tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10424035.post8447803742199465065..comments2023-09-11T08:58:24.710-06:00Comments on Reach Upward: Making E Pluribus UnumScott Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11831447472339880148noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10424035.post-69653125116167534712007-07-02T12:18:00.000-06:002007-07-02T12:18:00.000-06:00Thanks Scott - for the post and the link to the WS...Thanks Scott - for the post and the link to the WSJ article.<BR/><BR/>"If America is to continue to aspire to its founding ideals, citizens must become Americans."<BR/><BR/>This makes me think of discussions among LDS people about who in a group are converts and who have been raised in the church.<BR/><BR/>I think that any really important thing in life, be it our religion or our nationality or something else, must become personally important to us or else it it worthless in our individual lives.<BR/><BR/>Even if someone is born into a church they must become individually converted before that religions is really important to them.<BR/><BR/>Whether we are born into this country or migrate into it is not nearly so telling of how good a citizen we will be as whether we have truly become American.<BR/><BR/>In fact, in my political discussions with other people I find that a discussion with someone who is really American (having that inner commitment) who disagrees with me is much more enjoyable and enlightening than having a discussion with a fair weather citizen who agrees with me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10424035.post-33618981985599029522007-07-02T07:30:00.000-06:002007-07-02T07:30:00.000-06:00If that's what you think, then I think you will en...If that's what you think, then I think you will enjoy Bill Bennett's books <I>America: The Last Best Hope</I> (<A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/America-Last-Best-Discovery-World/dp/1595551115/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/002-6113841-4846445?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183382858&sr=1-2" REL="nofollow">part 1</A>, <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/America-Last-World-Triumph-Freedom/dp/1595550577/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-6113841-4846445?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183382858&sr=1-1" REL="nofollow">part 2</A>). Bennett is open about America's successes and America's flaws. He is not afraid to expose the warts. But unlike much of the junk that passes for history texts nowadays, Bennett does not make America look like all warts.Scott Hinrichshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11831447472339880148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10424035.post-25922529676522004232007-07-01T06:53:00.000-06:002007-07-01T06:53:00.000-06:00I would agree that pretty much any history book wo...I would agree that pretty much any history book would be a "breath of fresh air" compared to the watered-down pablum fed to our children in the schools today.<BR/><BR/>What we need, however, is not a story of our nation that inspires patriotism, but one that is honest. Our children need to learn that their government does not always tell the truth and that our nation's motivations have rarely been pure. If we fail in this, we raise a nation of sheep, not a nation of free citizens.Charles Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02975241234146573609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10424035.post-41279962392609908792007-06-30T10:18:00.000-06:002007-06-30T10:18:00.000-06:00Hear, hear! Our teachers are now required to tell...Hear, hear! Our teachers are now required to tell students <I>what</I> to think rather than teaching them <I>how</I> to think.<BR/><BR/>However, I laugh when you place Bennett and D'Souza in the category of thought police. Education has the strongest stranglehold on thought of any institution in the nation. It is pervaded by thought police that want to prevent people from saying the 'wrong' words or from thinking the 'wrong' thoughts. I read Bennett's history books and found them a breath of fresh air compared to what is currently taught on our school campuses today. As for D'Souza, his thoughts are definitely out of the mainstream, but at least they inspire thought rather than squelching it.Scott Hinrichshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11831447472339880148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10424035.post-83543238895075101832007-06-30T09:17:00.000-06:002007-06-30T09:17:00.000-06:00Yes, we do need to understand and believe in that ...Yes, we do need to understand and believe in that which makes us Americans - most notably our Constitution that enshrines our rights as citizens and the careful separation of powers and limits on the executive that enable us to retain those rights.<BR/><BR/>We are failing to educate our children, but primarily by our failure to provide an example of good citizenship. We stand idly by while our rights are trampled by our own government, and say nothing when the executive branch declares itself above the law. The best civics lesson we could give our children and all those within our borders is to bring restore Constitutional government and Constitutional rights. <BR/><BR/>As for our educational system, it is designed to fail at this point. Teachers must teach to standardized tests rather than engage students in actually understanding our history. When teachers attempt to provide an honest look at our history, the thought police (like Bill Bennett or Dinesh D'Souza) attack them. We cannot understand what it means to be American by ignoring our history, or whitewashing our history, but most importantly, we cannot pass on the legacy of our Founders unless we protect the democratic republic they bequeathed to us in the Constitution.Charles Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02975241234146573609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10424035.post-32741920835168164022007-06-29T15:04:00.000-06:002007-06-29T15:04:00.000-06:00I think everyone could benefit from reading Bill B...I think everyone could benefit from reading <A HREF="http://article.nationalreview.com/print/?q=NmY5NzFkZDdiMDM1NzNjM2IzNTcyODY4OWIzNjVhYzg=" REL="nofollow">Bill Bennett's comments</A> on how to make Americans.Scott Hinrichshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11831447472339880148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10424035.post-76766521548378858042007-06-29T13:10:00.000-06:002007-06-29T13:10:00.000-06:00I appreciate this statement:"Schramm writes, 'We c...I appreciate this statement:<BR/><BR/>"Schramm writes, 'We cannot forget who we are. We are Americans. This is a great nation.' If America is to continue to aspire to its founding ideals, citizens must become Americans."<BR/><BR/>That's why I think it is critical to make illegal immigration much harder and legal immigration much easier.Frank Stahelihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01822334061980912687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10424035.post-39776344477443566642007-06-29T10:17:00.000-06:002007-06-29T10:17:00.000-06:00Peggy Noonan's article in today's WSJ parallels my...<A HREF="http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110010269" REL="nofollow">Peggy Noonan's article</A> in today's WSJ parallels my post, but is infinitely more poignant.Scott Hinrichshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11831447472339880148noreply@blogger.com