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Show Volume XIV Issue XV The Ogden Valley news Page 3 May 1, 2007 Letters to the Editor LETTERS cont. from page 2 forward touching lives even though they are underpaid. If this were not so, we could not be a state where we spend the least amount on our students and yet test out to be right in the middle of the road. For this, these teachers should be applauded. It would be a wonderful experience to have my agency honored, my sacred stewardship as a parent, and my rights before God as a parent acknowledged by a godless UEA (Utah Educators Association) and NEA (National Educators Association). My children are mine, not theirs. To have that extended to my pocketbook in what seems obviously fair would simply be a bonus. How the public school system solves their woes should not be my financial burden. Unfortunately, every year that I choose the right path for my children, they fine me for my choices. Even at the lowest voucher rate, I will still be fined. This is a true story. For more truths, visit <http://www.choiceineducation.org/> Laura Warburton, Huntsville The Benefits of Education Vouchers see the progress their children have made in a Montessori classroom with its freedom of movement, and opportunities for social interaction. Founder Maria Montessori understood the special needs of children with learning difficulties. She was well ahead of her time a hundred years ago when she made these discoveries and designed her learning materials specifically for such children. It was only later that she learned how useful her materials could be for all children and thus her method was adopted around the world for children of all backgrounds and needs. This year is the centennial of the first Montessori school that opened in Rome in 1907. Like most other Montessori schools worldwide, we are not affiliated with any religion. We teach about other cultures and religions with equal respect for all. That is at the core of our mentality as Montessori teachers and administrators. Likewise, we are not politically affiliated, nor would we ever seek to further the cause of a particular party or individual. As school owners, we are required by state law to have B.C.I.s (Background Criminal Investigations) run on all our staff. We are also careful to screen all Internet use through filters to protect our students. My husband and I have endeavored to provide an educational alternative through opening Ogden Valley Montessori School. The state of Utah is now rightly offering to pay a part of children’s tuition at a private school with the parents’ own tax dollars. To learn more about how this could benefit your own children or grandchildren, go to <http://www.choiceineducation.org/> A Constitutional Republic, Not a Democracy! Our Founding Fathers warned us emphatically of the danger of losing our Constitutional Republic; and as Fisher Ames stated, “sliding down into the mire of democracy, which pollutes the morals of citizens before it swallows up their liberties.” Increasingly, it is evident that there is an attempt being made by some, which began decades ago, to confuse the vocabulary of the citizenry and establish the notion that our nation was founded as a “democracy.” This confusion and substitution cannot be attained with a review of well-documented historical facts or correct principles taught in the tradition of our Founding Fathers, but can only be achieved by perpetual repetition of an inaccuracy. We are repeatedly, subliminally being sent the false message that our nation is meant to be a “democracy” instead of the constitutionally limited Republic that our Founding Fathers helped to establish to protect our God-given unalienable rights. A Democracy is the rule of an unrestrained majority. What if that majority decides to take away your property, business, home, or children? In a direct democracy the people can vote away your rights. As others have explained, a simple way to think of it would be if “two wolves and a sheep were voting on what’s for dinner!” A Republic is the rule of law. The Constitution (from which both major political parties have strayed) is the “supreme Law of the Land,” as declared in Section VI thereof. In a Republic the unalienable rights of the individual are protected from the whims and desires of the majority, and the power of government is limited by law. Amanda Scheuermann, John F. McManus in Overview of Eden America stated, “Many Americans would LETTERS cont. on page 17 be surprised to learn that the word democracy does not appear in the Declaration of Independence or the U.S. Constitution, nor does it appear in any of the Constitutions of Dreams come true. Without that pos- the 50 states. The Founders did everything sibility, nature would not incite us to they could to keep us from having a democ- Since we opened Ogden Valley Montessori School five years ago, I have heard from many parents that they would love to send all their children to our school but they simply lack the funds to do so. This has especially been the case with families in which there are several children of school age. Most often, these parents have sent just one child at a time to us—usually those of preschool age. These families could benefit tremendously from Educational Vouchers, and we are happy to accept all students, regardless of the socioeconomic status of their parents. In fact, many of the students at Ogden Valley Montessori School come from families who sacrifice considerably to provide their children with what they consider to be an excellent education. We have helped several children with have them. ADHD and other conditions. The parents of these children have been delighted to Inspirational Thought -John Updike Harley & Buck’s Grill Mother’s Day May 13th Guest Commentaries 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Now Taking Reservations for your Mother’s Special Occasion. We’re even better than breakfast in bed! Call 745-2060 racy.” Here are some of the statements they made: “We are a Republican Government. Real liberty is never found in despotism or in the extremes of Democracy.” - Alexander Hamilton “…democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security, or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they are violent in their deaths.” - James Madison “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a republican form of government…” - U.S. Constitution, Article IV, Section 4 “Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There never was a democracy that did not commit suicide.” - John Adams At the conclusion of the deliberations of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, anxious citizens gathered outside Independence Hall in order to learn what had been produced behind closed doors. The answer was provided immediately. A Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia asked Benjamin Franklin, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” With no hesitation whatsoever, Franklin responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.” If our current leadership truly believes our Founding Fathers to be the wise and inspired men that they were and if they are truly committed to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States,” why is “democracy” being promoted here in America and to the rest of the world? Why do many journalists and other media figures refer to our nation as a “democracy” as if that is what it is meant to COMMENTARY cont. on page 14 |