A New Birth of Freedom in Florida

In less than sixteen months after the rancor instilled by Gore's attempt to steal the election, the Florida legislature joined together to undertake a new birth of freedom in our public schools. In an overwhelming vote, the Declaration of Independence principles were reaffirmed.

Group agendas and grievances were overcome in favor of our Founding principles. Individual prejudices were overcome in favor of our Founding principles. Party differences were overcome to reaffirm our Founding principles.

With the Florida House voting 100 to 12 and the Senate voting 36 "yeas" with no "nays", the "Declaration of Independence Recitation and Celebrate Freedom Week" bill was passed and enrolled last week. It is on its way to Governor Jeb Bush for signature.***

This bill establishes "Celebrate Freedom Week" the last full week in September and mandates "at least three hours of instruction to educate students about the sacrifices made for freedom in the founding of this country and the values on which this country was founded."

There can be no doubt that these values are those enunciated by the Declaration for the act will require students to recite the stirring 55 first words of its second paragraph "to reaffirm the American ideals of individual liberty":

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."

Imagine! The wisdom of 2,400 years of freedom's history distilled in a 20 second recitation. The public school students will now be armed for life with the standard by which they can judge a government's actions and its laws.

Given the range of topics the Declaration's natural rights afford -- life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness -- the impact of these ideals can be measured in America's economic strength and in historical events such as suffrage, abolition of slavery and civil rights. Future Floridian leaders and voting citizens will be able to relate our remarkable position in the world to our firm moral Founding explicated by teaching our history.

The ACLU was vocally opposed to the Act because they contend the recitation was "highly edited" to ensure that "Creator" was included. Actually, it is a direct quote of the first half of the Declaration second paragraph. While the first half enunciates the positive natural law principles, the second half justifies the negative natural right of revolution when governments fail "to secure these rights". "That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

One can anticipate that the ACLU will attempt to take the Florida Declaration Act to court. Its lawyer threatened to do so during the Senate Education Committee hearing. Those people cannot bear the idea of natural law being taught in our schools. After all, natural law determines the limits of individual liberty. The ACLU and clientele operate on the law of "Whatever".

Both anticipating such opposition and truly subscribing to individual liberty, the sponsors of the Act, Representative Jerry Melvin and Senator Charlie Clary included: "Upon written request by a student's parent, the student must be excused from the recitation of the Declaration of Independence."

The remarkable management of the bill by Rep. Melvin and Sen. Clary as it travelled through the legislative process is quite notable. Not only was this legislative session marked by stiff competition on opposing ideals between the leaders of both chambers, it was also a session hampered by constricted revenue and emotional redistricting. But they overcame all of it by keeping their colleagues' eye on the bubble -- the need for national definition and balance in the wake of the September 11th hideous attack on America and her ideals.

Similar bills in other states have not fared so well in legislation. Last year, one in New Jersey which Sen. Cardinale worked for 13 years to get on the books brought out every faction in the NJ capitol. Claremont Institute wrote a series of essays on the mess, one entitled "The Second Battle of Trenton".

Racists objected because the Declaration was written by slave owners. The feminists objected because it referred only to "men" and excluded women. The homosexuals objected to natural law.

The racists did not see that those very Founders spelled the ultimate doom to slavery by including "all men are created equal" in natural rights endowment. The feminists of NJ forgot their own state history which extended women's suffrage from the state's very beginning and well into the 1800's and failed to see how often the Declaration of Independence was evoked during the course of the women's suffrage movement. Natural rights belong to all humanity.

Sen. Cardinale's bill was defeated in the Assembly on its third reading by one vote. How unfortunate. But now, he and his colleagues have mandated the teaching of our Founders. They'll resurrect the Declaration someday. Encourage them.

Two weeks ago, the Kansas Declaration bill was defeated by two votes. Its stalwart sponsor, Rep. Mary Pilcher Cook is already preparing to introduce it again next session. We all must support her efforts.

The West Virginia House just introduced HB 4369 by Delegate Ray Canterbury -- "The American Heritage Bill" ranges over all our Founding documents including the Declaration, Constitution, Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers to name the more important. Ohio almost has one like it on the books. Other states are in the very beginnings of similar bills.

Last year, Texas Rep Rick Green got his "Celebrate Freedom Week" enacted. The year before, Arizona put the "Declaration Recitation" in the statutes.

A new birth of freedom movement is speeding throughout the nation. America is searching for meaning. It need go no further than the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution it spawned. America is also beginning to see that fact. The fact of its moral, stabilizing Founding. Perhaps the horrible sacrifices of September 11th will not be in vain.

The Florida ACLU is livid, and we may need some help in implementing the bill next fall. I assume Gov. Bush will happily sign it, but letters to him would be a good idea.

Cheers,

Richard F.

History was once a required course before the Marxist Goals 2000 program. The Outcome Based Education plan was to create a "new society through the minds of children."
History was replaced with "Social Studies."
Social studies should be an elective, and History mandatory.
That's why America has the problems it has today. History is repeating itself, but nobody knows. They don't know the past to see it repeating itself, and they are unprepared for what's happening today. They think they can fix it "through social interation." "Send them roses, and the world will live in peace."
It doesn't, and never has, worked that way, but they don't know any better.

Thanks for the ping, rdf. And, again, congrats on your success here!

For those who want to email Gov Bush about this matter: jeb.bush@myflorida.com

Also, rdf, did MeeknMing tell you about his recent email from Gov. Bush? :)

Also, rdf, did MeeknMing tell you about his recent email from Gov. Bush? :)

No, I haven't heard anything about it.

Thanks for your always sunny replies!

Richard F.

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