Introduction

Why does our pledge of allegiance direct allegiance to “the Republic” form of government? The conduct and vocalized interests of many Americans indicates we are in pursuit of a Democracy. The word “Democracy” saturates the vocabulary of education, today, as the pledge of allegiance is given less importance. Does a Republic form of government require a certain conduct from the people in order to maintain the benefits of it? Is freedom and minority rights secured in a Democracy form of government?

There’s an undeniable level of divisiveness we have not seen in recent history with two completely different universes being maintained. An elected official no longer settles the peoples’ business. Instead, they are protested with repeated narratives and intimidated at every turn right up to a final decision. The Supreme Court, intended to operate on principle, is not off limits for protest and intimidation, even by other elected officials constitutionally limited from doing so. Yes, much of the disgruntled activity is within legal limits, but the hostility and coercing comes from a democracy form of government, which Aristotle deemed “the worst of all governments.” In a democracy, public opinion of the day influences the ideas and decisions of government and of the citizenry. Could dismissing our Republic form of government be a part of the equation and cause of that divisiveness?

Abraham Lincoln said, “The philosophy of the classroom in one generation will be the philosophy of the government in the next.” 

Education has changed and so has the wellbeing of our society. Is there a connection or cause-and-effect between these two changes? 

What is shared in this book should be the most esteemed knowledge in our society today, especially in the culture of the “educated”. But there is no “honorable mention” or even a footnote of this insightful knowledge among graduates, anymore. 

This book is an attempt to awaken you to history-making events, shake up your thinking, and welcome you to connect the dots you may not have considered before. The chapters ahead will uniquely challenge those who consider themselves “Conservative” and may be a complete disconnect for others who are stuck in a tribal mentality. The responses to my material from both sides of the political aisle have been very similar. My hope is that for anyone reading this book, history and our future will not be viewed the same way, again. 

Please understand that a partisan argument or grinding an axe against education for the sake of an argument and an audience is not intended, nor is it helpful. Conversely, you may find that you have partisan views powerful enough to derail this journey. Biased views are unavoidable in life but there are ways to balance them.

I am writing this just after the actor, Jussie Smollett was found guilty on 5 counts of federal crimes for reporting a staged attack on himself that involved hired-thugs who are the same race as he is. The hoax attack was claimed to be political and motivated out of hate for his homosexuality and race, which gained world-wide attention. A month before that, Kyle Rittenhouse was declared not guilty on 6 counts of capital crimes which leaves us with the conclusion that he was defending himself during the anarchy in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August of 2020. There are some in the media still claiming that a 17 year old Kyle Rittenhouse was and still is, a “white supremist” despite the fact that no evidence was found on his cell phone or otherwise and his attackers he shot were Caucasian. 

Rittenhouse is expected to join another young adult named Nicholas Sandmann, in his multi-millionaire status as a recipient of lawsuit settlements. The lawsuits are for defamation of a minor as corporate news outlets labeled him a “racist”, as well. In 2019, Sandmann stood in place smiling when a Native American walked up to him to stare him down while beating a handheld tambourine drum in Sandmann’s face. Sandmann just completed one of a few lawsuits, and filed 5 more this month. His settlements are undisclosed but indications are that the accumulated amount is around a half a billion dollars and climbing. 

This is a sad commentary on the news organizations that are informing the American people and evidence of at least one source of monumental division in our country.

So far, I am not aware of any lawsuits going to court with all of them ending in a settlement. In other words, the news outlets being sued have conceded with “no contest” to their disgusting misleading reports that unnecessarily divided America based on false information. Is a half a billion dollars really enough for their damage? Riots brought on by the claims of racism in the death of George Floyd, in May of 2020, were estimated to be 2 billion dollars in structure damage alone, according to some sources. Did you know that the Minnesota Attorney General said there was no evidence of racism, neither was Derek Chauvin charged with any crime based on racism? 

We have a lot of highly publicized claims of racism, but they fail to deliver a fact pattern. The damage to an orderly society has been delivered, with 2021 marking a record for police officers being shot.

Many elected officials, prominent celebrities, and broadcast personalities weighed in on these, and many other events just after they occurred. Despite additional facts to the contrary, they cling to their positions and racist narratives right up and through the trial, only to be proven wrong. They express no regrets. Even a sitting president awaits the fallout from his comments of defamation towards a minor, Kyle Rittenhouse. [ Their misapplied condemnation seems to pledge allegiance to divide the country and to dismiss the only system that delivers conclusive justice. ]

Have we become a nation of truth-seekers in a Republic or agenda-drivers in a Democracy? Does the timing of making their positions known reveal an agenda or an honest pursuit of the truth? The answer to that question continues to be confirmed in current events. 

Despite science becoming society's prestigious guide for life, data, analysis, and conclusions come in a wide variety in the middle of a pandemic. The Supreme Court proceedings don't even escape the agendas and information war of our day.

Today's headline:
"3,500 kids are in hospital, not 100,000': CDC Director Wallensky corrects liberal Justice Sotomayor's wildly false claim that 'over 100,000 children are seriously ill with COVID, many on ventilators' "

As I write, there are also outbreaks of what are known as “smash-and-grab” crimes that are occurring in numerous cities across America. This crime of smash-and-grab involves numerous thieves coordinating an ambush on a retail business to run through, to break glass showcases, grab merchandise, and run back to the cars lined up out front as their get-away. One such City is San Francisco, California. The conduct of their “Progressive” Mayor, London Breed, represents the politics of the other cities across America experiencing the same extreme crime spikes along with the “smash-and-grab” recklessness. Seventeen cities have broken homicide records in 2021. As if they had no inclination about the importance swift justice is to the order of society, “Progressive” mayors implemented their nuanced policies of leniency on crime. Like so many others indicating what they are about to do, Mayor Breed announced a 180 degree turn around on her “Defund the Police” campaign and soft-on-crime policies that started in 2016. She approved a 120 million dollar cut from law enforcement’s budget last year and indicates that will be reversed. 

Among many similar issues topping the news are what they are calling a “historic border crisis” on the Mexican border and a Russian threat growing on the border of Ukraine. An 80 year old U.S. President, with a 50-year career in politics, beginning at age 29, is continuing to show signs of senility. 

Extensive experience in most anything produces an inherent benefit, except not in politics. The administration this president has surrounded himself with is operating on ever-changing political motives. Many policies of the previous administration were reversed within days of their Commander-in-Chief being sworn in, January 2021. 

If there are sound principles to operate under, that don’t change from one administration to another, whose principles are they? 

Also in the news this month, is a Penn State University transgender “athlete” named Will Thomas who has crushed records in women’s swim sports. The famous MMA Octagon Fighting-ring is not even off limits for transgenders, which left one female fighter with a fractured skull delivered by Boyd Burton, in 2014. He didn’t make his transgender status known to promoters and commissioners until after he established a 3-0 record. With organizer’s full knowledge, his fighting career in the women’s class continued. 

“Intriguing”, might not be most people’s reaction to the short list of numerous absurdities, but if we are repeating history that hasn’t been learned, it is what I would call an intriguing aspect of the human condition. 

What is shared in this introduction and what is conveyed in the title of this book, may tip you off to where all this is going. 

There are actually a few angles from which to look at this unique knowledge in this book. My conclusions may be better explained by Historians, Theologians, Bible Scholars, Sociologists, Apologist, and authors, but very few ever do. 

I am a graduate from a university, I taught at the community college level as a second job, and have traveled a bit - Israel, Germany, Washington D.C., the States, Mexico, Canada, but I don’t think any of this has helped me in this journey. I defended the dissenting view and debated my instructors much of my college years. One professor ended the class early in the middle of a debate that was not going his way. 

I became disinterested in furthering a college teaching career after discovering it's not for everyone and after the loss of my close Father-in-law and Father. However, because of what seems to be a unique position of holding essential knowledge that has been widely disregarded and only gets shared through very limited outlets, I have been compelled to teach informally wherever I can. I also encourage others to do the same, whether it be a brief exchange in a grocery store checkout line or at the DMV, or just delivering a well-placed comment that others can ponder at a family gathering.

For over 30 years I followed current events (“politics”) very closely and reached out to alert others to help navigate different issues. I mailed out copies of my discoveries, gave devotions, and then thanks to the internet, I sent out emails for several years until that turned into a social media outreach. In 2019, I established a social media group page and website/blog with the title, “The American Expedition.” These endeavors were more like a hobby to me with no expectations. Then I came up with this personal spontaneous “teaching campaign” and witnessed some enthusiastic responses. Considering the gravity of our circumstances, it would seem that this enthusiasm would follow all the other endeavors and command much more interest in the solution offered.

So, I will write this book in the hopes of passing the baton; that informal patient teachers would emerge to make patient teachers. Hopefully, this book also provides the words to say what a great number yearn to hear and know need to be said.

There seems to be a segment of society that builds their disgruntled and tenuous realities on repeated talking points and narratives. It only takes little disagreement today to stoke the extreme volatile divisiveness in American life. 

But potential volatility or controversy should not deter us from delivering these unique discoveries. Controversy has not caused me to shy away too much in my life. In fact, at a very young age, if discussing the world’s problems was not taking place in a mixed family gathering, I could pipe up with something like, “do you believe it’s ok for kids to get spankings?” Relationships may or may not have suffered because of my inquiries. I was searching then and loved debates and still do. A debate between the best of experts is invaluable to me. It is the method by which our justice system operates. 

However, to highlight the value of remaining in a learning/teaching mode over debating, it is worth noting that arguments are won in sparring debates and converts are won by patiently teaching. What is more valuable in a shortage of teachers of the truth? It takes some discipline and commitment to refrain from veering into divisiveness and to keep a caring and teaching approach about you. Asking questions in a learning/teaching mode can be much less threatening and it projects an inclusive journey. Students own their discoveries. Good teachers are just facilitators for their student’s discoveries.

These spontaneous lessons with random people requires quick assessment of the demeanor and tone of those we engage. Reading between the lines and being knowledgeable helps intercept passive aggressive communications to engage or disengage. It is also necessary to know when you have reached that sweet spot, to avoid over-saturation, and when it is time for a warm and reassuring departure. 

Your knowledge will reach a level that also needs to be viewed as a commodity and worth preserving to avoid exposure to belligerence. People who have made up their mind despite the facts make themselves known quickly. Our satisfaction is simply in delivering a factoid, a brief exchange, or message, and having a reassuring departure, knowing that the result is outside of our control. One who knows the truth is only going to lead a horse to water and knows the horse can’t be forced to drink. But our times call for saying something instead of a dismissive view of our influence. Additionally, you don’t know what the “takeaway” is for others and whether they are compelled or not. Perceived awkward moments means that you are trying and you may have just uncovered some ignorance. 

Further value of cordial discussions as opposed to debates, is that they are more comfortable and therefore become more frequent as we gain experience, grow our knowledge base, while our confidence emerges. You can become one of many to deliver some much-needed, profound, and relevant awareness to the ensnared culture of our day.

Please come along, whoever you are and whatever your worldview might be. 

The rich and encouraging exchanges I have had far outnumber the others. The only regrets I have had are missing an opportunity to interject a comment. It’s a growing experience along the way. 

Part of the intrigue about where my research has led me is in the reactions, non-reactions, or interactions in response to my discoveries. I have also gotten some crickets from like-minded friends, some indications of stereotypical judgements, blank stares, and the predictable racist accusation from the tribal-minded who do not have a credible rebuttal. It is further peculiar that the dots to be connected are right in front of us all. So peculiar is all of this, that I now categorize my experiences as a phenomenon of a mysterious, spiritual nature.

Our culture has been so tainted or compartmentalized that no one escapes a political label from tribal-minded minions. There is hope to break free to become aware of the volatility that confronts every generation, or as well, become aware of an inner peace that can be available no matter what perceptions may be. 

Although much of my discoveries are about addressing contemporary “politics” in a whole different way, I hate to call it “politics”, because it’s the magic word to dismiss what is perceived to be a tired old subject. I’ll explain further later on and will reluctantly use the word “politics”, again. 

Hopefully, the subject matter of this book may be reaching such a high pitch in the times we live, that partisanship or political tribes may be dissipating a bit with people abandoning their political affiliation. Instead, the categories that may be emerging are the advocacy for America’s original ideals with a persistent skewed view of them on the opposing side. This represents the only two worldviews that exist, that I will describe later. 

The challenging question for you is, for the sake of the truth, are you willing to accept the possibility that an Education System or a Political Party’s/Platform may be on the wrong side of history or of an issue, whatever ground you currently stand on? 

Difficult concepts that challenge our paradigm are more interesting if we ask, “what if it were true?” That has been a paradigm-changing question for me. For example, one of my favorite authors, Vishal Mangalwadi shares that the difference between the status of South America and the U.S. is that missionaries spread a gospel that did not change hearts like our Founding Fathers experienced. Therein lies the conundrum. If true, the solution to a dysfunctional status the greatest country currently finds itself in, is on the individual level and person by person basis while the level of corruption on both sides of the continent is now very concerning with hearts not changed. If true, is that the connection and a cause-and-effect in our dysfunctional circumstances, today?

Does this mean there may be a connection between the “Born Again” Gospel and the dignified, justice-administering, safety-securing, freedom-protecting societies around the world? If so, how does that manifest into solving national problems when it’s contained on the personal, individual level? 

If anything gets your attention so far, it should be that, patient teachers (spontaneous tutors) are desperately needed and “The People get the government they deserve, in a free society.” I don’t know if this can be emphasized enough going forward. We can tell by the conduct of the citizenry that the gravity of this subject is not comprehended. Students no longer appreciate what Americans have inherited and what it takes to maintain it.

A lot of money is being made just stating problems. A saturation of problems and over-stating them should awaken and even intensify man’s nature to be a solution-finder and problem-solver. Where are the men? You see attempts being made but are we finding the right avenues? Do too many people see the solution more troublesome than the problem? I am THAT “guy” obsessed with solutions and thinking outside the box. 

The irony of the solution is that it is held at the individual level. Hopefully, highlighting the issues from a societal context can help with comprehension but in this conundrum or puzzle, the wellbeing of our country ultimately remains with each one of us. 

This book should challenge your thinking to start to connect dots you have not considered before, which are right in front of us, and that it will reveal your thinking ability to break free.