Teeing it up: A Round at the LINKs (Noah Webster edition)

Well it was an interesting week to say the least and once again conservative bloggers were on top of all the big stories.  I was absent from posting for a few days because I was trying to establish some type of gun-rights dialog with my local representatives.  I’m not sure I made any ground in the first round but I’m going to keep trying.  Anyway today I wanted to write a bit about Noah Webster.  Most people recognize the name from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary; however there is much more about the man that I believe is worth noting.  Noah Webster was born on October 16, 1758 in Hartford, Connecticut.  He grew up in average colonial family.  His father was a weaver and farmer while his mother worked at home.  By the age of 20 he had graduated from Yale at the height of the revolutionary war.  Mr. Webster wanted to continue on with his education but his parents didn’t have enough money so he decided to become a teacher.  Below is a historical account of that time.

During his years as a student and then as a schoolteacher, Webster realized the American education system needed to be updated. Children of all ages were crammed into one-room schoolhouses with no desks, poor books, and untrained teachers. Although this was after the American Revolution, their books came from England, often pledging their allegiance to King George. Webster believed that Americans should learn from American books, so in 1783, he wrote his own textbook: A Grammatical Institute of the English Language. It earned its nickname, the “Blue-Backed Speller”, because of its characteristic blue cover. For over 100 years, Webster’s book taught children to read, spell and pronounce words. It was the most popular American book of its time, selling nearly 100 million copies

You can read the rest here.

We owe a great deal to Mr. Webster in terms of setting up an education process that turned away from Europe and became uniquely American.  He felt this was a necessary thing to do because Americans were free unlike many of their European counterparts.  He felt there was a uniqueness about our language and customs.  Many scholars believe that Mr. Webster’s drive to Americanize our education process was because he believed American children needed to learn through the prism of liberty and the unlimited possibilities a free environment held for them.  My understanding of this is that the societal classes that were the norm in Europe shackled their people.  There were landowners and peasants and that’s the way things worked in Europe.  In America the sky was the limit and different skill sets were needed to be successful in this new type of liberty driven environment.

Learning from European text books that were slanted towards a life of serfdom simply wasn’t going to get it done in America.  So my question is if Noah Webster could see this back then why do we struggle to see this today?  Why are we depriving our children of the critical thinking skills they need to thrive in such a dynamic environment as the free market?  The simple answer might be because we no longer have a free market.  But more than likely the real reason we’re no longer teaching our children the skills they need to be self-reliant and independent is because those teachings in itself are counterproductive towards achieving the utopian state the progressives so desire.

Additionally one of the things many people don’t know about Noah Webster is he had a keen political mind.  Below are some of his quotes about government.

Another source of power in government is a military force. But this, to be efficient, must be superior to any force that exists among the people, or which they can command; for otherwise this force would be annihilated, on the first exercise of acts of oppression. Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any band of regular troops that can be, on any pretense, raised in the United States. A military force, at the command of Congress, can execute no laws, but such as the people perceive to be just and constitutional; for they will possess the power, and jealousy will instantly inspire the inclination, to resist the execution of a law which appears to them unjust and oppressive.

The moral principles and precepts contained in the Scripture ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws. All the miseries and evil men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery, and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible.

But what is tyranny? Or how can a free people be deprived of their liberties? Tyranny is the exercise of some power over a man, which is not warranted by law, or necessary for the public safety. A people can never be deprived of their liberties, while they retain in their own hands, a power sufficient to any other power in the state.

In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect or denomination of the candidate — look at his character. It is alleged by men of loose principles, or defective views of the subject, that religion and morality are not necessary or important qualifications for political stations. But the scriptures teach a different doctrine. They direct that rulers should be men who rule in the fear of God, men of truth, hating covetousness. It is to the neglect of this rule that we must ascribe the multiplied frauds, breaches of trust, speculations and embezzlements of public property which astonish even ourselves; which tarnish the character of our country and which disgrace our government. When a citizen gives his vote to a man of known immorality, he abuses his civic responsibility; he not only sacrifices his own responsibility; he sacrifices not only his own interest, but that of his neighbor; he betrays the interest of his country.

H/T Liberty-Tree

Wise words.  So here’s to you Mr. Webster for having the foresight and wisdom to see that American children were indeed very unique and special as compared to their European counterparts.  Because of you we established one of the strongest educational systems in the world, helping us achieve many great things as a nation.  May we one day again find our way back and follow your lead.  Now on to the LINKs.

Below are outstanding articles by conservative bloggers.  Please take the time to hit the links and check them out.  These folks as always work hard each day to bring you the truth, so hit their tip jars if they have them.  It’s time to tee it up and enjoy another SENTRY JOURNAL round at the links.

Noah Webster

A Conservative Teacher: US Government Rewards Aid Workers Who “Counteract Mountain Pride”

Ace of Spades: David Gregory and Unequal Protection of the Law

Adrienne’s Corner: People – wake up…

America’s Chronicle: The Road To 2016 Is Strewn With Pork

American Glob: Lee Doren Educates Georgetown Professor On The US Constitution

American Perspective: OathKeepersUSA will ultimately protect 2nd Amendment

America’s Watchtower: Republicans move to protect incumbents from challengers in the primaries

ARRA News Service: McConnell: Spending fight coming whether Obama ‘wants it or not’

Atlas Shrugs: The media’s self-enforcing sharia #myjihad

Be Sure You’re RIGHT, Then Go Ahead: Not-So-Trivial Pursuit

blogsense-by-barb: Yes, Virginia, America has a Godly Heritage Vol 1, 2013

Blog de KingShamus: WhyIsMyPaycheckLessThisWeek–Helping Soothe Liberal Hurt Feelings

Breitbart: Pelosi, Reid Back Obama Raising Debt Ceiling via Executive Order

BUNKERVILLE: DHS Buys 200,000 More Rounds of Ammunition

Catholibertarian: Time To Meet The Angels

Capitol Commentary: U.S. Deficit and Debt: Truth in Numbers

Conservatives on Fire: Is America’s Constitution No Longer Wanted by “Most” Americans?

Conservative Hideout 2.0: Ted Nugent on Gun Control

COMMON CENTS: John Stossel’s: Illegal Everything in America

Doug Ross@Journal: QUESTIONS: I’ve got questions

Eye of Polyphemus: At Year’s End

Hot Air: Joe Manchin: Say… about that gun grabbing thing…

iOwnTheWorld: Confirmed: Diane Feinstein Doesn’t Know Anything

J O S H U A P U N D I T: Israel’s Surging New Voice On The Right

Laughing Conservative: O uses crony tactics to force gun law

Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion: The “purity” cop-out

Libertas and Latte: More Lies of the Media

Liberty At Stake: LAS 2012 Retrospective (Part 1)

Libertarian Republican: You Know You’re A Communist When..

Maggie’s Notebook: E15 Gas Approved by EPA Slammed by AAA – Carmakers Will Not Honor Warranties

Manhattan Infidel: From Ye Olde New Yorke Times: Demand a Plan to End Musket Violence in the Colonies

Moonbattery: If the Journal News Were on the Side of the Good Guys

Motorcitytimes: Labor Secretary Solis isn’t a fan of that make your brain hurt economics thing

NUKE’S: 2012 Review of the Nukedome

Pirate’s Cove: Admin. Which Ran Guns Into Mexico Looks At Broad Gun Control Agenda

Politics et al: Obamacare Means Less Hiring In 2013

Political Clown Parade: The Proverbial Toilet: This Is CNN?

Political Realities: President Obama To Republicans – You Have Another Thing Coming!

Proof Positive: Afterburner: Rule of Lawlessness -Bill Whittle

Randy’s Roundtable: Our Government At Its Best

Right Truth: Egypt: the new constitution

rjjrdq’s America II: Californians Belted With Hundreds of New Laws

Say Anything Blog: Gun Sales Jump in Liberal States

Spellchek: Senate security committee releases Benghazi report – review board report reviewed here

teresamerica: Flagrant lawlessness and ineptitude

Texas Conservative News: Gun Violence: Hollywood’s Hype and Hypocrisy

That Mr. G Guy’s Blog: Tragic letter from The Hobby Lobby CEO

THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS: PROOF 30 ROUND CLIPS (MAGAZINES) ARE FOR SELF-DEFENSE

The BLAZE: ‘Unconstitutional Laws Aren’t Laws’: Marine Who Penned Blistering Letter to Sen. Feinstein…

The Camp Of The Saints: Collectivization Of The Churches

The Classic Liberal: theCL Report: Year of the Snake

The Daley Gator: Please support Hobby Lobby

The Foundry: Fiscal Cliff Deal Undoes Part of Obamacare

The Lonely Conservative: An Open Letter To @SpeakerBoehner

THE OTHER McCAIN: Hey, GOP: The IRS Is A Substantial Reform Target

The Reaganite Independent: Margaret Thatcher (and Earth) to Boner-McConnell RINO Ranch…

THE rightscoop: Mark Levin: The reason the 2nd amendment exists…

The TexasFred Blog: Republican Party seems as divided, angry as ever

Theo Spark: “Who Needs Guns?” – Wild Bill

TOTUS: Obama allows Payroll Taxes to go Up!

Virgina Right: Forum: What Are Your Predictions For President Obama’s Second Term?

WARD WORLD: Diane Feinstein Gun ban in 1995 – She wanted to Ban all guns

What Would The Founders Think: A Defense of American Ideals by Thomas J Malone

WESTERN HERO: America’s Condition: Progressively Worse

WyBlog: Memo from HR: Yes, your paycheck is smaller. No, it’s not a mistake

Zilla of the Resistance: Second Annual Zilla Awards for Awesomeness in the Dextrosphere!

Thanks for all the excellent articles.  You guys are great!

Liberty forever, freedom for all.