America’s Promise
Brad Karr, Allen
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
“The People’s basic needs must be met in a country. Needs for housing, education, transportation, and health care overseen by our government system.” These phrases are used to describe the “Promise of America” in a program called Building Fluency through Practice and Performance now taught in many American public schools. Children are asked to recite these phrases in reading lessons on the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States.
Many parents and teachers today may read the above phrases and ask, “Okay, what’s wrong with that”? History tells us that revolutions often have roots in indoctrination of the youth. In the early 1900s, Russian citizens became dissatisfied with their leaders. A radical, Vladimir Lenin, encouraged the young to rise up against their wealthy oppressors.
Lenin promised a better way in which all property and means of production would be centralized and the government would “fairly” see to all its people’s needs. This sounded nice but apparently it didn’t work out so well.
Have we already forgotten the enormous sacrifices that previous generations of Americans made to prevent the spread of Communism around the world? The promise of a government that provides the basic needs to its people should not be what our country is about. Our founders spoke of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They did not promise that everyone would be happy and comfortable all the time. They also did not promise that everyone would be equally successful.
Yes, America has made its share of mistakes but I still believe that the dream of equal opportunity is here. If, however, you find yourself drawn to the promise of equal outcomes for all I can only say be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.
jamesbordonaro (James Bordonaro) says...
Equal opportunity is a worthy goal for America. But to conflate grade school platitudes into a Communist Manifesto is more than a bit silly.
Teaching the reality of the foundations of our democracy is also important for questioning how well we have held true to our stated values. Equality of opportunity wasn't an option if you were a native American Indian or of African ancestry for many, many decades. And, women were also disenfranchised for the majority of our country's history. Lofty words on parchment have rarely been sufficient to fulfill the promise of America but it's still the best country on Earth!
March 8, 2011 at 5:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
empgazfan (anonymous) says...
If the government cannot provide the basics of housing, education, transportation, and health care, then what good is it? I have worked in many foreign countries where these services are available only to the very wealthy. They own all the businesses and virtually all the wealth in the country, pay essentially no tax and provide only subsistence wages to the peons of their nation. The peons receive none of the services listed above. That is where Republicans will take us if we let them.
March 8, 2011 at 6:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
Communism? Judging from how well companies are doing right now Capitalism is alive and well. Been watching too much Beck?
March 8, 2011 at 6:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
Very relevant, Mr. Karr, but just as the Russians wouldn't have believed a warning, neither will the American people. We are doomed to repeat the failures we won't learn from. Americans think that the details are different, therefore the general principles don't apply. Americans also think they are innately too smart or charmed for such a fate. We are kind of arrogant that way.
Thank you for your attempt.
March 8, 2011 at 9:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oograh (anonymous) says...
The Commies are coming for our children! Bust out the nukes! But, if the reds shoot first don't forget to duck and cover! Sorry for a second I thought I was in the year 1954.
March 8, 2011 at 9:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
There is no warning, only kooks who see ghosts. To make claims such as this one needs evidence, love to see it.
March 8, 2011 at 10:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
HERE IT IS!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VebOTc...
March 9, 2011 at 2:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
To be cautious to ensure that we aren't making mistakes does not mean to panic. Every time you heard in the 1980's and 90's that communism was dead, that was from ostritches with their heads in the sand. They were completely ignoring the existence and the growth of China and other communist countries and choosing only to focus on Russia. That is stupidity.
As a woman, I receive frequent emails about the threats that I need to be aware of in dark parking lots, etc., so that I can be prepared and not taken by surprise. Do I take all of them seriously and never leave my house? No. But I do take a few precautions like locking my car doors and remaining alert and aware if I have to sit in my running car for any length of time. It's called being informed and on guard and we have to do it in all facets.
March 9, 2011 at 8:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
cyberspace (anonymous) says...
Has Senator McCarthy risen from the dead? Such horrible values to teach our children! Housing, education, health care, transportation, how awful!
Have we already forgotten the enormous sacrifices previous generations of Americans made to ensure a fair wage and decent working conditions so that one could provide these basic needs for their loved ones? That's what we should be asking.
March 9, 2011 at 10:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
genxer (anonymous) says...
None of those things are guaranteed in the Constitution. The problem with our schools is that we have liberal quasi-socialists embedded in every level of our education system.
Defund the DOE.
March 9, 2011 at 11:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
Yeah, good idea, because for-profit universities are such great halls of institution.
March 11, 2011 at 12:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MrCmonkeeDo (anonymous) says...
Brad Karr,
Guess what...“The People’s basic needs must be met in a country."
Otherwise there is unrest, lawlessness and economic failure. Think Darfur or Somalia.
"Needs for housing, education, transportation, and health care [are and have been for many years now] overseen by our government system.”
Why do you think that is a bad thing? Somebody has to step in when a child is living in unsafe, filthy conditions. Somebody has to write and then enforce building codes. Somebody has to regulate that our meds are not comprised of "snake oil."
MrC ain't got the time or know-how to do it all on his own; so, he relies on his government for that.
If you wanna make MrCmonkeeDo believe that our government—which is all of us and you—is trying to indoctrinate our nations youth to accept socialism you're gonna have to Do better than that; 'cause that's just silly.
March 12, 2011 at 11:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
"The promise of a government that provides the basic needs to its people should not be what our country is about."
I can understand that you are trying to explain the pursuit of happiness issue to young people here, but in the face of what is happening in earthquake-tsunami torn Japan right now, I find the part about providing basic needs rather strange.
In case of disaster, civil governments must take over to provide basics. If not, survival of the fittest (greed) becomes the code and those who are not strong enough will die. Simple as that.
For example, this morning, Japan's prime minister is asking the entire nation, industries as well as ordinary households, to conserve power in order to conserve supplies. It's a "united we stand" kind of philosophy, my friend, and that works for me.
Have you ever watched people buying supplies like water and bread and canned goods before a hurricane? Even around here they go nuts before a blizzard. They don't like it either if anything is rationed. Remember Y2K?
I like the way MrC said it. As individuals, we don't have the time or know-how to manage life for all people to make it fair so we rely on government.
Somewhere along the line, you have a big problem with this "Promise of America" deal. Strange. In case of a disaster, will you be coming to my house to steal the stuff out of my freezer?
March 13, 2011 at 6:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )