Difference between revisions of "Notes:BC1.CWintro"
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* Today's youth is 8 or 9 generations away from our country's beginnings and do not understand American exceptionalism--though this was likely true to some degree of every generation since the middle of the 19th century. | * Today's youth is 8 or 9 generations away from our country's beginnings and do not understand American exceptionalism--though this was likely true to some degree of every generation since the middle of the 19th century. | ||
::When I was a kid, we could recite parts of The Declaration, but never thought about what it meant. It was not something profound, it was homework. | ::When I was a kid, we could recite parts of The Declaration, but never thought about what it meant. It was not something profound, it was homework. | ||
| − | * | + | * The evolution of English liberty and constitution and how it spun off the United States is not understood |
| − | + | :::And that is a fascinating story. | |
* Rule of Law is not understood by many - including myself not so long ago. This is the same as saying that our Constitution is not understood by many. | * Rule of Law is not understood by many - including myself not so long ago. This is the same as saying that our Constitution is not understood by many. | ||
* Democracy is not understood. | * Democracy is not understood. | ||
:::France is a democracy. | :::France is a democracy. | ||
:::The United States is a constitutional republic with democratic input. | :::The United States is a constitutional republic with democratic input. | ||
| + | * Economic freedom is neither understood nor appreciated. | ||
| + | * Capitalism is understood by very few--including economists. (Likewise for socialism.) | ||
* We want people in America to either remember or discover what made America exceptional--we want immigrants to have a better understanding of what made America the place they want to be. | * We want people in America to either remember or discover what made America exceptional--we want immigrants to have a better understanding of what made America the place they want to be. | ||
* The spirit and appreciation of the ideas and history that can bring us back to a reverence for liberty has to be captured in a reasonably concise manner and in a form that does not require plowing through a library full of profound books. | * The spirit and appreciation of the ideas and history that can bring us back to a reverence for liberty has to be captured in a reasonably concise manner and in a form that does not require plowing through a library full of profound books. | ||
Revision as of 23:32, 7 February 2015
Motivating factors:
- There is a political division in America that has become more strident because it is being fed by people who profit by it.
- We are Coming Apart and few understand what is happening, why, or what to do about it.
- Today's youth is 8 or 9 generations away from our country's beginnings and do not understand American exceptionalism--though this was likely true to some degree of every generation since the middle of the 19th century.
- When I was a kid, we could recite parts of The Declaration, but never thought about what it meant. It was not something profound, it was homework.
- The evolution of English liberty and constitution and how it spun off the United States is not understood
- And that is a fascinating story.
- Rule of Law is not understood by many - including myself not so long ago. This is the same as saying that our Constitution is not understood by many.
- Democracy is not understood.
- France is a democracy.
- The United States is a constitutional republic with democratic input.
- Economic freedom is neither understood nor appreciated.
- Capitalism is understood by very few--including economists. (Likewise for socialism.)
- We want people in America to either remember or discover what made America exceptional--we want immigrants to have a better understanding of what made America the place they want to be.
- The spirit and appreciation of the ideas and history that can bring us back to a reverence for liberty has to be captured in a reasonably concise manner and in a form that does not require plowing through a library full of profound books.
- We wanted a way to educate, inform, discuss these things and we thought that the web was the best way to reach a large audience.
- We don't want to just lecture.
- And we're not smart enough or energetic enough to do it all ourselves anyway.
- We needed a way that others--anyone--can contribute information and participate in the education and discussion.
- We needed a Wikipedia for American civics.
Before the 2012 election we had stood up a website to discuss issues. It was cogent, but not effective.
We had the idea of putting together another website aimed more at addressing those things I just listed than in attacking specific issues--though it contains a forum for that as well.
- The website purports to be non partisan--one of the rules being that advocacy for political parties or candidates is off limits.
- It does admit to a dedication to liberty, an admiration of the founding principles of the U.S., and promising to discuss what that means, etc.
A central part of this website is a discussion of the Constitution, and I set out to sit through the Hillsdale on-line lectures Constitution 101 to get smart enough to write a series of articles.
- Then it occurred to me . . . .
- CW would be a long time in coming and somewhat narrow in its perspective.
- and we need help--but not just any help.
- We need the help of people who have an understanding, an appreciation, and an enthusiasm for what we are trying to capture
- and an ability to write about it.
