The Founders' Key Lecture Series

The Founders' Key By Larry P. Arnn

The Founders' Key: The Divine and Natural Connection Between the Declaration and the Constitution and What We Risk by Losing It 

Like many Americans we believe that America is at a crossroads and that this November’s election will be one of the most important in our nation’s 220 year existence.  Over the next 10 days we will present Hillsdale College’s 10-part lecture series presented by Dr. Larry P. Arnn at The Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship of Hillsdale College. This lecture took place on December 2, 2011 at The Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center in Washington D.C.

Dr. Arnn believes historians today commonly claim that the Constitution of 1787 marked a break with the Declaration of Independence of 1776, even speaking of two foundlings. Arnn contends this is both false and destructive of liberty. In fact, the principles of the Declaration command the arrangements of the Constitution, and the arrangements of the Constitution embody the principles of the Declaration. It is critical today to regain an understanding and love of the unity of these two grand documents.

We hope you will join us over the next 10-days and watch these very important lectures, reacquaint yourself with the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and strongly consider what you learn when choosing a candidate to represent your interests in November and other elections between now and then.  Here is “The Founders' Key" - Larry P. Arnn, the first lecture in this series.

Democrats Upset Over Justice Scalia's Health Care Comments

Amendment VIII, United States Constitution

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted (Emphasis mine).

Here is one more example of the Democrats’ hypocrisy.In all honesty, Democrats have not cornered the market on dishonesty or hypocrisy. 

Want more?

Celebrate Thomas Jefferson's Birthday

Today marks the 269th anniversary of Thomas Jefferson's birth.

According to James A. Bear, Jr. (Curator of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation from 1955 to 1974 and Resident Director from 1971 to 1984), no reference has been found in Jefferson's or his family's papers to a private celebration of any of his eighty-three birthdays.  Neither were public levees or galas held during his lifetime to mark the day. Jefferson himself seems to have actively discouraged public observances of his birthday:

1801. "On Mr. Jefferson's accession to the Presidency the mayor and corporation had waited on him, requesting to be informed, which was his birthday, as they wished to celebrate it with proper respect.   “The only birthday I ever commemorate,' replied he, 'is that of our Independence, the Fourth of July.'’

30 August 1803. "...disapproving myself of transferring the honors and veneration for the great birthday of our republic to any individual, or of dividing them with individuals, I have declined letting my own birthday be known, and have engaged my family not to communicate it. This has been the uniform answer to every application of the kind."  —Thomas Jefferson to Levi Lincoln

Thomas Jefferson - The Almighty Pen

Thirty-three-year-old Thomas Jefferson was assigned the task of writing the Declaration of Independence.

State of the Union 2012: Obama unveils ‘Buffett Rule’

While the president and  Democrats in Congress lust for the so-called ‘Buffett Rule,’ a tax reform named for billionaire Warren Buffett which would create a top marginal tax rate of 30 percent for every dollar earned after the first million earned in a year. While the existing top marginal tax rate is supposed to be 35% there are several loopholes the ‘Buffet Rule’ “aims to end.

However, there are approximately one billion things that our president and Buffett are neglecting to tell the American people.

Acording to a Newsmax Moneynews story entitled: Report: Buffett's Berkshire Owes $1 Billion In Back Taxes.

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett triggered a major debate over taxes recently when he wrote in The New York Times that he should be paying more to the federal government. He called on Washington lawmakers to up tax rates on the rich.

But it turns out that Buffett’s own company, Berkshire Hathaway, has had every opportunity to pay more taxes over the last decade. Instead, it’s been mired in a protracted legal battle with the Internal Revenue Service over a bill that one analyst estimates may total $1 billion.

Yes, that’s right: while Warren Buffett complains that the rich aren’t paying their fair share his own company has been fighting tooth and nail to avoid paying a larger share.

The story of Berkshire's years-long tax battle, which is generally known in business circles, took on new life this week when a group called Americans for Limited Government (ALG) reported that, according to Berkshire Hathaway’s own annual report, the company is embroiled in an ongoing standoff over its tax bills.

That report, in turn, was cited in an editorial in The New York Post.

“Obvious question: If Buffett really thinks he and his 'mega-rich friends' should pay higher taxes, why doesn’t his firm fork over what it already owes under current rates?” the Post opined.

“Likely answer: Buffett cares more about shilling for President Obama -- who’s practically made socking “millionaires and billionaires” his re-election theme song -- than about kicking in more himself.”  Click to read the full text of this article...

Update on Friday, April 13, 2012 at 11:33 AM by Basil Ryan

Obama tax return shows 2011 earnings of $789,674

The White House says President Barack Obama and his family paid more than $160,000 in federal taxes last year.

The president's 2011 federal income tax return shows reported adjusted gross income of about $790,000 last year. About half of the first family's income is the president's salary. The White House says the rest comes from sales of Obama's books.

Obama's effective tax rate is just above 20 percent—lower than many Americans who earn less. The president has made tax-rate fairness a campaign issue. Read more…

SURPRISED?

Is Executive Summary by Epstein Uhen the Work of Vollmer & Associates?

This morning—as I normally  do—I read Janet Evans’ FranklinNOW blog, Board's Eye View.   This morning I found an article she wrote about the looming prospect of building new school facilities in the Franklin School District.

In her piece Janet links and points her readers to the Executive Summary produced for the District by Epstein Uhen Architects.   After reading it I “Goggled” the following line from this report: “America’s public schools can be traced back to 1640 when founders assumed…”

What I found was a paper written in 2001 by Jamie Vollmer of Vollmer and Associates.Vollmer and Associates paper is strikingly similar to the Executive Summary “written by Epstein Uhen.”

Links to both are below:

• Epstein Uhen Executive Summary
• Schools Cannot do This  Alone by Jamie Vollmer  2001 Vollmer and Associates

Epstein Uhen’s report begins:

This report is to provide an objective analysis of the present condition and capabilities at the Franklin High School and Forest Park Middle School for the Franklin Public Schools. The information presented in this report was gathered through on-site inspections of the sites and buildings, interviews with the building Administration, Teachers, Aides and Maintenance staff during November and December 2011. Eppstein Uhen Architects utilized Muermann Engineering for review of the plumbing and electrical systems while Fredericksen Engineering provided a review of the Mechanical (HVAC) system…

Are Franklin taxpayers expected to pay Epstein Uhen for Vollmer and Associates work?

Does Epstein Uhen pay Vollmer and Associates a royalty for using its work?

Bill Whittle: Conservatives and Republicans Really Suck!

When you get down to it, all Liberal criticism of Conservatives comes down to "YOU SUCK!" And they're right! Conservative commentator Bill Whittle tells us why.

Bill Whittle’s FIREWALL is a regular feature on THE FRANKLIN INDEPENDENT JOURNAL.

Bill Whittle The Battle of Big Ideas: A Tale of Two Revolutions

A friend and long-time reader recommended Conservative commentator Bill Whittle’s FIREWALL YouTube video channel to us.  We liked it so much that we decided to make it a regular feature.

Look for Whittle’s conservative, common sense videos here in the future.

In this first video Whittle points out that before you can build a political house, you have to know what materials you have on hand. In 'The Battle of Big Ideas," Whittle looks at the two visions of Mankind that Thomas Sowell has labeled "Constrained" and "Unconstrained," and the examples of their twin Revolutions: the Constrained American Revolution and the Unconstrained French Revolution.

We thought this might be of some interest to you.

"Unelected group of people..."

“Whoever attentively considers the different departments of power must perceive, that, in a government in which they are separated from each other, the judiciary, from the nature of its functions, will always be the least dangerous to the political rights of the Constitution; because it will be least in a capacity to annoy or injure them.”—Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 78, 1788

It has been cited relatedly throughout his first term that President Obama is a Constitutional professor/ Lawyer. Obama must have been absent from class when his professors were discussing the three separate but equal branches of America's Republican form of government.

TOTALITARIAN

1. Of or relating to centralized control by an autocratic leader or hierarchy : authoritarian, dictatorial; especially: despotic.
2. Of or relating to a political regime based on subordination of the individual to the state and strict control of all aspects of the life and productive capacity of the nation especially by coercive measures.

March's most read article: Dear School Board Candidate Don Petre…

 

I am not a teacher in the Franklin Public school District but thanks to local blogger Bryan Maersch’s Wag the Dog blog I was able to read the pathetic email you reportedly sent to Franklin public school teachers attempting to garner support for your candidacy while belittling your opponents’ education.

Is this an example of how you intend to—in your words—“bring our community together.” You're nothing more than a hypoctitcal elitist that Franklin voters, including those who never graduated from college, will see through.

I see from your email that you have a BS in Education from UW-Madison, MS in Educational Administration and Supervision from UW-Milwaukee, and 23 years of experience working in the education field, along with ten years of teaching a graduate level college course.

As for your opponents you write.

Janet – HS diploma only

Aimee— Degree in Psychology but NO experience in the field.

History is littered with successful private and public sector leaders who do not hold college degrees and yet, have managed to change the course of mankind and the world. 

President Abraham Lincoln did not attend college and President Harry S. Truman attended law school but did not graduate.  George Washington did not attend college per se however he did earn a surveyor’s license from the College of William and Mary.  Henry Ford never attended college.   Steve Jobs was a college dropout and Bill Gates another college dropout received an honorary degree from Harvard in 2007.

You also write that “Neither of them [Evans or Schlueter] would ever get any consideration for a Board position at any multi-million dollar company."  How would you know?   Based on the resume you provided in your email you’ve never worked a day in your adult life in the private sector.

Please tell us the names of the corporations where you have served on the board of directors.

You also complain “They are trying to use my union membership against me.  I believe it enhances my credentials and resume.  I will be able to use this experience in labor and in management to bring both sides together and see issues from both perspectives.  In order to see progress in our district, we need the School Board members to be on the same page.”

I’m not convinced Petre understands who he will represent if he were elected.  But then again I never graduated from college.

OPERATION: HOT MIC

If you didn't already know, President Barrack Hussein  Obama was recently caught on a "hot mic" collaborating with the Russians on his 2012 reelection campaign.  If this isn't colaborating.  What would you call it?