September 12, 2007

In yesterday's blog, I mentioned a video about the Declaration of Independence that I show in my civics class. I wish to start with that video today. It is split into two parts in order to conform to YouTube's length requirement, but in total, it is just short of 15 minutes long. I encourage you to watch it, for if you do, you cannot help but be moved by the power of that document written in 1776. We cannot forget the importance of the message of the Declaration of Independence.

This document, its meaning, its power is why I choose to teach. The message here is the most valuable lesson of any social studies in American public schools. Every time I hear it, my passion for teaching about freedoms, government, cultures, and tolerance is renewed.

And what about Thomas Jefferson? The man who took John Locke's ideas of Natural Rights and applied them to the situation in the 13 colonies. Some would say that he would be mortified to see the United States and how freedom has gone crazy. But I don't think so. I think that, if he is given a chance to catchup with the technology and all the neat gadgets (like iPods and electric lighting) he would be OK with it. Now, I didn't say he would head over heels in love with the current situation, I mean, seriously, he owned slaves (though he had a problem with slavery - quite a contradiction). But, by all accounts, Jefferson was a liberal (for his time). But by today's standards, his brand of liberalism would be quite conservative. I believe, however, that he would be somewhat relieved by the state of equality in the United States. After all, the Declaration called for greater equality, greater freedom. In this way all people could be protected by their government because all people would be able to have their opinions, gripes, grievances, petitions, heard.