Western Civilization At Stake

Free Congress Foundation ^ | March 24th, 2004 | Paul M. Weyrich

[Chapita]

Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) is waging an important crusade and he wants your help. At stake is the acknowledgement in our schools of the importance of Western Civilization to our country.

There used to be jokes about the way Communists would literally scrub the Soviet Union's history books to reflect the current line of the Kremlin. Do Americans really know how our own history has been hijacked?

A few years ago, New Jersey, in trying to develop new guidelines for history instruction in public schools, omitted mention of the Founding Fathers, the Pilgrims and the Mayflower.

Fortunately, we are still living in the United States of America, a democratic republic where we have freedom of speech and citizens are free to participate in the political process. New Jerseyans learned what was happening, and public opinion helped to force constructive changes.

Time after time, however, the multiculturalists are up to no good and the victims of their false history will be our children.

Take the textbook called A World Conflict that has been used in the Palm Beach County, Florida public schools. The first five pages that discuss World War II are replete with information about women in the armed forces, black Americans and the home front as well as the Japanese internment. These topics deserve mention, but not at the expense of a thorough, fact-based discussion of the conflict itself and how we were able to fight and win the war. As it is, there is absolutely not enough discussion of the latter and an inappropriate, disproportionate emphasis on the former.

This statement will no doubt draw venom from multiculturalists, but it must be said. Most of the soldiers and sailors who did the fighting on our side at that time were white males. They deserve acknowledgement and respect for their willingness to fight -- even die -- for freedom and democracy just as the white males and Asian males who fought on behalf of Nazi Germany and the Japanese Empire also deserve acknowledgement for their willingness to fight on behalf of corrupt, false and lethal regimes intent on crushing any country, territory or people that stood in their way. It's often difficult to find a photo of average GIs in combat in many history textbooks these days.

That's just one example that can be found on the web page of Rep. Tancredo in a section called "Our Heritage...Our Hope."

Tancredo connects with grassroots Americans because he has the guts to take on the tough issues such as the need for tighter control over our borders and the need to acknowledge the importance of Western Civilization to our heritage.

The textbooks favored by many multiculturalists ignore the importance of Western Civilization in areas such as religious tolerance, individual liberty, democratic institutions, and the rule of law. Their flat-out disregard for Western Civilization allows textbooks to be used in schools such as the one in a New Mexico school district called 500 Years of Chicano History in Pictures that was "written in response to the Bicentennial celebration of the 1776 American Revolution and its lies." This book proclaims its purpose to be to "celebrate our resistance to being colonized and absorbed by racist empire builders."

Tancredo knows that this battle is best fought by a citizenry awakened to what is happening to our textbooks and in our schools. Mandates from Washington are not the way to proceed.

He has introduced the "Recognizing the Importance of Western Civilization Resolution" (House Concurrent Resolution 377). It would put Congress on record as recognizing the importance of teaching our young people "to have an appreciation of Western Civilization [as] central to the development and maintenance of a vibrant, united, and enduring United States polity, culture, and society." The resolution also encourages local school boards and state departments of education to ensure that the underlying "concepts and ideals" of Western Civilization are effectively taught and that high school graduates have a thorough understanding of the history of Western Civilization.

This is where you come in. He's asking grassroots Americans who believe in God and Country to make sure your state legislators and school board members are aware of the model resolutions he has produced on this important topic. A school board resolution will commit the board to ensuring "appropriate curricula and textbooks" are used to teach students.

Tancredo worries that too many young Americans - particularly immigrants and their "first generation" children - are being taught the wrong lessons in our schools. We cannot allow this to continue or else we risk becoming the Dis-united States of America. If you care about our country and its heritage, then you need to contact your local school board and state legislators and emphasize the importance of their recognizing the importance of Western Civilization.

Paul M. Weyrich is Chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation.

[MEG33]

Lynne Cheney has worked on this problem.She has written a new history primer for elementary children and their parents.There is an interesting article I found on this. I googled Lynne Cheney as I recalled she has been very concerned about the History being taught for years..It's in a Kidspeak article.

[aardvark1]

This will continue as long as we have "free" government education. Schools are not responsible to anyone and they cry every time someone tries to hold them accountable for their product. The only way to truly reform education is to put the authority and responsibility in the hands of those most directly affected -- the parents who send their children there to be educated.

This is why private schools work and government schools don't!

[Chapita]

I agree!

[ladylib]

Send your kid to a classical school (usually private, some charter) where Western Civilization is appreciated and American history is taught using original documents.

The public schools are beyond hope. Multiculturism permeates every single subject in my district, and the schools are proud of it.

[BurgessLau]

As a historian of one thread of Western Civilization (http://www.aristotleadventure.com/), I am especially aware of the constant assault on Western Civilization. Keeping in mind the meaning of "Western Civilization" is important in defending it. Western Civilization is not a synonym for "European culture." Instead it is a cultural complex of elements whose foundation is a philosophy of reason, a philosophy whose historical roots go back to ancient Greece. The elements of W. Civilization include: respect for reason; support for science and technology; rule by law; and recognition of individual rights, especially the basic rights of life, liberty, and property. All these elements are the targets of the haters of Western Civilization.

[Capriole]

I'd love to read this, but your link is dead.

[Oberon]

Send your kid to a classical school (usually private, some charter)...

Many home!

The Veritas curriculum is specifically designed to provide a classical education in a homeschool setting. It's good stuff.

[FrdmLvr]

This is why private schools work and government schools don't!

Be advised-----private schools, at least in Michigan, are increasingly lowering their standards to level of the public schools. The grading scales in the private schools my kids attend have not as yet been lowered, but mostly everything else has.

[ladylib]

Yes, I know. Parents also read "Well-Trained Mind." There is also a website, classicalfree.org, that offers on-line courses, many of them free.

[BurgessLau]

At least one reader noticed that the link that I had offered incorrectly picked up the following paren and comma. The correct link is:

http://www.aristotleadventure.com/

If that doesn't work, please let me know. Everyday I learn something new.

[Protagoras]

The public schools are beyond hope.

Abolishing government schools should be a top priority. But it's not.

[netmilsmom]

According to the "Great Lakes Education Project" our schools in MI have slipped from 32nd in the country to 47th.

I trust that the Private schools will not be able to overcome it for too long.

I choose to homeschool for this reason.

[netmilsmom]

Thanks for the ping!

[cyborg]

People get what they pay for, at least in theory. When talking about government, the more you pay for the less you get.

[netmilsmom]

Grrrrr. That site is only 7-12. I need K and 2!

Thanks for the link though! I bookmarked it for future use.

[netmilsmom]

>>When talking about government, the more you pay for the less you get.<<

You got that RIGHT!

[aardvark1]

It's not a matter of lowering standards or having apparently high standards. It really comes down to who's in control. In private schools which are directly dependent upon parents choosing to send their children there, if the schools lower their standards to the point you don't like, send them somewhere else. In government sponsored ed, there's no choice, and if you choose to send your child to a private school, who cares. More money is waiting where the first came from. There's no accountability!!!!

[onedoug]

I've been listening to this in my car lately. Pretty interesting too.

Best.

[jokar]

Read Later Bump.