On Just Damn Pieces Of Paper

1) from NewsWithViews.com:  'The Real Matrix - Part 12 - Prof. Steven Yates - Aug. 9 (posted Aug. 8)

'The Higher Education Matrix (II)

(A terrible, terrible commentary on the state today of tertiary education; which has become corporatized, and ballooned dangerously with federal funding of unprepared students, beyond belief.

Whatever happened to l1th grade 'US&G' - United States History & Government???)

(email)

Aug. 9

Dear Prof. Yates

Thanks much for your Aug. 9 column.

It has made me want to go back and catch the ones leading up to it.

I went to university (Stanford) in the early-to-mid '50s; and have been living out of the country for many years until recently, and haven't been aware of the drastic deterioration of standards that has taken place in tertiary education.  Oh, I knew that 'liberals' had basically 'cornered the market'.  But I assumed that reason would prevail, and good 'thinking' was still going on.

How wrong I have been.

Please keep your views, from having been inside the beast, coming.  It is an education that the American public sorely needs.

Sincerely

(signed)

--

…and speaking of the federal government getting involved in things not properly under its aegis; this:

2) from an article in the July 7th edition of The New American titled 'Why Do Pro-lifers Fund Abortion?' (by Warren Mass):

"What is immediately apparent from this stated agenda is that United  Way,  by making an effort to influence Congress, is moving from the realm of private charity to being an advocate for federal aid, which is not delegated to the federal government by the Constitution."

'Oh, well. The Constitution is just a damn piece of paper, anyway.  Innit.'

Innit, indeed.

--

3) And from the same Aug. 9 'issue' of NewsWithViews, this eyeopener of an article:

'The Bastardy of "Martial Law" (Part 1 of 2') by Atty. Edwin Vieira, Jr., J.D, Ph.D
It turns out that the notion of an unstoppable declaration of 'Martial Law' is a misnomer anyway:

"Some might say that, in light of the present parlous condition of the Republic, and especially the pathetic indifference of average Americans to this sorry state of affairs, writing such a book ['By Tyranny Out of Necessity'] will prove to be a fool’s errand on my part—or perhaps a hopeless task quixotically undertaken for the benefit of fools. Obviously, I disagree. I consider the subject-matter of this book to be vital to this country’s survival…

"Yet, overall, most Americans have no idea whether “martial law” is even lawful or not—but apparently are resigned to the belief that nothing can be done to stop it from being imposed upon them…" 

His educated answer:

"So I anticipate (or at least hope) that By Tyranny Out of Necessity, which demonstrates in exhaustive detail why the common misconception of “martial law” is industrial-strength bunkum, will be a smashing success in terms of its usefulness among patriots who intend to keep their heads out of the sand, their feet on the ground, and their eyes on the ultimate goal of living in what the Second Amendment calls “a free State”…"

However, with the Constitution, in the minds of many Americans, "just a damn piece of paper….."

How did we ever get into this mess; this condition of basic illiteracy??

By assuming that 'the government' was doing its job.  

And the education system. 

And just getting on with our lives.  Unaware of what it takes to be a self-governing body of free men and women.

What an education we have had.

And are about to continue to have.

Until we 'get it'.

And maybe  - just, still, maybe - the hard way.