CIVICS: Decrease is nation's demise

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

How many students and young adults today know exactly what this paragraph is, and how important it is to the current and future government of the United States?

How many really know and understand the Constitution?

How many know what happened at the Concord Bridge and Lexington in 1775?

How many know what happened at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777 and 1778?

Any loyal and interested citizen of our great county should know the answers to these questions and many other facts surrounding them.

From what I understand, we no longer teach U.S. history in our schools today and that is a tragic situation. If I am wrong please tell me.

To me, a through knowledge of the Constitution and the importance of its various provisions should be one of the most important elements of any formal education taught in our schools. Any educator or legislator who believes otherwise should be removed.

One of the principle reasons our great country is in such a distressing and dangerous situation today is that we have elected “leaders” (and I use that word tongue in cheek) who either have no real knowledge or understanding of the Constitution, or (and this is more likely) are attempting to disregard and dilute its requirements.

By the same token, if the average citizen had a through knowledge and understanding of the Constitution and the importance of it various sections, they would rise up in massive protests at what is going on.

Sadly, it appears to me that one of the ulterior motives of our leaders push to eliminate teaching the history of the country and Constitution is to achieve exactly what is really happening, i.e. an electorate too uninformed and educated to realize what it is they are actually attempting to achieve.

The similarities between what is going on here today, and what went on in Germany prior to World War II (which I lived through) is frightening.

If we, as a mass electorate, do not wake up and start protesting these unconstitutional acts, the U.S. as we have known it is gone.

RALPH HALLOCK

Hayden