Americans 'scared' of the words of the framers?

April 6, 12:28 AMColumbia Conservative ExaminerAnthony G. Martin

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During the animated debate on gun rights, citizen revolts, and the Constitution over the past 2 days, an interesting phenomenon has surfaced that to me is quite puzzling.  It seems that the words of the Framers of the U.S. Constitution are 'frightening' to some Americans.

I have even been accused of 'attempting to incite violence against cops' by citing a direct quote from Jefferson concerning the fact that 'the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.'

It has even been suggested that this notion is 'treasonous.'

The person who made that charge failed to detail how he thinks one of the persons largely responsible for giving us the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights would be guilty of 'treason.'

Here is the quote from Jefferson, within its original context, that seems to be so frightening to some modern Americans:

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. ... God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion; what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?  Let them take arms." -- Thomas Jefferson to William Stephens Smith, 1787

As I showed a couple of days ago in my Examiner column, these types of statements were common among the Framers of the U.S. Constitution, primarily due to the fact that they had lived under tyranny and wished to protect the fledgling new Republic from falling into the same dreaded oppressive practices of European governments.

The key question, thus, is why would such a concept be perceived by citizens today as 'frightening?'

I would like to suggest at least 2 possible explanations.

One, the nation's public school systems do not teach students these things any longer.  When it is possible for a student to grow up in America, being provided by government with 12 years of 'free' public education, and yet never hear of the views of the Founders, read their words, and ponder over the ideology that led them to establish a new nation, it is no wonder that once these views are placed before them for the first time as adults there would be some sense of shock and awe.

And this is precisely the root of the problem.  Americans by and large are ignorant of their history.  And the powers that be in the educational system that is run by government wants it that way.

This brings me to my second possible explanation, and it flows out of the first.  The reason why the powers that be in public education today do not wish for our children to hear about these matters is purely ideological and political.  They are 100% dead-set against the views of the Framers.

And if they can keep students ignorant concerning these revolutionary views, they know that they will forever be ignorant sheep who are easily led by the purveyors of big-government nanny-statism.

As one commenter wrote in response to my article, 'It is a dangerous concept to suggest that citizens can rebel against government, which is here to protect us.'

I am quite certain that Jefferson would vehemently disagree. 

For more stimulating commentary, please visit my blog, updated daily, at The Liberty Sphere.