The Self-Protection Amendments
November 6, 2024, we went to the ball games to better understand the Electoral College, and then studied the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Amendments. The statements of the founders about self-defense are particularly interesting in light of the proposal that only a militia has the right to be armed. The 2nd guarantees each citizen's right to keep and arm bears, the 4th protects our privacy, and the 5th prohibits other actions that would take our property, cause us to testify against ourselves, be convicted without appropriate juries and processes, etc. (In light of recent events, perhaps we need the right to keep and arm squirrels as well as bears...)
Click here to read more!Is America Worth Saving?
In our October 30th class we reviewed the true history of America’s leadership in opposing and finally eliminating slavery. At a time when slavery was universal in the world, America was the first nation to outlaw the slave trade, and the fourth to end slavery altogether - at a very high cost. We also celebrated a few stories of the many black patriots who participated in the Revolutionary War, and reviewed Woodrow Wilson’s attempt to delete that history completely.
Click here to read more!The Laws of Nature and Nature's God Expressed in the Bill of Rights
In the class on October 23rd we defined and unpacked the phrase, “the laws of Nature and of Nature’s God,” and traced how those ‘laws’ led to many of the subjects handled in the Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments to the Constitution). We also reviewed the second through tenth amendments, discussing their origins, their purposes, and ways they are being violated — and sometimes deliberately suppressed — in our lives today. On October 30th we’ll lay out the true history countering the nonsense about early America being pro-slavery, demonstrating that America is indeed a country worth preserving and celebrating.
Click here to read more!The Faith of the Framers
October 16, 2024: Today we focused on three things - (a) the real intent of those who wrote the Constitution regarding religious faith and government, (b) the right to petition for redress, and (c) the most sacred “property” of all, which government must not violate.
Click here to read more!Rights, Roles, and Freedoms
The class on October 9th covered some major topics: the role of the courts, the matter of deciding whether things are constitutional or not, how judicial misbehavior is to be controlled, defining and listing more “unalienable rights,” the purpose of the Bill of Rights, and an initial examination of the first amendment. Next, on October 16, we dive into religious freedom, the right of petition, and the most important “unalienable right” of all. Join us, and come early if you can!
Click here to read more!The Judiciary Myths
October 2, 2024: We took a deep dive into the judicial branch of the federal government, covering things like their role, their relationship to the executive and legislative branches, their strengths and weaknesses, why the framers believed the courts would be the least likely branch to be a danger to our rights and freedoms… and why they turned out to be so wrong on that point. And we began discussing a list of “myths”, things we often believe about the courts that are simply not true (including things found on the website of the Supreme Court itself).
Click here to read more!Electing, Controlling, and Removing a President
Among other things we reviewed the absolutely essential foundations of our republic, and then explored how the President is elected and how he can be removed, and all seven or so times that has happened! :-) Especially today, a very relevant discussion!
Click here to read more!The Power of the Constitution
On September 18th, in commemoration of Constitution Day, we took time to explore some of the unique and important characteristics of the Constitution, illustrated some violations of it in current events, and discussed the contributions of Noah Webster to the foundations of a truly American style of education. Next week, on September 25th, we dive into details of the Presidency.
Click here to read more!Remembering 9/11
September 11, 2024: In the midst of reviewing the responsibilities of Congress, we pause to remember 9/11 and honor our heroes of that day. We also quickly review some fundamentals of what we are doing in these classes and why they matter, then proceed to wrap up our study of what the Constitution says about the legislative part of our federal government.
Click here to read more!Learning to Stay Free
Special note: This is Constitution Month. Some things you might want to take a look at: PragerU has launched a series of “Constitution 101” 5-minute videos. Khan Academy is launching a “Constitution 101” course on September 17th. And Patriot Academy has a package to help all the publicly funded schools teach the Constitution this month (a legal requirement, at least in Texas!)
Click here to read more!Exploring Who Can Do What
August 28: We began exploring the roles of Congress and the States, their responsibilities and the limits on their authorities. We took a closer look at two disastrous Amendments, and the rampant mis-application of the term “general welfare.” Next we’ll review the exact responsibilities of Congress, as set forth in Article 1, Section 8. Many surprises await us.
Click here to read more!Five to keep, and one to remember!
August 21, 2024: After this excellent review of the core foundations on which a legitimate government manages its affairs, and a quick overview of the Constitution and the Amendments, our next class dives into the actual responsibilities of those we elect to Congress. Hard to imagine, given our daily experience, but they only have about 18 areas to manage — all the rest is “over-reach”. How many of those 18 can you name? Can you identify things being done by the federal government that are clearly unauthorized? Come join us on August 28!
Click here to read more!The Absolutes and the Details
August 19, 2024. Our next class (Wednesday, August 21) draws on the Declaration to outline the five absolutely necessary foundations of our federal government, and what happens if they don’t honor those commitments. We then trace where those core ideas came from, and dive into the Constitution itself. Come early if you can; we’ll start the content presentation as close to 12:00 as possible, to fit it in by 1:00.
Click here to read more!How and Why We Learn
August 7, 2024: This week we covered how ordinary people — that’s us! — can learn what’s really in the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution, how we can know for ourselves what is, and is not, “Constitutional,” and why it is extremely important that we do so! Read on …
Click here to read more!On our way!
July 31, 2024. Free weekly classes on the founding documents of America are now being offered at the Honor Café in Conroe, Texas. What a great location, in a great state, and a great topic to be studying .... how to stay free! Read on ...
Click here to read more!