I will begin this article with a simple question: Is Public Education aRight? One may be reluctant to respond, after reading the title of this article. Let me recast this; I encourage you to ask a co-worker, neighbor or friend this question without any preface. My guess is they would quickly respond with a resounding yes, Public Education is a “Right.” Wrong answer, let me explain.
In my view, our founding fathers were brilliant, deep thinkers and devout countrymen, who shaped our country on Judeo- Christian concepts. In tune and sensitive to the idea of government potentially overstepping its boundaries, James Madison penned the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution, which make up the Bill of Rights. 12 Amendments were sent to the states and 10 of them survived and were finally ratified by all of the states as of December 15, 1791. These were rights protected by the United States to every citizen; guarantying government could not intrude or overstep its authority.
The Bill Of Rights (Ten Amendments) can be summarized as: Freedom of religion, speech and press, Right to own and bear arms, the Housing of soldiers, Protection from unreasonable searches and seizures, Protection of Rights to Life, Liberty, and Property, Rights of accused persons in criminal cases, Rights in civil cases, Excessive bail, fines, and punishments forbidden, other Rights kept by the people and the undelegated powers kept by the states and the people.
Then, there is our God given rights, recognized by the federal government, found in the Declaration of Independence and embodied in the Bill of Rights. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” The state recognized our creator, God gave us these rights. The word inalienable comes from the root word alien or the Latin word alienus, meaning belonging to another. The purest meaning: unable to be taken away from or given away by the possessor. One has to wonder, if the state recognizes Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, how then could the courts, remove the right to life of an unborn child through abortion and or the elderly with euthanasia.
The modern day concept of “Rights” is being irrationally exploited by this urgent move toward Socialism energized by the media and 2020 Democrat Presidential candidates. They say Americans should have the “Right” to free education from K-12 through higher learning, free housing, free healthcare, free transportation, reparation, just to name a few and I recently heard Beto say we should have a “Right” to live close to our workplace. The left has been pushing these liberal and radical rights for decades. The birthplace for this leftward thinking was born at the United Nations in 1948, entitled the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” Eleanor Roosevelt was the chair of the UN Human Rights Commission that marshaled through the passage of this resolution. While there were some great ideas to protect the global abuse of humanity embodied in this document, this stage was misused for espousing liberal radical views born out of Socialism.
Let’s hit the refresh button and go back to a “Right to Public Education.” Public education is not a right; it is a gift from the state, paid for by taxpayers. The moment you codify a right, it then becomes the responsibility of the state to protect and fund that right. See where this is going? Rights = Protection and Funding.
The intent of this discourse is for us all to be alert to the word, “Right.” Let’s remember the core reasoning behind the Bill of Rights; it was designed by our founding fathers as a tool, etched in stone to protect the citizenry from an overreaching government into the affairs of mankind. The modern-day prophets of socialism are suggesting an eruption of new rights – entitlements, allowing citizens to tap into the U.S. Treasury and become entrapped serfs of the state. These rights to entitlements are essentially the legal purchase of votes by the Socialist Democratic Party, ensuring the entitled are enslaved to them in perpetuity.
I leave you with these two thoughts: Woe to any government leadership (all three branches) who penetrate that sacred veil and overreach. On a more important note, woe to any man who is self-appointed and attempts to divinely ascend and tamper with those Rights given to man by God: Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, which can only be given or taken away by God (U.S. Supreme Court, Roe vs. Wade, 1973). Rights endowed by our Creator, Almighty God, or taken away by man?
As we reacquaint ourselves with the profound logic of our founding fathers, we can wholeheartedly rejoice in the gift of Almighty God granting us the blessing to call America home. Let us recall the sound of the Liberty Bell ringing and envision our great symbol of freedom, Lady Liberty speaking in the New York harbor without talking.
God, thank you for blessing America!
So, when you hear the words: It should be a Right, BEWARE!
