Today, while I was resolving a problem at school due to my rented text book, laptop and wallet being the victim of random theft from my car (which is a totally different story), I came across something interesting. I was waiting in line at my University's bookstore reception desk when I eye'd a political science book, "The American Founding." Honest to God, the first thing that came to my mind was, "I wonder what liberal indoctrinations exist in that book". Since I had a moment before the lady helping me would return, I grabbed the book and randomly flipped to a page. So I read this randomly flipped-to page, which was literally the first page I opened to, and was so surprised I had an audible gasp. It so happened that I flipped to a "critical thinking" question about the Declaration of Independence. The text was asking the question, "Is the Declaration of Independence True," and more specifically, is the phrase in it true—that all men are created equal and endowed [by their Creator—left out] with certain unalienable rights? I couldn't believe the number of subtle, yet clear attempts at indoctrination that was in this short segment. I quickly took pictures of the page, book and ISBN. I am an Information Systems major attending Utah Valley University in Orem, UT.
Here is the full text:
But Is It True?
In his freshman seminar on American politics, Professor Charles R. Kesler, at Clarmont McKenna College, asks his students a question they have trouble answering. Is the Declaration of Independence true?
"Invariably," he reports, "there are loads of bright freshman who know all about it and who can discourse plausibly on the Declaration's roots in the Enlightenment, John Locke's influence on it authors, the economic interests that actuated its signers, and so forth." But then comes the question about truth. "Are men created equal and endowed with certain unalienable rights?"
The question never fails to floor them. What does he mean? they ask one another. What is he talking about? They look at each other and grin sheepishly. For in the world of the college freshman of the 1990s, things are never true or false; they are useful, or handy, or relevant or the opposite of those three. "In their [the Founders'] opinion, it was true," a freshman will finally volunteer. That is about as far as a discussion of truth can go these days.
So, we might stop and consider the same question ourselves. Is the Declaration of Independence true? Or is it only one of those expressions of belief which have their little niche in history? And if the latter, what is it, exactly, that we stand for as a people—and why do we think it is so wonderful that Communism is falling apart?
Indoctrinations that I picked up:
1. It asserted college freshman are naive and don't yet understand the "widely accepted concept" that the Declaration is a fable.
2. The intent of the Founders signature on the document, just below the line that reads "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor," was actually motivated for economic interests.
3. That the declaration is a fable, having a niche in human history
4. It removed references to a Creator when quoting the Founding document.
5. That truth is relative.
6. That Communism is a course we should consider in light of these things.
Below are the pictures I snapped. Your thoughts?
