Author Archives: Jeffrey

The Danger of American Fascism

On returning from my trip to the West in February, I received a request from The New York Times to write a piece answering the following questions:

* What is a fascist?

* How many fascists have we?

* How dangerous are they?

A fascist is one whose lust for money or power is combined with such an intensity of intolerance toward those of other races, parties, classes, religions, cultures, regions or nations as to make him ruthless in his use of deceit or violence to attain his ends. The supreme god of a fascist, to which his ends are directed, may be money or power; may be a race or a class; may be a military, clique or an economic group; or may be a culture, religion, or a political party. Continue reading

The Enslaved Household of the Grant Family

Caricature of Ulysses S. Grant inebriated. (Library of Congress

Women are often overlooked in history for their role in the institution of slavery. First Lady Julia Dent Grant, wife of President Ulysses S. Grant, was a steadfast slave mistress for more than half of her life—an often forgotten part of her identity. Though Grant himself grew up in an abolitionist family in the free state of Ohio, his marriage to Julia Dent led him to become involved in slavery while the two lived in Missouri on Julia’s family estate. As a result, Ulysses Grant was the last U.S. president to have owned an enslaved individual. Grant’s legacy as the respected Commanding General of the Union Army, and his efforts as president to protect black citizenship have long obscured his personal slave-ownership, as well as that of his beloved wife. Continue reading

After Twenty Years Working in Multiracial Public Schools, a White Teacher Tells All

I began teaching 20 years ago at a majority-black public middle school. The behavior of the black students was so outrageous, it bordered on unbelievable. Their respect for authority and teachers was less than nothing. They would pull my hair to see if it was real, sometimes standing around me playing with my hair like animals performing grooming rituals. Other times, they would push their faces into my abdomen, take a deep breath, and comment on the way I smelled. I’ve even had students tell me they could smell my “coochie” and shove their hand between my legs from behind. Continue reading

BREAKING NEWS: Seventy-Two Killed Resisting Gun Confiscation In Maryland

National Guard units seeking to confiscate a cache of recently banned assault weapons were ambushed by elements of a Para-military extremist faction. Military and law enforcement sources estimate that 72 were killed and more than 200 injured before government forces were compelled to withdraw.

Siege of Boston, April 20, 1775

Speaking after the clash, Massachusetts Governor Thomas Gage declared that the extremist faction, which was made up of local citizens, has links to the radical right-wing tax protest movement. Continue reading

Americans are Academically Ill-Equipped to Defend the Constitution

“A republic, if you can keep it,” Benjamin Franklin allegedly quipped when asked what type of government the Constitutional Convention had crafted for the United States. More than two centuries later, astonishingly low levels of civic literacy suggest Americans are academically ill-equipped to do so. Continue reading

Homeschooling as a vast unplanned experiment

Our hope is that untold parents abandon government education post-pandemic…

While the nation squares off in conflicts between the left and the right about when the country should reopen, parents everywhere have been coping with what Kevin Carey of the New America think tank called “a vast unplanned experiment in mass homeschooling.”

For many parents (and students), this was uncharted territory as they grappled with online learning and zoom meetings, and a lot more parental involvement than ever before. Continue reading

Lincoln: The Aggrandized Log-Splitter

President Lincoln has been all but deified in America, with a god-like giant statue at a Parthenon-like memorial in Washington. Generations of school children have been indoctrinated with the story that “Honest Abe” Lincoln is a national hero who saved the Union and fought a noble war to end slavery, and that the “evil” Southern states seceded from the Union to protect slavery. This is the Yankee myth of history, written and promulgated by Northerners, and it is a complete falsity. It was produced and entrenched in the culture in large part to gloss over the terrible war crimes committed by Union soldiers in the War Between the States, as well as Lincoln’s violations of the law, his shredding of the Constitution, and other reprehensible acts. It has been very effective in keeping the average American ignorant of the real causes of the war, and the real nature, character and record of Lincoln. Let us look at some unpleasant facts. Continue reading

3 Reasons One Public School Advocate is Giving Up on the System

When it comes to discussion of public schools, all too often battle lines seem to be drawn between those on the inside and outside of the system: the teachers and the parents. The teachers understandably want to defend the job they do, while the parents want to ensure that their child doesn’t become another dismal statistic.

But every once in a while an individual comes along with credentials to look at the issue of public education from both viewpoints. Such is the case with Erin Brighton, who recently wrote an op-ed for the Huffington Post entitled, “Goodbye, Public School. It’s Not Me, It’s You” Brighton starts out by saying: Continue reading

Let’s Go Backwards in Education

Maybe part of the “New Normal” should be the “Old Normal” – ’cause it sure beats Abby Normal!

In the last two weeks, lost among the coronavirus ruckus, some organizations have issued reports revealing the poor scores of our elementary and middle school students on standardized tests. From the Pioneer Institute comes a study showing the failures of Common Core in basic subjects like reading and math.

Nearly a decade after states adopted Common Core,” said the Pioneer Institute’s Executive Director Jim Stergios, “the empirical evidence makes it clear that these national standards have yielded underwhelming results for students. The proponents of this expensive, legally questionable policy initiative have much to answer for.” Continue reading

Old time religion in modern clothes

As I have examined the phenomenon of government controlled schooling, it has been a continuing mystery to me why this type of totalitarian enterprise could have been imposed on a country that was ostensibly founded on the primacy of individual liberty and freedom of conscience. I can understand why today’s citizens are generally oblivious to freedom of conscience issues due to the indoctrination and psychological conditioning that are essential components of government schooling – but why would such a system be accepted by citizens who had not been programmed to accept it? As noted in my previous posts, that system was imposed through propaganda and false promises and was often met with resistance, but due to the police power of the state it was ultimately imposed top-down by special interests. However, even considering political manipulation and the raw power of the state, there still seemed to be something missing. Continue reading

The Late Murray Rothbard Takes on the Constitution

A lost volume of American history finds the light of day…

The Constitution is traditionally seen as the culmination of the American Revolution. But in the fifth and final volume of Conceived in Liberty, the libertarian firebrand Murray Rothbard portrays it as a reactionary counterrevolution against the Revolution’s radical principles, orchestrated by a powerful array of monied interests who hoped a more centralized government would reproduce many hierarchical and mercantilist features of the 18th century British state. Continue reading

The 13th Amendment to the united States Constitution

The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1865 in the aftermath of the Civil War, abolished slavery in the United States. The 13th Amendment states: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” Continue reading

Thanks to Shutdowns, Many Will Learn That Public Schooling Isn’t All That Essential After All

While some of America’s most demagogic politicians try to exploit the COVID-19 outbreak, some Americans are trying to make the most of their de facto state of house arrest.

Government-imposed lockdowns have resulted in the shutdown of a number of schools across the nation. During this period some schools have gone online, while others have closed up indefinitely. Society is conditioned to believe that children cannot possibly be able to receive an education under such circumstances. After all, education can only take place in a classroom, at least in the social planners’ view. Continue reading

John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson and the “Tariff of Abominations

John Quincy Adams is generally regarded as an excellent diplomat and an outstanding abolitionist but not a great president. That’s not an altogether fair assessment. Adams did not enjoy universal respect due to the manner in which he became president. (He finished second in the popular vote and electoral college, but since no candidate had a majority of electoral votes, the House of Representatives decided the outcome.) Adams was stymied by a Congress controlled by his political enemies. His lack of doling out patronage appointments didn’t win him any friends either. But as president, Adams made some strides in modernizing the American economy and promoting education. He also succeeded in paying off much of the national debt. Continue reading

A Laid-Back Homestead Homeschool Routine

Homeschooling continues to be more interesting as these months go on. You should consider making it routine in your family. Yeah, yeah, yeah… I know – “But there are other obligations that I must return to.”

Yes – but the FIRST obligation a family has is to their children – so stop turning them over to someone else to raise! Teach, Learn and Grow together – as a family!

How Taxes Caused the Civil War ~ NOT Slavery!

Taxes caused the Civil War: Although I’m no scholar of American history, there are a few seminal events that I’ve always felt confident in having a basic understanding of. One of those is the cause of the Civil War, which was slavery, of course. But then, I did some research, and I had to rethink everything.

It seems that the root cause of the Civil War was not slavery, it was taxation. Continue reading

Mike Pompeo Lashes Out at Critics of Homeschooling, Says Radical Leftists Are Indoctrinating Children

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blasted critics of homeschooling and accused radical-left academics of imposing their values on American children.

Harvard Magazine, an independently edited magazine affiliated with Harvard University, recently published an article warning of the risks of homeschooling as part of their May/June edition. It quotes Elizzabeth Batholet, Wasserstein public interest professor of law and faculty director of the Law School’s Child Advocacy Program, in saying that homeschooling violates children’s rights to a “meaningful education” while also limiting them from contributing to a democratic society. Additionally, Bartholet argues that homeschool is inadequately unregulated across the U.S. and can isolate children from others. Continue reading

New York teams up with Bill & Melinda Gates to ‘reimagine education

With 4.2 million students absent from their physical classrooms, the state is looking to take a tech-focused approach to learning

Elin Eaton, 11, studies during home schooling in New Rochelle, New York, in March shortly after schools were closed. Nola’s mother, Farrah Eaton, is a former high school administrator, and holds sessions with her three children during weekday mornings. – Getty Images

Though the coronavirus pandemic is a “devastating and costly moment in history,” Cuomo said, there are lessons to be learned and opportunities for betterment across many sectors.

New York should “take this experience and really learn how we can do differently and better with our education system in terms of technology and virtual education,” Cuomo said. “It’s not about just reopening schools. When we reopen schools, let’s open a better school and let’s open a smarter education system.”

Just remember – Bill Gates brought the world of Common-Core to our schools – and even HE admitted that is was a resounding failure. So he should be given a second chance??? ~ Ed.

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