Free Republic

Students at Louisiana's top public high school rushed to respond after a teacher used a racial epithet in class Thursday (May 4). Ben Franklin High Principal Patrick Widhalm confirmed the authenticity of several videos that students posted on social media. In them, a white teacher told a black student it was OK for the teacher to use what is universally considered the most offensive slur against African-Americans. The teacher is a permanent substitute and was not on campus as of 3:30 p.m., Widhalm said. The school is investigating, which will take several days, and will take appropriate action, he said....

In “A History of American Political Theories,” Charles Merriam stated, “The Revolutionary doctrines of an original state of nature, natural rights, the social contract, the idea that the function of the government is limited to the protection of person and property - none of these finds wide acceptance among the leaders in the development of political science.” To illustrate this erroneous line of reasoning, New Zealand’s legislators recently passed a law giving the Whanganui River the legal status of a “PERSON.” The river now has its own rights and the ability to represent “itself” through human representation. Although New Zealand’s...

In the 18th Century, Mrs. Powel took to heart Dr. Franklin’s instruction to keep the U.S. republic. Today’s political environment, however, makes clear that she alone was not enough to keep our republic. She’s gone now and here we are, left to deal with a so-called “democratic” republic on an apparent crash course with anarchy. In 21st Century America, then, how do we maintain our republic? Before we can maintain this structure, we need to understand it. The original U.S. mixed republic was designed to be balanced on a scale between tyranny and chaos – a place of peace between...

...In his Poor Richard's Almanac, May 1757, Ben Franklin wrote: "Work as if you were to live 100 years; pray as if you were to die tomorrow." Benjamin Franklin cited the Spanish Empire's downfall in The Way to Wealth, 1758: "If you would be wealthy, says he...think of saving as well as of getting: the Indies have not made Spain rich, because her outgoes are greater than her incomes." Franklin expounded the dangers of debt in The Way to Wealth, 1758: "God gives all things to industry. Then plough deep, while sluggards sleep, and you shall have corn to sell...

THIS FOUNDER explains the media today.

" . . . Sir, there are two passions which have a powerful influence on the affairs of men. These are ambition and avarice; the love of power, and the love of money. Separately each of these has great force in prompting men to action; but when united in view of the same object, they have in many minds the most violent effects. Place before the eyes of such men, a post of honour that shall be at the same time a place of profit, and they will move heaven and earth to obtain it. The vast number of such...

We learned it in school. America is a democracy, right? It’s stated as a fact in third grade social studies textbooks. Politicians give speeches about our great democracy. We hear it on TV, radio, in political debates, and from the White House. We even aspire to spread democracy around the world. But is it true? Is our form of government a democracy? Say the pledge of allegiance. “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic…” There’s that pesky word Republic. How did that word get in there? Democracy or republic – what’s...

Who was Lee of Fort Lee, Votee of Votee Park and Merritt of Camp Merritt? The Name-Dropper gives you the lowdown on some of the people whose names you see on public statues, memorial plaques, park signs, highways and even some local streets around North Jersey. Have suggestions? Email them to features@northjersey.com and put Name-Dropper in the subject field.Everybody knows that Franklin Turnpike was named for the grand old man of the American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin, right?You remember Ben, the heavyset guy who flew that kite in the electrical storm, who invented bifocals and the concept of the lending library....

In 1787, when delegates at the Constitutional Convention were divided and at an impasse regarding how to build our government and frame the U.S. Constitution, 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin appealed to the other delegates to pray for divine intervention to help them out of their darkness: "In this situation of this assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened ... that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning...

Ben Franklin, a World War II veteran who saw combat in North Africa, Normandy and at the Battle of the Bulge and went on to be honored by both France and the U.S. president for his service, died Thursday on his 87th birthday.

Let’s raise two questions: What would Ben Franklin think of the Internet? And, what would be his opinion of efforts by the current Administration to censor Internet content, or even shut it down in “an emergency?” Events in Franklin’s life may answer those questions. A recent two-hour TV special on him made one point that deserves repeating: Of all the Framers who created the United States of America in law and in fact, the one who would be “most at home in the modern world” was Dr. Franklin. First, Franklin was a scientist. He observed facts in the real world....

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Earl Taylor has spent 31 years teaching that "the Founding Fathers have answers to nearly every problem we have in America today." Only in recent months has he found so many eager students. On a recent Saturday, he held the rapt attention of 70 of them. The eight-hour seminar held at a roadside inn here was one of half a dozen "Making of America" sessions nationwide that day, all sponsored by a little-known organization based in Idaho. Two years ago, Taylor, president of the National Center for Constitutional Studies, made about 35 trips to speak to small...

I had the privilege and pleasure of spending four days as Ben Franklin in events connected with the Dayton Tea Party people, and their allies. Saturday I spoke at a special dinner for prime supporters and workers. Tuesday I spoke at the main rally in the Nutter Center. In between, I visited with nine different school classes in the Dayton area. Those are what I want to talk about today. One of the events was a session with an after-school program at a church in Springfield, Ohio, for “at risk” kindergarten, first and second grade students. Another was a combination...

Mr. President: The small progress we have made after 4 or five weeks close attendance & continual reasonings with each other -- our different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last producing as many noes as ays, is methinks a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the Human Understanding. We indeed seem to feel our own wont of political wisdom, since we have been running about in search of it. We have gone back to ancient history for models of government, and examined the different forms of those Republics which having been formed with the seeds of their...

I don't know how to post this, or whether to post this. So, I leave both questions in the hands of you, my colleagues on FreeRepublic. The first two links are to Parts I and II to an appearance by Ben Franklin at a conservative town hall for about 350 people in Raleigh, NC, last Tuesday. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Xa6rbgq1lw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ304mIo1eI The final one is an appearance by Ben Franklin at a Freedom Fest, sponsored by FreedomWorks in (appropriately) Franklin, NC, in June. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhbAVkvSaAw&NR=1 If anyone finds these worthy of interest, and knows how to post up these clips on FreeRepublic, feel free....

He that lives upon hope will die fasting.~Benjamin Franklin

As regular readers know, I very seldom rely on other people’s reporting. Most reporters are lazy, or biased, or both, so you cannot trust what you read or watch from them. There are shining exceptions, and one of those is Michelle Malkin. At the end of this column I’ll cite two of her columns that cover much necessary background on the Tea Parties around the nation on 15 April. In the meantime, let’s talk about white stockings, a grey wig, and a trip to Tennessee. Last week I was asked to take part in the program of the Knoxville Tea...

Name your three top American Revolution Heroes

A team of European scientists has deliberately triggered electrical activity in thunderclouds for the first time, according to a new paper in the latest issue of Optics Express, the Optical Society’s (OSA) open-access journal. They did this by aiming high-power pulses of laser light into a thunderstorm. At the top of South Baldy Peak in New Mexico during two passing thunderstorms, the researchers used laser pulses to create plasma filaments that could conduct electricity akin to Benjamin Franklin's silk kite string. No air-to-ground lightning was triggered because the filaments were too short-lived, but the laser pulses generated discharges in the...

Doomsayers who relish every opportunity to announce the demise of America's educational system need look no further than the protest Tuesday at the Georgetown University Law Center. Five hooded students turned their backs on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, the guest speaker, and held up a banner: "'Those who would sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither.' Ben Franklin." They were objecting to the Bush administration's surveillance practices, conducted with Mr. Gonzales' blessing. One would expect students at one of the nation's most prestigious universities to know that when you quote a source, you are obligated to do so precisely. What Mr....