I closed the last post with a comment on the necessity of proper education, and that seems like a good place to continue the discussion.
If you accept the premise that our system works only when it is largely in a state of balance (with respect to the responsibilities of “government” among the spheres of government); and that it becomes more and more ineffective as it becomes more imbalanced, one is naturally led to a series of questions. How did our system of government become imbalanced? And, when? What would balanced government look like? And how can we return to such a system?
To address these questions requires some founding wisdom. Samuel Adams, leading American patriot and prominent agitator for liberty, noted in a letter to John Trumbull that: “Religion and good morals are the only solid foundation of public liberty and happiness.” There was a time, not too long ago, when one could say without condemnation that religion is the foundation of liberty and happiness (see: Reagan, Ronald). That such a sentiment might be frowned upon by ivy league professors or media professionals doesn’t negate the validity of it.
Adams had a point, bigger than promoting religion: our form of government was designed not for a dependent people, but a self-governing one. And what is self-government other than the practical, behavioral manifestation of virtue, namely, self-restraint and self-sufficiency? Yes, it is possible to be virtuous and secular. The existence of this mysterious creature – the virtuous secular American – notwithstanding, anecdotal evidence generally shows that such people, when you meet and question them, have the strange coincedence of being raised with a Biblical/Judeo-Christian worldview. They usually reveal this when they say “well, I’m not religious, but I was raised in a (religious environment).” That their worldview is formed not by their current philosophical infatuation but by their upbringing is a point I generally walk right up to, but not past. After all, a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still; and in time the person who is curious enough to study philosophy has a good chance of discovering this on their own. Such self-discovery, when it happens, is certainly more lasting and infinitely more treasured.
We’ve digressed a little, but the point, once again, is that self-government is the basis for how our whole system works. How does one foster this virtue?
There’s really one effective way to address this problem: focus on, not surprisingly, strengthening the smallest spheres of government. The smallest spheres are the individual and the family; and the neighborhood or the (sometimes church) community beyond the home. Stronger more personal spheres of government – closer to the individual – reinforce and strengthen the fabric of our republic. It should be no surprise that as we have ever-larger, over-reaching distant (federal) government, the republic as a whole seems weaker, less effective, more prone to failure.
Can it be corrected – or, in other words, how do we return to such a state of balance? It was Hamilton (Federalist No. 33) who once said: “If the federal government should overpass the just bounds of its authority and make a tyrannical use of its powers, the people, whose creature it is, must appeal to the standard they have formed, and take such measures to redress the injury done to the Constitution as the exigency may suggest and prudence justify.” So, naturally: we must first appeal to the form of our founding and second, act to correct the state of imbalance; the disrespectful relationship we’ve allowed between the citizens of this country and her founding compact.
Which brings me to education, because we first have to understand the “standard (we) have formed.” This organization’s purpose is to educate people on the proper role (read: responsibilities) of both internal and external government; hence the name. We think we’ll be a resource for Americans who in many cases will be hearing these concepts for the first time.
But our work would be ineffective, and any success temporary, if our only educational effort was aimed at adult Americans. Unfortunately, the societal degree of dependence on public education and the special interest indoctrination that occurs in public schools would constantly hamper our efforts. Every year, public schools are graduating students who have read the same union-approved text books. Every year, graduating students who believe the revisionist stories that foster not a sense of national pride in America, but instead teach us to be ashamed of our history.
Education of all Americans is critical, then, to the renewal of this Republic. With the support of our friends, families, and our loyal readers, and with the assistance of Divine Providence, we’ll work to meet this educational challenge.
