It is ironic these days that with more ways to get news or information than ever because of the internet and cable, there are more ways to be misinformed.

One of the most egregious examples of misinformation promoted in America, only for the last 50 years of so, is what is stated in the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I am not sure who added this infamous clause, maybe the Supreme Court (?), but “the wall of separation between Church and State ” is not there. The beginning states as follows: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof “. The “wall of separation” phrase was apparently taken from a letter written on January 1, 1802 by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association in Connecticut. This is after the Constitution was ratified. Plus Jefferson wasn’t even involved in writing the Constitution or any of its amendments since he was out of the country in France at the time. He wrote this letter in response to the association’s request for his intervention as President in a dispute the church was having with the Connecticut State Government. He advised them that since the U.S. Constitution prohibits the Federal Government from making laws regarding the practice or establishment of religion, there was a “wall between church and state” that prevented him from helping them. After receiving the letter, the association did go back to their state government to resolve their dispute. When prayer was removed from our schools, the federal government (Supreme Court) made a law prohibiting the exercise of freedom of religion which is unconstitutional. How arrogant that the Supreme Court could think they knew better about what the 1st Amendment really means when the founders who wrote it allowed prayer in schools, as well as crosses and scripture in the public square and on government buildings for that matter.

Many Americans are misinformed about the creation and function of the Federal Government. The first ten amendments in the constitution were added to put a check on the Federal Government’s power over each State and individual citizen. The 10th Amendment plainly states: “The powers not delegated to the United States (the Federal Government) by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.” This means that agencies like the Departments of Education, Energy, Agriculture, and many others are unconstitutional or illegal. The U.S. Constitution does not mention anything  about overseeing Education or any of these other areas.

The familiar saying that those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it is certainly true, but also, if people do not know history it is easier for others to rewrite it. With more of this happening in our media and textbooks, we should look for historical accounts that were written as close as possible to the time and place the events occurred.  Also, witnesses quoted should have as close to first hand knowledge of the information as possible. For example, a myth was started shortly after the civil war ended that the southern states seceded from the union because of states rights, not because of slavery. In the book “The Myth of the Lost Cause,” by Edward H. Bonekemper , he quotes from every southern state’s declaration for secession , and they all mention slavery as the main reason for leaving the union. The Confederate Constitution’s only difference was that special provisions were made for slavery. What better sources can you get to dismiss the myth than these?

Part 2 coming next week.