OPINION:
Sen. Bernie Sanders, according to financial disclosures posted at the Center for Responsive Politics’ OpenSecrets.org website, has the teachers in his pocket — or, more to the truth, in his wallet.
And that’s worrisome.
That means not only are today’s teachers largely ignorant of constitutional truths, but that also means tomorrow’s leaders are well on their way to becoming just as ignorant.
Look at this, a data set titled “Which Kinds of Donors are Funding the Presidential Hopefuls?” and posted on the Open Secrets website: Sanders, by and large, has reaped his biggest whirlwind of support from the so-called educated crowd. From teachers, he’s received $949,470; from professors, meanwhile, he’s received an additional $361,408.
That’s $1.3 million and some change from those who are supposed to be the better educated batch of the country — from those who are supposed to be schooled in history and government and civics and law — given directly to the one who is trying with every campaign step to tear down the fabric of the country. To the socialist candidate who is trying to shove his socialist views down a democratic-republic country’s throat.
Simply put, the Constitution and socialism cannot coexist.
That’s basic Civics 101.
That’s the sublime message that stares down at elementary students everywhere as they view classroom posters of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, as they gaze at the cursive text of printed copies of the Declaration of Independence, as they take fieldtrips to Washington, D.C., to look upon the rich histories, such as Statuary Hall on Capitol Hill, scattered about the National Mall.
And bingo — that’s the problem.
That was then.
This is now.
America’s public schools used to teach American exceptionalism, American independence, American rugged individualism.
America’s public school systems now teach America owes the world an apology — that white male Americans owe all minorities and all women apologies. And reparation dollars, too.
The result of this twisted teaching has been to bring the socialists out of the cobwebbed corners, and thrust them right smack into America’s hot political scene. As if they belong.
But they don’t. They don’t belong in the light. They belong in the dark corners.
And to send them scurrying back there, American parents must either insist on their local schools teaching the truthful history of America’s great founding — or take on the job of teaching their children themselves.
If teachers are funding Sanders, and professors at higher places of learning are donating to socialists, then you can be sure the students they teach aren’t learning anything positive about America — or negative about socialism. And this is the biggest threat facing our nation today.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley.
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