Spring and Summer Children
By Bill Matthews

The children visit the burying place
It held no fear, but awe.
They came on spring and summer days
To run and jump and wonder.

Some stones displayed a flag
Reminding of today’s.
They wondered at the meaning
Of these stone carved arrays.

Look they are the soldiers here
One boy proclaimed proudly.
And sailors, marines and airmen too
He went on shouting loudly.

I wonder what they talk about
The children asked each other.
About the battles they have fought?
About the times of strife they suffered?

No! Battles are for generals
Not lonely single soldiers.
No strategy! No tactics grand
Would be remembered here.

About the enemy then?
And all his evil mentions.
No! The enemy’s remembered still
By his spring and summer children.

Perhaps about the sacrifice?
The issues and their lasting cost?
No! Historians write, debate and ponder
Endlessly the reasons men are lost.

OK how ‘bout the glory felt
The swelling pride of daring deeds.
No! The politicians only sanitize
By covering the battlefield with such seeds.

The game grows weary
The children move on to another question.
But not before an old man asks
To enter their discussion.

You kids are good to play in here.
You make the very best company.
These men remember many things
But not the things you guessed.

They remember friends and family
Long left far behind.
They recall comrades and classmates
From time to precious time.

They talk about the boys they knew
And girls both young and old.
They talk about their sweethearts
Some they married, it be told.

They talk about their enemies
But not in disgust or wrath
They were but boys and men themselves
With war placed in their path.

They oft discourse about the friends
They served beside and died
They shared a meal, a smoke, a glance

They shared a taut goodbye.

They talk about the children

Who run and jump and play

The spring and summer children.

On spring and summer days.

FRANKLIN, VT - For years, the Vermont town of Franklin near the Canadian border has started its town meetings with prayer, but a lawsuit has stopped that from happening this year.

Vermont Public Radio reports that Franklin resident Marilyn Hackett had asked the town for years to stop inviting a local pastor to offer a Christian prayer at the start of the meeting. She sued the town and its moderator to stop the practice after last year's meeting.

Franklin officials decided to suspend the tradition at their town meeting on Tuesday following advice from their lawyer.

Since the town votes from the floor and residents have to attend to be heard, the Vermont Chapter of the ACLU says residents are being compelled to attend religious worship.

A judge has not yet ruled on the case.
AP Story reported by NewsMax, March 11, 2012
The First Amendment reads "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press,or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." The term "separation of church and state" does not appear in The Constitution and would not appear until a 1947 Supreme Court decision, see Everson vs. Board of Education. So how did we get to today's situation in which organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) are able to raise a challenge every time a prayer is said before a a football game?

I blame activist judges serving without review on liberal activist courts bent on 'protecting' anyone and everyone from being offended by religious speech. Thus the amendment designed to guarantee 'freedom of speech' is being used to restrict religious speech or more accurately biblical speech. Atheists and agnostics have hijacked the issue and used organizations like the ACLU to bully, through lawsuits and threats of litigation, school districts, small towns, and other public entities unable to affort the costs of defending such litigious assaults.

All one has to do is read the writings of the founders generated during the ratification process and the arguments offered while The Constitution was being drafted to clearly understand what their basic concerns were. Their explicit intention was to craft a government that did not create, establish, or impose a religion on anyone OR interfere with the way they practiced their religion. 

Judicial activists have twisted that concept until the government now BANS what WAS protected speech. As a result, we cannot pray at ball games, graduations, assemblies, etc. because to do so might IMPLY a governmental preference for one belief system over another.

As a principal, I kept a Bible open on my desk at all times in protest of this state of affairs. We are just now seeing anti-ACLU organizations willing and financially able to challenge the ACLU on behalf of school districts and small towns. I hope it is not 'too little, too late'.

Like many, probably all of you, I am a product of the public education system. As a generation, I think we have done OK, but today public education is the target of massive criticism. But is the criticism because of the nature of public education or due to external forces over which education has no control?

Friends, this is a long post but definitely worth the reading. David Barton is a historian and founder of Wallbuilders (see wallbuilders.com). The thrust of his work has been to document the faith of our founders through their own writings. To date he has accumulated over 100,000 original documents from the revolutionary period. This article is painstakingly researched and end-noted. It is impossible for administration supporters to deny or defend. This means they will ignore it! Please take the time to read it and visit wallbuilders.com. Most importantly, everyone who is appalled by this dismal record should resolve to crawl into the polls and vote on November 6, 2012.

America’s Most Biblically-Hostile U. S. President

When one observes President Obama’s unwillingness to accommodate America’s four-century long religious conscience protection through his attempts to require Catholics to go against their own doctrines and beliefs, one is tempted to say that he is anti-Catholic. But that characterization would not be correct. Although he has recently singled out Catholics, he has equally targeted traditional Protestant beliefs over the past four years. So since he has attacked Catholics and Protestants, one is tempted to say that he is anti-Christian. But that, too, would be inaccurate. He has been equally disrespectful in his appalling treatment of religious Jews in general and Israel in particular. So perhaps the most accurate description of his antipathy toward Catholics, Protestants, religious Jews, and the Jewish nation would be to characterize him as anti-Biblical. And then when his hostility toward Biblical people of faith is contrasted with his preferential treatment of Muslims and Muslim nations, it further strengthens the accuracy of the anti-Biblical descriptor. In fact, there have been numerous clearly documented times when his pro-Islam positions have been the cause of his anti-Biblical actions.

Listed below in chronological order are (1) numerous records of his attacks on Biblical persons or organizations; (2) examples of the hostility toward Biblical faith that have become evident in the past three years in the Obama-led military; (3) a listing of his open attacks on Biblical values; and finally (4) a listing of numerous incidents of his preferential deference for Islam’s activities and positions, including letting his Islamic advisors guide and influence his hostility toward people of Biblical faith.

1. Acts of hostility toward people of Biblical faith:

• April 2008 – Obama speaks disrespectfully of Christians, saying they “cling to guns or religion” and have an “antipathy to people who aren't like them.” 1
  
  
• February 2009 – Obama announces plans to revoke conscience protection for health workers who refuse to participate in medical activities that go against their beliefs, and fully implements the plan in February 2011. 2 
  
  
• April 2009 – When speaking at Georgetown University, Obama orders that a monogram symbolizing Jesus' name be covered when he is making his speech. 3
  
  
• May 2009 – Obama declines to host services for the National Prayer Day (a day established by federal law) at the White House. 4 
  
  
• April 2009 – In a deliberate act of disrespect, Obama nominated three pro-abortion ambassadors to the Vatican; of course, the pro-life Vatican rejected all three. 5 
  
  
• October 19, 2010 – Obama begins deliberately omitting the phrase about “the Creator” when quoting the Declaration of Independence – an omission he has made on no less than seven occasions. 6 
  
  
• November 2010 – Obama misquotes the National Motto, saying it is “E pluribus unum” rather than “In God We Trust” as established by federal law. 7 
  
  
• January 2011 – After a federal law was passed to transfer a WWI Memorial in the Mojave Desert to private ownership, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled that the cross in the memorial could continue to stand, but the Obama administration refused to allow the land to be transferred as required by law, and refused to allow the cross to be re-erected as ordered by the Court. 8 
  
  
• February 2011 – Although he filled posts in the State Department, for more than two years Obama did not fill the post of religious freedom ambassador, an official that works against religious persecution across the world; he filled it only after heavy pressure from the public and from Congress. 9 
  
  
• April 2011 – For the first time in American history, Obama urges passage of a non-discrimination law that does not contain hiring protections for religious groups, forcing religious organizations to hire according to federal mandates without regard to the dictates of their own faith, thus eliminating conscience protection in hiring. 10 
  
  
• August 2011 – The Obama administration releases its new health care rules that override religious conscience protections for medical workers in the areas of abortion and contraception. 11 
  
  
• November 2011 – Obama opposes inclusion of President Franklin Roosevelt’s famous D-Day Prayer in the WWII Memorial. 12 
  
  
• November 2011 – Unlike previous presidents, Obama studiously avoids any religious references in his Thanksgiving speech. 13 
  
  
• December 2011 – The Obama administration denigrates other countries' religious beliefs as an obstacle to radical homosexual rights. 14 
  
  
• January 2012 – The Obama administration argues that the First Amendment provides no protection for churches and synagogues in hiring their pastors and rabbis. 15 
  
  
• February 2012 – The Obama administration forgives student loans in exchange for public service, but announces it will no longer forgive student loans if the public service is related to religion. 16

2. Acts of hostility from the Obama-led military toward people of Biblical faith:

• June 2011 – The Department of Veterans Affairs forbids references to God and Jesus during burial ceremonies at Houston National Cemetery. 17 
  
  
• August 2011 – The Air Force stops teaching the Just War theory to officers in California because the course is taught by chaplains and is based on a philosophy introduced by St. Augustine in the third century AD – a theory long taught by civilized nations across the world (except America). 18 
  
  
• September 2011 – Air Force Chief of Staff prohibits commanders from notifying airmen of programs and services available to them from chaplains. 19 
  
  
• September 2011 – The Army issues guidelines for Walter Reed Medical Center stipulating that “No religious items (i.e. Bibles, reading materials and/or facts) are allowed to be given away or used during a visit.” 20
  
  
• November 2011 – The Air Force Academy rescinds support for Operation Christmas Child, a program to send holiday gifts to impoverished children across the world, because the program is run by a Christian charity. 21
  
  
• November 2011 – The Air Force Academy pays $80,000 to add a Stonehenge-like worship center for pagans, druids, witches and Wiccans. 22
  
  
• February 2012 – The U. S. Military Academy at West Point disinvites three star Army general and decorated war hero Lieutenant General William G. (“Jerry”) Boykin (retired) from speaking at an event because he is an outspoken Christian. 23
  
  
• February 2012 – The Air Force removes “God” from the patch of Rapid Capabilities Office (the word on the patch was in Latin: Dei). 24
  
  
• February 2012 – The Army orders Catholic chaplains not to read a letter to parishioners that their archbishop asked them to read. 25
  
  

3. Acts of hostility toward Biblical values:

• January 2009 – Obama lifts restrictions on U.S. government funding for groups that provide abortion services or counseling abroad, forcing taxpayers to fund pro-abortion groups that either promote or perform abortions in other nations.26
  
  
• January 2009 – President Obama’s nominee for deputy secretary of state asserts that American taxpayers are required to pay for abortions and that limits on abortion funding are unconstitutional. 27
  
  
• March 2009 – The Obama administration shut out pro-life groups from attending a White House-sponsored health care summit. 28
  
  
• March 2009 – Obama orders taxpayer funding of embryonic stem cell research.29
  
  
• March 2009 – Obama gave $50 million for the UNFPA, the UN population agency that promotes abortion and works closely with Chinese population control officials who use forced abortions and involuntary sterilizations. 30
  
  
• May 2009 – The White House budget eliminates all funding for abstinence-only education and replaces it with “comprehensive” sexual education, repeatedly proven to increase teen pregnancies and abortions. 31 He continues the deletion in subsequent budgets. 32
  
  
• May 2009 – Obama officials assemble a terrorism dictionary calling pro-life advocates violent and charging that they use racism in their “criminal” activities.33
  
  
• July 2009 – The Obama administration illegally extends federal benefits to same-sex partners of Foreign Service and Executive Branch employees, in direction violation of the federal Defense of Marriage Act. 34
  
  
• September 16, 2009 – The Obama administration appoints as EEOC Commissioner Chai Feldblum, who asserts that society should “not tolerate” any “private beliefs,” including religious beliefs, if they may negatively affect homosexual “equality.” 35
  
  
• July 2010 – The Obama administration uses federal funds in violation of federal law to get Kenya to change its constitution to include abortion. 36
  
  
• August 2010 – The Obama administration Cuts funding for 176 abstinence education programs. 37
  
  
• September 2010 – The Obama administration tells researchers to ignore a judge’s decision striking down federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.38
  
  
• February 2011 – Obama directs the Justice Department to stop defending the federal Defense of Marriage Act. 39
  
  
• March 2011 – The Obama administration refuses to investigate videos showing Planned Parenthood helping alleged sex traffickers get abortions for victimized underage girls. 40
  
  
• July 2011 – Obama allows homosexuals to serve openly in the military, reversing a policy originally instituted by George Washington in March 1778. 41
  
  
• September 2011 – The Pentagon directs that military chaplains may perform same-sex marriages at military facilities in violation of the federal Defense of Marriage Act. 42
  
  
• October 2011 – The Obama administration eliminates federal grants to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for their extensive programs that aid victims of human trafficking because the Catholic Church is anti-abortion. 43

4. Acts of preferentialism for Islam:

• May 2009 – While Obama does not host any National Day of Prayer event at the White House, he does host White House Iftar dinners in honor of Ramadan. 44
  
  
• April 2010 – Christian leader Franklin Graham is disinvited from the Pentagon’s National Day of Prayer Event because of complaints from the Muslim community. 45
  
  
• April 2010 – The Obama administration requires rewriting of government documents and a change in administration vocabulary to remove terms that are deemed offensive to Muslims, including jihad, jihadists, terrorists, radical Islamic, etc. 46
  
  
• August 2010 – Obama speaks with great praise of Islam and condescendingly of Christianity. 47
  
  
• August 2010 – Obama went to great lengths to speak out on multiple occasions on behalf of building an Islamic mosque at Ground Zero, while at the same time he was silent about a Christian church being denied permission to rebuild at that location. 48
  
  
• 2010 – While every White House traditionally issues hundreds of official proclamations and statements on numerous occasions, this White House avoids traditional Biblical holidays and events but regularly recognizes major Muslim holidays, as evidenced by its 2010 statements on Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr, Hajj, and Eid-ul-Adha. 49
  
  
• October 2011 – Obama’s Muslim advisers block Middle Eastern Christians’ access to the White House. 50
  
  
• February 2012 – The Obama administration makes effulgent apologies for Korans being burned by the U. S. military, 51 but when Bibles were burned by the military, numerous reasons were offered why it was the right thing to do. 52
  
  

Many of these actions are literally unprecedented – this is the first time they have happened in four centuries of American history. The hostility of President Obama toward Biblical faith and values is without equal from any previous American president.

Endnotes

1. Sarah Pulliam Baily, "Obama: ‘They cling to guns or religion’," Christianity Today, April 13, 2008. (Return)

2. Aliza Marcus, "Obama to Lift ‘Conscience’ Rule for Health Workers," Bloomberg, February 27, 2009; Sarah Pulliam Baily, "Obama Admin. Changes Bush ‘Conscience’ Rule for Health Workers," Christianity Today, February 18, 2011. (Return)

3. Jim Lovino, "Jesus Missing From Obama’s Georgetown Speech," NBC Washington, April 17, 2009. (Return)

4. Johanna Neuman, “Obama end Bush-era National Prayer Day Service at White House," Los Angeles Times, May 7, 2009. (Return)

5. Chris McGreal, “Vatican vetoes Barack Obama’s nominees for U.S. Ambassador,”The Guardian, April 14, 2009. (Return)

6. Meredith Jessup, “Obama Continues to Omit ‘Creator’ From Declaration of Independence,” The Blaze, October 19, 2010. (Return)

7. "Remarks by the President at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta, Indonesia,"The White House, November 10, 2010. (Return)

8. LadyImpactOhio, " Feds sued by Veterans to allow stolen Mojave Desert Cross to be rebuilt," Red State, January 14, 2011. (Return)

9. Marrianne Medlin, “Amid criticism, President Obama moves to fill vacant religious ambassador post,” Catholic News Agency, February 9, 2011; Thomas F. Farr, “Undefender of the Faith,” Foreign Policy, April 5, 2012. (Return)

10. Chris Johnson, “ENDA passage effort renewed with Senate introduction,”Washington Blade, April 15, 2011. (Return)

11. Chuck Donovan, “HHS’s New Health Guidelines Trample on Conscience,” Heritage Foundation, August 2, 2011. (Return)

12. Todd Starns, “Obama Administration Opposes FDR Prayer at WWII Memorial,”Fox News, November 4, 2011. (Return)

13. Joel Siegel, “Obama Omits God From Thanksgiving Speech, Riles Critics,” ABC News, November 25, 2011. (Return)

14. Hillary Rodham Clinton, “Remarks in Recognition of International Human Rights Day,” U.S. Department of State, December 6, 2011. (Return)

15. Ted Olson, “Church Wins Firing Case at Supreme Court,” Christianity Today, January 11, 2012. (Return)

16. Audrey Hudson, “Obama administration religious service for student loan forgiveness,” Human Events, February 15, 2012. (Return)

17. “Houston Veterans Claim Censorship of Prayers, Including Ban of ‘God’ and ‘Jesus’,” Fox News, June 29, 2011. (Return)

18. Jason Ukman, “Air Force suspends ethics course that used Bible passages that train missle launch officers,” Washington Post, August 2, 2011. (Return)

19. "Maintaining Government Neutrality Regarding Religion," Department of the Air Force, September 1, 2011. (Return)

20. "Wounded, Ill, and Injured Partners in Care Guidelines," Department of the Navy(accessed on February 29, 2012). (Return)

21. "Air Force Academy Backs Away from Christmas Charity," Fox News Radio, November 4, 2011. (Return)

22. Jenny Dean, "Air Force Academy adapts to pagans, druids, witches and Wiccans,"Los Angeles Times, November 26, 2011. (Return)

23. Ken Blackwell, "Gen. Boykin Blocked At West Point," cnsnews.com, February 1, 2012. (Return)

24. Geoff Herbert, " Air Force unit removes 'God' from logo; lawmakers warn of 'dangerous precedent'," syracuse.com, February 9, 2012. (Return)

25. Todd Starnes, "Army Silences Catholic Chaplains," Fox News Radio, February 6, 2012. (Return)

26. Jeff Mason and Deborah Charles, "Obama lifts restrictions on abortion funding,"Reuters, January 23, 2009. (Return)

27. "Obama pick: Taxpayers must fund abortions," World Net Daily, January 27, 2009. (Return)

28. Steven Ertelt, "Pro-Life Groups Left Off Obama’s Health Care Summit List, Abortion Advocates OK," LifeNews, March 5, 2009. (Return)

29. " Obama Signs Order Lifting Restrictions on Stem Cell Research Funding," Fox News, March 9, 2009. (Return)

30. Steven Ertelt, "President Barack Obama’s Pro-Abortion Record: A Pro-Life Compilation," LifeNews, February 11, 2012. (Return)

31. Steven Ertelt, "Barack Obama’s Federal Budget Eliminates Funding for Abstinence-Only Education," LifeNews, May 8, 2009. (Return)

32. Steven Ertelt, "Obama Budget Funds Sex Ed Over Abstinence on 16-1 Margin,"LifeNews, February 14, 2011. (Return)

33. Steven Ertelt, "Obama Admin Terrorism Dictionary Calls Pro-Life Advocates Violent, Racist," LifeNews, May 5, 2009. (Return)

34. "Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies," The White House, June 17, 2009. (Return)

35. Matt Cover, "Obama’s EEOC Nominee: Society Should ‘Not Tolerate Private Beliefs’ That ‘Adversely Affect’ Homosexuals," cnsnews.com, January 18, 2010.(Return)

36. Tess Civantos, "White House Spent $23M of Taxpayer Money to Back Kenyan Constitution That Legalizes Abortion, GOP Reps Say," Fox News, July 22, 2010.(Return)

37. Steven Ertelt, "Obama, Congress Cut Funding for 176 Abstinence Programs Despite New Study," LifeNews, August 26, 2010. (Return)

38. Steven Ertelt, "President Barack Obama’s Pro-Abortion Record: A Pro-Life Compilation," LifeNews, February 11, 2012. (Return)

39. Brian Montopoli, "Obama administration will no longer defend DOMA," CBSNews, February 23, 2011. (Return)

40. Steven Ertelt, "Obama Admin Ignores Planned Parenthood Sex Trafficking Videos," LifeNews, March 2, 2011. (Return)

41. Elisabeth Bumiller, "Obama Ends ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Policy," New York Times, July 22, 2011. (Return)

42. Luis Martinez, "Will Same Sex Marriages Pose a Dilemma for Military Chaplains?,"ABC News, October 12, 2011. (Return)

43. Jerry Markon, "Health, abortion issues split Obama administration and Catholic groups," Washington Post, October 31, 2011. (Return)

44. Alexander Mooney, "President Obama marks Ramadan," CNN, August 1, 2011.(Return)

45. "Franklin Graham Regrets Army's Decision to Rescind Invite to Pentagon Prayer Service," Fox News, April 22, 2010. (Return)

46. “Obama Bans Islam, Jihad From National Security Strategy Document,” Fox News, April 7, 2010; "Counterterror Adviser Defends Jihad as 'Legitimate Tenet of Islam'," Fox News, May 27, 2010; "'Islamic Radicalism' Nixed From Obama Document," CBSNews, April 7, 2010. (Return)

47. Chuck Norris, "President Obama: Muslim Missionary?," Townhall.com, August 17, 2010.(Return)

48. "Obama Comes Out in Favor of Allowing Mosque Near Ground Zero," Fox News, August 13, 2010; Pamela Geller, "Islamic Supremacism Trumps Christianity at Ground Zero," American Thinker, July 21, 2011. (Return)

49. "WH Fails to Release Easter Proclamation," Fox Nation, April 25, 2011; "President Obama ignores most holy Christian holiday; AFA calls act intentional," American Family Association (accessed on February 29, 2012).(Return)

50. "Report: Obama’s Muslim Advisers Block Middle Eastern Christians’ Access to the White House," Big Peace (accessed on February 29, 2012). (Return)

51. "USA/Afghanistan-Islamophobia: Pentagon official apologizes for Quran burning,"International Islamic News Agency (accessed on February 29, 2012). (Return)

52. "Military burns unsolicited Bibles sent to Afghanistan," CNN, May 22, 2009.(Return)

Like me, I'm sure you receive multiple email messages forwarded by friends and relatives. Many of these messages seem to be describing amazing events that just happen to confirm some position or belief you hold dear. We might respond, sometimes mentally, with a hearty "Yeah!" or "Right On!" when replying. Usually these missives are replete with a request to forward them if you agree or delete them if you don't. Often, a little research reveals that the message is false, or made-up, or some dubious mixture of truth and fiction.

Yes, I'm considering running for the Texas Legislature. I've been advised that it's 'too late' to enter the race, that I'm 'too naive' to appreciate the rigors of such a campaign, and that it's 'all about raising money'. 

I am a gun owner, multiple guns, in fact. I am a life member of the NRA. I am a supporter of the Second Amendment "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." I used to casually tell my only daughter's suitors that I was an "EXPERT in every firearm the Army had". This was and is a true statement. I even alternated firing left and right handed in order to be as proficient as possible.

Much of the argument from the left regarding the Second Amendment revolves around the use of the word "militia" and their contention that only wihin the bounds and control of a military organization is this amendment applicable. In my humble opinion, they miss the forest by focusing on the trees. To me the key phrase is "shall not be infringed". To me this tells the government, both state and federal, that the issue of gun ownership is one of those for the people to decide (see the Tenth Amendment). That means each person deciding whether he or she will own a gun.

The NRA publications have a column each month titled "The Armed Citizen". In this column are printed several accounts of citizens using their firearms in defense of their lives, families, homes, and property. In addition to my guns, I have several knives, a saber, a machete, a baseball bat, a crowbar, etc. My point is that if someone takes away my guns, they cannot take away my right, my duty and my responsibility to defend my life, family, home, and property. If the left is successful in removing firearms from the citizenry, we can then anticipate subsequent campaigns against knives, swords, and clubs until the people are completely disarmed in the face of those who would threaten their lives, families, homes, and property from criminals who will ALWAYS BE ARMED!

My enduring thanks to you who have visited excellenteagle.com in such numbers. This serves as a great encouragement to me as I seek to give voice to my conservative beliefs.

It seems like the 2012 Presidential Election has been going on FOREVER! I agree with those who say that we need the primary process to prepare our eventual candidate for the stress and strain of the national election. I think that the primary process can do a good job of forcing potential candidates to sharpen their debate skills and focus their messages on campaign issues. BUT, do we need the 'politics of personal destruction' on our side of the political fence?

Our founders were men of faith. If that is news to you its because the left has systematically purged their religious affiliations from our history books. Wallbuilders.com is a project and ministry of historian David Barton. David has painstakingly gathered over 100,000 original documents testifying to the faith of our founders. These documents paint a far different picture of these men then the one found in history books written since 1900.

People often avoid reading the Constitution because they consider the language archaic and hard to understand, kind of like the King James Bible. Let me interject that I have been teaching from the King James for the past 10 years and it really grows on you. As for the Constitution, reading it printed in modern type, using modern spelling proves to be pretty easy. I will use the 10th Amendment to illustrate. It reads:

"   The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Lets break it down by phrases. "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution," is pretty clear and easy to understand. It is not hampered by legalese or the use of words whose definition might have changed during the last 220 years. It is inclusive, meaning that ALL POWERS not delegated (given, assigned, specified) to the United States (the federal government) "ARE reserved (given, assigned, specified) to the States...". If the Constitution does not give the federal government a power, then the States have that power!

BUT there are two qualifying phrases that modify this basic language. The first declares "nor prohibited by it to the States", an example of a power prohibited to the States by the Constitution, would be the printing and coinage of money. That is a federal function as stated in Article I, Section 8 outlining the powers of the Congress.

The second qualifying phrase is "or to the people." This means that if the writers of the Constitution didn't include some power or function specifically assigned to the federal government or the States THEN it is a power or function for the people. It was DELIBERATE not an oversight!

This means that our Constitution is a document that LIMITS the reach of the federal government. The powers of the federal government are clearly spelled out, listed, and specified in the Constitution and it was the intention of the founders that anything NOT listed, spelled out, or specified did not, should not, and would not be a federal power.

Unfortunately, beginning with the Progressive Movement around 1900, politicians and activist judges have been chipping away at the powers of the States/People and ADDING to the powers of the federal government. That is why we have a Department of Education when education is CLEARLY a state/people responsibility. There are many other examples.

By knowing our Constitution we can elect men and women who also know the document and overturn the last 110 years of decay and erosion of the powers that belong exclusively to the states or to the people.

I welcome your comments. I especially welcome any defense or rebuttal that might be contributed by liberals/progressives/socialists reading this blog.