America was not founded on ideas, which are ephemeral; it was founded on principles, which are a fixed bedrock to which we can always turn.

Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States by Howard Chandler Christy

There is a phrase that has become almost liturgical in American political discourse, repeated so often by politicians, journalists, and intellectuals that it has acquired the unearned weight of self-evident truth: America is an idea. On May 4, 2024, I witnessed Justice Neil Gorsuch repeat this claim – that American is a collection of “ideas” – on television while promoting his new children’s book. He is grossly mistaken.

The statement reflects a category error dressed up as profundity, and it’s a consequential one. The United States of America is not an idea. It is a nation constituted upon principles, and the distinction is not merely semantic. It is the difference between a wish and a covenant, between a suggestion and a command, between the provisional and the enduring. Continue reading →

‘This most beautiful system … could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful being,‘ wrote Newton.

Few have had as profound an effect on modern scientific understanding as Sir Isaac Newton.

Many people are familiar with the story of how a falling apple first inspired Newton to investigate the force that would come to be known as gravity, and as he later concluded in his seminal scientific treatise, “Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy,” it is this same force that pulls a fruit to ground that keeps the planets in orbit.

While Newton undoubtedly possessed a keen sense of observation and an insatiable curiosity that enabled him to make some of the most influential mathematical and scientific discoveries in recorded history, his prolific notes and writings – especially the vast amount of manuscripts that went unpublished until hundreds of years after his death – reveal a more profound motivation. Continue reading →

My knowledge of the Federal Reserve issue goes back to when I was a young boy – BUT – what follows in this video below is a story that I have never heard. It is fascinating, but stay with me – as there will be far more to share with our students on this very subject.

Many years ago on one of my broadcast series – I covered the Federal Reserve act in a manner that few had ever accomplished. I invite you to visit The Mask of Dimitrios ~ the Establishment of the Federal Reserve Bank (December 23, 1913) for an amazing story.

“For money, some men will allow the innocent to hang. They will turn traitor… they will lie, cheat, steal and they will kill. They appear brilliant, charming and generous! But they are deadly! Such are men as Dimitrios.” ~ Editor

The constitutional struggle that produced the Bill of Rights and secured enduring protections for individual liberty.

Portrait of James Madison, circa 1805–1807, by Gilbert Stuart. James Madison, originally a Federalist, worked hard to ensure that Antifederalists’ complaints about the Constitution would be addressed.

Less than three years after the Treaty of Paris ended America’s War for Independence in 1783, the infant nation still struggled to find its footing. Great Britain’s overreach of power – its writs of assistance, quartering of troops, and lack of jury trials – was still fresh in Americans’ memories, making many wary of concentrating too much authority in a centralized government. Yet it had become clear that the new nation’s Articles of Confederation were too weak to command order among the 13 states. Something had to be done. Continue reading →

Most Americans have no idea their state has a constitution. They cannot name a single right it protects. Ask where their rights come from, and they will either plead the fifth or point to the federal Bill of Rights. What they do not know is that colonies first, then states, had declarations of rights before the federal government existed, often more expansive than anything the federal document would guarantee. Continue reading →

‘The economic transformation Washington put in place was neither preordained nor inevitable.’ ~ Historian Charles Ansary

Americans today have reached unprecedented heights of prosperity, but our economic system rests on a foundation that was built centuries ago under the direction of the nation’s first president, George Washington.

“Not unlike our political form of government, the economic transformation Washington put in place was neither preordained nor inevitable,” historian Charles Ansary writes in his biography, “George Washington: Dealmaker in Chief.”

The prosperity that Americans enjoy today is rather the product of the decisions, protocols, and precedents established during Washington’s presidency, which set a path for future administrations to follow. Continue reading →

It is taken, in many cases, to be fact that the reason the Constitutional Convention was called and that the Constitution was ratified was because of the failure of the Articles of Confederation system. The folks at Heritage have made their position clear:

The first plan the Framers tried after declaring independence was called the Articles of Confederation. The government that the Articles created failed because it was too weak to coordinate national policy among states with different priorities. Continue reading →

Some conservatives are now bending over backwards to try to justify their calls for more federal intervention in local law enforcement around the nation. This has been problematic for many because some of these people also have pretended to be in favor of decentralization, local control, and a strict reading of the Constitution when it suits them.

But now that the actual respect for the Tenth Amendment and the federalism built into the Constitution for the moment favors left-wing protestors and rioters, the Right is now attempting to come up with reasons why the federal government should be called in to solve our problems after all. Continue reading →

C’mon… Everybody needs a good laugh. Just think how enjoyable a modern day math lesson would be today! ~ Editor

Jean Marie Joseph Bove’s depiction of Lafayette returning to the U.S. The caption says, ‘A great man belongs to the whole universe.’ Blancheteau Collection/Cornell University Library via Wikimedia Commons

America is nearing the 250th anniversary of its revolutionary birth, the Declaration of Independence. July 4, 2026, will mark a milestone – and a time for reflection.

As fascination with America’s founding endures, controversy colors how the revolution is taught across the United States. From contested efforts by The New York Times “1619 Project” to put slavery at the center of America’s story, to attempts to limit teaching about race and racism, partisanship surrounds the teaching of American history. Anniversaries can inspire public passion, but they can also open old wounds. Continue reading →

The Parks’ general store, tucked in the pines on Route 66, has been a staple in the community of about 1,500 people since 1906.

PARKS, AZ — A 1906 general store was on the brink of closing on Route 66 in Arizona until a family stepped in to save it.

Stepping into the Parks Old Route 66 Store feels like stepping back in time. Not only for its 50s theme and location on the Mother Road, but also because the store itself is 20 years older than Route 66.

NOTE: Consider this a follow up to our recent post of the video and story of Old Route 66 that we published last week. And there is more to this story. Stay Tuned. ~ Jeffrey Bennett, Editor  Continue reading →

“You should own no book that you are afraid to mark up.”

NEW HAVEN, Conn., April 6, 1933 – William Lyon Phelps, who retired this year after 41 years of teaching students at Yale the richness and delight of literature, tonight gave to the American public a living legacy of his appreciation in a brief broadcast on the subject of owing books.

Professor Phelps noted that he lives principally in a room that contains 6,000 books; remarked that when he was asked if he had read them all, he hedged in his reply by saying, “Some of them twice.” Continue reading →

Route 66 is more than just a highway — it’s the story of America itself. From its birth in the 1920s to its role in World War II, the Dust Bowl migrations, the dreamers who built and traveled it, the day the road went silent, and its surprising revival, Route 66 has always been a symbol of freedom, resilience, and change.

There was a time in our lives that my wife and children lived in a 70 year old two-story farm house house that we had restored. We had 3 1/2 acres, and for the most part – collected our own water, heated our own home with a wood-burning stove for which we cut and collected about 12 cords of wood per year to heat the home. OH – and during the cold months – we cooked soup and various sauces on top of the wood-burner. Damn that food was good.

There were times during the year that young bears came on our property to see what we might have to eat – and of course – the wife grew an intense vegetable garden whenever she could.

The road that passed by our driveway – WAS Old Route 66. ~ Editor

Led as they are by sinful men, many human governments abuse their power and authority and inflict great suffering both on their own subjects and on the people of other nations.

The notion that government is a “necessary evil” has seeped into American lore and consciousness. Many Americans accept it as they would a self-evident truth. Yet treating government as a necessary evil contradicts biblical teaching and, by extension, contradicts God’s good design for government. Continue reading →

Editor’s NOTE: When I developed this site some years ago – it had always been my intent to share what once took place in the Public School System so many years ago – and yet is completely ignored today.

It is with that thought in mind that I have chosen to publish the following series of columns, which are all related. In many respects – they are also quite timely – given the economic issues that we are dealing with in America today. All of this teaches our history – which seems to be repeating itself – but is for the benefit of our Homeschool students everywhere. Welcome to today’s History Class! I will see you ‘on-the-air’ today! ~ Jeffrey Bennett, Editor

In his article “Is the Constitution Broken beyond Repair?” David Gordon draws attention to a phenomenon that is often overlooked, namely, the great rejoicing among some constitutional lawyers over the fact that “to establish the new Constitution, Lincoln overthrew the first one… he replaced the old, immoral Constitution with a new one based on equality.” This is indeed one reason why some of Lincoln’s admirers still celebrate the burning of the South by the Union Army – the devastation and destruction of the South symbolizes for them the brave new world of equality and social justice forged by a righteous army through fire and steel.

Most people, if they understood what was really being celebrated here, would be bewildered. Continue reading →