Americas Survival Guide

We hold the fate of America

2011-08-09T21:37:00.000-04:00

On the eve of his inauguration, Abraham Lincoln addressed Governor Oliver Morton and the citizens of Indiana with these telling words:

In all the trying positions in which I shall be placed, and doubtless I shall be placed in many trying ones, my reliance will be placed upon you and the people of the United States - and I wish you to remember now and forever, that it is your business, and not mine; that if the union of these States, and the liberties of this people, shall be lost, it is but little to any one man of fifty-two years of age, but a great deal to the thirty millions of people who inhabit these United States, and to their posterity in all coming time. It is your business to rise up and preserve the Union and liberty, for yourselves, and not for me. I desire that they shall be constitutionally preserved.

What say today's political class to this? It does not matter, what matters, as Lincoln remarked, is what we say - and do.

For more on Lincoln and our future, visit Patriot Week and America's Survival Guide.

America: Blessed by God

2011-08-08T23:16:00.001-04:00

America: Blessed by God

George Washington perceptively commented in his First Inaugural Address:

"No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency..."

Those that really know American history, no that this was no idle observation.

Rancor: The Price of Freedom & Self-Government

2011-08-06T22:38:00.000-04:00

"we have builded up a form of self-government and a social system which is peculiarly our own. It differs essentially from all others in the world. It is the American system. It is just as definite and positive a political and social system as has ever been developed on earth." Herbert Hoover.

Although Hoover is not a particularly popular icon today, his understanding that America has a unique system - based on a foundation of self-government - is undeniably correct. In the words of the Declaration of Independence, America's system rests on the "consent of the governed." This consent is a key component of our First Principle of the Social Compact

This is why we allow protests - even those we despise; why we vote for our political leaders; why we allow initiatives, recalls, and referenda; and why public opinion is so important in public decision making. This is in striking contrast to many regimes on earth, where speech is oppressed; leaders are imposed; laws cannot be challenged; and public opinion is irrelevant.

We have been - and continue to face - a heated public dialogue (perhaps rancor is the better word) about many public issues, but it is the price we pay for our freedom.

For more about the Social Compact, visit America's Survival Guide and Patriot Week

Free Speech: Cherish, Don't Cheapen It

2011-08-05T00:23:00.001-04:00

In his famous dissent in Abrams v United States, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. wrote that "the best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market, and that truth is the only ground upon which their wishes can be safely carried out. That at any rate is the theory of our Constitution."

Patriot Week celebrates the First Principle of unalienable rights - and the freedom of speech and press are some of our most cherished unalienable rights.

Today, this sentiment seems to be accepted as law, but under assault in practice. Too often political commentators engage in ad hominenattacks and character assassination. The demonization of those on the other side of political disputes is so commonplace, that it hardly is noticed.

Stated another way, although freedom of speech and press are precious rights, they have been cheapened and weakened by today's corrosive atmosphere. When is the last time we had a serious political debate invoking the higher principles - the better angels - of our nature?

But Justice Holmes is correct - it is the competition of ideas - in a free marketplace - in which the best public policy and ideas can be derived - and attacking the messengers does nothing but corrupt and denigrate the quality of the debate - to the detriment of all.

For more about Patriot Week, visit Patriot Week. For more about our how our liberty is at risk, visit America's Survival Guide

Education, Linchpin of Freedom

2011-07-31T17:44:00.000-04:00

"I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power." --Thomas Jefferson, letter to William Charles Jarvis, 1820.

This sentiment expressed by Jefferson is as true today as it was at the dawn of our experiment in liberty. In light of the multitude of crises that are facing our nation, many have taken the attitude that only expert elites can save us from ourselves; and others question whether the people have the fortitude to preserve our freedoms.

If such a attitudes and doubts have validity, it is because we as a nation have done such a poor job in educating ourselves about the foundation of our freedoms. As Jefferson explained, the solution is not shut the people out, but to ensure they are well grounded in our First Principles and history. And only then can we expect that our freedoms will be sure.

For more on our educational crisis and how to combat it, see America's Survival Guide. For more about Jefferson and our First Principles, visit Patriot Week.

JFK: Rights from the Hand of God

2011-07-27T23:59:00.002-04:00

In his Inaugural Address, John F. Kennedy eloquently explained America's First Principle of unalienable rights:

The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe - the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.

In all the clamor, passion, and heat of current politics, when is that last time we heard that sentiment? Rarely if at all. Yet, if we believe anything else, we are doomed to arbitrary whims of politicians to control our most fundamental rights. This is not the American understanding. JFK had it right. Let's remember it or everything we believe in is at risk.

America: Land of Equality

2011-07-25T22:50:00.000-04:00

In his seminal, A Defense of the American Constitutions, John Adams wrote:

"In every country we have found a variety of orders with very great distinction. In America there are different orders of offices, but none of men. Out of office, all men are the same species and of one blood; there is neither a greater nor lesser nobility."

Indeed, at the time of the American Revolution, America was alone in the world in rejecting nobility, hereditary advantages, and distinctions embedded in the law. The Founders believed that "all men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights . . . ." This great equality under the law allows those who prove their worth - through the "content of their character" as Martin Luther King Jr. would say - to excel regardless of their original station in life. This is a First Principle that is worth remembering, cherishing, and fighting for.

For more about the First Principle of equality, visit www.PatriotWeek.org and Americas Survival Guide.

Patriot Week Bill Passes Michigan State House

2011-07-05T22:12:00.001-04:00

http://spinalcolumnonline.com/patriot-week-bill-clears-house-panel/

Happy Father's Day President Washington

2011-06-19T13:11:00.001-04:00

Considering that George Washington had no children, it seems a bit inappropriate to write about him on Father’s Day. However, there is a reason he is called the “Father of Our Country.” He is, in a very real sense, the father of all Americans.

Washington’s remarkable career is too lengthy to detail here, but I will focus on three major accomplishments.

First, he successfully led the American military effort for independence. The American efforts were much more arduous - and miraculous - than we often give them credit. That the ragtag (literally) Continental Army and militia forces were able to beat the greatest military and naval force in the word is testament enough. But none of it would have possible without Washington.

Second, he reluctantly left retirement to preside over the Constitutional Convention. His was the steadying influence that gave the Convention the credibility it needed to successfully proceed, and his support ushered in the adoption of the Constitution - still the envy of the world.

Finally, he voluntary retired after two successful terms as President. This unprecedented act ensured that America would not devolve into a kingship or lifetime rule by the President.

In these ways, and in so many more, he bequeathed to us - an entire nation - our freedoms and liberties. Happy Father’s Day President Washington.

For more about Washington visit Patriot Week and America's Survival Guide.

A Committee Appointed; A Declaration To Be

2011-06-11T23:54:00.002-04:00

On this date in 1776, the Second Continental Congress appointed a five member to draft a Declaration of Independence. The Committee Members included Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson. Adams explained to Jefferson why Jefferson was required to draft the Declaration of Independence: “Reason first – You are a Virginian, and a Virginian ought to appear at the head of this business. Reason second – I am obnoxious, suspected and unpopular. You are very much otherwise. Reason third – You can write ten times better than I can.” It was a fateful decision.

Adams was truly the leading Patriot to the independence, and was well known for his ego. However, he knew his place - he had to submerge his personal feelings in favor of the greater cause of the Revolution. He turned to Jefferson to carry the argument forward.Jefferson, who had become a famous author with a prior work, A Summary View of the Rights of British America (1774), expressed the American sentiment in terms that would become perhaps the most famous words in world history.

For more about Jefferson and Adams, check out Patriot Week and America's Survival Guide.

"These united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states."

2011-06-07T23:46:00.000-04:00

On this day, in 1776, Richard Henry Lee, a delegate to the Second Continental Congress, rose and moved to the Congress that "These united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states." The motion seconded by John Adams, and deferred for consideration.

Richard Henry Lee

A vote would eventually be taken on July 2, and the Second Continental Congress unanimously approved the resolution (New York abstaining). Two days later, the Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. A nation was born, tyranny was put aside, and the world would never be the same.

For the first time in human history, a nation was founded on ideals:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.

Lets keep it alive by renewing the American Spirit! For a couple of ways to do that, check out PatriotWeek.org and AmericaSurvivalGuide.com.

D-Day: Some things are worth dying for

2011-06-07T00:00:00.001-04:00

Today marks the anniversary of DDay, which was the beginning of the end for the Nazi regime. Thousands of brave Allied Forces stormed the beaches of France to liberate Europe from German oppression.

Many Americans lost the lives on that day to preserve liberty for Europe, America, and the world. On D-Day, the Allies suffered approximately 10,000 casualties. The Battle of Normandy involved over 400,000 total casualties.

On the 40th Anniversary of D-Day, Ronald Reagan addressed Americans who stormed the beaches and reflected:

It was the deep knowledge and pray God we have not lost it that there is a profound moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause. And you were right not to doubt.

You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One's country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew the people of your countries were behind you.

Reagan was right.

Happy Birthday Martha

2011-06-02T23:58:00.002-04:00

Martha Washington was born on June 2, 1731 near Williamsburg, Virginia. America's first First Lady distinguished herself long before by tending to the troops during the revolutionary war. She supported her husband's efforts to defend the freedom of Americans even in the face of dire consequences to herself. She wrote, "I think I am more like a state prisoner than anything else." But she understood the importance of George's work when she reflected, "I cannot blame him for having acting according to his ideas of duty in obeying the voice of his country." Indeed.

Memorial Day - Time to Renew the Spirit of America

2011-05-30T22:46:00.000-04:00

The National Holiday Act of 1971 destroyed Memorial Day. It did so by making it a floating day to ensure a 3 day weekend. Memorial Day once served as solemn day to commemorate those who gave there last full measure of devotion to our republic. Today it is an empty excuse for carpet and appliance sales.
We are the beneficiaries of hundreds of thousands of servicemen and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Let us remember them, and let us renew our commitment to ensuring that that their sacrifices were not in vain. We need to deepen and renew the Spirit of America by defending our way of life, our Constitution, and our freedoms and liberties.
I fear we will never reverse this trend of the commercialization of our civic calendar, which is why Patriot Week is so important.
We can honor our sacred dead by relearning our Founding First Principles and history, and ensuring that those in power do the same.
For more on our founding First Principles and history, visit:www.AmericasSurvivalGuide.com. for more Patriot Week, visit www.PatriotWeek.org.

Jonathan’s and Washington’s Example: A Few Make All the Difference

2011-05-28T22:40:00.000-04:00

“Perhaps the Lord will help us, because it is no more difficult for the Lord to grant victory through a few than through many.” 1 Samuel 14:6.

Jonathan, the son of King Saul, uttered these words to his armor-bearer as the two alone proceeded to attack a small enemy outpost. Within a few minutes they had slain 20 enemies, and the outpost panicked. That panic lead to a full scale retreat of large army that vastly outnumbered the Hebrew forces led by Jonathan and Saul. Israel proceeded to gain an enormous victory over their enemies.
Jonathan's courage foreshadowed the courage of our Founding Fathers and other great Patriots who have led the fight for freedom and liberty here and across the globe. The British Empire should have overwhelmed the ragtag army barely held together by Washington (the indispensable man), but by perseverance and divine intervention, we won our freedom. Likewise, we survived other threats by holding fast and true to our ideals - and each other - in the face of adversity.
When someone tells you that "it can't be done," you are outnumbered - remember Jonathan, and the Founding Fathers - you will be in good company.

Michigan Supreme Court Vindicates Dorothy Comstock Riley in Leaving Hugh Clarke on the Bench - SBM Blog

2011-05-24T22:04:00.000-04:00

Michigan Supreme Court Vindicates Dorothy Comstock Riley in Leaving Hugh Clarke on the Bench - SBM Blog

Freedom is Not Free

2011-05-23T23:44:00.001-04:00

On the 175th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, President Harry Truman remarked:

Some things have not changed at all since 1776. For one thing, freedom is still expensive. It still costs money. It still costs blood. It still calls for courage and endurance, not only in soldiers, but in every man and woman who is free and how is determined to remain free.

Indeed, President Truman's words continue to ring true today. The challenge of American liberty lies at our feet. We are responsible for its preservation - or demise. That's why efforts like Patriot Week are so vital. But so are so many other efforts to preserve our liberty - the wars, the soldiers, the treasure, the teaching. For all those working so hard to preserve our republic - I salute you. For the rest of you, get it together or lose freedom's last best hope. Truman was right - it takes every man and woman to keep our freedom.

"It is not the critic who counts. . . The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena . . . ."

2011-05-01T15:07:00.002-04:00

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

"Citizenship in a Republic,"
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

Power: The True Test of Character

2011-04-28T20:03:00.000-04:00

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln's statement is simply profound. Today, it has become nearly commonplace to learn about how certain individuals have overcome adversity - be it broken homes, illness, job losses, poor schools, physical ailments, addictions, and other maladies. Those people are rightfully applauded for becoming successful by overcoming their challenges. They are exemplars and should be emulated.

What you don't read about often is about the men and women who wield power and decline to use or abuse it. Of course, too often we learn about abuses and corruptions of power. Some such "leaders" are across the globe - witness North Korea, Cuba, Libya, and elsewhere; some are too close for comfort - witness Detroit's ex-mayor and the disgraced former governors of New York and Illinois.

What we should keep in mind - and they are indeed a vanishing breed - are the men and women who are given great power, and use it responsibly - or even more rarely - refuse to exercise it - to allow for liberty to flourish.

America was founded on the premise of limited government - that men and women are endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights, and that the purpose of government is to protect those rights. We must remember that the power to do good is also the power to do evil. That sometimes the most courageous exercise of power is to refuse to wield it. That sometimes people must be allowed to go their own way; that the spark of freedom is in much having the ability to strive and fail than anything else. As Lincoln said, the true test of character is to see what one does - or does not do - with power.

Don't forget to visit Patriot Week

Jamestown: The Spirit of America Sets Sail

2011-04-27T00:02:00.000-04:00

Today marks the 404th anniversary of the departure of the Discovery, Godspeed, and Susan Constant to what eventually became Jamestown. The 104 colonists that arrived in modern day Virginia eventually founded Jamestown - the first permanent English settlement in North America.

Dr. Joseph Warren, a leading Patriot in Boston with John Adams, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock, eloquently explained what motivated the Jamestown and subsequent settlers:

Our fathers having nobly resolved never to wear the yoke of despotism, and seeing the European world, at the time, through indolence and cowardice, failing a prey to tyranny, bravely threw themselves upon the bosom of the ocean, determined to find a place in which they might enjoy their freedom, or perish in the glorious attempt. Approving heaven beheld the favourite ark dancing upon the waves, and graciously preserved it until the chosen families were brought in safety to these western regions.

As we know, the going at Jamestown was miserable, and many lost their lives. Eventually, however, their persistence in the face of famine, disease, and clashes with Native Americans led to success and a thriving colony.

This spirit of determination for liberty eventually paved the way for the creation of the American republic. We are now the ark of freedom for the world. And we owe it to those who came before us to secure the ark for future generations.

Marxism: Politics in US, Deadly Elsewhere, by Michael Connelly

2011-04-25T20:01:00.000-04:00

Detroit: Important at the Founding and Important Today

2011-04-19T21:46:00.000-04:00

"I took the liberty of suggesting the propriety . . . of paying particular attention to the French and other Settlers at Detroit . . . " George Washington (1783).

Washington's particular attention was a prophetic clarion call of the need to pay attention to Detroit. It has often the harbinger of things to come. Once a backwater fort, it became the arsenal of democracy and revolutionized the world with mass production. It built a middle class by giving the working class fair wages and working conditions, and established world class cultural institutions, schools, and universities.

Through its trials and tribulations, Detroit has become the symbol of all of what is right - and wrong - about America. Today, much of it is crumbling. But its spirit is strong, and even a cursory glance at the city reveals that there are many signs of hope and renewal. New developments are springing up across the city, cultural institutions are adapting to new realities, new superior schools are operating, and pockets of urban vibrancy are on the upswing.

To help in these efforts, Patriot Week is launching its kick-off, and 10th anniversary commemoration of 9/11, at Detroit's Historic Fort Wayne - a magnificent 1840s era fort on the Detroit river. If in all its adversity Detroit can be the center of a renewal of the American spirit, then surely the rest of the nation can follow. What will save Detroit will save America. Join Patriot Week and renew America.

Patriot Bill an Easy Vote for Lawmakers

2011-04-13T22:16:00.002-04:00

The Oakland Press just endorsed a bill making Patriot Week permanently recognized in Michigan. Check it Out: Oakland Press Editorial Supporting Patriot Week Bill

The Lost Art of Minding One's Own Business

2011-04-11T00:03:00.000-04:00

When about to depart the presidency, Calvin Coolidge remarked, "Perhaps one of the most important accomplishments of my administration has been minding my own business."

Today such a remark would be so shocking to the political and media class that it would likely be headline news. With a 24 hour news cycle, blogs, webcasts, and press release frenzy, it seems that politicians are encouraged and expected to comment on every bit of news, culture, movies, game shows, sports, scandals, and the ravings of unbalanced celebrities. No wonder there seems to be so little time for the important things - like debts, deficits, and wars.

Coolidge's wisdom was profound - but lost today. Do your part - ignore the likes of Charlie Sheen - and force the political class to focus on what is really important - the enduring and long-term values, principles, and finances of the country.

Keep Swinging!

2011-04-08T23:46:00.001-04:00

Keep Swinging (april 8)

Today marks the anniversary of Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's home run record. Hammerin' Hank reflected that "My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was to keep swinging."

Aaron's motto could accurately be dubbed America's motto. The American spirit has always included persistence, determination, and optimism in face of daunting odds. When we declared independence, it was against the greatest empire the world had ever seen. With a ragtag army, stationed on the outskirts of civilization, we were able to defeat the great military might of the British Empire.

We prevailed again in the War of 1812, survived the cataclysm of the Civil War, beat back German imperialism in WWI, and defeated Nazi Germany and imperial Japan in WWII. All the while, our future was not certain - but our determination to prevail was.

Today times are very tough - but with the right spirit, we have won in tougher times. We need to renew the American spirit - through efforts like Patriot Week - to ensure we continue to win in the future.

Americans and Threats to America

2011-04-06T23:22:00.001-04:00

"Americanism means the virtues of courage, honor, justice, truth, sincerity and hardihood - the things that made America. The things that will destroy America are prosperity for any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life." President Theodore Roosevelt.

Although one might debate the words, the sentiments reflect enduring truths about America. America, after all, is as much an ideal as a place. Our founding First Principles - equality, unalienable rights, the Social Compact, the rule of law, limited government and the right to alter or abolish an oppressive government - are what bind us together. The virtues described by Teddy Roosevelt are the ways that those First Principles became realities - it takes courage to fight for freedom, it takes sincerity to believe in freedom, it takes honor to live for freedom. And the threats to our liberty mostly involve not putting first things first. Indeed, our liberty is most threatened when we put easy choices - or just ease of living - ahead of what really matters.

A quick look around puts shudders down my spine. How much time and energy, for example, has been wasted on Charlie Sheen? We should be focused on what really matters, not the trivial. Do your part, embrace the important and shun the trivial and banal.

King's Dream Lives On

2011-04-04T23:13:00.001-04:00

Today marks the 43rd anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr by James Earl Ray. Although many of us are too young to remember King while living, his legacy still burns brightly in the national consciousness.

King bravely led the civil rights struggle for racial equality to new heights. He reminded our nation that the First Principle of equality articulated in our Declaration of Independence - that "all men are created equal" - had not yet been fulfilled. King's efforts led to the passage of historic civil rights acts that ensured racial equality in voting, employment, and public accommodations.

Although he was slain, he remains a great inspiration to new generations of Americans. That is not to say that the struggle for equality has ended - we have much progress to go - but we should acknowledge with great reverence the sacrifices of the generations before us as we look forward to fulling the pledge of equality.

In addition, King's life expresses what it is to be an American - to have the ability to assemble, speak, and publish freely about the issues of the day - and to challenge the government in its most basic policies. In most nations in history - and many today (witness China, Burma, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Libya) - these basic unalienable rights have been and are denied by oppressive governments.

These are the reasons, among other reasons, that Patriot Week celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. on September 15. Join us at www.patriotweek.org

Iran: We Ignore their Tyranny at Our Peril

2011-04-03T09:45:00.000-04:00

While freedom swept Egypt, Iran's radical theological regime continued its tyrannical oppression of its own people. In February thousands of protestors - clearly inspired by events in Egypt - took to the streets demanding reform. This was a brave move in light of Iran's previous crushing of street protests which resulted in the deaths of dozens and imprisonment of scores more.

So how did the Iranian government react? Gholam Hooseein Mohseni Ejehi, spokesman for the judiciary and prosecutor, announced that "The judiciary will quickly and resolutely deal with major elements and those who violated public order and peace." Meanwhile, legislators - members of the governing party - called for the execution of the colleagues - those, that is, who are in the opposition party.

Why is this important to Americans? Because despite our apathy, Iran is the very embodiment of a regime based on First Principles exactly opposite of America's. We believe in equality - Iran embodies inequality against women into its governing law. We believe in the rule of law - Iran believes in the rule of the gun. We believe in the Social Compact (i.e., consent of the governed) - Iran believes in oppression of the people. We believe in limited government - Iran believes in totalitarianism. We believe in the ability to alter or abolish an oppressive government - Iran believes in abolishing the opposition.

Iran is important because its civilization is ancient (the Persian empire), they are smart, they have a loyal following, they are developing nuclear weapons, they want to annihilate Israel, and they export terror. They want the world to follow their model. Unlike Egypt or Libya, Iran has a philosophical government based on radical Islam that appeals to those outside of its borders. If that model is seen attractive and continues to spread, over the long-term, it will threaten Western civilization. Remember, communism started in one country; so did republican government. We need to show the world that Iran is simply one thing: evil; and that America's First Principles should inspire the world - not Iran's. Iran apparently has fallen down the list of American foreign policy perspectives - and we do this at our peril.

Happy Birthday President Reagan

2011-02-06T21:25:00.000-05:00

Today mark's President Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday. Although by no means perfect, Reagan's legacy shines brightly today. Perhaps his most enduring trait - and quite unique at the time - was his tireless optimism about America and our role on the world stage. When he took office, many thought that America's best days were behind us. The dominant political and media culture looked down upon America's accomplishments, and questioned our ability to be a force for good in the world. Reagan rejected that perspective, and boldly declared that America's best days were in the future and that the march of progress would mean that our values would eventually prevail across the globe.

We often forget that at the time, the USSR and communism was spreading, and many believed that socialism or communism was the wave of the future. Reagan steadfastly - and most charmingly - told us that communism would end up in the ash-heap of history. More quickly than anyone imagined, he was proven right.

Reagan also warned us in his farewell address that we could only survive as a free people if we educated our youth about America's Constitution and First Principles. This warning has yet to be heeded. As revealed in America's Survival Guide (americassurvivalguide.com) studies upon studies show that our youth are not being taught essential civics and history, and we are at grave risk of losing our liberties. As we rejoice in Reagan's success, lets dedicate ourselves to preserving his - and America's - legacy by renewing the spirit of America. One way to do this is to participate in Patriot Week (patriotweek.org).

God Bless Reagan and God Bless America.

Martin Luther King, Jr.: Champion of Equality & Justice

2011-01-17T00:04:00.000-05:00

Martin Luther King, Jr. stated it more eloquently than anyone: "When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.". Let's spend his holiday reflecting on those powerful sentiments and how we can fulfill that promissory note.

Chief Justice Roberts' Statement on Shooting Death of Judge John Roll

2011-01-13T22:16:00.002-05:00

United States Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts released the following statement on the murder of Judge Roll:

“The violence in Arizona today has senselessly taken five lives and inflicted tragic loss on dedicated public servants and their families. We in the judiciary have suffered the terrible loss of one of our own. Chief Judge John Roll was a wise jurist who selflessly served Arizona and the nation with great distinction, as attorney and judge, for more than 35 years. I express my deepest condolences to his wife Maureen and his children, as well as the other victims and their families. Chief Judge Roll’s death is a somber reminder of the importance of the rule of law and the sacrifices of those who work to secure it.”

I concur.

Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America”

2011-01-13T22:02:00.000-05:00

Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America”

Liberty Depends on Us

2011-01-08T23:50:00.000-05:00

"Show me that age and country where the rights and liberties of the people were placed on the sole chance of their rulers being good men, without a consequent loss liberty." Patrick Henry (1788).

James Madison put it another way - if men were angels, there would be no need for government - but since men are not angels, they need a government - but who is to watch the government? We must.

The simple reality is that human history clearly bears out that, as Lord Acton stated, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. That is why we have a government of laws - established under a written Constitution - with certain protections for everyone - including tremendous checks on the power of the government. Still, that is not enough. The people must always guard their liberties, or the protections in the Constitution will be meaningless. Americans, stay on guard - if you want to be free.

The Need for Courage

2011-01-03T00:35:00.000-05:00

In response to a corrupt plan to protect the Virginia speaker of the house for making personal loans with public money, Patrick Henry (then a brand new legislator) harked: “What, sir? It is proposed then to reclaim the spendthrift from his dissipation and extravagance by filling his pockets with money?” Henry has a great deal to teach us.

In particular, at the time, Henry's questioning was an affront to the elites of Virginia. The speaker had made loans from the public treasury to his political allies in the House. When losses mounted, they decided to create a public loan office to bail out the speaker. Most would simply have looked the other way, but Henry would have none of it.

His effort failed, but Henry's bold questioning of the top political and social leader of his state not only gained Henry great allies, but it established his reputation as a courageous leader who put the public good first. Later, Henry would would be the first to challenge the Stamp Act (i.e., taxation without representation), which eventually led to the American Revolution.

This is the leadership we need today.

America - The Exceptional Nation

2010-12-19T14:59:00.000-05:00

"To live under the American Constitution is the greatest political privilege that was ever accorded to the human race." President Calvin Coolidge.

The truth of this statement is no cliche - and it is often overlooked today. America really did turn the world upside down by making the protection of unalienable rights the very purpose of government. Most governments in the past did quiet the opposite.

During this wonderful holiday season, take a few minutes to recognize the brave men and women protecting our liberty, and the blessings we have been given by our Founding Fathers and others who have struggled for us over the generations.

This date in American History

2010-12-18T10:06:00.000-05:00

On this date in American history, in 1787, New Jersey became the third state to ratify the Constitution.

A Republic - not a Democracy - Is the Key to Liberty

2010-12-18T10:03:00.000-05:00

Alexander Hamilton remarked before the New York Convention that ratified the Constitution:

“It has been observed, by an honorable gentleman, that a pure democracy, if it were practicable, would be the most perfect government. Experience has proved that no position in politics is more false than this. The ancient democracies, in which the people themselves deliberated, never possessed one feature of good government. Their very character was tyranny; their figure, deformity. When they assembled, the field of debate presented an ungovernable mob, not only incapable of deliberation, but prepared for every enormity. In these assemblies, the enemies of the people brought forward their plans of ambition systematically. They were opposed by their enemies of another party; and it became a matter of contingency, whether the people subjected themselves to be led blindly by one tyrant or by another.”

Today, most political commentators and media sloppily refer to America as a "democracy." Nothing is farther from the truth. We elect representatives to Congress, and a President (indirectly through the electoral college) to pass and enforce the laws.

This is a republican form of government, and it was purposefully made so to protect our freedom. Although most states have introduced a bit of democracy through the initiative and referendum procedures, these are rarely invoked - and they often have unintended consequences.

Likewise, essential to our system are checks and balances and separation of powers, both of which check the passions of the people. Our Senate represents the Senates (albeit in a diluted form with the passage of the 17th Amendment), and the Bill of Rights and other constitutional protections simply remove from the political debate our unalienable rights.

Words, of course, have meaning. The mischaracterization of America as a democracy undermines the public's and politicians' understanding of our government, and it inappropriately sets expectations. Next time someone refers to our democracy - correct them. This is not a quibble - our republic is at stake.

Innovate to educate: A lesson in how to fix our public schools

2010-12-17T23:02:00.000-05:00

By Thomas Watkins, published in The Oakland Press

Published: Friday, December 17, 2010

Will Michigan schools be part of the reinvention of our state or will our new state leaders remain content to simply do a little dusting around the edges of the existing model and continue to make minor tweaks to an educational system in great need of a major transformation?

Would any thoughtful, rational educator replicate the existing educational system given the opportunity to begin anew? We should re-imagine and rebuild public education with this in mind.

Up to 10 percent of Michigan school districts are currently under financial distress with more following close behind. Our largest school district, Detroit Public Schools, is teetering on the edge of collapse.

We have known for some time the funding and spending practices for our schools were unsustainable. Yet, we continued to pretend and spend as if nothing has changed — when everything has changed.

We are past the point where incremental changes to our schools are sufficient. Major fundamental change is required to get many schools, not only out of financial distress, but out of educational bankruptcy as well.

We cannot continue to take several small leaps across the wide chasm from what is to what needs to be.

Is public education in Michigan and America the “same ole, same ole?”

Or are our elected leaders and educators capable of implementing change in our K-12 public school system that will move us boldly into the 21st century?

This is not simply an academic question. Our collective future depends on the answer.

While state superintendent of Michigan schools between 2001-2005 and having since left that position, I continue to see the need for our schools to lead change.

In assuming that role in state government in 2001, our team drafted a “change” document — “Thirty Ideas in 30 Days, Our Children, Our Schools, our Future — a Call for Collaboration and Action” — that said, “... Our world is changing in dramatic ways and our system of education must embrace those changes ... or be totally engulfed by them.” And, “Our future is sitting in our classrooms today. The viability of our society, the strength of our economy, the quality of our lives, the vibrancy of our democracy, and our place in the world — all depend on our system of public education.” Fast forwarding nine years to today, and these sentiments remain true.

In 2004 I called for the governor, Legislature and state board of education to take action to address the unsustainable health care and pension costs and for the shared services and consolidation of school districts to drive more resources to the classroom in a report titled “Structural Issues Surrounding Michigan Schools in the 21st Century.” The question was the same then as now: Would our schools exist for teaching, learning and children, or exist for power, control, politics and adults? The latter won.

Actions taken to date addressing this crisis have been anemic at best. Our state leaders have known the problems existed for years, allowing them to fester. Without addressing these issues there will never be the resources available to educate our children to world-class standards.

The need for change and reform remains. We need to promote the new 3 R’s of education: Restructure, Reform and Reinvent and then and only then adding a 4th: Investing new Resources.

Any new money invested on our schools without restructuring, reform and reinventing of our schools would be nothing short of merely providing lubricant to protect the status quo. This will not get our children and our state to where we need to be, instead being the equivalent of pouring water into a glass with a hole in the bottom and wondering why the glass never fills.

Reinvention is necessary
If we do not have the courage to re-imagine and reinvent our schools we will fail as a state and nation.

Will our new refrain be “innovate to educate” as called for by the Symposium on (Re)Design For Personalized Learning or will we continue the “contain the change” mentality that permeates the debates surrounding education under the capitol dome?

While we worry about educated students fleeing our state after graduation, we need to be equally concerned about the uneducated and under-educated ones that stay behind. The uneducated are not the foundation required to reinvent or rebuild Michigan. We can either get smarter and wealthier economically and spiritually or we can become dumber and poorer as a state and nation — it is that simple. Continued...

The individual, city, state and nation that is educated will be the individual, city, state and nation that thrive. Without a quality education the future looks bleak.

How can we move into the information age/knowledge economy if our No. 1 information industry, education, remains mired in the industrial age? Holding onto the past and protecting the status quo are not prescriptions to help us thrive on be competitive on the world stage.

A symposium organized this past summer by the Software and Information Industry Association in collaboration with the Association of Curriculum Supervision & Development and the Council of Chief State School Officers came to the following conclusion: There is a need to fundamentally redesign our K-12 educational system around the student and is required for their and our nation’s future success.

On the surface, you may be scratching your head and asking, “You mean the current system is not designed around the student?” Sadly, in far too many schools across this state and nation, the answer is “no!”

Certainly there are islands of excellence and reform sprouting up across Michigan and America that should be supported and nurtured — but we need more than islands. We need our two mighty peninsulas to lead change and educational innovation.

One such island is WAY Program (Widening Advancement for Youth), co-founded and directed by Beth Baker and Glen Taylor. Glen was the only Michigan educator invited to attend the national education symposium.

The WAY Program is a personalized learning experience for students who struggle with traditional high school. WAY offers an alternative approach to education; one that encourages self-esteem, independence, and the development of 21st century skills that will facilitate a college education and subsequent career paths.

This past summer, change agent educators attended a national education symposium to focus on the need to “systemically redesign of our nation’s education system” joined together under a common belief “that our industrial-age, assembly-line education model-based on fixed time, place, pace and curriculum, is insufficient in today’s knowledge-based economy.” These education and technology industry thought leaders overwhelmingly concluded: “We cannot meet the personalized learning needs of students within our traditional system-tweaking the teacher/classroom-centered model is not enough, and systemic redesign is needed.” Continued...

Recently, the U.S. Department of Education released its “2010 Technology Plan: Transforming American Education — Learning Powered by Technology.” As the secretary of education says in his cover letter to the report: “The plan calls for applying the advanced technologies used in our daily personal and professional lives to our entire educational system to improve student learning, accelerate and scale up adoption of effective practices, use data and information for continuous improvement.”

Former governors leading the way
In their new report, “Digital Learning Now!” former governors Jeb Bush (Florida, 1998-2007) and Bob Wise (West Virginia, 2001-05) have provided a road map for a portion of the road that needs reform.

The report details how digital learning can radically transform education by demonstrating how “Technology has the power and scalability to customize education so each and every student learns in his or her style at his or her own pace, which maximizes the chances for success in school.”

Every educator, parent and politico, community and business leader should read this report and ask: “Why isn’t Michigan leading the charge?” We can re-invent our state by using technology to personalize learning from the cradle to the grave, leapfrogging our global competition.

All that is now commonplace began with a vision. Yet this is not a pipe dream. Digital learning tools exit today. Capstone Digital has literally a library full of digital products, from pre-K to high school that support the learning needs of students through experiences that capture and engage young minds.

This is not your father’s educational material said Todd Brekhus, president of Capstone Digital. “We built our company vision and products on the premise that digital content for classrooms is not bound by time and space, by business and educational models of ‘checking in and checking out resources,’ we have thousands of digital books and resources that allow students to discover their interests, passions, and drive taking learning to a new level,” says Brekhus.

The difference between a pioneer and a settler is vision and action.We need leadership at every level together with the will to accelerate change and innovation.

We need to ask, what if the impossible isn’t?
As governor-elect Rick Synder discussed on the campaign trail, Michigan 1.0 was agricultural, furs and forestry, Michigan 2.0 was the Industrial Age with auto driving our futures. Today, our future lies in knowledge, creativity, innovation, globalization and technology — it is past time we reinvent Michigan, Michigan 3.0. We must substitute brain power for brawn power.

America’s and Michigan’s greatness has grown from organizing its human and natural resources through advances in science, technology, finance and commerce. These same strategies can be applied to education, which is one of largest local and global needs and global industries. Arguably, it is our most important industry. The solution to Michigan’s problems will be the result of the quality of education provided.

What if Michigan re-invents education in a new, personalized, technologically-driven way that helps us create a new knowledge/educational economy?

Michigan can lead an education revolution. We could export our reinvented educational processes to other states and countries. The old system of textbooks, and paper and pencil tests is about to dissolve just as trains, cars and airplanes displaced the old bicycle and horse and buggy days of the 17th and 18th centuries. The day is fast approaching where textbooks are replaced by digital tools and knowledge stores.

There are benefits and profits in bringing education, our largest knowledge industry, into the information age. Why shouldn’t Michigan lead the way in inventing this new educational system built on learning sciences using current and soon to be created technologies?

Our kids, our future
Be clear, this is not simply another ploy for more money for our schools and certainly not for the existing system. Until we can demonstrate how additional investments in education will help teachers teach and children learn and gain 21st century skills and knowledge, there should be no additional money for the educational system.

We don’t need more money. We need to spend the money we have based on different priorities. What gives the greatest return to our students, state and nation? We must break away from an educational system that has morphed into protecting adults at the expense of kids and our collective futures. A new system of educating our youth must not be about education associations or unions. Not school vendors or any other special-interest group. “Our Kids, Our Future,” must be our collective refrain.

In fact, if we adopted and acted on these principles, we might redirect billions of dollars into building a new system of education that would prepare our children for the future and make the country stronger.

Snyder plans to use his inauguration to launch a year-long effort to change people’s perception about Michigan and “usher in a new era of innovation.” The effort will be branded “The Power of MI,” a tag line meant to represent the “can-do” entrepreneurial spirit that made Michigan the arsenal of democracy, put the world on wheels, and allowed us to set a higher standard of living for America. With leadership, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit there exists a means to energize and reinvent our future.

The tools for change and reform exist. We need leaders willing to take the bold steps to lead change.

Clearly changing the cherished, historical, status quo, local school notion is riddled with peril. Not acting will be worse.

Let me assure you, having spent over two decades traveling in China, the Chinese and other nations are not slowing down while we hesitate and stagnate.

We have a new governor with a technology, innovation background and change mandate. There is no better place to start than with our system of education.

It is time to innovate to educate.

The only question that remains — “will we?”

The reports mentioned in this article can be obtained at:
— Innovate To Educate: System (Re) Design for Personalized Learning http://siia.net/pli/presentations/PerLearnPaper.pdf Also see: www.personalizedlearning.net

— American Education -- Learning Powered by Technology www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/opepd/ppss/reports.html or 1-800 USA-LEARN

— E-learning for Michigan-- the New Education (R)evolution Wayne State University// Tom Watkins http://www.inacol.org/research/docs/e-mail,

— Digital Learning Now http://www.all4ed.org/press_room press_releases/08182010

— Capstone Digital www.capstonedigital.com

— Change... Or Die Dome Magazine http://domemagazine.com/tomwatkins/tw040110

— Way Program (Widening Advancements for Youth) www.wayprogram.net

— Making Education Reforms Happen Dome Magazine http://domemagazine.com/tomwatkins/tw091

— Structural Issues Surrounding Michigan Schools in the 21st Century http://www.michigan.gov/documents/michiganschoolfunding_110803_7.pdf

Tom Watkins is a business and educational consultant in the U.S. and China. He helped start the first charter school in Michigan and Florida, wrote and internationally recognized report on e-learning: The New Education (R)evolution and served as Michigan’s state superintendent of schools, 2001-2005. He can be reached at:tdwatkins@aol.com

Are we losing the rule of law?

2010-12-15T23:37:00.000-05:00

James Madison wrote: "It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men of their own choice if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood; if they be repealed or revised before they are promulgated, or undergo such incessant changes that no man, who knows what the law is today, can guess what it will be tomorrow. Law is defined to be a rule of action; but how can that be a rule, which is little known, and less fixed?"

A foundation of our freedom is the rule of law - i.e., that the law - not the whims of politicians - govern. Madison's statement brilliantly captures other key components of the rule of law: it must be published, it must be understandable, it must be stable, it must be concise.

One can only stop and wonder what Madison would think of today's thousands of pages omnibus bills, passed at lightening speed, with confessions by congressmen that they don't have the time or ability to read what they vote upon. One can rightly ask, are we slowly losing the rule of law?

Never too late for Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T15:45:00.000-05:00

Now that are recovering from our turkey induced haze, the agony of yet another Lions’ loss, as well as the Black Friday scramble, perhaps we should spend a few minutes actually giving thanksgiving for our blessings. (Lets face it, not many did so on the holiday).

In 1621, the Pilgrims in Plymouth celebrated with Native Americans a feast that spanned over 3 days, in which the Pilgrims gave thanks for the blessings they had received in the new world. More poignantly, George Washington announced a Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1789, which, among other things, rendered “unto God our sincere and humble thanks” for, among others, “the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge, and in general for all the great and various favors which He hath been pleased to confer on us.”

Washington also “humbly offer[ed] our prayers and supplications” to, among other things, “pardon our national and other transgressions . . . To render our national government a blessing to all people, by constantly being a government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed . . . .”

These sentiments, expressed over two centuries ago, cannot yet be improved. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving season.

Saluting Our Soldiers

2010-11-11T09:00:00.002-05:00

Today we honor those brave men and women who throughout the ages have defended our liberty in the armed services. Originally today was called “Armistice Day” - in commemoration of the end of hostilities during The Great War (i.e., World War I). In 1918, at 11:00 on 11/11, the great powers ended the fighting pending the approval of a final peace. Because of the enormous sacrifices and historical significance of The Great War (many arguing that it would be the war to end all wars), in November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day as follows:

"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

Taken at 10:58 a.m., on November 11, 1918, this photo reveals soldiers of the US 353rd Infantry in Meuse, France waiting for the Armistice to take hold.

By 1926, the state legislatures of 27 states had officially recognized the day, and Congress passed a concurrent resolution recognizing the day. in 1938 it became a legal holiday. After WWII and the Korean War, in 1954 the day was changed to Veterans Day. For a while the day floated (1968-1974) to create a 3 day weekend, but in 1975 it was returned to November 11.

The purpose of the day is to take time from the hustle and bustle of the day to give solemn remembrance to those who have given so much for our liberty. Wilson’s original proclamation may have summed it up best:

“it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations.”

God Bless our veterans, and God Bless America.

Top 10 Reasons to Vote (by Tom Watkins)

2010-10-20T23:50:00.000-04:00

We have all have heard it before — this is a crucial election. It is.

If you think elections don’t really matter, reflect back on the past decade in Michigan and America. Leadership matters and now is your chance to choose who will lead our state into the future.

On Nov. 2, all of us, rich or poor, cities and suburbs, blacks or whites, college-educated or high school dropout — we all have one vote.

Don’t use it and you are giving your power away and eroding the very foundation of our state and country.

On Election Day we are all truly equal. We the voters hold the power to decide who will lead our nation, our state and communities into the future.

But you must vote to make your voice heard. Better still — text, e-mail, tweet and Facebook your family and friends and get them to the polls as well.

TOP TEN REASONS TO VOTE

To honor those throughout our history who fought and died to preserve our independence and democracy.

For the men in women in uniform both at home and abroad who are currently fighting for our freedom and to protect our way of life.

For the civil rights activist who fought the injustices so African Americans, who gave their blood sweat and tears to help build this country, could share in all its glory.

For all of the strong women of the Women’s Suffrage movement, who knew “right was right and wrong was wrong” and demanded their place in America.

Vote as an example to our children and the youth of this great country. They will inherit all that freedom and democracy that has built to date. Vote as a reminder that it is their responsibility to build an even more perfect union.

Vote and become a beacon to the world that America is governed for the people and by the people.

Participate as a reminder that we should not take our freedom and democracy for granted. People have been imprisoned and have died for the rights we have come to expect in America.

Vote to prove, once again, that polls don’t win elections. People who vote win elections. Time and time again, we have seen candidates being outspent and written off — only to stand tall in victory after “the people have spoken!”

Voting is an investment in our collective future.

Vote because you can. Democracy only works when we participate. Your vote will help make history.

Vote on Nov. 2 or our liberty and freedom could one day be history.

America & The Invisible Hand

2010-10-19T23:00:00.000-04:00

In his first Inaugural Address, George Washington remarked that "it would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official act my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and the happiness of the people of the United States a Government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes . . . ."

His prayer was followed by an astute observation - which might very well be controversial today if uttered by a President: "No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have distinguished by some token of providential agency . . . ."

Indeed, any one who truly understands our history would have difficulty in contradicting the sentiment.

In the hustle and bustle of the day, take time to give thanks for the miracle that is America.

George Washington - Humility by the Greatest Character of the Age

2010-10-18T22:39:00.000-04:00

My parents recently gave me a new book from the Smithsonian Institution, "Presidents, All You Need to Know" by Carter Smith. I began by flipping to the back and re-reading George Washington's First Inaugural Address. The beginning of his address is almost unimaginable in today's politics. He essentially stated that he felt he was reluctant to become our first President, he was getting old and was ready for retirement, and was not certain he was ready for the task. He asked that if he failed to meet their expectations, that the people remember that he took the office because he was called to duty by them and he loved his country.

Humility is a trait that is noticeably lacking in today's discourse. Yet, here is the greatest character of the age (that was the phrase given to him by his nemesis King George III) publicly expressing self-doubt in his major address as President to the country which he was helped create more than any other. Washington's public professions should be more carefully examined - and followed - by those who govern today.

Publish Post

America - Last Hope for Justice

2010-10-02T17:49:00.000-04:00

"Judging from the main portions of the history of the world, so far, justice is always in jeopardy." Walt Whitman.

Whitman's observation is true today as it was made generations ago. In the interim we have faced down the Kaiser, Nazism, Imperial Japan, and the USSR. Today we are fighting for justice against extreme radical Islamic terrorists whose idea of justice is a one world caliphate, denying women equality, and abolishing all unalienable rights (such as the free exercise of religion, free speech, the right to assemble).

Of course, the fight for justice at home is never complete, but we remain the world's last, best hope for freedom, equality, and justice. As we confront our challenges - domestic and foreign - we will be best prepared to prevail if we keep our Founding First Principles at the forefront. Otherwise, justice for us all will vanish into the darkness of history.

Co-founder of Patriot Week says we must refocus on what made our country great - The Oakland Press Opinion: The best place for news in and around Oakland County

2010-09-12T11:19:00.000-04:00

Co-founder of Patriot Week says we must refocus on what made our country great - The Oakland Press Opinion: The best place for news in and around Oakland County

EDITORIAL: Patriot Week an event we all can celebrate - The Oakland Press Opinion: The best place for news in and around Oakland County

2010-09-10T12:48:00.000-04:00

EDITORIAL: Patriot Week an event we all can celebrate - The Oakland Press Opinion: The best place for news in and around Oakland County

HORSIN' AROUND: Celebrate Patriot Day event at historic horse farm - The Oakland Press Life: The best place for news in and around Oakland County

2010-09-07T00:08:00.000-04:00

HORSIN' AROUND: Celebrate Patriot Day event at historic horse farm - The Oakland Press Life: The best place for news in and around Oakland County

Truth Telling, Why So Revolutionary?

2010-09-06T23:10:00.000-04:00

George Orwell, stated; "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."

One might think that in America, that truth telling would not be a revolutionary act. But think again. How many times have those in power lied and deceived the people? The ex-Mayor of Detroit is serving time in a federal prison for lying under oath, and then concealing his assets in an attempt to avoid paying restitution. New York and Illinois politicians have gone down in major scandals. Corporate officers (witness, the financial crisis) are repeatedly found having skirted the rules and perpetuating fraud on the public. Politicians are so distrusted that most expect that they will either lie or break their campaign promises as a matter of course. The mainstream media is also distrusted; and bloggers, well, they are an interesting lot to say the least. Scandals involving the religious authorities hiding monstrous crimes keep erupting.

Americans deserve better.

But America will only receive better when the public refuses to countenance the lies and those accountable take the truth seriously.

Over the last several years, I have tried to enforce the oath in courtroom by independently pursuing contempt of court for perjury - and have succeeded. Although a modest effort, it can serve as a model for others in the courtroom and elsewhere.

Although it will not be easy, it will be worth the effort - after all, the truth will set you free.

Bastille Day - Lessons Not Yet Learned?

2010-07-15T00:14:00.000-04:00

July 14 is Bastille Day - the day most historians mark as the beginning of the French Revolution. On this day the citizens of France began the long road of revolution by storming the Bastille prison in the heart of Paris. Little did they know that they path they began would lead to advancement of major political, economic, and social liberties, but end in the slaughters of the Terror and the dictatorship of Napoleon.

The French Revolution ended so differently than the American, because the French, in the pursuit of liberation, ended up destroying the rule of law, the Social Compact, and the unalienable rights they claimed they were protecting. The ends justified the means - tyranny, in the name of liberty, became the prevailing reality.

That the power to do good can also lead to the power to do evil seems to be a forgotten lesson. When one empowers the government with unlimited power with the expectation of it using it wisely, history reveals that the unlimited power almost always ends in the corruption of the government and the oppression of the common man. This is a lesson we need remember at all times, lest the Terror be unleashed yet again.

Vote Like Your Life Depends On It

2010-07-15T00:07:00.000-04:00

Watkins: Vote Aug. 3 as if your life depended on it — it does

Posted: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 11:00 am | Updated: 11:03 am, Wed Jul 14, 2010.

By Tom Watkins |

Consider this a reminder to every registered voter in Michigan to vote on Aug. 3. The collective future of our state depends on you.

Two Democrats, Virg Bernero and Andy Dillion as well as five Republicans, Mike Bouchard, Mike Cox, Tom George, Peter Hoekstra, Rick Snyder are on the ballot. One of these seven will be our next governor. Your choice in the primary will narrow the field.

No, "none of the above," is not an option!
It is our responsibility as citizens to whittle down the political field to one Democrat and one Republican to square off in the Nov. 2 election. If you need more information about the election, visit the Secretary of State voter information center at www.michigan.gov/vote (or see a listing of candidates websites below)
Don't allow other voters to make your choice for you. If you fail to participate and vote on Aug. 3 it will be no one's fault but your own if your candidate does not make it to the final selection. Remember, people around the world are literally dying for the chance to vote!
Why Your Vote Matters?
Perhaps at no time in Michigan history does the collective wisdom of the voters matter more. Who we choose will be the point person to lead our state forward.
The litany of problems are monumental. Michigan has been at the front of the line for our nation's ills for some time now. Issues awaiting the next governor's attention include: Creating jobs, establishing a 21st tax structure, fixing crumbling roads, addressing deteriorating state services, declining property values, unsustainable pension and health care costs for public employees, higher education now priced out of reach for the average family while our investment in our public schools decays. Clearly, there are no shortages of challenges facing our state.
Yet along with this laundry list of problems facing us, there are a corresponding and equal number of strengths upon which an innovative leader can build.
Consider these:
* Michigan is surrounded by 20 percent of the world's surface fresh water
* We have the highest concentration of high quality engineers anywhere in the world
* Our public and private universities and community colleges are excellent and capable of producing the talent needed
* There is a latent entrepreneurial, creative, and innovative vein running deep in Michigan, ready to be tapped
* Two -thirds of incoming legislators will be new and hopefully not saddled with the political anchors of the past
* There is no place in the country where residential, commercial, retail or industrial property is cheaper
* There is a growing understanding among the citizens that the world has changed and we need to not only adapt to change, but to lead it if we wish to prosper in the 21st century.
* Michigan has been down so long there is a desperate hunger for a leader to help us rise again
Vote Or Liberty is History
Democracy is not a spectator sport. If you wish to have an impact, you must engage and vote.
Don't skip the first inning by not voting in the Aug. 3 primary election, then complain when your choice for governor is eliminated and not around for you to consider on election day, Nov. 2.
If you treat the August 3rd Primary as a typical July 4 -- enjoying a hot dog, hamburger, a cold beer, watching the Tigers and not voting -- you will get what other voters have chosen for you! And it is unlikely you will consider it a "picnic" as we move forward.
In a few days you have the opportunity to help direct your and the state's fate. The choice is up to you.
Try these image on for size: Look around the coffee shop where you are reading this column, or around your office, at your mother-in-law, your brother- in- law or that obnoxious guy at the gym. Now think about it -- you not voting and instead having these people make your choice for governor. A pretty picture?
It's that simple -- the opportunity to effect your and our collective future is upon us -- don't blow it.
Vote Aug. 3.

Tom Watkins is a education and business consultant in the U.S. and China and served as Michigan's state superintendent of schools from 2001-2005. He can be reached at: tdwatkins@aol.com

Posted in Editorials on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 11:00 am Updated: 11:03 am. | Tags: Tom Watkins

Patriot Week Activities: American House Refresher Courses on American History

2010-07-14T00:14:00.000-04:00

[Originally published in the Oakland Press, but the link failed here]

The American House Senior Living Communities has announced it will offer free American history classes at various locations throughout the state.

The initiative was started by Bob Gillette, founder of American House.

Gillette approached three teachers from the metro area to teach the classes at 12 different locations, including Farmington Hills, Rochester Hills, Pontiac, Southfield, Troy, West Bloomfield Township, Roseville and Sterling Heights.

“We believe we all need a refresher course on our nation’s history so we can truly understand the founding principles of America and put the true meaning back into national holidays such as Independence Day,” Gillette said.

The classes focus on the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and its signing. These sessions will culminate in September during Patriot Week, Sept. 11-17.

Patriot Week was founded by Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Michael Warren with the goal of renewing America’s spirit. American House is a member of the Patriot Week organizing committee.

“The teachers have been overwhelmed with enthusiasm,” Gillette said, boasting that the classes have been a phenomenal success.

“Topics will change over time,” said Jennifer Cherry, the public relations employee for American House. Cherry said there’s discussion of expansion of other classes and areas in Michigan.

Attendees are encouraged to call their local American House to put their name on the list for a class, but they also have the option of simply showing up before it begins.

A special asset to the classes is a painting that Gillette recently commissioned from artist d.hummel-marconi — a painting exclusive to American House. The painting, “In God We Trust,” features 20 of the founding fathers of America.

The painting was designed to engage students in the classroom. A corresponding guide identifies the 20 figures and will be used as a teaching tool in the American House history classes.

“This painting, combined with our American history classes, really symbolizes what American House stands for and what we believe in,” said Gillette. “This will be an invaluable tool for our teachers to visually show our country’s founding fathers.”

The history classes at American House are open to all ages.

“We at American House are very passionate about patriotism and the need for all citizens, young and old, to be educated or have a refresher course on American history,” Gillette said.

FYI

For a schedule of classes, visit www.americanhouse.com/

resources. The list will be continually updated throughout the summer. Visit www.patriotweek.orgfor more information on Patriot Week.

Wrapped in freedom - The Oakland Press Opinion: The best place for news in and around Oakland County

2010-07-04T11:01:00.000-04:00

Wrapped in freedom - The Oakland Press Opinion: The best place for news in and around Oakland County

VIDEO: Celebrating Independence Day in Rochester Hills - The Oakland Press Life: The best place for news in and around Oakland County

2010-07-02T11:09:00.000-04:00

VIDEO: Celebrating Independence Day in Rochester Hills - The Oakland Press Life: The best place for news in and around Oakland County

New technology, changing curriculums mean it's time to change how schools use textbooks | detnews.com | The Detroit News

2010-06-12T08:54:00.000-04:00

New technology, changing curriculums mean it's time to change how schools use textbooks | detnews.com | The Detroit News

State v the Creator - The Global War Continues

2010-05-20T21:55:00.000-04:00

"[T]he same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe - the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God," said John F. Kennedy in his Inaugural Address nearly 50 years ago. Those words continue to ring true today as they did over a generation ago.

Most nations continue to cling to the belief that what a person can do depends upon what the state allows. This understanding means we have privileges, not rights; and makes the people subjects, not citizens. This allows the all powerful state to oppress the people - even slaughter them when it decides to.

Turning the world topsy-turvy, our Founding Fathers declared that it was the Creator who provided us rights - and those rights came first and before the government. Such rights cannot be given or taken away by the government - that is why they are called "unalienable."

Unfortunately, this First Principle of unalienable rights seems to be almost forgotten today. When is the last time you heard a major politician utter the words "unalienable rights"? This fundamental First Principles is at the heart of what makes America, well, America. If we intend to remain free, we must begin to reassert our unalienable rights vigorously - otherwise we will simply join the rest of the globe in slowly, but surely, losing our liberty.

Freedom Dies Slowly

2010-05-08T19:03:00.000-04:00

Before the Virginia Ratifying Constitutional Convention, James Madison (1788) explained that "There are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations."

In other words, our liberties are most likely to be slowly eroded than taken by a bold, dramatic action. The small, incremental steps are generally easily disguised as simply a slight modification, a minor change, and general meets little or no resistance. But in retrospect, dozens of "minor changes" amount to dramatic infringements of our liberties.

This is why we must be ever vigilant, because those in power (of whatever political persuasion) are much more likely to slowly chip away at our freedom than to make a huge power grab. This is why every action of government should be viewed and critiqued in light of our First Principles of the rule of law, equality, the Social Compact, unalienable rights, and limited government. We must hold the line now, or the line will be slowly erased, and we will cease to be America.

Good Riddance May Day, Welcome Law Day

2010-05-02T23:08:00.000-04:00

May 1 marks "May Day" - a traditional holiday that had been usurped and celebrated in totalitarian communist regimes to show solidarity in the international movement for the overthrow of freedom loving, capitalist societies. In 1904, the International Socialist Congress called for a work stoppage each May Day not only to support an 8 hour work day, but to express support for the "class demands of the proletariat . . . ." Once the communist party took control of the Soviet Union (USSR), May Day became a major celebration - usually accompanied by military displays - of communists nations.

In 1961, American countered by declaring May 1"Law Day" - a day dedicated to the First Principle of the rule of law. Declared by President John F. Kennedy, the idea of Law Day is to celebrate the fact that we as a free people rely upon the protection of our unalienable rights through the law, and that the law - as opposed to brute force - governs.

Now that the USSR lies in the ash heap of history, we can say good riddance to May Day, and give Law Day its due. As we move forward in this tumultuous times, we would be best served by remembering that we should work to support the rule of law - otherwise May Day may return with all of its attendant horrors.

Thrift, RIP - Time for a Resurrection

2010-04-27T00:19:00.000-04:00

I just finished reading Phillip Longman's The Return of Thrift (Free Press), which - despite its age (or rather, perhaps because of its age) - remains very current. Published in 1996, the book provides a detailed analysis of the impending entitlement and debt crisis. What makes the work so poignent today is that the problems he identified - huge deficits, growing medicare and medicaid liabilities, the impending insolvency of social security, and related fiscal issues - remain seemingly intractable problems.

Although one could seriously debate his proposed solutions (and no one reading this should assume that this post is an endorsment of all of Longman's policy solutions), it does an excellent job reviewing the origin of many of our entitlement issues and poses almost insurmountable evidence that our entitlement schemes are unsustainable in the coming decades. Indeed, with half-trillion dollar deficits for next decade, one would be hard pressed to ignore the crisis today.

Although our Founding Fathers were somewhat split about the desirability of debt (Hamilton supported its unifying effect on the country and its ability to transform our country into a commercial giant, while Jefferson hated it with a passion), there is little question that our current state of affairs would cause considerable concern about the long term well-being of the nation. Huge debts have been the bane of stability, consumer confidence, and living standards worldwide - it has even propelled some countries into revolution (think of France, circa 1789) - we are fools to think that we are immune to these pressures. With each passing day this crisis expands; the time to address it is now.

Our Limited Government

2010-04-24T00:59:00.000-04:00

"The people . . . erected this government. They gave it a Constitution, and in that Constitution they have enumerated the powers that they bestow on it. They made it a limited government. They have defined its authority. They have restrained it to the exercise of such powers as are granted . . . ." Daniel Webster, Second Reply to Hayne.

As Webster explained, the federal government is one of limited, enumerated powers. The Constitution specifically sets forth its powers, and any powers not expressly granted to the federal government reside in the states.

Although a core concept of our Constitution, the First Principle of limited government has often been but an afterthought in policy discussions. Regardless of one's views about particular issues and policies, we do a grave disservice to our freedom and the Constitution when we fail to recognize and account for the limited nature of our federal government. To maintain our liberty, limited government needs to front and center.

Hitler - Agent of Evil and Enemy of First Principles

2010-04-20T21:37:00.000-04:00

To defeat evil, one needs to understand it. As this is Hitler's birthday, today is a good day to learn about the abyss that was, and is, Nazism.

"Adolf Hitler was born at half past six on the evening of 20 April 1889, in the Gasthof zum Pommer, an inn at the small town of Braunau on teh River Inn which forms the frontier between Austria and Bavaria." Alan Bullock, Hitler - A Study in Tyranny (1971). Thus, began a life that would set the world at war, result in the tragic loss of millions of lives, and assaulted the very foundations of free civilizations across the globe.

Hitler espoused the idea of the superiority of the Aryan race over mankind. "Everything we admire on this earth today - science and art, technology, and inventions - is on the creative product of a few peoples and originally perhaps of one race," he wrote in Mein Kampf. "On them depends the existence of this whole culture. If they perish, the beauty of this earth will sink into the grave with them."

Thus, Hitler advocated that the Aryan race dominate the lesser races, and a war of the racially superior to those of the inferior to preserve and advance mankind. "All great cultures of the past perished only because the originally creative race died out from blood poisoning," he asserted. "Those who want to live, let them fight, and those who do not want to fight in this world of eternal struggle do not deserve to live."

Thus, "the folkish philosophy finds the importance of mankind in its basic racial elements. In the state it sees on principle only a means to an end and construes its end as the preservation of the racial existence of man."

Hitler's philosophy is exactly opposite of America's founding First Principles of the rule of law, unalienable rights, equality, the Social Compact, and limited government. We believe that "all men are created equal." We reject the idea of superior people or races - we are all of God's (or if you prefer, Nature's) children. We embrace the idea that all men and women have certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that governments are instituted to protect those unalienable rights. We reject the idea that government is intended to make some masters and other servants. Thankfully we prevailed in World War II and set the stage for the historic spread of freedom following the Cold War.

The issue now is whether we can keep the freedom that we so have fought so hard (and which millions literally sacrificed) to obtain. Without a firm understanding of who we are - and who the enemy is - we could very well lose those freedoms. If we don't remain vigilant, the likes of Hitler can easily arise again. The best way to preserving our freedoms is to understand the First Principles and our Constitution; understand our enemies; and meet them at every opportunity.

Unalienable Rights - Endowed by the Creator not by Government

2010-04-16T00:00:00.000-04:00

As Thomas Jefferson explained, “a free people claims their rights as derived from the laws of nature, and not as a gift from their chief magistrate.” This understanding is deeply rooted in the American experience. We understand that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator from unalienable rights . . . ."

This understanding rejects the idea that we depend upon the government for our rights. Yet, this belief seems to be too often forgotten today. Many act as if everything we desire, everything we need, must come with the approval of the government. This subverts the American principle - in America the government serves the people, not the other way around.

As we move forward with new policies, we need to keep in the forefront that the people are sovereign, and do not require the government to bless their liberties. Indeed, our liberties are blessings - from nature and the Creator.

The People's Constitution

2010-04-08T20:54:00.000-04:00

Daniel Webster famously explained in his Second Reply to Hayne that "It is, sir, the people's Constitution, the people's government, made for the people, made by the people, and answerable to the people."

This idea underlies the First Principle of the Social Compact - articulated in our Declaration of Independence "that governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the government."

The growing frustration and resentment of the public - on all sides of the political spectrum - with government today often stems from the belief that government of the people has been subverted to the interest of the government of the special interest. The pitching of factions against one another has always been a feature of our republic, but the domination of special interests in so many political avenues threatens the legitimacy of our system. With so many political discussions devolving into rancor and personal attacks, that many have become cynics is not surprising.

So what do we do? Become educated, become more engaged in the political process, and hold our leaders accountable for their actions. To do otherwise cedes the field to the most corrupting influences in our politics.

Freedom is Lost By Gradual and Silent Encroachments

2010-04-07T22:54:00.000-04:00

James Madison warned that "Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe that there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations . . . ." Stated another way, we don't simply lose our freedom by coups and martial law - our liberties can be suffocated by small measures, which over the course of time, strangle our liberty.

We need to be vigilant to protect our liberties, and the only way we can expect to keep our freedom is if we are well educated in connection with our Constitution and the First Principles that undergird it. Take some time away from American Idol and Tiger Woods, and spend some more about learning about our Constitution and First Principles. Then, and only then, can we halt the otherwise "gradual" and "silent" affronts to our liberty.

Things Fall Apart; the Centre Cannot Hold . . .

2010-04-01T21:03:00.000-04:00

"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity." -- William Butler Yeats

Today, it seems that we are in world full of passionate intensity from quarters who care little for our First Principles and Constitution. This punishing wave only displaces those who try to marshal their forces in favor of liberty and freedom. We cannot let Yeats come to fruition. Form the centre - and hold it fast.

Hold Firm To Preserve Liberty - Even in the Face of Good

2010-03-29T00:02:00.000-04:00

George Washington stated, "let there be no change [in Constitutional powers] by usurpation; for though this, in one instance, may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed."

Washington well understood that often the liberties of the people are destroyed not by those trying to do evil, but by those try to do good. In other words, in the hope of achieving a desired policy end, politicians have often skirted the law, ignored precedent and tradition, and otherwise undermined constitutional limitations. When this happens, the law is corrupted, and liberties of the people are no longer safe.

Simply put, the power to do good, is the power to do evil. Once constitutional limitations are shattered in the pursuit of a "good policy", those same limitations become irrelevant to stop "bad" policies. This is a most common path to the subversion and ruin of free peoples. Thus, we must stand firm to protect the Constitution - even in the face of the good.

Iraq Stands Up for Liberty

2010-03-25T00:25:00.000-04:00

Less than two weeks ago, millions of Iraqi citizens stood up for liberty by voting in the parliamentary elections, in the face of militants who attempted to foil freedom by disrupting elections.

Perhaps our citizens at home could take a lesson from those who braved threats and intimidation to vote. Although this year has generated a great deal of heat and controversy, traditionally Americans have been less engaged as is healthy for our republic.

If our celebrity obsessed media would have spent as much time on the Iraqi election as they did Tiger Woods, we would have all benefited. Still, we can take a cue from Iraq and find the determination to be thoughtfully engaged in the political process.

If not, we get the government we deserve.

Remember Limited Government

2010-03-18T22:58:00.000-04:00

A fundamental First Principle of our Declaration of Independence, and embedded in our Constitution, is a limited federal government. Having just beaten back British tyranny, and fearful of a centralized, overbearing and uncontrolled government, the Founding Fathers determined to give the federal government specific, enumerated powers in the Constitution.

The idea of limited government is articulated in the Declaration of Independence's explanation that "that to secure these [unalienable rights], governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." It is specifically confirmed in how the Constitution was drafted - Article I specifically enumerates the powers vested in the federal government. To eliminate any doubt, the 9th and 10th Amendments expressly provide that any powers not specifically granted to the federal government are reserved to the States or the people.

Today, however, the idea of limited government is mostly ignored. There is very little discussion on most issues regarding whether it is appropriate for the federal government to act. Although the health care debate has raised serious concerns about the appropriate scope of the federal government, most policy discussions involving a whole range of issues revolves around how the federal government should address a particular issue.

Thomas Jefferson wrote, "The construction applied ... to those parts of the Constitution of the United States which delegate Congress a power ... ought not to be construed as themselves to give unlimited powers, nor a part to be so taken as to destroy the whole residue of that instrument." His counsel is mostly ignored.

When a proposal for federal intervention is made, the very first question that should be asked is whether it fits within the powers given to the federal government. To ignore that question only guarantees the subversion of our Constitution.

The Rodney Dangerfield of Higher Ed

2010-02-26T21:18:00.000-05:00

The Rodney Dangerfield of Higher Ed

Forget Presidents' Day - Time to Renew Washington's Birthday

2010-02-15T11:34:00.000-05:00

Although today is the federal holiday of Washington's Birthday, in reality it is all but ignored. Our popular culture has transfigured it into "Presidents' Day." We now celebrate Washington with the same vigor as Benjamin Harrison and Franklin Pierce. Today it is an empty excuse for thrilling sales on carpets, appliances, and cars.

Washington was really THE indispensable man to the success of the American Revolution and the adoption of the Constitution. We need to acknowledge his many accomplishments by putting a stake into the heart of Presidents' Day and reviving Washington's Birthday.

Better yet, we should work on celebrating all our Founding Fathers and great Patriots via Patriot Week. Co-created by myself and my daughter, Patriot Week renews America's spirit by celebrating the First Principles, Founding Fathers and other Patriots, vital documents and speeches, and flags that make America the greatest nation in world history.

Anchored by the key dates of September 11 and September 17 (the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution), each day has a separate focus. In the Inaugural year of 2009, over participants were involved (schools, media, universities, nonprofits), and we expect 2010 to much bigger.

Please join the effort by visiting PatriotWeek.org.

America, What Can Be Imagined Can Be Achieved

2010-02-13T19:53:00.000-05:00

I just finished watching an Episode of the X Files ("Max" from Season 4), which closed with this bit of cogent truth from Dana Scully:

"There are extraordinary men and women and extraordinary moments when history leaps forward on the backs of these individuals... that what can be imagined can be achieved... that you must dare to dream... but that there's no substitute for perseverance and hard work... and teamwork... because no one gets there alone... and that, while we commemorate the... the greatness of these events and the individuals who achieve them, we cannot forget the sacrifice of those who make these achievements and leaps possible."

Although this quote is from a Canadian science fiction show, it very much captures something that makes America very unique - our combined spirits of imagination and hard work. Americans are not idle philosophers - we not only imagine what should be, we act very hard to make it happen.

Indeed, our nation was founded by Founding Fathers who combated against terrible odds and made enormous sacrifices to create a government of what should be. They turned the world topsy-turvy by establishing the only government in history founded on our First Principles of the rule of law, equality, unalienable rights, the Social Compact, and limited government.

Today it seems that too many are willing to dream, but not to do. Or rather, to complain, but not sacrifice. America has large challenges before us, but we can certainly meet those challenges. Dana Scully has reminded us of the way.

Iran - Time to Change an Oppressive Regime

2010-02-11T21:05:00.000-05:00

Today marks the anniversary of the collapse of the old regime in Iran and the triumph of the Iranian Revolution. Prior to the revolution, Iran had been ruled by the military fist of the Shah. Beginning in 1978, a mass movement drove the Shah out of power and the country, leading to the rise of an Islamic Republic in 1979 - which still stands today.

There is no question that the Shah embodied a corrupt, dictatorial regime and should have been driven by power – but this is one of those cases where the cure is worse than the illness (or, stated another way, be careful for what you ask for).

Iran is now ruled by a corrupt, dictatorial, theocratic regime - which uses an internal terror apparatus to steal elections, suppress women’s rights, violate free speech and press, and imprison and execute dissenters. Not content to oppress its own people, it literally exports terror by supporting various terrorist groups across the world.

The Iranian people have a long and proud civilization, which has been usurped by an oppressive regime. The current regime is established on principles exactly opposite of America’s First Principles. The rule of law has been supplanted by the rule of force; unalienable rights are violated; there is no Social Compact – the regime imposes its will on the people; equality – especially for women – is subverted; the government is unlimited; and there is no right to alter the government.

Let us hope that the protest movement continues to take hold, brings down this unjust regime, and introduces our First Principles to a people that so desperately deserve them.

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor & The Fight for Liberty

2010-02-10T21:13:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to attend a speech by former United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. At one point many called her the most powerful person in America - as the pivotal "swing" vote in many Supreme Court cases, she often determined the outcome of very critical cases.

As a former Arizona legislator and court of appeals judge, she was a vigorous protector of federalism (a concept all but forgotten today). Since retiring she has become an outspoken advocate of civics education. Many of her writings reflect the same concerns I have about our ability to survive as a free people when we are forgetting the basics of our Constitution.

Yesterday, she discussed the vital importance of judicial independence. In particular, she advocated for insulating courts from the pressure of politics. She argued that there needs to be a safe arena in our constitutional system for the rule of law to prevail.

As Alexander Hamilton argued, without judges to ensure adherence to the Constitution, it would "amount to nothing." We need to heed O'Connor's and Alexander's warnings today, or we could very possibly lose our liberties tomorrow.

Groundhog's Day - Again!

2010-02-02T21:47:00.000-05:00

In Groundhog Day, Bill Murray plays a mean and spiritless reporter who re-lives the same day (Groundhog's Day) for what appears to be centuries. Of course, he is the only person who retains a memory of the day, and is forced to re-live it until he finds true love. In addition to being a very funny and entertaining film, it teaches us a Dickens' Christmas Carol like message.

However, it is also a great lesson on the fact that trying to do the same thing over and over only leads to the same results - over and over. Newt Gingrich likes to point out that real change requires, well, real change.

Our system seems to be mired in a continuous Groundhog Day. The same arguments, the same partisan disputes, the same issues seem to repeat over and over. Perhaps this is because our political culture has become so unanchored from our Founding First Principles and generating history that all we can do is recycle the threadbare arguments of the day. For a fresh approach, we need to go back to the future. If our political culture and media would begin to exam today's issues through the lens of the rule of law, equality, the Social Compact, limited government, and unalienable rights, maybe we could break the never-ending cycle.

How refreshing it might be if we discussed critical issues like cap and trade, health care reform, and deficit spending in light of unalienable rights, limited government, and the Social Compact. Not that such analysis will always lead people to the same opinions, but it could not but help elevate the debate and provide much needed illumination (as opposed to heat) in today's debates.

Honoring MLKJ & The Equality

2010-01-18T18:32:00.000-05:00

Today we honor Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life and his epic struggle to make America live up to one its founding First Principles - equality. The Declaration of Independence is rooted in the self-evident truth that "all men are created equal." Of course, at the time of the Founding - and more many generations thereafter - that commitment was honored in the breach when it came to African Americans.

America, however, had committed itself to the principle of equality, and the struggle for racial equality began even before the colonies declared independence. That struggle continued through the ante-bellum period, through the Civil War, Reconstruction, the Progressive Age, WWII, and the civil rights era.

King was an indispensable leader for racial equality. At Grosse Pointe High School in the Detroit area, on March 14, 1968 (just three weeks before he was assassinated) he delivered "The Other America" speech. Those remarks called upon the nation's "sacred heritage" to advocate for racial equality:

   We are going to win our freedom because both the sacred heritage of our nation and
   the eternal will of the Almighty God are embodied in our echoing demands. . . . .

   With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a
   beautiful symphony of brotherhood....

At that heart of that sacred heritage was the belief that God had endowed all persons with unalienable rights, and that everyone was equal before Him. That clarion call eventually lead to the passage of the many civil rights era reforms that have brought a greater realization of the First Principle of equality.

We are not done with that struggle, but we have Martin Luther King, Jr. to thank for moving us significantly forward.

The Never Ending Threat of Terror

2009-12-27T18:08:00.000-05:00

This week's Christmas Day attack on America serves as a timely reminder that we must continue to be vigilant against terrorists and those who despise America.

When America established a written Constitution to govern our affairs, we became a beacon of hope and liberty to the world - a beacon for the rule of law, based on the consent of the governed.

Those who desire to rule in another way - by divine right, dictatorship, or theological nightmare - shudder at the thought of America's adherence to the rule of law, the Social Compact, and unalienable rights. They can not succeed in the war of ideas, so they try to light themselves on fire and take down hundreds of innocent civilians in the process.

This threat is never ending. America will always be targeted by those who hate liberty and freedom. This is the cost of freedom.

As long as we stay true to our First Principles, America will persevere and continue to light the beacon of liberty for the world. And it is our duty, as Americans, to make sure that we stay that way.

Keeping The American Spirit Alive - One Student at a Time

2009-12-08T23:07:00.000-05:00

In an effort to renew the American spirit, my daughter and I have started Patriot Week. Here is an article from the Oakland Legal News reporting on one of the outgrowths of that project:

The Oakland County Legal News

Patriot Week essay winners shadow judge at Circuit Court

Eric Dunbar and Katreina Ostrander, two sophomore students at Rochester Adams High School, were named winners in their school's essay contest held in conjunction with the week-long Patriot Week celebration in Oakland County.

The essay contest offered to U.S. History classes at Rochester Adams gave students an opportunity to express their views on a quote selected by the school for the contest from James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States, which states: "In a government founded on the sovereignty of all the people, the education of youth is an object of the first importance." The essay winners accurately interpreted the quote and discussed its true meaning. Furthermore, they explained it from a personal perspective, giving an older quote modern relevance.

This year's first ever Patriot Week, held September 11 - 17, was a grassroots effort created by Oakland Circuit Judge Michael Warren and daughter Leah, and recognized by the Michigan State Senate, to honor America, its First Principles, key historical figures, documents and symbols of its history.

Tracye Bello, social studies teacher and organizer of the Rochester Adams High School event, commented: "Patriot Week provided a series of memorable experiences that allowed students to appreciate the modern significance and relevance of historical documents."

As winners, Eric and Katreina were guests of honor at the Oakland County Circuit Court on Thursday, Dec. 3, where they had an opportunity to job shadow Judge Warren. Their job shadowing experience allowed the students to walk with Warren through his work day and witness court procedures and processes in actual situations.

"I am thrilled to have these two young stars spend a day with me learning about the justice system," Warren stated. "During Patriot Week, they learned about the rule of law, unalienable rights, and the importance of limited government. I fully expect that this experience will give them a greater appreciation for the importance of these founding First Principles and how they influence justice today."

Day of Infamy

2009-12-07T23:08:00.000-05:00

As termed by FDR, December 7 is the anniversary of "day of infamy" when the Japanese sneak attack on our naval base at Pearl Harbor plunged our country into war with imperial Japan. Soon thereafter, Hitler made a vast miscalculation and declared war on the United States in support of his Axis ally. America was attacked in 1941, by 1945 we had defeated (along with our allies, primarily Great Britain and the USSR) both imperial Japan and Nazi Germany.

December 7 to what some have dubbed the "Greatest Generation" was our September 11. Thousands of Americans died in each cowardly attack. They were defining moments - turning points - for our nation. December 7 eventually led to our nation leading the free world during World War II and the Cold War.

If we mean not to denigrate that legacy, we need to continue the struggle for freedom today - here and at home.

We would do well to remember what happe

The Importance of First Principles

2009-11-30T22:53:00.000-05:00

Alexander Hamilton wrote that "In disquisitions of every kind there are certain primary truths, or first principles, upon which all subsequent reasoning must depend." Unfortunately, our cultural and political class have seem to forgotten this important maxim. Our First Principles are enumerated in the Declaration of Independence:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new Government, laying its foundations on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

The First Principles of the rule of law, equality, unalienable rights, the Social Compact, limited government, and the right to abolish or alter an unjust government are the bedrock of our country. Today, however, they are scarcely noticed in the raging political debates today. When they are mentioned, they seem to be an afterthought. From health care to the bailouts to the fiscal crisis to Afghanistan, hardly anyone starts with what should come first - the First Principles. And we are a poorer nation for it.

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION

2009-11-26T12:10:00.000-05:00

As he did for so much of America, President George Washington set the precedent by proclaiming a day of Thanksgiving in 1789. I can do nothing to add to it:

General Thanksgiving
By the PRESIDENT of the United States Of America  A PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANKSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"
NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and affisn THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the
service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wife, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.
(signed) G. Washington

The True Meaning of Patriotism

2009-11-18T23:32:00.000-05:00

"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it." --American author Mark Twain (1835-1910)

This is the true meaning, at least in America. Patriots love their country, and Patriots in America love their country not only because it is their homeland, but because America stands for the best in the world.

We were the first nation to be founded on a set of First Principles, as articulated in the Declaration of Independence. They include the rule of law, unalienable rights, equality, the Social Compact, limited government, and the right of the people to alter or abolish an oppressive government. We are really the only one that fully stands for those principles today.

Sometimes patriots feel compelled to support their government because they feel a need to support the country. When the government is acting to further the First Principles (or at least in conformity with them), such a sentiment is a noble one. However, if the government is violating those First Principles, then a Patriot's first duty is to oppose the government - just as Twain remarked.

No! For the Sake of Liberty

2009-11-17T22:28:00.000-05:00

Mohandas Gandhi stated that "A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble." Indeed, in the effort to get along and not make waves, there is much too much "yes" when a firm "no" would be appropriate.

During the American Revolution, our Founding Fathers, led by the likes of Patrick Henry, declared "give me liberty or give me death." And they meant it. The Founders put their fortunes, lives, and sacred honor at risk when they declared independence in the name of liberty. They said "no" to British oppression - and fought against it.

We are the heirs of their great experiment - and we have the great responsibility to keep it alive. Sometimes that means saying and doing things that cause trouble, displease, and are uncomfortable. So be it.

Sometimes that means standing against the crowd or the current of history and simply saying "No." Some politicians today seem more concerned about their reputation as consensus builders than doing what is right. We cannot afford to cater such whims any longer. Sometimes we just have to say "No!"

Veterans, We Salute You!

2009-11-11T10:17:00.000-05:00

In the hustle and bustle of our day, we usually take for granted those things that keep us alive and free. The Declaration of Independence explains that we have the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but it takes raw, brute force to deter and protect us from our enemies to ensure that we can exercise those rights.

The Founding Fathers were deeply concerned about national security. If you actually review the list of powers the Constitution grants the Congress (i.e., those enumerated powers to which the federal government is limited), several address the ability to raise and support an army and navy, to organize and use the militia, and other means to ensure the safety of the people against enemies - foreign and domestic.

Over the years, millions of servicemen and women have sacrificed so that we can all remain free. According to info.please.com, over the course of our history, over 43 million brave men and women have served our country during war. We have suffered over 653,000 deaths in battle, and over 1.4 million nonmortal wounds. We currently have nearly 18 million living war veterans. As of 2006, there were over 3500 deaths and 21,000 nonmortal wounds suffered in the War on Terror.

As we move forward with the raging debate over Afghanistan, we need to keep in mind the primacy of national security and the sacrifices we continue to ask our brethren.

Thank you for keeping us free!

And The Wall Came Tumbling Down

2009-11-09T22:25:00.000-05:00

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of The Berlin Wall. Erected upon the order of the East German leader Walter Ulbrecht in 1961, The Wall was long a symbol of the Cold War confrontation between America and the now defunct Soviet Empire. For those of us who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, the Cold War defined our lives - we never knew when we went to sleep if nuclear might break-out before we woke up.

The Wall, however, also represented the stark contrast between freedom and slavery; liberty and totalitarianism; self-determination and oppression. Its fall also revealed that history need not always inexorably move toward greater government and tyranny - that, indeed, the spirit of liberty could conquer the ghosts of oppression. Its fall should remain an inspiration to all freedom loving people across the world (including here at home) that fighting for liberty against impossible odds is well worth the effort.

A Real Halloween Scare: The Federal Deficit

2009-10-31T16:39:00.000-04:00

According to the Associated Press, the federal government estimates our federal budget deficit at $1.42 trillion. As the AP states, "It’s more than the total national debt for the first 200 years of the Republic, more than the entire economy of India, almost as much as Canada’s, and more than $4,700 for every man, woman and child in the United States. It’s . . . more than three times the most red ink ever amassed in a single year."

This, of course, is only one year's red ink. We have a federal debt (i.e., accumulated over the years) of trillions of dollars. History has shown that nations with out-of-control debts and deficits are subject to hyperinflation, overtaxation, or fiscal breakdowns. Governments desperate for revenue and debt reduction overstep their constitutional boundaries and imperil the unalienable rights of citizens. We must tread carefully, or our economic - and political - demise will only become inevitable.

The True Meaning of Freedom

2009-10-28T22:53:00.000-04:00

The Good Book says, "Be free, yet without using freedom as a pretext for evil, but as slaves of God." 1 Peter 2:16.

This very old fashioned understanding of the true meaning of freedom was deeply ingrained in the Founding Fathers. As explained in the Declaration of Independence, they strongly believed that all men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That God given freedom, however, was not given to men and women to simply do whatever they felt like doing – that is licentiousness. To the contrary, the Founders believed that men and women must exercise their freedoms carefully, with appropriate restraint, and for the common welfare.

Today, too many seem to have lost sight that being free to do something doesn’t mean that you must do it. We have too often blurred the distinction between legality and morality. Just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should – or that it is defensible to do so. Prudence, frugality, honesty, integrity, honor – these timeless virtues need to be embraced to prove our worth of the freedom we possess.

Chavez: Freedom of Speech Must Be Limited

2009-10-23T23:08:00.000-04:00

Venezuela's Attorney General Luisa Ortega recently announced that "Freedom of expression must be limited" in his country. In support of new legislation to clamp down on opposition media, Ortega explained that newspapers, radio stations, and television stations could be targeted because they have attempted to "cause panic" and "disturb social peace." President Hugo Chavez apparently supports the legislation.

The freedoms of press, speech, and assembly are all protected by the First Amendment in America. We have done so because we understand robust debate is essential to ensuring good governance. Indeed, we understand that such freedoms are unalienable rights that are beyond the realm of government regulation. The message has obviously not reached everyone.

The Vital Importance of Education

2009-10-05T22:06:00.000-04:00

Noah Webster, the great contributor to American education and the lexicon, explained why education is so important to Americans:

"It is an object of vast magnitude that systems of education should be adopted and pursued which may not only diffuse a knowledge of the sciences but may implant in the minds of the American youth the principles of virtue and of liberty and inspire them with just and liberal ideas of government and with an inviolable attachment to their own country." --Noah Webster, On Education of Youth in America, 1790.

We ignore this advice at great peril.

Thinking the Unthinkable? Absolutely Necessary!

2009-09-23T23:39:00.000-04:00

"We must learn to welcome and not fear the voices of dissent. We must dare to think about 'unthinkable things' because when things become unthinkable, thinking stops and action becomes mindless."Senator J. William Fulbright (AK)

Too often when we address issues of the day, we become entrenched and unable to think of solutions outside of what has become the dominant orthodoxy. When this happens, we stiffle innovation, suffocate flexibility, and undermine creativity. A people who are more concerned about "getting along" as opposed to getting it right will undoubtedly lapse into lethargy and a slow but sure demise.

What Happened to Limited Government?

2009-09-17T21:24:00.000-04:00

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE DETROIT NEWS, CONSTITUTION DAY 2009

Two hundred twenty-two years ago, the members of the Constitutional Convention signed the federal Constitution and undertook an unparalleled revolution in the forms of government. As the heirs of this grand experiment, we too often ignore the work they accomplished at our peril.

During the past year, our nation has been transfixed by crisis, government and populism: Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, pirates, banking, mortgages, economic stimulus, health care, energy, auto companies, tea parties and town halls. The tyranny of the urgent is suffocating the eternal.

Our government rests upon the proposition that a well-informed citizenry and political leaders will guard the Constitution.

The rule of law, equality, unalienable rights, the social compact, limited government and revolution are the superstructure on which the Constitution and our country are formed.

The idea of limited government has been all but ignored. As the Declaration of Independence declares, the purpose of government is to secure the unalienable rights of individuals. After all, “it is,” Thomas Jefferson explained, “to secure our just rights that we resort to government at all ...”

Although government is necessary, it is to be strictly limited to its proper constitutional purposes.

The alternative — unlimited government— allows the government to control every aspect of our lives. The experiments with unlimited government ran amok in the 20th century — leading to Nazi Germany’s Holocaust, Mao’s starvations in China, the Soviet Union’s totalitarian liquidations and the Khmer Rouge’s genocide in Cambodia.

America chose a different path. The Constitution constrains the federal government to a few key areas, such as war and foreign affairs, interstate and international commerce, patents and copyrights, and money and weights.

Federalism provides that the states are supreme in their own sphere of influence — which is everything not specifically granted to the federal government. The states are supposed to jealously guard their authority, which helps check the power of the federal government.

Yet, with a few notable exceptions, we barely hear a whisper about limited government and federalism in policy debates. That members of Congress and others are too busy to read the bills upon which they vote is bad enough, but that no one bothers to ask whether the proposals to dramatically expand the federal government and spend trillions of dollars conforms within our system of limited government is alarming.

Reasonable people may disagree about the application of the first principles to policy issues.

However, to brush off our first principles during these tumultuous times only courts disaster.

Michael Warren is an Oakland County Circuit Court judge, a former member of the State Board of Education and a co-founder of Patriot Week. E-mail: letters@detnews.com

Patriot Week

Michael Warren and daughter Leah Warren wanted to promote a better understanding and appreciation of America’s history and civics, so this year they started a weeklong focus (Sept. 11 through today) for schools and other public and private institutions on the nation’s first principles, key historical figures, founding documents and symbols. Each celebration is tied into the state’s social studies grade-level content expectations. One school district, several schools, the University of Michigan and Cooley Law School are participating.

Hats Off to the Suffragists and Gender Equality

2009-09-16T23:20:00.004-04:00

Patriot Week yesterday honored the First Principle of gender equality, suffragists Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, the 1848 Seneca Falls Statement, the 19th Amendment (granting women suffrage), and the Suffragist Flag.

When America declared independence and explained that “all men are created equal,” we left out better half of our people. Not only were women prohibited from voting, they had nearly no legal rights. However, suffragists and women rights’ activists drew upon the principles of equality, unalienable rights, and the Social Compact to point out that unless women were enfranchised and granted equal civil and political rights, that the idea of equality would be mockery.

After decades of struggle, the 19th Amendment was adopted on August 26, 1920. Although the struggle for gender equality has not yet ended, there have been tremendous strides across the economic, political, and cultural arenas.

Unfortunately, the struggle for gender equality has hardly begun in other areas of the world – such as Saudi Arabia and Sudan (where a women was recently imprisoned for wearing pants, and others are lashed for the same offense). Hopefully America’s beacon of light will enlighten the darker realms of the world.

For more on our First Principles and Patriot Week, visit http://www.patriotweek.com/ and http://www.americassurvivalguide.com/.

Patriot Week Continues - the Social Compact and Washington

2009-09-15T18:53:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Patriot Week recognized the invaluable contribution of George Washington in American history. Declared the “greatest man of the age” by his nemesis, King George III, today Washington is mostly honored for his role as military commander of the American forces in the Revolutionary War and for being our first President.

However, he also presided over the Constitutional Convention, which was just as an important to our future. His mere presence gave the Convention much needed legitimacy, and his support of the Convention’s work was critical to its ratification. Washington’s role was vital to establishing a true Social Compact between the people and the government – in which for the first time in history a free people determined the outline of their government and established a written Constitution that would bind the government and the people.

Accordingly, Patriot Week also celebrated the act by which Congress forwarded the Constitution to the states for ratification, as well as the current American flag (which signifies the continuation of the Social Compact.

For more, visit http://www.patriotweek.com/ http://www.americassurvivalguide.com/.

Inaugural Patriot Week

2009-09-13T11:00:00.000-04:00

This weeks mark the inaugural celebration of Patriot Week. Anchored by the key dates of September 11 and September 17 (the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution - dubbed Constitution Day), the week celebrates what makes America great. Each day is dedicated to a founding First Principle (revolution, the rule of law, equality, the social compact, unalienable rights and limited government), certain historical documents embodying those First Principles), founding fathers and other major historical figures that have helped America live up to those First Principles, and certain historical flags that are representative of those principles.

Over 20 participants, including elementary, middle, and high schools, goverment agencies (the Michigan State Senate, Oakland County Circuit Court, Oakland County Commissioners, Bloomfield Township), colleges and universities (Cooley Law School, Oakland University, the University of Michigan), and others are participating.

To learn more, visit http://www.patriotweek.com/.

Do Not Let History Pass You By

2009-08-30T23:42:00.000-04:00

In these most unsettling of times, there is a temptation to sit back and let the course of history pass us by. But then you will regret it. The bard of all time, Mr. Shakespeare, presented us how bitter it might be in his famous St. Crispin’s Day speech in Henry V:

"We few, we happy few,
We band of brothers;
For he today that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother . . .
And gentlemen in England now abed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day."

Don't let history pass you by, and regret you did not join the battles engaged today.

Boris Yeltsin and the Spirit of Liberty

2009-08-22T20:12:00.000-04:00

Photo source: minnesota.publicradio.org

On August 20, 1991 Boris Yeltsin stood on the turret of a tank and made history. In June of that year, he had been elected as the Russia's president in the first free election in Russian history.

When the old guard of the totalitarian and communist Soviet Union realized that they were losing their grip on power, they reacted by trying to suffocate the nascent democratic government in Russia. Yeltsin would have none of it, climbed on the tank, and made a booming speech in defense of liberty. The old guard cracked, and soon would the Soviet Union.

Thankfully Americans are not facing down tanks in the streets. But that does not mean we can't learn from Yeltsin. We need to be vigilant too. For far too long Americans have been complacent about the need to defend their liberties and to be engaged in the political process. Although we may not need to climb a tank, we ought to step up to defend our freedom - we will have no one to blame but ourselves it slips from our grasp.

For more on the importance of defending our liberty, visit AmericasSurvivalGuide.com.

Protests are American - Despite What Pelosi Thinks

2009-08-11T23:28:00.004-04:00

The Associated Press reported today that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of California and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland have complained about Americans loudly protesting at town meetings organized by congressmen during their summer recess. In particular, they have asserted that the protestors are "simply un-American."

Putting aside the substance of the health care debate, perhaps the Speaker and the Majority Leader ought to refresh themselves on the First Amendment to the Constitution, which states that "Congress shall pass no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech . . . or the right to peacefully assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Just in case they become upset about this post, they should also note that the First Amendment also prohibits abridgment of the freedom of press.

In any event, the Founding Fathers would likely be appalled by the notion that vigorous protests - yes, even those that are rude, obnoxious, and interfere with the orchestrated plans of government officials - is "un-American." Founding Fathers Samuel Adams, John Adams, Joseph Warren, and others of the Boston resistance did much more than disrupt a meeting or two.

Indeed, the Founders fought against British encroachments of the unalienable rights of the people, and explained in the Declaration of Independence that resistance to oppression was not only a right, but a duty, of Americans.

For more on our Founding First Principles and unalienable rights, see www.AmericasSurvivalGuide.com.

North Korea Murders Distributor of Bible

2009-07-25T09:37:00.002-04:00

According to Fox News, North Korea executed a woman, in public, because she distributed a Bible. According to the news report, North Korea officially recognizes religious freedom, but the cold hard reality is that it as totalitarian dictatorship that crushes any potential opposition - including simply practicing one's religion.

America, on the other hand, is dedicated to protecting the unalienable rights of individuals. James Madison, the drafter of the Bill of Rights, put religious liberty first in the First Amendment, reflecting his belief (which was shared by Thomas Jefferson and many other Founding Fathers) that religious liberty was the most important of our unalienable rights.

Bastille Day

2009-07-14T20:26:00.002-04:00

Happy Bastille Day!

July 14 marks the anniversary of the assault on the great French prison, the Bastille, in 1789. Most historians and French officials consider this day to be the beginning of the French Revolution. Roughly equivalent to our battles at Concord and Lexington (remember, the "shot heard around the world"), the simmering tensions in France boiled over into violence.

In France, "Bastille Day" has officially become the equivalent of Independence Day in America. On the French "July 4th" (ironically on July 14), the French celebrate the birth of liberty, equality, and fraternity. However, what began so hopefully eventually devolved into dictatorship, political purges, massacres, the Terror, and the guillotine. All too soon, Napoleon would be crowned emperor.

Although the American Revolution was also blemished with violence and abhorrent behavior, it never approached the tragedy of the French Revolution. To the contrary, armed with the First Principles of the rule of law, unalienable rights, the Social Compact, equality, and limited government, our Founders fought off attempts to create a dictatorship or engage in deadly political purges or massacres.

The French, on the other hand, eviscerated all of the First Principles by destroying the law, violating unalienable rights (especially of free speech, free press, and the free exercise of religion), rendering asunder the Social Compact, creating class warfare, and establishing totalitarian government.

The contrasts between America and France could not be more vivid. Thank God for America.

Historic Fort Wayne

2009-07-13T00:20:00.003-04:00

I visited historic Fort Wayne this weekend to witness a Civil War battle re-enactment. A hidden gem on the riverfront of the fair City of Detroit, it is a Civil War era "star fort" that has undergone very slow but significant renovations over the last few years. The re-enactment was excellent. But more important, it created a profound impression of the grave sacrifices that our country experienced in winning freedom for all.

Also very fitting was a memorial service at the Fort that recognized the sacrifices of all of our sacred dead, and those who are still fighting for freedom overseas. God Bless them and God Bless America.

American History and First Principles Quiz

2009-07-07T11:14:00.002-04:00

Check out this American history and First Principles Quiz I originally wrote for the Detroit Free Press (printed last Sunday):

Happy birthday, America! So what was all that hoopla 233 years ago about anyway?

Sharpen your No. 2 pencil and take this quiz focusing on the early history and founding principles of our country.

1. The Declaration of Independence declares that the purpose of government is to: A. Secure the unalienable rights of men, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. B. To ensure a minimum standard of living. C. Promote the general welfare. D. Take from each according to his ability and give according to his need.

2. Among the most important of the long train of abuses suffered by the colonists that sparked the American Revolution was: A. The imposition of higher tea taxes. B. That a king was in charge of the British Empire. C. Taxation without representation, suppression of the right to a jury trial and the dissolution of colonial legislatures. D. The prohibition of American colonists’ attempts to settle Florida.

3. The Fourth Amendment’s prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures, and its requirement that search warrants be specific, were primarily motivated by: A. The great Boston justice scandal of 1765. B. The Boston Tea Party. C. The criminal investigation following the Boston Massacre. D. England’s extensive use of “general writs of assistance” that allowed open-ended searches with no probable cause.

4. Prior to the outbreak of Revolutionary War fighting, John Adams wrote that the worst of all of England’s oppressive actions against the colonies was: A. The suppression to the right to jury trial. B. Taxation without representation. C. The Boston Massacre. D. High taxes.

5. The Declaration of Independence did not address slavery because: A. Its main writer, Thomas Jefferson, supported slavery. B. Benjamin Franklin supported slavery. C. The 2nd Continental Congress stripped out Jefferson’s condemnation of slavery at the insistence of two southern states. D. The cotton gin had made slavery too lucrative to abolish.

6. Reflecting his belief that this right was the most important, James Madison listed the protection of this liberty first in the First Amendment: A. Due process of law. B. The right to bear arms. C. Free speech. D. The free exercise of religion.

7. The Declaration of Independence declares that men: A. Are given their rights by government. B. Should balance their rights with obligations to their fellow man. C. Have nothing to lose except their chains. D. Are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.

8. Ben Franklin did not: A. Write the Bill of Rights. B. Act as a diplomat and sign both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. C. Invent the Franklin Stove, the lightning rod and bifocals. D. Establish the University of Pennsylvania, public libraries and abolitionist societies.

9. The Tea Act and tea tax that provoked the Boston Tea Party: A. Decreased the actual cost of tea, but was opposed because it was taxation without representation. B. Increased the actual cost of tea, and was opposed because of its economic burden. C. Increased the actual cost of tea, but was opposed primarily because it was taxation without representation. D. Was widely supported in the colonies as a way to pay their fair share for national defense.

10. Patrick Henry crystallized the perspective of the American revolutionaries when he declared: A. America’s mission was “to boldly go where no man has gone before.” B. “I have not yet begun to fight!” C. “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” D. “Give me liberty, or give me death!”

ANSWERS 1. A.; 2. C.; 3. D.; 4. A.; 5. C.; 6. D.; 7. D.; 8. A.; 9. A.; 10. D. HOW’ D YOU DO? 9-10 correct: Strike up the Sousa — you’re an American expert. 6-8 correct: Wave that flag with vigor. 5 or less correct: Hmm. Were you asleep during American History 101? THE QUIZ AUTHOR This quiz was contributed by Oakland County Circuit Judge Michael Warren, author of “America’s Survival Guide, How to Stop America’s Impending Suicide by Reclaiming Our First Principles and History.” The book is available at www .Americas Survival Guide.com or Amazon.com.