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Counter-Revolutionary Classical Education
From our Online Academy teacher, Adam De Gree Our schools, universities, and media have been captured by a cult. We need a counter-revolution that replaces the revolutionary dogmas of DEI with what has always been at the core of a good education. 1. The Good 2. The True 3. The Beautiful At Classical Historian, we uphold these eternal values. Our materials are apolitical, and we welcome dialogue with anyone who honestly seeks the truth. But that doesn't mean that we don't see what's happening to our country. According to a comprehensive survey by The Institute for Citizens & Scholars, only 27% of people under the age of 45 have "a very basic understanding" of history. In the words of esteemed historian David McCullough, Americans are suffering from collective amnesia. The result? A people that has no defense against would-be revolutionaries. As of 2024, it's clear that radicals dominate nearly every institution that Americans rely on to learn about the world. Prestigious universities tolerate vicious antisemitism in the name of social justice. The head of NPR claims that truth is subjective and brags about working with the CIA to censor Wikipedia. Federal agencies conspire with Big Tech to suppress dissent. Men give birth, left is right, up is down, war is peace. The American way of life is under attack. We believe that the best way that ordinary people can protect their traditions is to ensure their children receive a genuine, rigorous, and classical education. As James Madison wrote, "The advancement and diffusion of knowledge...is the only guardian of true liberty." Parallel Education System Since so many schools have been captured by ideologues, Americans have started building a parallel education system. This system, comprised of charter schools, private classical schools, and homeschools, exists side-by-side with traditional institutions. In it, students and families are receiving a better education than in mainstream schools. This isn't the first time this has happened. Czechoslovak dissidents like Vaclav Havel faced a similar situation in Czechoslovakia in the late 1970s. Seeing that the Communist Party had corrupted every social organization, they started forming what they called the parallel polis, or parallel society. Czechoslovak dissidents founded an underground university, scouting groups, Christian communities, theater associations, and printing presses. They fundraised for those who had been "cancelled" out of a job for speaking the truth. Most importantly, they created the opportunity to live a normal life in a revolutionary regime. And as N.S. Lyons writes: "In doing so they did far more than keep up morale with pleasant intellectual diversions. They built a resilient base of organization from the ground up. They forged an experienced leadership cadre. They created a flexible underground network-state. And, when the weakened Communist state collapsed, they found themselves poised to quickly step in and fill the vacuum. Suddenly their parallel polis became the polis. Much of the chaos that other post-Communist states faced was thereby peacefully avoided." The parallel education system we're now seeing shoot up across America is built upon time-tested principles. If public schools can't be saved, they don't need to be. We have an alternative. Educating American Leaders Americans know enough about traditional public education to know that they've had enough of it. Homeschooling is growing at a record pace, and in 2024, more than 1 in 20 American schoolchildren learn at home. Moreover, the number of charter schools has grown by about 50 percent over the last ten years. Excitingly, there are likely over 1 million students receiving a classical education right now. And with 34 percent of students set to benefit from school choice in 2024, that number is growing fast. Critics might point out that this still leaves the vast majority of students in the public school system. That's certainly true. But consider this: 54% of American adults read at or below the sixth-grade level. Moreover, a full 21% of adults are illiterate. Are these ill-served Americans likely to form the next generation of leaders? That seems unlikely. On the other hand, students in the parallel education system consistently outperform those in mainstream schools. Homeschoolers earn significantly higher test scores than public school students, and they have higher than average social, emotional, and psychological development. More importantly, they enjoy more professional success, participate in more community service activities, and internalize the values of their parents at higher rates than the public schooled. The burgeoning charter school movement is seeing similar results. According to a comprehensive study of over 6,000 charter schools, 83 percent of charter school students perform at or better than their peer cohort in reading, and 75 percent perform the same or better in math. And while studies on classical school performance are few and far between, early research shows that classical school graduates have huge advantages over public school students. This indicates that the future leaders of America won't be coming from public schools. They will have had the great advantage of learning in the parallel education system. Raising Critical Thinkers How is any of this counter-revolutionary? Here's what John Adams had to say on this topic: “Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.” Knowledge is a prerequisite for self-government. If we lose our knowledge, we will lose our ability to govern ourselves. But that does not mean that there will be no government. It simply means that the government will no longer be of the people, by the people, and for the people. Instead, it will be a government of the powerful, by the powerful, and for the powerful. But it's not just that an uneducated populace cannot govern itself. It's that people who have been cut off from their heritage make easy prey for ideological radicals. If they do not understand the many catastrophes of history, people will not appreciate the civilization that sustains them. To the contrary, they will be manipulated by those who want to tear it down. Just consider the scenes unfolding across college campuses in 2024. As students with no knowledge of world history or geography chanted, "From the River to the Sea" without knowing which river or what sea they were referring to, America's enemies must have been deeply satisfied. The empty heads of American youth served as fertile soil for explicitly Marxist propaganda. Counter-Revolutionary Classical Education Revolutionary regimes have always preyed on the ignorant. People who have no critical thinking skills have formed the backbone of totalitarian societies from Czechoslovakia to Ethiopia and from China to Cuba. Ironically, many have supported oppression in the name of social justice and humanitarian principles. Classical education stands as an obstacle to those who would destroy their own country. Rather than raising the useful idiots of tomorrow, it cultivates critical thinkers who know a rat when they see one. Students who have grappled with the great ideas of Western Civilization will not jump on the bandwagon and call for an end to America. Instead, they will be drawn towards Truth, Beauty, and Goodness like a deer is drawn to running water. Thanks to them, we can have hope in our nation's future. We provide classical history curriculum, history games, online discussion courses, and educator resources for the counter-revolution. Join us. It’s Personal When our co-founder Zdenka went to school in Czechoslovakia in the 1970s, teachers had to teach Communist ideology in the classroom. Anyone caught teaching counter to this thinking could be turned into the authorities. Good Czechoslovak Communists, they said, would report any counter-revolutionary activities to the relevant authorities. When Zdenka was in her early 20s, Czechs and Slovaks rose up peacefully to overthrow the Marxists. She joined protests and passed out pamphlets calling for freedom. Some of her friends were arrested and beaten by police for their "counter-revolutionary activities." Luckily, the counter-revolution carried the day. Ordinary people stood up to state violence and said that they didn't want to live in a revolutionary regime. They wanted a return to normalcy. Growing up in a totalitarian society, Zdenka used to look to America as an example of freedom. Yet after living in California for over 20 years, she knows that many Marxists have brought their revolution here. Americans still enjoy freedoms that are rarely protected in other countries. But as time goes on, it's becoming more difficult to live a normal life in the US. Everywhere you look, you see people trying to replace normalcy with revolutionary ideas. Not at Classical Historian. We offer a traditional historical perspective, one that rejects revolutionary dogmas. We believe in good old ideas like beauty, truth, and goodness. Our materials promote the virtues required for self-government. And yes, we're proud to be an American company. If these are counter-revolutionary ideas, then we're proud to be counter-revolutionary educators. But really, we just think we're normal Americans.
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 Geronimo (1829-1909) is one of the most-recognizable of American Indians who resisted the American government in the 1800s and 1900s. A leader of the Chiricahua tribe of the Apache, Geronimo fought Mexico, the United States of America, and other Native American Indians until he surrendered to the United States in 1886 and died a prisoner of war. Married nine times and father to many children, Geronimo brought fear into the hearts and minds of Mexicans and Americans.
Geronimo was born in Mexico in 1829, in present-day Arizona, and he was raised in the Apache war culture. The Apaches raided Mexican and other Indian villages as a way of life. During these raids, Apache would steal cattle and horses, kill men, and steal women as slaves. In response, Mexico tried to kill all Apache, offering $25 for every Apache scalp. As a young man, Geronimo married and had three children with his wife, Alope. On one outing while he was away on a trading trip, Mexican soldiers came into his camp and murdered women and children, including his mom, his young wife, and his three boys. He vowed to seek revenge the rest of his life against the Mexicans. In 1848, the land Geronimo’s Apaches lived on changed hands from the Mexicans to the Americans, and the Apaches were now enemies of not only the Mexicans but the Americans, as well. For the next 38 years, Geronimo and the Apaches successfully waged war against Mexico and the United States of America. His band of soldiers, and women and children, would travel as far as 70 miles a day to avert capture. At the same time, they waged guerilla war against settlers. 5,000 United States soldiers, 3,000 Mexicans, and hundreds of Indian scouts hounded Geronimo’s Apaches throughout the Southwest. Finally, Geronimo surrendered and he and his Apache tribe were taken prisoner to Oklahoma. Three years before Geronimo died, he converted to Christianity. In his autobiography, he said, “Since my life as a prisoner has begun I have heard the teachings of the white man's religion, and in many respects believe it to be better than the religion of my fathers. However, I have always prayed, and I believe that the Almighty has always protected me. Believing that in a wise way it is good to go to church, and that associating with Christians would improve my character, I have adopted the Christian religion. I believe that the church has helped me much during the short time I have been a member.” However, on his deathbed, it has been reported that he said he was no longer a Christian. This truth of this incident is uncertain, though, and he was buried in a Christian cemetery. Many Americans did not believe his conversion was real. Stories of his brutal tactics and successes would not allow them to think this Indian leader had accepted Christ. The New York Times noted when he died that Geronimo “was the worst type of aboriginal American savage. Even his so-called religious conversion was not without cunning.” The Times journalists believed he had converted in order to persuade President Roosevelt to give the Apaches back their land in Arizona. Geronimo was very fond of marriage. He married nine times and it appears he had many children. Some of his wives, like his first one, Alope, were murdered by soldiers. One witness claims he killed one of his wives when she would not escape from soldiers with him. He did have multiple wives at the same time, which was keeping in tradition with the Apache custom. Toward the end of his life, Geronimo appeared in Wild West shows, at world’s fairs, and rode in President Roosevelt’s Inaugural Parade. On the reservation, he sold bows and arrows and posed for pictures. As there was little work available for Indians, it is a sign of resourcefulness that Geronimo stayed active through the age of 90. The night before he died, he went into town and got drunk. Riding home, he fell off his horse. Injured and unable to get back on, he stayed out all night long. He caught pneumonia and eventually died.
Margaret Sanger (1879-1966) was one of the most influential American women of the 20th century. As a progressive and eugenicist, she believed that some humans were, by nature, inferior to others. Sanger was primarily driven to provide women complete control over their reproductive life and to make it impossible for the “unfit” to have children. Sanger wanted to create a master race. To achieve her ends, she sought to legalize and spread contraception and sterilization. Sanger was not a fan of abortion, but she wanted it legal and her work paved the way for the modern abortion industry. In 1921, she established The American Birth Control League, later to be named Planned Parenthood.
Eugenics, according to the online Merriam Webster Dictionary, is “the practice or advocacy of controlled selective breeding of human populations (as by sterilization) to improve the population's genetic composition.” Margaret Sanger believed in eugenics. Sanger wrote at the top of her birth control magazine publications, “More children from the fit and less from the unfit. That is the chief aim of birth control.” In a New York Times interview in 1922, she stated, “Superman is the aim of birth control.” In her book, The Pivot of Civilization, Sanger wrote, “Every feeble-minded girl or woman of the hereditary type, especially of the moron class should be segregated during the reproductive period.” Sanger supported infanticide of disabled babies and wanted the legalization of abortion to achieve her eugenic goals. Was Sanger a racist and did she want the elimination of ethnic minorities in America because of their race? That is hard to answer. But there is no doubt she believed she was able to decide who should live and who should not. Writing in 1931 “My Way to Peace, Sanger states she wants the government to : . . . keep the doors of Immigration closed to the entrance of certain aliens whose condition is known to be detrimental to the stamina of the race, such as feeble-minded, idiots, morons, insane, syphiletic, epileptic, criminal, professional prostitutes, and others in this class . . . apply a stern and rigid policy of sterilization, and segregation to that grade of population whose progeny is already tainted or whose inheritance is such that objectionable traits may be transmitted to offspring. For Sanger, birth control was the primary method to promote a superior race, although she also wrote in favor of legalizing abortion. During the first half of her lifetime, birth control was illegal in the United States of America. Sanger worked to change society about contraception. In 1921, she formed the American Birth Control League to promote contraception. In 1929, she formed lobby group to push legislators to make contraception legal. In a 1936 court case, Sanger challenged and won the right for physicians to obtain contraceptives. That next year, the American Medical Association adopted contraception as a normal medical service. The majority of Americans in the early 1900s believed that God should be in charge of determining when life begins, and that people should not use artificial means to influence pregnancy. Every major Christian religion opposed artificial contraception until 1930, when the Anglican Church approved it for married couples. Shortly after, other Protestant Christian Churches approved it. The Roman Catholic Church still teaches that artificial contraception is inherently evil. Margaret Sanger sought to control the population, especially in low income, immigrant, and African-American communities. She wrote, “A License for Mothers to Have Babies” with the subtitle, “A code to stop the overproduction of children.” In this publication, she asserted that parenthood was not a right but a privilege that only the state could give. She championed the 1939 initiative “The Negro Project,” which sought to get rid of too many births among African Americans. She declared, “The mass of Negroes, particularly in the South, still breed carelessly and disastrously, with the result that the increase among Negroes, even more than among whites, is from that portion of the population least intelligent and fit, and least able to rear children properly.” Sanger visited the totalitarian countries of Nazi Germany and Communist Soviet Union in the 1930s. Her main reason was to investigate how these two totalitarian governments handled women’s rights, eugenics, and human reproductive matters. While not a NAZI, Sanger shared the stage with other NAZI eugenicists and did not denounce them. Sanger did not approve of Hitler’s barbarism, but she also did not change her views on forced sterilizations of the unfit or legalizing abortion. After visiting the Soviet Union in 1935, she wrote for the Birth Control Review, "Russia today is the country of the liberated woman. The attitude of Soviet Russia toward its women...would delight the heart of the staunchest feminist." She liked that the Soviets gave out free contraceptive devices to women, but she disliked the Soviet use of abortion as a means of mass population control. She didn’t object to legalizing abortion, but thought that Russians used abortion too frequently and women needed more access to contraceptives. Margaret Sanger died in 1966. Her work changed American society and perhaps the world. For Progressive who think the government and certain “fit” women should decide who should live and who has the right to procreate, she is their hero. When Sanger was born, in 1879, birth control and abortion were illegal throughout the United States of America, and both were viewed as sinful by the great majority of Americans who were Christian. She worked to make every means of birth control and eugenics a reality in America. At her death, birth control was legal in most states, and, seven years after her death, abortion became legal, as well. The organization that she founded, Planned Parenthood, became the nation’s largest provider of abortion and today, promotes abortion and sterilization around the world. In 2020, Planned Parenthood accounted for 345,672 abortions and 2.6 million contraceptive services in the United States. Annually, there are over 1 million abortions in America, averaging 3,000 a day. Sanger’s views on population control, eugenics, and birth control and abortion have had a major influence in the country and in the world. Questions
 One of America’s greatest doctors and activists for the least protected in society was Mildred Fay Jefferson (1927-2010). Jefferson was the first black woman to graduate from Harvard Medical School, the first woman to graduate in surgery from Harvard, and the first woman to become a member of the Boston Surgical Society. She influenced a President of the United States of America to change his mind on abortion, and throughout her life, she was a voice for powerless in American society.
Mildred Jefferson was born in raised in segregated Texas and experienced first-hand racism and sexism. She grew up in a time where legally, black Americans experienced injustices because of their color. Her father was a Methodist minister and her mother a school teacher. Even though blacks had less opportunities than whites in the 1930s and 1940s, Jefferson never let her circumstances hold her back. As a young girl, she accompanied the town doctor on his house calls and told him that she would one day become a doctor. This was during a time that nearly all doctors were men and white. She succeeded in her dream. Jefferson was an outstanding student and throughout her career she broke new ground for black Americans and for women. At the age of 15, she entered Texas College and earned her bachelor’s degree in three years. Normally it takes four years. She went on to earn a master’s degree in biology and then to Harvard and became a medical doctor in 1951. She was Harvard’s first black woman ever to graduate from medical school. She was the first female doctor at the Boston University Medical Center and the first woman to become a member of the Boston Surgical Society. Jefferson worked all her life to defend the innocent and society’s most vulnerable. She strongly believed in the preservation of life, and fought tirelessly to protect the unborn. Around 1970, she was one of the founders of Massachusetts Citizens for Life. She later was one of the founders of the National Right to Life Committee. She was President of this committee from 1975-1978. “Millie” was a persuasive speaker, and after one time listening to her speech, the future President Ronald Reagan became pro-life. He wrote to her, "You have made it irrefutably clear that an abortion is the taking of a human life, I am grateful to you. " In a 1978 video, Jefferson explained: “I became a physician in order to help save lives. I am at once a physician, a citizen, and a woman, and I am not willing to stand aside and allow the concept of expendable human lives to turn this great land of ours into just another exclusive reservation where only the perfect, the privileged, and the planned have the right to live.” And, in another interview that same year, ““I would guess that the abortionists have done more to get rid of generations and cripple others than all of the years of slavery and lynchings.” On October 15, 2020, at the age of 84, Mildred Fay Jefferson passed away in her home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She was a pioneer in medicine for American women and for black Americans and she tirelessly fought for the lives of those who could not speak for themselves. Questions
 On Halloween 2023, millions of American families will carve pumpkins, most children will don costumes and go from house to house asking for candy. Still, in some churches and communities, families will participate in solemn religious ceremonies, or they will stay up playing games. The history of Halloween has its roots with the early days of Christianity and most likely, paganism. Studying this holiday teaches how the present is connected to the past, and, how it is challenging to know and understand the past.
Christian Origins Under the Roman Empire, early Christians faced great persecution for believing in Christ and for not following the Roman religion. Romans tortured and murdered Christians throughout the first three centuries. Then, in A.D. 313, Roman Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity, and in 380, Emperor Theodosius I declared Catholic Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. The persecution in the Roman Empire stopped, but Christians throughout the world still faced danger and death because of their belief. Early Christians honored those who died for their faith and considered these martyrs saints. Churches were dedicated to a particular saint, or saints, and that dedication day, or consecration day, was celebrated each year. The Pantheon had been a Roman temple to all the gods, but in 609 Pope Boniface IV dedicated it to the saints and made May 13th a yearly celebration. Pope Gregory III (731-741) dedicated a chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome to all the saints on November 1st. Later, in 835, Pope Gregory IV added this celebration of All Saints Day to the Church calendar on November 1st for all Christians to celebrate. The word Halloween comes from the celebration of All Saints Day (All Hallow's Day, November 1st). From the very beginning of celebrating All Saints Day, Christians attended Holy Mass beginning the evening before November 1st. Thus, the celebration of All Hallow's Day begins in the Eve. “Hallow” means “Holy” in Old English. All Hallow’s Eve (or Even) refers to the day before All Holy Day, or All Saints Day. Masses occurred one day before All Saint’s Day, in the evening. A blending of these three words (All Hallow’s Eve in Old English) gives us the word Halloween. Pagan Influences or Origins? Celebrating or honoring the dead was common among pagan peoples of the world, as well as marking the transition from one season to another. Knowing what happened among pagan peoples however, is challenging, as many polytheistic peoples of Europe were also illiterate. There is a lack of primary sources. Over 2,000 years ago, Celts lived in Central and Northwestern Europe. Celts were pagans, people who believed in many gods. They believed that they could communicate with good and evil spirits. The Celts celebrated a day in the fall as the New Year. The night before was remembered as the end of fall, the end of harvest, and the end of the season where there were more hours of sunshine than dark. Samhain was the night when Celts believed the ghosts of the dead returned to earth, damaging farms, causing trouble and communicating with humans. To honor the ghosts, Celts built huge bonfires, burned portions of their crops, and offered animal sacrifices. The Romans reported the Celts offered humans as sacrifices. The Druids were Celtic priests, in charge of the ceremonies. On the night of Samhain, Druids believed they could communicate with the dead, and told the fortunes of others. After the ceremony was finished, the Celts took fire from the bonfire and lit their hearth fires, believing their home would now be protected from evil spirits. Also pagan, Romans celebrated the end of fall with a festival geared towards worshipping gods. The Roman Goddess of the harvest was Pomona, and her day was celebrated on November 1st. Pomona was also the goddess of love and fertility. It is believed that on November 1st, single Romans over a certain age were compelled to “marry” someone for a year. The Christian Church ended this practice of marriage for one year. Instead, on November 1st, Christian Romans would draw the names of saints to try to emulate or be inspired for the year. Pope Gregory I and Converting Pagans In early medieval times, Church leaders and missionaries accomplished the enormous task of evangelizing pagan peoples throughout Europe and parts of Asia. One issue in changing pagan practices was how to deal with shrines that had been dedicated to various gods, and how to end pagan ceremonies. Some Christians argued the need to destroy the shrines. Pope Gregory I, however, argued that these pagan shrines be consecrated as Christian places of worship. In a letter sent in 601 to the missionaries to the Angles, Pope Gregory I writes, “For those temples are well built, it is requisite that they be converted from the worship of devils to the service of God.” Pope Gregory I also writes, “For there is no doubt that it is impossible to cut off every thing at once from their rude natures; because he who endeavors to ascent to the highest place rises by degrees or steps, not by leaps.” It is evident that the early Christians used natives’ buildings and local customs for the purpose of conversion. Regarding Halloween, we do not have a document from Christian leaders explaining that October 31st was chosen as All Hallow’s Eve because of the Celtic celebration of Samhain or because of the Roman holiday of Pomona. However, it appears that there is at least some tie between the pagan celebrations and the Christian holiday, but, it may never be completely clear to what extent these are connected. Post-Reformation Europe After the Reformation in some countries of Europe, the celebration of Halloween was seen as Catholic and was outlawed. However, in Protestant England, the English celebrated their victory over Guy Fawkes. Guy Fawkes was a Catholic who tried to blow up the Protestant-sympathetic Parliament in 1605. He was caught and executed. On Guy Fawkes Day (November 5th) every year, the Protestant English would reenact Fawkes’ punishment by parading a scarecrow, the Pope in effigy, and other unpopular political figures, through the streets. Boys would dress up in costume and beg for coal to burn the scarecrows. Then, the scarecrows would be set on fire. Also, boys would play tricks on their neighbors. Halloween in America In America, Halloween evolved over the last four hundred years and is still evolving. Originally, Halloween was outlawed in many Puritan colonies, but in these colonies many celebrated Guy Fawkes Day and became fascinated with witchcraft and evil spirits. In colonies with religious freedom, Catholics celebrated All Souls Day and All Saints Day. The American Revolution brought forth a huge wave of religious toleration and civic participation, and Halloween started to evolve more into a secular community event instead of a religious one. Over the 18th and 19th centuries, Halloween became a time for parties, games for children, and matchmaking. In the 1900s, American magazines promoted how to throw the best Halloween parties and large candy manufacturers promoted the idea of giving out candy to those who want to play tricks. As America became modernized and mass media reached all households, it appears that the current Halloween customs were strongly endorsed by candy makers as a way to make more money. Most recently, department stores create and promote Halloween decorations and Americans spend great amounts of time, energy, and resources decorating their homes. Other Americans, however, still celebrate the Christian meaning of Halloween, by attending church, saying prayers, remembering the saints, and recalling the martyrs of the faith. These Christians are inspired to live as heroes for the Christian faith. Other church communities hold carnivals as a way to evangelize and to keep kids off the street from participating in Trick or Treating. *Christian Origin of Halloween: http://www.celebratingholidays.com/?page_id=1116 *A copy of Pope Gregory I’s missionary letter regarding how to deal with pagan shrines: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/bede/history.v.i.xxix.html : CHAP. XXX. A copy of the letter which Pope Gregory sent to the Abbot Mellitus, then going into Britain. [601 A.D.] Questions
It is late evening, somewhere in Central Europe, and three seemingly incongruent beings are roaming the cities, villages, and mountain towns of this small Slavic land. One is dressed as a bishop from the fourth century, complete with white robe, white beard and mustache, a shepherd’s staff, and mitre (bishop’s hat). Another is wearing horns, dark make-up, black clothes, and a red cape. He is jangling a long and heavy chain and has a black bag he keeps opening up in a threatening manner towards children. The third is an angel, wearing a white robe and wings. The “bishop” and “angel” are smiling gently. The bishop is carrying a bag of goodies to hand out to good kids, while the “devil” is laughing wickedly, jangling his chains, and looking for kids to put in his bag.
As the three visit homes and churches, children are brought to them. The bishop asks the children and parents if they had behaved well the previous year. Before the children can answer, the devil cackles loudly, menacingly jangles his chain, and says, “I know you’ve been a naughty child. You will come with me in my bag and I will take care of you forever.” At this moment, the child comes forth and sings a song, or recites a poem. Little “Jan” assures the bishop and devil that he has been a very good boy. The devil grimaces in pain, and says, “I thought for sure I would get this one.” The angel says, “I knew he was a good boy this year.” Little Jan sighs in relief, receives either a piece of fruit or candy, and the older kids and the parents laugh. Every year, on the evening of December 5th in the Czech Republic, this play is acted out by thousands of bishops, angels, and devils and millions of families. The bishop, angel, and devil and parents are partners in teaching the children to be good in a way that reminds them of the ramifications of their behavior on Earth. December 6th is the day set aside in the Roman Catholic Church to remember Saint Nicholas (Svaty Mikulas in Czech). Saint Nicholas was a fourth century bishop who lived on the Mediterranean Sea in the Roman Empire, in present-day Turkey. During Bishop Nicholas’ lifetime, stories abounded of his generosity and of miraculous events associated with him. One story is how a poor family that was considering to sell their daughters into slavery received golden apples by a mysterious person they believed to be Nicholas. Another story is how Nicholas appeared to distressed sailors on the ocean and calmed the seas. Bishop Nicholas was known by all to be incredibly generous to children. (In America, we call him “Santa Claus.”) In the ninth century, Greek missionaries Cyril and Method converted the Slavic peoples to Christianity and created the various Slavic alphabets. Stories of Saint Nicholas’ generosity spread throughout the Slavic lands and throughout the Christian world. Sometime in the Medieval Ages, the tradition of the benevolent bishop and malevolent devil visiting families began. Originally, children were questioned on their knowledge of the Bible. Today, though, the kids get to escape the devil’s snares by reciting a poem or singing a song. Nearly all Czech families participate in this tradition, which often takes place in the middle of St. Nicholas parties. Similar festivities on the eve or day of St. Nicholas take place throughout Europe and in some parts of the United States. In many places, it has become a secular holiday, including the Czech Republic. Since the Communist rule of this land from 1948-1989, most Czechs are professed atheists. However, they all still partake in the Svaty Mikulas festitivies, and it appears the children are strongly influenced by Bishop Nicholas, the angel and the devil to be good kids for at least one more year. Questions: 1. What day are the Czechs celebrating on December 6th? 2. Why are they celebrating this person? 3. During which years did the Communists control Czechoslovakia? 4. Name one effect Communist rule most likely had on Czechs? 5. What do Americans call Saint Nicholas? To see more of Jessica De Gree's blog, go HERE.  While in Europe, I decided to keep Snapchat to stay in contact with family and friends, deleting other social media outlets to concentrate my focus in the now. Snapchat is an app which allows users to send pictures to friends for a certain amount of time. It is used the most among the youth, giving them opportunities to send pictures to friends and share their experiences in life. I particularly like Snapchat because I get to send and receive pictures to my little siblings and close friends every day.
However, Snapchat has evolved from an app used to only send personal messages, into an outlet for people to connect with other “snappers” around the world in the form of global stories. While this may seem really great – people get to see other people in other areas of the world – it may be dangerous if people only watch the stories, instead of reading educational articles, to get to know other cultures because they are only getting the viewpoint of the youth, which misrepresents the country or culture as a whole. Even potentially more dangerous, Snapchat has recently allowed companies to post daily stories on the Snapchat story feed, even if each user does not add the company and choose to follow it. With just a finger’s tap on the screen, users can easily access articles, blogs, and posts from these companies. So, what’s wrong with that? Well, by letting users, especially young people who probably do not yet have a holistic view of the world, read these articles, Snapchat and these companies unconsciously shape the minds of the youth. The quick and easy news is not always factual, or even evocative, making the user used to not having to think too much while reading it. In addition, many of the articles falsely advertise the contents, and many still are extremely poorly written. I have been shocked by so many of the articles, and yet, these articles are so easily accessible, it seems so harmless to just click them and scroll through. If these news substitutes were only about harmless, nonpolitical subjects, they would possibly just negatively affect the user by making them accustomed to using little thought. However, not all of these articles are of innocent content. Much of the content of these stories would be considered as immoral by principled people. Yet, perhaps because mainly only youth use Snapchat, parents do not realize and do not know what their children are reading. Snapchat evolved from an app used to communicate personally into a news source which targets the vulnerable youth. In a time of growing political division, or hardship, it is important that our youth equip themselves with the skills necessary for the future. Namely, reading, writing, and discussing using sound logic. But, if our youth becomes accustomed to being spoon-fed poorly written, illogical articles, it may be harder later in life to ask the tough questions and logically make good decisions. One way to combat the new Snapchat news source is to read and write good articles. Through making the real news appealing to the youth, and through encouraging the youth to broaden their news sources, they may be better prepared for the future. If not, if our youth become comfortable in accepting things, they may wake up in reality too late to realize their rights have slipped away.  By John De Gree of The Classical Historian
For over two years, since August 2014, violent criminal activity has increased at an alarming rate in American cities, affecting minorities the most. FBI Director James Comey thinks the main cause of this violent crime wave is the “Ferguson Effect.” The Ferguson Effect refers to how policemen have changed how they deal with citizens after the events in Ferguson, Missouri. President Obama disagrees that there is a Ferguson Effect. Researcher and writer Heather Mac Donald of the Manhattan Institute was the first to name and define the Ferguson Effect and has done extensive research on this subject. In one incident in August 2014, suspect Michael Brown repeatedly attacked a policeman in Missouri and attempted to steal his gun. After refusing to listen to the police officer, Michael Brown charged with his head lowered, and was shot dead. Local prosecutors and President Obama’s Department of Justice investigated and concluded that the police officer acted appropriately to defend himself. Unfortunately, many asserted the policeman was a white racist and killed a black man because of his race. There has never been any evidence to back up this claim of racism. Immediately after the shooting, many falsely claimed the policeman was a racist, and rioters destroyed parts of Ferguson, Missouri, burning business, looting, and attacking policemen. Political leaders made statements that appeared they approved of the rioting. Nearly a year after the incident, and after the Department of Justice investigated, President Obama stated, “We may never know what really happened in Ferguson,” implying the findings of the Justice Department were not complete. After the events in Ferguson, “Black Lives Matter” was born. Black Lives Matter is an organization that aims to teach others that policemen are targeting blacks, killing blacks, racists, and that America needs to radically change to stop the murder and oppression of blacks by policemen. Black Lives Matter (BLM) rejects the American justice system’s findings in the Michael Brown case. Members of BLM organize protests, write articles, and spread their beliefs in news media. Beginning in the 1990s, police departments, beginning with the NYPD, implemented changes in how policemen worked and the rate of crime drastically declined. Police became actively involved in preventing crime, confronting those who appeared to be planning crime, frisking suspects, and handing out infractions for minor infractions, like vandalism. Combined with structural changes within the departments, these actions led to a dramatic drop in crime. However, since the incident in Ferguson and the birth of Black Lives Matter, Researcher Heather MacDonald asserts that policemen have changed how they work, and this has been the main reason for the major spike in violent crime. After the negative press coverage from the Ferguson incident, policemen are now unable, or unwilling, to continue their work as before. When working, especially in major cities with large populations of minorities, policemen are confronted with loud, jeering mobs. Bottles or rocks are thrown at policemen working in the most dangerous areas. Because of this hostile, anti-police atmosphere, policemen are afraid to act because they might be accused of racism. This is known as the Ferguson Effect. Many claim one result of the police change has been a steep increase of violent crime in America. Since 2015, in the nation’s largest cities, murders are up 17 percent. Milwaukee had its deadliest year in a decade, and Baltimore’s per capita homicide rate was the highest ever, with a 72% increase. Murders are up in Cleveland by 90% over the previous year. President Obama disagrees with FBI Director Comey whether there is a Ferguson Effect and if there is a spike in violent crime. Obama has announced that there is no Ferguson Effect, and he appears to agree with BLM that there is a racist problem in American police forces. Comey, who works under President Obama, stands by his argument that it is because of the Ferguson effect that policemen have backed off from the proactive police procedures that limit crime. Great Discussion Questions You Can Ask Your Kids
By John De Gree of www.classicalhistorian.com Copyright 2016. All Rights Reserved.  By John De Gree, of The Classical Historian
In a rare event in American political history, a self-proclaimed Socialist is one of the major candidates for the U.S. Presidency. Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders (Vermont) has competed very well against Senator Hillary Clinton (New York) for the Democratic nomination for the President. Many Americans do not know what is a Socialist. Socialists believe that society functions best when members are forced to share economic goods. This means, for example, that if someone earns $100,000 and another earns $10,000 a year, both should enjoy the $110,000. Socialists think it is unfair that one person should benefit more than another because of his ability, effort, or circumstances in life. Socialists think that the government should determine how much money a person is allowed to keep and how much he should give to others. Some socialists think all people should have the same income, where other socialists think some people can earn more than others. But all socialists agree that the government should determine a minimum amount that each person in society should earn, regardless of his situation. A socialist thinks that it is the role of government to make decisions regarding private property. For example, if a family has 10 children the socialist thinks that the government should make sure the larger-sized family has a large enough house for the bigger family. This could mean that taxes from the family with 2 children will go to the family with 10 children to support them. A socialist thinks that the individual rights of the citizen come second to the needs of the state, and it is the role of the government to determine what are the needs of the state. We have many examples in history over the last 200 years to help us understand what a socialist state may decide is the need of the state. In the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) in the 1900s, the government decided that religion was an enemy of the people. The U.S.S.R. forbade religious practice and tortured and murdered millions of people to enforce the ban on religious practice. Because of the tragic consequences of the U.S.S.R., many Americans fear socialism. Senator Sanders describes his political philosophy as democratic socialism. Sanders does not want government to take away others’ property or severely limit individual’s rights, but he would like government to heavily tax those who are successful, and he wants government to distribute this money evenly. Unlike in the U.S.S.R., where people were forced to follow the government or die, Sanders wants people in the U.S.A. to vote and choose a government that will raise taxes. Sanders thinks that the amount of money in a society is fixed, and it is the government’s job to distribute it evenly among all. Great Questions You Can Ask Your Kids 1. Who is Bernie Sanders? 2. What is a socialist? 3. What happened in the U.S.S.R. in the 1900s? 4. What is democratic socialism? 5. What do you think of socialism? By John De Gree of www.classicalhistorian.com Copyright 2016. All Rights Reserved. #theclassicalhistorian
Harriet Tubman’s image will replace Andrew Jackson’s image on the front of the $20 bill, beginning sometime after 2020. Jackson’s image will move to the back of the bill. During Harriet Tubman’s life, she was hated by the Southern Democrats but loved by the party of Lincoln, the Republicans. Because of the change of the $20 bill, Tubman’s life and meaning has become again a controversial topic for the United States of America.
Harriet Tubman was an escaped slave who risked her life to free others. Born a slave in Maryland, we believe her birth date was 1822, though we are unsure because slaveholders tried to take away any birthday celebrations for slaves. It was believed that if a slave didn’t think she was special, she would follow orders better. Some time in her young adulthood, Tubman escaped and travelled along the Underground Railroad until she made it to Pennsylvania, a free state. After making it to freedom, she returned South numerous times to rescue dozens of slaves. Escaping from slavery was dangerous, but this did not stop Tubman from returning to the South to rescue more slaves. She travelled on the Underground Railroad. This was a secret system of families, mainly white, who sheltered and fed escaped slaves during the day at their homes, called “stations”. At nighttime, the slaves continued on the “railroad” until they made it to another station, or into the North. Tubman acted as a conductor, a person who led the slaves along the railroad. Harriet Tubman carried a gun while a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Running away from slavery into the unknown was so terrifying, that some slaves wanted to return to their masters while on the journey to freedom. If a slave started to turn back, Tubman would point the gun at these individuals and threaten to shoot if they returned. Tubman knew the slave master would torture the slave until he found out information where the other runaways were. Unlike Andrew Jackson who was the founder of the modern Democratic Party, Harriet Tubman was a lifelong Republican, even acting as a spy against the southern slaveholding Democrats during the Civil War (1861-1865). Tubman reportedly had hundreds of intelligence contacts and could easily gain the trust of slaves in the South. In one scouting mission, she became the first woman to command a significant number of American troops in combat. This action freed more slaves than all of her journeys on the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman was a devout Christian and believed she gained her strength and courage to help others from her belief throughout her lifetime. After the Civil War, she helped to found a church and a retirement home. She also fought for woman’s suffrage and fair treatment of black Civil War veterans. Harriet Tubman died in 1913, loved by the North and the slaves she had freed. Irony One definition of irony is "a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result." It is ironic that the Obama administration is replacing Andrew Jackson with Harriet Tubman on the front of the $20 bill. Jackson is the modern founder of the Democratic Party. President Obama is the leader of the Democratic Party. Jackson was a populist, and Obama campaigned as one. Tubman was hated by Democrats and loved by Republicans. She was a gun-carrying, Republican Christian, the exact person that President Obama continues to speak and act against. It is ironic that under a Democratic administration that is against civilian use of weapons, that Harriet Tubman is replacing the founder of the Democratic Party on the $20 bill. Questions
By John De Gree of www.classicalhistorian.com Copyright 2016. All Rights Reserved. |
John De GreeJohn De Gree writes the current events with a look at the history of each topic. Articles are written for the young person, aged 10-18, and Mr. De Gree carefully writes so that all readers can understand the event. The perspective the current events are written in is Judeo-Christian. Receive Articles and Coupons in Your EmailArchives
June 2024
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