OPINION:
Woke indoctrination has even hijacked the homes of our Founders.
It has become increasingly clear that many on the left want to wipe out the positive contributions made by many of the leading figures of our nation and—ultimately—our founding principles. We must fight back.
The latest example of wokeism taking over American history comes at the Virginia home of James Madison. A recent story notes that there is not a single display on the property in Montpelier that focuses on the life and accomplishments of the author of our Constitution.
Visitors––many hoping to learn more about the two-term president who designed our three-branch systems of government and wrote the Bill of Rights and several of the Federalist Papers––quickly find that the site has been converted into a bastion of wokeism where slavery and racism take center stage.
The fact that there are no American flags flying at the home of our 4th President is a visual reminder of the hijacking of American history after a $10 million grant from liberal philanthropist David M. Rubenstein. He is the globalist billionaire who funded the radical renovation of Thomas Jefferson’s home.
Monticello, the home built by America’s third president, is no longer a tribute to the author of the Declaration of Independence. Instead, visitors are overwhelmed with the horrors of slavery.
Back at President Madison’s Montpelier, a visitor will find an exhibit critical of the first 18 presidents. That list includes two leaders who never owned slaves: John Adams and Abraham Lincoln. Their sin is that they benefited from slavery in some way.
Hard to imagine that the president who issued the Emancipation Proclamation, personally pushed for passage of the 13th Amendment, and was ultimately killed by a supporter of the Confederacy benefited from slavery. Sadly, this is how far removed from reality these places have become because of liberal boards and woke donors.
Ironically, the only lengthy discussion about the Constitution in the home of its author is a new display that sounds like it was written from the 1619 Project. They make the erroneous claim that the American system of governance was built on racism.
Most importantly, it ignores the reality that the people of the United States of America continue to strive to fulfill the promise of the Declaration of Independence that all people are created equal with rights given to us by God, not the government. And it is the improvement of the Constitution, by the people, that moves us toward being a more perfect nation.
In contrast to the organizations running Montpelier and Monticello, I am proud that Young America’s Foundation owns and operates the Reagan Ranch in a way that is consistent with the common sense conservative values of our 40th president.
In 1974, then-Governor Ronald Reagan purchased his Rancho del Cielo which rests in the mountains outside of Santa Barbara, California. The 688-acre ranch is where the President and First Lady spent a total of about one of their eight years in office. It was there that he took long rides, often saying that “there’s nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse.”
On August 13, 1981, President Reagan signed the largest tax cut in American history in front of his small ranch house. He hosted Queen Elizabeth, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev all at his humble ranch. And he spent endless hours there working on plans to restrain government regulations and defeat Communism.
President Reagan’s home is small and simple with little reference to his time in Hollywood or Washington. Instead, it is filled with gifts and mementos that were important to the Reagans.
The President frequently rode on the nearly 20 miles of trails on the property. There were places where the path opened up to the ocean or the valley. These breathtaking views and spaces reflect his belief in the untapped potential of the American people—as long as we continue to protect freedom.
I am proud to lead Young America’s Foundation and proud that we continue to preserve President Reagan’s beloved ranch. His books, boots, hats, saddles, and other special items are all still there—like they just left yesterday. We will continue to protect his legacy.
Occasionally, people confuse us with the Reagan Library. We are not part of the same organization. The Reagan Ranch is where you learn about the man.
Students who visit the Reagan Ranch are part of conferences featuring some of the best speakers in the conservative movement. Not only will we continue to preserve President Reagan’s home, but also the values and principles he fought for throughout his public life. He understood that freedom is only one generation away from extinction. That’s why we are training the next generation of leaders in the fight to preserve freedom—just like our founders did.
• Scott Walker is the president of Young America’s Foundation and served as the 45th governor of Wisconsin from 2011 to 2019.
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