Student Indoctrination: On 2nd Amendment, we must remain vigilant
The Bristol, Conn. Public School system has been called out for what can only be called gun-control indoctrination using old information pushing a specific political agenda. Luckily, parents took notice of the lies and propaganda, and Bristol’s superintendent of schools had the assignment withdrawn from the classroom.
Of course, we should ask how long this has been going on for and what it will be replaced with, but I don’t think we should expect a response. This document claims the Second Amendment only provides the right of a state to keep an armed National Guard. Are you outraged yet?
The classroom curriculum included the worksheet shown to the right. Click on the image to view full size. The worksheet page is from The Bill of Rights in Today’s World, written for Grades 5 – 8 and published between 2000 and 2003 by Instructional Fair. The ISBN number is 1568229194. It was handed out to 8th graders at Northeast Middle School on April 8.
I want to point out some of the factual errors in the document may be excused since it was written 10 years ago. That said, a complete bias against the true meaning of the Second Amendment flows through the entire page. The administration and teachers can not be excused for using this worksheet. They have not meet the expectations of the public. Along with the priceless illustration of a “trigger lock”, the worksheet’s text reads as follows…
The Second Amendment Today
The Second Amendment today is surrounded by controversy. This controversy is centered mainly on the two words militia and people. The group that supports gun control does not want the word people to have any meaning in the amendment. The gun rights group would not like the word militia to mean anything. The interpretation of this amendment takes on different meaning when these tow groups define those two words.
Oh really? Gun control advocates don’t even bother with the Constitution any more. Not one references the Second Amendment to prove their point, they avoid it in every way imaginable. All they can to is mention muskets and tell me I don’t need an AR to shoot deer. I’ve got no problem with the Second Amendment as written, because I know what the at-the-time definition of a militia was, and it was not the National Guard.
The best way to look at the true meaning of this amendment is to look at what the courts have said about it. Generally, the Constitution is considered to be a living document, which means that the interpretation changes to meet the needs of the times. The judges and courts of each generation provide the interpretation of the document.
Did anyone else just throw-up a little bit? God forbid we look to the Founding Fathers – who wrote the document pledging their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to the cause – to see how they interpreted the Second Amendment. Their interpretation was clear. It is not a “living document.”
The courts have consistently determined that the Second Amendment does not ensure each individual the right to bear arms. Instead, the amendment provides the right for the states to arm a militia such as the National Guard. The courts have never found a law regulating the private ownership of weapons unconstitutional. The courts have also said that the Second Amendment is not incorporated against the states. This means that the right of this amendment are not extended to the individual citizens of the states. So a person has no right to complain about a Second Amendment violation by state laws. According to the courts, the Second Amendment only provides the right of a state to keep an armed National Guard.
Yup, that’s what your kids are being taught to this day. Certainly Heller and McDonald were not case-law when this was written, but even though, every bit of it is complete hogwash. This worksheet used the word “facts” … who approved this crap? This was pure indoctrination when it was written 12 years ago and should never have been used. As far as we can tell, teachers have been using this worksheet for 12 years.
Dr. Ellen Solek, the superintendent of schools in Bristol, issued the following statement earlier this afternoon. It was sent via email and not published on the school system’s website. (At least I don’t see it.)
The assignment given to students at Northeast Middle School has been withdrawn in the best interest of the district. Parents with concerns or questions regarding any assignment are encouraged to contact the school directly.
Steven Boibeau from Bristol contacted us before noon this morning looking to send us the document, but I did not get back to him until just before 7 p.m. ET. He shared his story with Todd Starnes at Fox News Radio earlier in the morning. I found reference to the document on another forum and a member forwarded me the information. Thanks to Bill J. for sending me details with the text of the email from Solek.
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first issue, “88 PERCENT OF GUN OWNERS SUPPORT BACK GROUND CHECKS” I have an issue with this statement because nobody asked me what i support, nor did any other GUN OWNERS that i asked if they been asked, this is called manipulation. Which brings me to my second issue/ once you give back in good faith[for example] back ground checks, the manipulators then have an opportunity to begin to chip away and manipulate away the second amendment[which is their real intent ?MISSION] . Here is an example, just yesterday on the radio there was a gentleman in his 70s that has bears in his yard off and on,so when he goes into his back yard he takes his shot gun with him,well that decision saved his life when charged by a bear,and the manipulator’s who are bent on manipulating and raping your 2nd amendment rights criminally charge this elderly gentlemen and say” if he felt he was in danger he should have called us [law enforcement] first. see that,manipulators are saying every time this gentleman wants to go in his yard to fill his bird feeders he has to call us for a police escort. Now his guns are taking away and he is facing felony convictions. start to see the pattern here? Next what the manipulators will be doing is this, when a gun…
Let’s see the internals of that poll, if it even exists.
This topic is, well, off topic compared to the post. That said, the entire “do you support background checks” question is?ridiculous?since we already have them. It’s what I refer to as a “wide net” question that guarantees a specific result.
I’m outraged (yet again)!? Maybe this superintendent and any principles and teachers involved ought to assign readings on the Peter Principle as it relates to their jobs.
next what the manipulators will do is,when a licensed gun owner uses their guns to prevent becoming a victim the manipulators will arrest and charge that gun owner with felony charges and say”BEFORE THIS GUN OWNER LEFT THEIR HOUSE WITH THEIR GUNS HE OR SHE SHOULD HAVE CALLED US FIRST FOR A POLICE ESCORT” Ladies and gentlemen do we all not see the manipulator’s pattern of full filling their personal agenda of striping us law abiding citizens of our guns and second amendment ? Because of these manipulators this is why no matter what makes good sense you still can not agree to give back anything, again because these manipulators will attempt to capitalize and manipulate.
I need to ask you to stay on the topic of the post.
who died and left you dictator?
[Commenter asks if blog owner has heard of the First Amendment and say owner should shove it]
[admin says] Well in that case, go away. There is no First Amendment here, and if you took the time to read the Terms of Use, you’d realize you get booted with no warning when you bring that up. Your comment was way off topic, I could have just deleted it but I let the comment stand. I was kind to you and asked you to stay on topic, and you freaked out like a fruitcake. See ya.
It’s Mr. McGough’s blog.? His house, his rules.? Tread softly.
You only have first amendment rights against the goverment.? Mr. McGough can prevent you from speaking for any reason or no reason at all with impunity.? You got what you deserved.
What I would like to know is… WHO is the (or) who are the teacher(s) who ‘took it upon themselves to do a little ‘indoctrinating???’ And not to get too ‘off topic’ Steve, but I want to share that I spoke at length today with a 20 yr old young man in South Windsor who shocked me with his ‘knowledge’ about what Liberalism is, what people like Obama, Malloy, Blumenthal, and Murphy are about- but he told me virtually ALL people in his age group are ‘brainwashed’ and ‘ignorant’ of anything factual. This young guy also stated his parents ‘can’t stand’ any of the a-fore-mentioned persons and it gives me hope! Not a lot, but just a thimbleful! Here I am, in my late 50’s conversing in an ‘in-depth’ way with someone less than 1/2 my age..who must have top-notch parents ( & I told him so )..
“On 2nd Amendment, we must remain vigilant” Right now, we just can’t keep our eyes on the ball forever, we do have to blink once in a while. It is a never ending pummeling of the Constitution.?
As one who works in the belly of the beast, I can tell you that academia is literally infested with liberals who routinely push their ideas on students, be it science, poly sci, history, business etc.?? And of course the “special” diversity majors, like “ethnic and gender studies”, social (justice) work, and so on.?
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The mind boggles.? Or is it, “gets bogged down”?
“Luckily, parents took notice of the lies and propaganda…”
Unfortunately,?as you?speak?with?young people today, you will?notice that?a majority?of them are “indoctrinated” with left leaning ideas.?We, as parents, have to be very diligent and?stay on top of what our children are being taught while they are away from our influence for such?a big chunk of?the day. I have high schoolers and between the hours spent at school,?after school activities/work and then homework…we really only get them for maybe an hour or two each night.
The propaganda coming out of our ‘public’ schools is nothing short of Goebbelsesque.
Evidence that we’re being socially engineered to accept tyranny on the premise that it is for our protection.? Demanding that the assignment be withdrawn is a step- but parents pulling their kids en masse from the “school” system would be more appropriate if it were possible.
Except that withdrawal is illegal and schooling is mandatory, which probably demonstrates why they are trying to pull the rug out from under home schooling, vouchers, and make people that send their kids to private schools pay double (public school tax and tuition).
While I don’t have a problem with critical thinking assignments I take issue with this one for the fact that the statement provided prefacing it is now factually wrong (perhaps it wasn’t at the time it was written) It also doesn’t specify the nature of the court cases, so it actually acts to lead the reader to believe one thing (if not educated on the current status) without actually discussing in depth what the court cases were about and what the rulings really were. I wouldn’t have an issue with this assignment in the least if I thought the teacher would take a moment and amend the statement in the paper verbally and inform the student of more recent court decisions to the contrary of what is stated in the paper. Unfortunately, even if not secondary a desire to indoctrinate youth ?to a specific opinion, I feel too many teachers would not stipulate the changes in court decisions if for no other reason than apathy.
I have to ask myself after reading the actual assignment if this assignment required any outside research, based upon the information provided in the assignment I can’t see how a student could logically argue for individual gun ownership, unless they were already knowledgeable of the subject matter or…
As a follow up, that I had intended to post in my initial post but I forgot about while typing, is to ask if anyone is familiar with the incident where a 4th grade Florida school ?teacher reportedly asked her students to write the following statement right after a lawyer came in and gave a presentation on the bill of rights. “I am willing to give up some of my constitutional rights in order to be safer or more secure.”
I’m sure you are aware of it,considering where I am, but I have to say contrasted with what happened in Bristol I would say the Florida incident is a blatant example of indoctrination where the incident in Bristol is much grayer. As sad as I think it is I believe a great deal of citizens in Western societies (not just the US) are more than happy yo give up their freedoms and rights for security. The really sad part of that is that they fail to realize (educated or not) that it’s lose/lose because no one can guarantee you complete security, not even…
The second, as well as the other first 10, are limits on the government in favor of the people.? As far as it not applying to state law, there’s that pesky Constitution getting in the way again.? Specifically the “Supremacy Clause”? “This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the constitution or laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding.” – Article IV, Clause 2