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Guest Commentary by Douglas R. McGregor Ignorance and Apathy – Enemies of Freedom
Guest Commentary by Douglas R. McGregor
Utah Society President, Sons of the American Revolution
Chairman, Coalition for Constitutional Education
On November 20, 2008 the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) released a Report on Civic Literacy. In their report they stated, “There is an epidemic of historical, political and economic ignorance in America. The report focused on a study that found: “Americans, including elected officials, earn a failing grade when tested on American History and Economics.”
“More than 2,500 randomly selected Americans took ISI’s basic 33 question test on civic literacy and more than 1,700 people failed, with the average score 49 percent, or an “F.” Elected officials scored even lower than the general public with an average score of 44 percent and only 0.8 percent (or 21) of all surveyed earned an “A.” Even more startling is the fact that over twice as many people know Paula Abdul was a judge on American Idol than know that the phrase “government of the people, by the people, for the people” comes from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.”
The ISI report emphasized only leaders who possessed the kind of knowledge necessary for informed and responsible citizenship would have the ability to preserve liberty. The report calls upon elected officials, administrators, trustees, faculty, donors, taxpayers and parents to reevaluate collegiate curricula and standards for accountability. Some of the questions ISI believes need to be asked are the following:
· Do colleges require courses in American history, politics, economics and other
core areas?
· Do colleges assess the civic or overall learning of their graduates?
· Do elected officials link college appropriations to real measures of civic or overall learning?
The ISI is to be commended for their advocacy of requiring our nation’s colleges to share in the responsibility of proper civic education, but what of the citizenry of Utah, ? what What is our responsibility to our children’s future as Americans? Are the State’s colleges alone solely responsible for proper civic education? What can we do to ensure our children are not ignorant of the principles and heritage of liberty our founding fathers handed down to their “posterity?” Should we not make a similar effort in Utah’s high schools? As important as math and science may be, surely the knowledge necessary to preserve freedom and liberty are of no less importance.
In another study commissioned by the American Revolution Center in July 2009, 1001 18 and older, male and female respondents 18 years and older from all regions of the United States took the random survey. The results revealed that “nine in 10 Americans agreed that it is important for us to know the history of and principles forged during America’s War for Independence. This belief is shared by Americans across all demographic categories and political affiliations.” The survey found that “on basic knowledge of the American Revolution and our Founding documents, 83 percent of Americans scored an average of 44 percent.” The survey revealed that there is, “an alarming disparity between our desire to know and our failure to understand. Sixty percent of Americans could correctly identify the number of children in reality- TV show couple Jon and Kate Gosselin’s household (eight), but more than one-third did not know the century in which the American Revolution took place. Many more Americans knew that entertainer Michael Jackson sang “Beat It” and “Billie Jean” than knew that the Bill of Rights is part of the United States Constitution.”
The American Revolution Center’s conclusions are sobering: “And yet, because democracy needs to be learned by each generation, we are in danger of losing the precious gift of self-governance that our Founding generation bequeathed to us. As careful students of history, our nation’s Founders knew that republics were fragile and that government “of the people, by the people, and for the people” would not endure without an informed citizenry. “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free,” Thomas Jefferson warned, “it expects what never was and never will be.”
“Today, perhaps more than ever, understanding the fFounding values and principles born of the American Revolution is critical to defending our liberties and preserving our system of self-government. Our society, our very existence as a free people, rests on our success in ensuring that all Americans understand our history, rights, and responsibilities, and pass this knowledge on to rising generations.”
Keeping the torch of liberty a blaze requires a life time commitment. High Schools and Colleges must do their part to ensure America’s future remains bright by requiring appropriate American civic and history courses. Parents should avail themselves of Constitutional study courses and spend time teaching their families to love and know our great American heritage and the legacy given to us by our founding fathers.
As a free people we must never forget that it is not always by armies and weapons of war that a free nation is conquered - ignorance and apathy can just as effectively form the links of oppression’s chains.
The ISI’s Our Fading Heritage report is available at: www.americancivicliteracy.org
The American Revolution Center The American Revolution Who Cares? The report report Report is available at: www.americanrevolutioncenter.org.
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