Every student in an Institution of Higher Learning in Texas must take a course featuring the United States Constitution. (T) (F) Bonus...upon what do you base your answer? ________________________
American Government 2305
Dear Class,
I’ve appreciated your kindness on my inaugural American Government/ Constitutional Law class. I’ve come to have genuine affection for you , and because of you, I’d like to teach another class.
I feel you’ll be happy with the outcome of our first Current Constitutional Applications project. It may be an annual project from now on. The work that we did together may prove to be a substantial contribution to liberty in America. I am very proud of you.
Please always take the things you’ve learned with you, as free citizens, no matter in what country you choose to reside. A requisite of a free society is a citizenry who are unafraid to speak up in the face of tyranny. Wherever you go in life there’s a need for men and women with a brain, a backbone, a heart, and a voice. (Does that sound like the Wizard of OZ?)
On Monday night at 7, we will watch Casablanca starring Humphrey Bogart. We will discuss it orally. If you wish, you may watch it in advance. Some of the Friends are bringing snacks and goodies for the movie. Feel free to bring something.
Here is the essay part of your exam. Choose one of the following two questions. We’ll call them (1) the “Free Speech/Terrorism” Question and 2) the “Good Samaritan” Question. You should bring your essay typed and double-spaced to Monday night’s class. If you feel particularly passionate about either subject, feel free to hold forth at length. Minimum length is one page double spaced. Extra credit, do both.
(1) Essay Question Choice #1: the “Free Speech/Terrorism” Question
Your textbook, American Government, Continuity and Change, by Karen O’Connor and Larry Sabato, reads (On page 142 in chapter 5) as follows:
“Today, many lawmakers bemoan the absence of religion in the public schools and voice their concerns that America is becoming a godless nation in spite of the fact that nearly 70 percent of all Americans belong to a church or synagogue. Many of the Framers were religious men, but they knew what evils could arise if the new nation was not founded with religious freedom as one of its core ideals. Despite the fact that many colonists had fled Europe primarily to escape religious persecution, most colonies actively persecuted those who did not belong to their predominant religious groups. Pennsylvania, for example, was a Quaker colony, taxed and harassed those who held other religious beliefs. Nevertheless, the colonists were uniformly outraged in 1774 when the British Parliament passed a law establishing Anglicanism and Roman Catholicism as official religions in the colonies. The First Continental Congress immediately sent a letter of protest announcing its ‘astonishment that a British Parliament should ever consent to establish … a religion [Catholicism] that has deluged [England] in blood and dispersed bigotry, persecution, murder and rebellion through every part of the world.’
“This distaste for a national church or religion was reflected in the Constitution. Article VI, for example, provides that “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or Public Trust under the United States.” This simple statement , however, did not reassure those who feared the new Constitution would curtail individual liberty. Thus, the First Amendment to the Constitution was ultimately ratified to lay those fears to rest.”
Is the underlined quote above, describing Catholicism and the Church of England/Episcopal Church) as "religion .... that has deluged [England] in blood and dispersed bigotry, persecution, murder and rebellion through every part of the world." hate speech, or is it protected speech under the first Amendment?
Look in your book for the First Amendment to the US Constitution.
Always remember that your freedom of conscience to speak, write, publish, assemble, and worship as free men and women was added to the Constitution as an afterthought, but was considered so essential to a free society that New York and other states refused to ratify the constitution until they were promised that the first order of business of the new nation was to be the addition of the Bill of Rights, which would guarantee the rights of freedom to speak, write, publish, assemble, and worship, and protections against the tyranny of a police state such as had been forced upon the colonists by the Intolerable Acts. Those protections are those of Due Process of Law, Equal Protection under the Law, the right to face your accuser, protection against self-incrimination, right to a fair and speedy trial, protection against Unreasonable Search and Seizure.
In the movie Casablanca, keep in mind that probably almost all the actors were American citizens. Singing the Marseillaise does not turn a person into a French citizen, nor into a free person. Many persons believe that the American Constitution has stood as a beacon of light, freedom, and personal liberty to the entire world , indeed, produced perhaps the best model for a free and just society that human efforts have produced.
In contrast, the French cry of “Liberty! Equality! Fraternity!” resulted in a reign of terror of the worst sort, arguably the most terrible reign of terror in the history of government. I respectfully submit the reason for the disparity in the two Revolutions, is that the American Constitution was written by God fearing men who had the historical perspective of the unenviable experience of having suffered vicious religious persecution at the hand of both the State and the clerical hierarchy of state mandated religions in almost all countries from which they came, viz., Portugal, the Netherlands, Britain, and Spain. (See the George Washington Letter, written in response to the letter of appreciation for the new American Federal system of government, from Levi Sheftall of the synagogue in Savannah, Georgia. The Hebrew Congregation was composed of Sephardic Jews that had fled Germany, Spain, and Portugal.)
What the American Colonists, and/or their parents and grandparents, had experienced produced in them the grit to write King George of England and the British Parliament the letter that contained the passage from the text quoted above.
Keep in mind that the colonist’s outrage, and attendant courage to face down the dominant world power of the day, was no doubt strengthened by the fact that a very large ocean separated them from the clergy- controlled bullies. They could not have expressed those views in England or Spain without fear of swift, certain, and cruel governmental and clerical retaliation. It was “long distance” free speech, like we got to practice in our Current Constitutional Applications project. You have learned to use a telephone, camera, and tape recorder as powerful weapons in defense of rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution.
Perhaps recognition of the fact that inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are endowed by the Creator is central to a truly free society. The French revolution was born of the secular enlightenment that did not admit a higher intelligence necessary to a system of government.
You have learned the opening words of the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men…”. Those words are not just a catchy phrase. They reflect a profound recognition by Thomas Jefferson, and shared by the framers of the Constitution, that Almighty God has set certain limits on the authority that one man could presume to have to govern the behavior of another man. America was to be a family, diverse in faith, language, beliefs, and land of origin, but united by a common father. It was Dad who set the standards of fair play. Mercy and justice were defined by a common, loving provider, and were required of all the kids.
The French revolution, in contrast, declared a world of brothers but acknowledged no common and beneficent father. France was akin to an unruly, ungovernable bunch of adolescent fatherless boys.
The letter supplied to you from the George Washington Letters reflected George Washington's sentiment that America would be blest and free to the extent that the American citizenry afforded freedom of conscience and worship, and extended love and charity to their fellow man; that every citizen owes not only kindness and love to his neighbors of different origins and beliefs, but a willingness to defend the rights of their fellow citizens to be different.
That having been said, your second choice for an essay question that you should bring typed and double-spaced to Monday night’s class should address the following:
Paraphrase the Parable of the Good Samaritan in language that reflects the realities of modern day America. We do not have a majority of Jews, our mainstream religious leaders are not priests nor Levites, and we’re short on Samaritans as an unpopular religious minority.
How does the teaching behind this parable correlate to the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution. (Think. Who are the priest, Levite, and Samaritan of the 21st century, and who would be the beat-up man?)
How did the Samaritan man exhibit a sentiment similar to the principles that underlie guarantees of due process of law, and equal protection under the law, guaranteed by the Constitution? (Think….Did he know the injured man? Were they of similar backgrounds? What was the relationship of Jews and Samaritans?)
How do you plan to imitate both George Washington and the Good Samaritan?
In case you don’t have access to a good, modern-language translation of the Bible, here’s the text, found at Luke 10:29-37.
But, wanting to prove himself righteous, the man said to Jesus: “Who really is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among robbers, who both stripped him and inflicted blows, and went out, leaving him half-dead. Now, by coincidence, a certain priest was going down over that road, but, when he saw him, he went by on the opposite side.
Likewise, a Levite also, when he got down to the place and saw him, went by on the opposite side. But a certain Samaritan traveling the road came upon him and, at seeing him he was moved with pity. So he approached him and bound up his wounds, pouring oil and wine upon them. Then he mounted him upon his own beast and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “take care of him, and whatever you spend besides this, I will repay you when I come back here.” Who of these three seems to you to have made himself neighbor to the man that fell among the robbers?” He said: “The one that acted mercifully toward him.” Jesus then said to him: “Go your way and be doing the same yourself.”
Do not worry about the exam. Everyone came into the class with different levels of understanding of the workings of the American bureaucracy and the U.S. Constitution. We all have different levels of writing and speaking ability, yet all of you made a valuable contribution to the class.
If you put forth a whole-hearted effort on both the essay question and participate in the oral discussion of the film we‘ll watch on Monday night, you will make an A on the exam. I only expect you to give your best effort. The essay, to be handed in before class starts on Monday, is your choice of one…either the (1) Free Speech Question or (2) Good Samaritan Question. You should bring your essay typed and double-spaced to Monday night’s class.
Keep in touch. I hope that I turned you into, not a bunch of shysters, but into fair and frank journalists, who play a key role in the maintenance of liberty in any nation. In any case, never be afraid to speak up for your fellow citizen who cannot speak for himself. As Paul Overstreet said, “Love helps those who cannot help themselves“.
Only if you conduct yourself as kind, honest citizens of integrity do you have the right to expect to be treated with fairness and kindness and honesty yourself. Anyone of any background as to faith or color can meet those specs. Always maintain the ability to respond appropriately. That’s what responsible citizenship and freedom are all about. We are living through a great age for Constitutional issues, I believe. It is my hope that you will participate by standing up fearlessly to protect all citizens’ rights to due process of law, impartial and equal protection under the law, to every man’s right to worship and raise a family free from terror, to your fellowman’s inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Please accept my best wishes for your continued health and happiness. See ya in the movies.
Sincerely,
Victoria Johnson Hoggatt
Adjunct Instructor
American Government 2305
P.S. Good news! A better government is coming! Matthew 6:9 and 10
I want to go home! Who are we?
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