a nation. Monuments to men, or people who advocated cruelty and barbarism to achieve such a plainly racist end are a grotesque affront to those ideals.”
The removal of the Capitol statues is complicated, however, as Congress has no authority over much of it, writes the New York Times.
A law that originated during the Civil War, declares that each state may send two statues of deceased citizens who were “illustrious for their historic renown or for distinguished civic or military services,” and whom the state considers “worthy of this national commemoration” to be featured in Statuary Hall or elsewhere in the Capitol.
Many of the statues sent by Southern states were erected in the early 20th century during a time in which the narrative of the “Lost Cause” was largely being propagated.
Some Republican lawmakers noted their support for the removal of statues but stated they would vote ‘no’ on the bill due to discontent over the legislative process.
In a statement, Alabama Republican Rep. Mo Brooks denounced “cancel culture and historical revisionism,” before adding, “I support federalism and a state’s right to decide for itself who it should honor. As such, I will proudly vote ‘No’ on H.R. 3005. Alabama, not New Yorkers, Californians, or anyone else, should decide who we wish to honor in Alabama’s contribution to the National Statuary Collection.”
Now folks, we have a big problem. The federal government has moved into areas of our lives in which they have absolutely no authority and as such, have divided our country in ways we haven’t seen since the Civil War.
Good grief folks, have we lost our collective minds?
The Federal government now contends it has the power to determine what we teach our kids and who we can honor from our past?
These are just two of the latest over-reaches by our federal government.
Open borders, increased crime in our cities, voting rights, all are coming under Federal control while we sit back and watch,
So, when did it all change?
I found a great article by Donald A. Loucks, Statesman news network, Statesman.com, posted back on Oct 7, 2016
There were three things that happened in our government in 1913 that completely changed the way the Federal Government operated, not in a good way. By way of background, it should be noted that Karl Marx published the Communist Manifesto in 1848 and immediately acquired a devout following. It is astounding how much of its content has already been applied to the destruction of the Constitutional Republic that is the United States.
Marx theorized that a country could be toppled into Communism in certain stages, that last stage being Democracy. A quote from Plato comes to mind: “Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty.”
So, what to do about a constitutional republic like the United States? We hear our country referred to as a “Democracy” all the time in the news media. When was the last time you heard it referred to as a Republic? That’s my point. We no longer know any better.
So, now let’s get back to 1913. Marx wanted central control of money, a means of confiscating wealth, and, of course, a change in our government making it more “Democratic.” He would have been pleased. He got them all.
First, the Federal Reserve Act established a means for a centralized bank to contract or expand the money supply. Inflating the currency reduces its value, thus taking that value from the citizens as a nearly invisible tax.
Second, the 16th Amendment authorized the implementation of a federal income tax which was sold to the people as only a 1% tax on the very rich.
That has morphed into a monster. Another quote, this one from Daniel Webster: “An unlimited power to tax involves, necessarily, the power to destroy.” What a great means to accomplish the Marxian task of destroying the middle class.
Third, the 17th Amendment changed the method of selecting U.S. Senators to popular election. Few now know that senators were originally appointed by their state’s legislatures.
Senators were essentially ambassadors of the States to the Federal Government. This method protected the government and the citizens from spur of the moment action, fads, and stirred-up urgency by special interest groups and news media (yes, they had newspapers back then.
The hue and cry at the time was that the Senate was “too stodgy” and obstructionist, thus impeding progress. No wonder this amendment was championed by the progressives of the day. Marx would have loved this Amendment. Remember, more democracy (mob rule) equals closer proximity to tyranny.
All the amendments so far were done the old-fashioned way delineated in the first part of Article V of the Constitution where two-thirds of both Houses of Congress proposed and passed a proposed amendment and was then ratified by three-quarters of the States.
Here is an interesting fact, The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was a “runaway.” The delegates did not follow their instructions. Fortunately, what they produced was a masterpiece. A slightly flawed masterpiece, but a masterpiece nonetheless.
Who were these men? Among them were surviving signatories of the Declaration of Independence who originally numbered fifty-six.
Twenty-nine had seminary degrees. Granted, a seminary degree is somewhat different than one now. But how many members of Congress have an education that encompasses even part of that field of study?
It is the character of those in politics today that is our greatest threat.
Think about what Marx said was necessary to achieve communistic tyranny, and think about those in government who may not even have any knowledge about what that might mean. That is what is most frightening.
Of the three changes since 1913, I contend that we lost control with the 16th Amendment. Once the feds had our money, they had the power to rule.
Money raised through income tax is used to pay for the programs, benefits, and services provided by the US government for the benefit of the people.
Essential services such as national defense, food safety inspections, and federal benefit programs including Social Security and Medicare could not exist without the money raised by the federal income tax.
While the federal income tax did not become permanent until 1913, taxes, in some form, have been a part of American history since our earliest days as a nation.
While taxes paid by American colonists to Great Britain were one of the main reasons for the Declaration of Independence and ultimately the Revolutionary War, America’s Founding Fathers knew that our young country would need taxes for essential items such as roads and especially defense.
Providing the framework for taxation, they included procedures for the enactment of tax law legislation in the Constitution. Under Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution, all bills dealing with revenue and taxation must originate in the House of Representatives. Otherwise, they follow the same legislative process as other bills.
Before final ratification of the Constitution in 1788, the federal government lacked the direct power to raise revenue.
Under the Articles of Confederation, money to pay the national debt was paid by the states in proportions to their wealth and at their discretion.
One of the goals of the Constitutional Convention was to ensure that the federal government had the power to levy taxes.
Even after the ratification of the Constitution, most federal government revenues were generated through tariffs — taxes on imported products — and excise taxes — taxes on the sale or use of specific products or transactions.
In 1913, with the costs of World War I looming, ratification of the 16th Amendment permanently established the income tax. The 16th Amendment states:
“The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.”
The 16th Amendment gave Congress the power to tax the incomes of all individuals and the profits of all businesses.
The income tax enables the federal government to maintain the military, construct roads and bridges, enforce the laws and federal regulations, and carry out other duties and programs.
By 1918, government revenue generated from the income tax exceeded $1 billion for the first time and topped $5 billion by 1920.
The introduction of the mandatory withholding tax on employee wages in 1943 increased tax revenue to almost $45 billion by 1945.
In 2010, the IRS collected nearly $1.2 trillion through income tax on individuals and another $226 billion from corporations.
So there it is folks. We can all argue about states’ rights when it comes to critical race theory, tearing down statues, gay marriage, marijuana, gun control, and any number of other issues.
However, as long as the federal government holds control of our tax dollars, there is really nothing we can do.
We either comply with what Washington says, or we risk losing federal funding.
Bottom line, we are being blackmailed with our own money.
Does anyone out there have a solution?
Please call in and let us know this morning.