This is mostly cross-posted from another blog, but I have some additional comments here because yesterday was a good example of how difficult it is to get consensus even on such a basic concept as the merits of the U.S. Constitution.
There are always critics. Some are more subtle than others.
Yesterday, September 17, was Constitution Day in the United States.
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In commemoration of Constitution Day, I'm speaking on the topic of "The Liberty of Righteousness" at an online forum tomorrow on the Title of Liberty.
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Yesterday, President Trump announced a highly significant initiative - the 1776 Commission.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey8VJJc8FQg
Trump discussed the “left-wing indoctrination” in many American schools as well as curriculum that “views every issue through the lens of race." The 1776 Commission will lead to “patriotic education,” in connection with a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities to develop a ”pro-American curriculum that celebrates the truth about our nation's great history."
In that paragraph, I used quotations to show the terms used by the President, not to convey any sense of irony. I think this is an important initiative because students in public schools today are not learning basic facts of American history, the context of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, or even basic life success strategies.
In a new nationwide study of more than 10,000 Americans age 18 to 39 (200 randomly selected in each state), nearly two-thirds of respondents didn’t know 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust, 48% couldn’t name a single World War II-era concentration camp or ghetto, and more than 10% believed Jews themselves caused the Holocaust.
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This is comparable to the results of education in the Church, including the Saints book and the work of the M2C citation cartel. Most young LDS know nothing about why the hill in New York is called Cumorah, and most now believe that Joseph didn't use the Urim and Thummim or the plates themselves because he just read words off a stone he put in a hat.
We need an 1830 Commission in the Church to revitalize what the founders taught.
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Regarding the 1776 Commission, public schools have always been designed to indoctrinate kids to become productive citizens, but in recent years, teachers with private agendas have imposed their own views in many cases.
As expected, critics framed the 1776 Commission with the latest code words from the left. Notice the adjectives the author chose, and which words are in scare quotes and which are not.
In austere, starkly divisive remarks, President Trump on Thursday said he would create a commission to promote "patriotic education" and announced the creation of a grant to develop a "pro-American curriculum." The move is largely political — a reaction to a growing push by some academics for schools to teach an American history that better acknowledges slavery and systemic racism.
Here's another way the same story could have been told.
In direct, specific and clear remarks, President Trump on Thursday said he would create a commission to promote patriotic education and announced the creation of a grant to develop a pro-American curriculum. The move is largely political — a reaction to a growing push by some academics for schools to teach an American history that "better acknowledges slavery" and "systemic racism."
These editing tactics are commonly used to influence readers, often without readers even realizing it.
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Attorney General Barr also gave an important speech about the Constitution. The text is here:
The speech was a straightforward explanation of how the Justice Department is supposed to work, but predictably, leftist organizations and politicians performed outrage theater.
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