Posted on 05/12/2014 10:08:07 AM PDT by Lucky9teen
The Initiative
Civic education is the founding mandate of public education. Free public schools were developed in America for the express purpose of raising up good citizenship. This purpose has been abandoned and must be regained. Thus the mission of The Initiative is to create a demand for a more expert learning experience and to give our kids the splendid pleasure of learning what power they have.
Research over the past fifty years has demonstrated that the average American has, to say the least, a rather poor understanding of Civic Knowledge. But, by example, America has made democracy the governance system of choice.
Democracy, in any incarnation is the only governing system that requires some engagement by the civic body. In one fashion or another, sooner or later, the sovereignty of the people is the difference between democracy and monarchy, theocracy and totalitarianism or any other system that has been devised thus far; so that the people, as sovereign, the responsible party who ultimately makes the decisions, is the irresistible “sell” to the world, that makes Democracy America’s most successful product.
"We share an important goal in seeking to educate the next generation about our system of government and how to participate in it. I believe civic education work to be among the most important endeavors of my career. I appreciate your passion and commitment to this worthy cause." Sandra Day O’Connor
Democracy argues that people are responsible for and can control their own lives, that they have a role in affecting their future, of improving their present, of achieving participation in the pursuit of their own happiness. The youth of America needs certain skills to become great sovereigns. These skills have been taught, will be taught and must be taught to each generation of Americans, because no gene will ever be found that passes along civic expertise and knowing how to run a republican democracy. It must be taught in realistic terms such as how do you explore the substance of an issue? The necessity of debate, the ability to stand against popular opinion or the majority view and the raising up of the values of dissent and civility. In a nation founded by dissenters, we shoot dissenters on sight. Civility is not just manners, it is the oxygen that democracy requires.
Turning a people into a sovereign is a difficult and complex process, but it must be offered as using the steering wheel, the pressure on the pedal, the rearview mirror, etc. is taught to all when learning to drive a car.
But being that it's Richard Dreyfuss, I thought he was a typical Hollywood left leaning liberal. This is just strange, coming from him, unless he's woken up and changed his stance. Seems, many in Hollywood have, so who knows?
However, I do note that this Initiative has been around since at least 2010, and some of the things he's said since, still make it questionable how much HE has learned about the Constitution, or if he's twisting it, as liberals tend to do.
Last night on Huckabee he recited the preamble to the Constitution and said he’s been doing this to people asking them what in it do they disagree with. He said no one he has talked to disagrees with a single word.
He seems fairly passionate about this - said basically it’s one of mankind’s greatest documents ever.
I was surprised!
No such thing.
The answer is get the feds OUT of education and put schools on a competitive basis in the free market economy. The best quality education for the best price will emerge and parents will decide with their feet and their money.
The only problem I have with it is the Democracy crap. Democracy is 3 foxes and a chicken deciding what’s for dinner. I prefer a constitutional republic, with emphasis on Constitutional!!!!
Eduction, like healthcare and almost everything else, must be put in the free market economy where competitive forces and supply and demand will bring out the best centers of education for the best price and NO money wasted on useless government coercion or middlemen.
Something wrong with this “initiative.” Looks half-baked to me. Not thought through or well founded.
One of the things Dreyfuss said on Huckabee last night, was that the education should be handled at the State level and the Fed govt, should get out.
That's putting us back where we were before Bush's not-so-great idea, "No Child Left Behind" (I all it "No Child Left in Their Right Mind") which Obama and the feds have taken to its inevitable nightmarish status.
We need to do better than going back to government (state) schools. It's up to the people of each state, but I believe people should be influenced and encouraged to get away from government schools run by the state. Stop mass state taxation for government schools and let parents (consumers) freely decide and run things as they will via the voluntary competition of supply and demand in the free market. The best results for the best costs will emerge.
I’ve been saying this and saying this. American schools started to crumble when we pushed history out the door in favor of social studies. Social studies allowed every victim group in America to demand that their own “history” be taught. Instead of learning the hard facts of a shared history, American students have been dumbed down by indoctrination in the soft history of feel good movements and denunciations of the Founding Fathers and their legacy. The more I study and teach history the more I’m beginning to think that the greatest threat to America isn’t Al-Qaeda or Russia or even China. It’s Columbia University....
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