A non-political civic lesson.
As I watch the country divide itself even further, not geographically, but rather by race and class, I wonder how it will end. I wonder how people can so misunderstand what rights are, I wonder how people think that the Constitution is so flexible, when the authors of that document provided a method of change. Even when having discussions on-line with other classmates in my political science classes, the understanding of our government, and how it works seems missing. I think that our education is lacking something, and I can only hope that it isn't intentional.
Do they even teach Civics anymore? I know that there are history classes, and maybe government classes as well. But good old fashioned civics? And why do I bring it up here instead of the Lib?
Simple. An understanding how things should be is extremely beneficial to understanding my faith, and Father's Plan of Salvation. Let me begin with a link to the Citizenship test.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/quiz/2015/feb/11/us-citizenship-test-could-you-pass/
How did you do? Knowing most of the people that usually are reading this, I suspect that most did very well. The random 24 questions that I got were questions that everyone should be able to answer.
I can tell you what I think, and I will, but let me allow one of our founders to do the heavy lifting.
“The science of government it is my duty to study, more than all other sciences; the arts of legislation and administration and negotiation ought to take the place of, indeed exclude, in a manner, all other arts. I must study politics and war, that our sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. Our sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain.”
John Adams in a letter to his wife Abigail.
This fascinated me, because understanding of government isn't even a metric that is used. We talk all the time about math and science, and while those are critical, this is why I wonder about intent. WE DON'T EVEN MEASURE IT! There are conspiracy theorists that suggest that our whole education system was designed to condition people to be worker bees, and to suppress some creative thought. I don't believe that, but I do understand that we don't teach Civics the way that it should be taught.
Don't believe? Here is a question, not multiple choice. The United States has a _________ form of government. If you said democratic, then you proved my point. If you saw my post earlier today, or if you are well read, then you know it is republican. In a democracy individual freedoms don't matter, or as Benjamin Franklin would say:
"Democracy is two wolves and a sheep deciding on what is for dinner."
Where do I draw religion into this? Freedom is essential to the Plan of Salvation. Freedom to choose to do right, to err, to repent and to learn faith. Our Constitution was written specifically to allow for religious freedom. Religious freedom is the FIRST freedom in the Bill of Rights. before the press, speech, and so on. We are free to choose to worship, or not. To be faithful, or not. It is our choice.
If we don't understand how critical it is to know the nuts and bolts of governing, we are reduced to voting for either who gives us the most goodies, with no understanding of the concept of action and consequence, or we vote for whoever will do the LEAST damage.
That is no way to choose those who represent us, or to lead us.
Do they even teach Civics anymore? I know that there are history classes, and maybe government classes as well. But good old fashioned civics? And why do I bring it up here instead of the Lib?
Simple. An understanding how things should be is extremely beneficial to understanding my faith, and Father's Plan of Salvation. Let me begin with a link to the Citizenship test.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/quiz/2015/feb/11/us-citizenship-test-could-you-pass/
How did you do? Knowing most of the people that usually are reading this, I suspect that most did very well. The random 24 questions that I got were questions that everyone should be able to answer.
I can tell you what I think, and I will, but let me allow one of our founders to do the heavy lifting.
“The science of government it is my duty to study, more than all other sciences; the arts of legislation and administration and negotiation ought to take the place of, indeed exclude, in a manner, all other arts. I must study politics and war, that our sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. Our sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain.”
John Adams in a letter to his wife Abigail.
This fascinated me, because understanding of government isn't even a metric that is used. We talk all the time about math and science, and while those are critical, this is why I wonder about intent. WE DON'T EVEN MEASURE IT! There are conspiracy theorists that suggest that our whole education system was designed to condition people to be worker bees, and to suppress some creative thought. I don't believe that, but I do understand that we don't teach Civics the way that it should be taught.
Don't believe? Here is a question, not multiple choice. The United States has a _________ form of government. If you said democratic, then you proved my point. If you saw my post earlier today, or if you are well read, then you know it is republican. In a democracy individual freedoms don't matter, or as Benjamin Franklin would say:
"Democracy is two wolves and a sheep deciding on what is for dinner."
Where do I draw religion into this? Freedom is essential to the Plan of Salvation. Freedom to choose to do right, to err, to repent and to learn faith. Our Constitution was written specifically to allow for religious freedom. Religious freedom is the FIRST freedom in the Bill of Rights. before the press, speech, and so on. We are free to choose to worship, or not. To be faithful, or not. It is our choice.
If we don't understand how critical it is to know the nuts and bolts of governing, we are reduced to voting for either who gives us the most goodies, with no understanding of the concept of action and consequence, or we vote for whoever will do the LEAST damage.
That is no way to choose those who represent us, or to lead us.
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