A recent study done by the American Revolution Center found that 83% of American’s could not score higher then 44% on a test about the American revolution. That is a failing grade for the majority of all Americans! This should not be an area we are willing to accept a bell curve grade on. Is this a test you could pass? Is this a test people even care if they pass anymore?

“In general, the Survey questions varied in difficulty, but most were designed to assess basic knowledge of the American Revolution and its enduring legacy. At the end of the survey, several contemporary questions were asked in an attempt to understand the magnitude of difference between knowledge of popular culture and knowledge of our nation’s founding history and principles.”

One of the most interesting points called out by this study is that 90% of American’s believe it is important for us to know the history and founding principle of the American revolution, yet almost all of us cannot pass a test on what those principles and history are.

“Sixty percent of Americans could correctly identify the number of children in reality-TV show couple Jon and Kate Gosselin’s household (eight), but more than one-third did not know the century in which the American Revolution took place.

Many more Americans knew that entertainer Michael Jackson sang “Beat It” and “Billie Jean” than knew that the Bill of Rights is part of the United States Constitution.”

Dr. Bruce Cole, President and CEO of American Revolution Center, writes a stirring message at the beginning of the paper I encourage you to read. How can we expect to control our government when we don’t understand our government? This was one of the cornerstones our government was created for. A government by the people for the people. 

“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never will be.” - Thomas Jefferson

The study has a number of shocking revelations in it. It revels that not only do we not understand the revolution but half the people surveyed did not even know the chronological order in which it took place (many listed the Civil War, Emancipation Proclamation or War of 1812  as happening before the revolution).

“More than 50 percent of Americans wrongly attributed the quote “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs” to either George Washington, Thomas Paine, or President Barack Obama, when it is in fact a quote from Karl Marx, author of The Communist Manifesto.”

How can we seriously expect Americans to elect good leaders in their country when they attribute a quote by one of the founders of communism to one of the American Presidents? This combined with the other finding that 11% of Americans would give themselves an A for their knowledge of the American Revolution and 3 out of 4 would give themselves a B or C, is a truly scary proposition for this country.

How can we as a nation expect to elect qualified and deserving people into office if we don’t really understand the founding principles of this nation? How can we elect a leader of a free nation when 50% of us think a founding principle of communism sounds like something an American president would say?

The PDF for this study includes a lot of very interesting statistics about different questions and how American’s value different rights. In reviewing all the results a few things stood out to me. When asked how important a given right is Democrats are almost always lower in saying that right is essential or important, except for when it comes to the right of privacy in which Democrats are a little higher. Yet, on the right not to have your property searched and seized Republicans are higher (I would really like to talk to these people who say “not that important”).

To the credits of Americans, when asked after the survey if they would like to learn more about the American Revolution  most said yes (maroon is yes and turquoise is no). It is interesting to see what groups had the lowest “yes” responses though.

It is very important that we understand the history of this nation and the principles upon which it was founded. May this be a wake up call to all of us. May we understand these principles and may we demand more clarity out of our government to make sure our elected officials are working to support these principles. 

I really like history. When I was in high school I may not have said the same thing, but as I have grown older history and the lessons we can learn from it have become really interesting to me. I recently watched a show on the History Channel called “The Rise of the Third Reich.” It is important we as a people understand what the world and political system was like in Germany which allowed Hitler's Reich to rise to power.

Politics are complicated, that is one thing everyone can agree on. There are always people taking sides with arguments, normally pretty compelling arguments, on how they can solve a problem. Time Magazine’s man of the year once said ”the task of politics is not to represent just one faction. Rather the task of politics must be to overcome these divisions for a greater good.” That statement resonates with a lot of people, in a hope to overcome the endless struggle between political parties.

The quote noted above given by Time Magazine’s man of the year was actually given by Adolf Hitler! How does a man go from being Time Magazine’s man of the year to one of the most evil leaders in the history of the world? Maybe the detour in those roads is not as drastic or easy to see as we think.

Adolf Hitler started his raise to power in the wake of WWI and during the great depression that hit the world in the years leading up to WWII. Germany was hit as hard by the depression as any where else in the world. Hitler only ran for public office once. He ran for president of Germany and received 11 million votes. He lost. Within one year of losing he would be elected chancellor of Germany.

Nazi’s never captured more then 37% of a popular vote in Germany, yet they were the largest political party in Germany. Hitler gave the quote above in a speech to 20 million people after he was installed as chancellor. The speech roused so much emotion in people the Nazi party had such a huge level of membership requests it had to suspend admissions. This moment in history teaches us that words and popularity of a person or group don’t always reflect intensions for a greater good.

When Hitler gave his speech he did not control Germany, but in two weeks he would.  On February 28th, 1933 someone set fire to Germany’s parliament. To this day no one knows who started the fire. This was Hitler’s opportunity. He quickly blamed the communists ,even though there was no proof. He sold the people on a common enemy and within weeks the freedom of press, expression and public assembly were suspended. Within days thousands of communists were arrested. With the communists in jail there was no one left to stop the Nazi party. The party then voted to consolidate all power in Hitler. He had been chancellor for 52 days! Germany had more changes coming.

In 1934 Leni Reifenstahl would make the movie “Triumph of the Will” which chronicles the Nazi party’s yearly gathering in Nuremberg and Hitler as the one great leader of Germany. This rally was attended by 700,000 supporters The film was acclaimed and won awards around the world.

Meanwhile in Germany you could not speak against Hitler or the Nazi party or you would be arrested. If you were a Jew you were boycotted and eventually your  citizenship as a German was removed. It was mandatory for all youth to belong to the Hitler youth program.  If you had any type of genetic imperfection you were forcibly sterilized. Those deemed pure were encouraged to have lots of babies. Hitler was going to need them. Young girls while at Hitler youth camps where encouraged to get pregnant by the boys. Thousands came home pregnant.

One mom, who dared tell her daughter not to get pregnant, was to be turned in by her daughter and arrested. If you think a good parent can get their child to overcome or resist social pressure if they are a “good parent”, try telling this mom. While nothing can replace a parent, history has many examples of how parents need the support of the society around them.

The people in Germany gave way to the mentality that “It is better to howl with the wolves than be eaten by them.” Years later the entire world and millions of sons, daughters, moms and fathers would pay the price of removing the Nazis, or die waiting for that moment of freedom to arrive. 

It is imperative we know our history. In the words of George Santayana’s Reason for Common Sense, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Today is Veteran’s day. We want to express our thanks to our Veteran’s and those men and women currently serving in the military. I thought I would take a moment and explain the history of Veteran’s day.

Veteran’s day has it roots at the end of WWI and what started out as Armistice day. On November 11, 1918 at 11 a.m. an armistice was signed to end the hostilities of World War I. A year later Woodrow Wilson decreed that at 11 am American’s should pause to remember the armistice and embrace peace.

Years later the first U.S. unknown solider from WWI was laid to rest in the tomb of the unknown solider in 1921 on Armistice day. In 1926 a resolution was passed inviting all American’s to remember the armistice. Between 1926 and 1938 the country began to hold parades and ceremonies to remember the day. By 1938 the day was marked with so many parades and ceremonies congress made it an official Holiday.

In 1954, after World War II, then president Eisenhower changed the holiday from Armistice day to Veteran's day to honor all the people who had severed their country. 

We should always remember those who server ,but today especially, please find a moment to remember those who came before us, some paying the ultimate price, and those serving now. Find a moment to give them thanks. Stop and give thanks to someone you see wearing the uniform of this great country. These fine men and women don’t ask much from their country but they and their families sacrifice a great deal and many have given all they have.

We honor you all and give thanks to you for our freedoms! God bless you all!

I am not really a Glenn Beck fan. While I do sympathize with a lot of general feelings around what is going on in the country I do think he is a bit over dramatic about some of it. But hey, that is probably why he is a big star making lots of money and I am not. I am a firm believer though that the company you keep says a lot about you. I recently read this article in the WSJ which impressed me about the recent rally Glenn Beck helped organize in Washington.

The group has been criticized for holding the rally at the site of Martin Luther King's great speech. How are people offended at this? The statement positions the argument as if no one else has ever held a rally in the same spot after Martin Luther King’s great speech. There have been numerous rallies held in this same spot since then. Why is this one drawing criticism? Is it simply because these people don’t agree with the message? A lot of people did not agree with Martin Luther King Jr.’s message at the time either. Maybe it is the combination of the spot and being held on the same day in history. I still don’t see how it is offensive.  Maybe you find it offensive simply because you disagree with the message. I don’t think the message in anyway went against Martin Luther King Jr.’s great message. One article quoted Jim Wallis, president of Sojourners magazine, as saying “We refuse to let Mr. Beck’s rally cast a dark shadow over the civil rights movement.” I don’t really understand this statement. Part of the rally even acknowledged Martin Luther King Jr., his message, and his great influence on the nation. How does honoring him and our military men and women cast a shadow over the civil rights movement? Nothing said went against the civil rights movement.

James Freeman said it well in his article.

“The day was largely devoted to expressions of gratitude for the sacrifices of U.S. soldiers, for great men of American history like the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and for God.”

Maybe you feel this is just lip service and does not match the rest of the message. I don’t see the hate and racism others say is there. Maybe I am not really listening, or maybe they are not really listening. Maybe we are just not understanding where the other is coming from.

James Freeman goes on to described the attitude of the group:

“One would not be able to find a more polite crowd at a political convention, certainly not at a professional sporting event, probably not even at an opera. In fact, judging by the behavior of the attendees following the event, you'd have a tough time finding churches in which people display more patience as others make their way to the exits.”

I am mystified at how a group described like this and who spent most their time talking about and honoring military personnel and people who have scarified for all of us, can be so easily dismissed and insulted . People have insulted this group with harsh words like:

“It's too bad God hasn't struck Glenn mute as well as blind.”

“They really are the worst of the worst.”

“These are the silly illogical whites, (like there is any other type really!)”

Really? The worst of the worst? I hope that statement is simply inanity and not reflective of where we are at in our reasoning abilities. These messages about the people at this rally are in complete contrast to each other. It is really concerning that far too often groups with different opinions are dismissed quickly with some type of inflammatory degrading remark. The issue will not be resolved without understanding and understanding will not be achieved without listening. There are plenty of sane, logical, calm people on both sides. Lets start talking like it and stop dismissing the other group with insults and profanity.