We Can Bring American Conservative Values Back to Schools Ronald Reagan had this to say about educations basic purpose: Were beginning to realize, once again, that education at its core is more than just teaching our young the skills that are needed for a job, however important that is. Its also about passing on to each new generation the values that serve as the foundation and cornerstone of our free democratic society--patriotism, loyalty, faithfulness, courage, the ability to make the crucial moral distinctions between right and wrong, the maturity to understand that all that we have and achieve in this world comes first from a beneficent and loving God. Was Ronald Reagan right when he said that?? Well, was he? Of course he was!! Why is moral education important for both individuals and society? The Founding Fathers said that democracy cannot survive unless the citizens are educated, virtuous and ethical. James Madison said, To suppose that any form of government will secures liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people are a chimerical idea. (chimerical means wildly fanciful and foolish) Benjamin Franklin believed the same: Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters. . . . Nothing is of more importance.... than to form and train up youth in wisdom and virtue. So, for almost 200 years, thats exactly what the public schools did. Moral instruction, grounded moral lessons derived from Biblical sources, was as much a part of the curriculum as reading, writing, and arithmetic. In fact, this type of study was common in our countrys schools until the 1940s. So what happened? Why has formal character education been almost eliminated from the public schools? Its somewhat more complicated, but the true basic answer is that Liberal Elites in the Liberal Universities and Liberal Media have tricked School Boards, Administrators, Teachers and Parents to think it is illegal. It is true that our Supreme Court ruled that teachers may not lead students in prayer in the public schools. Thats unfortunate. However, the courts have also ruled that it is very legal to teach the traditional moral values that nearly all Americans believe in. Every great philosopher of education has said that virtue must be joined to learning, and have even put ethical instruction before practical instruction. This includes not only the ability to tell right from wrong, but also instruction in those values necessary to a happy and successful life, such as self-discipline, the ability to work hard, thrift, respect for the law, confidence, citizenship, responsibility, respect for the rights of others, courage of ones convictions, obedience to proper authority, anticipating the consequences of ones actions, honesty, tolerance, diligence, fairness, love of democracy and freedom, and many others. Many public school across the country are teaching these traditional conservative moral values but the vast majority are not. This is just like the right to keep and bear arms....youtu.be/nak1umthp48
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 16:43:29 +0000
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