The American people need to wake up as we stand on the edge of a profound transformation that threatens to reshape the very essence of the United States. The younger generation increasingly embraces government surveillance and limits on free speech and thought, undermining the core principles and foundations upon which the United States was established.
A new study by the CATO Institute finds that one-third of Gen Z-ers support "the government installing surveillance cameras in homes." Furthermore, the study shows that support for such invasive monitoring has been increasing by generation: 20% among 30–44-year-olds and 6% among those over the age of 45. If we continue on this trajectory, life in the U.S. will resemble that of communist China, which is deeply concerning.
Forfeiting our freedoms to the government should shock a nation that fought a revolution based on the concept of individual liberty, but therein lies the problem: our education system has been failing to teach the next generation our history, political foundations, and the national values that unite us. We can and must recognize this threat and get to work on repairing our education system – at all levels – or we’ll lose our constitutional republic.
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For the last 20 years, our education system's failure to teach and uphold the principles that define America has led younger Americans to willingly forfeit their unique rights, which distinguish our nation from all others.
According to the most recent NAEP assessment, only 13% of students are proficient in American history, while a mere 22% exhibit proficiency in civics. History and civics are essential ingredients to develop a loyal and patriotic citizenry that understands its God-given rights and responsibilities within our country.
People will not defend what they do not know. As educators, it is our duty to instill the next generation with a firm grasp of our history, government and the fundamental principles that make us American. By making a few simple changes, we can reestablish the correct course.
First, we must restore American history and civics classes in our K-12 curriculums. For far too long STEM and standardized tests have overshadowed these essential disciplines, and we are now witnessing the result. Throughout high school, from 9th to 12th grade, social studies should be divided into two distinct and mandatory courses: American history and American civics.
History provides a deep understanding of our founding, our values and the challenges that shaped our development, while civics delves specifically into American government and the Constitution, emphasizing the significance of individual rights, citizenship, active engagement and our responsibilities. It is unacceptable that 84% of my students lack the ability to pass a basic citizenship exam or distinguish between the American Constitution and the Russian Constitution.
Second, we must take decisive action to stop policies that flagrantly infringe upon constitutional rights on our college and university campuses. Free speech zones, which limit fundamental liberties to restricted areas, are antithetical to the First Amendment, and the fact that young adults have willingly accepted and even pushed for them is the obvious outcome of a K-12 education that has failed to instill our national history, civics and values.
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Such ignorance has created fertile ground for radical leftist administrators so they’re scaling-up with bias reporting systems.
Bias reporting systems, which encourage students to report peers and faculty for alleged instances of discrimination, are the latest evidence that Big Brother is finding little resistance among our youngest voters. A Campus Reform investigation found the majority of reports were based on subjective perceptions of offensiveness rather than genuine instances of discrimination.
But Gen Z and Millennials before them have been conditioned to believe that comfort and security are rights, and that they take precedence over the cherished principles of freedom of speech, privacy and independent thought.
We cannot put our heads in the sand in the face of CATO’s study. There is no reason to think that the growing number of Americans willing to accept government surveillance in our most private moments will reverse unless we take action.
The antidote is simple: restore our education system to its core mission to educate and equip the youngest generations to safeguard their constitutional rights and engage in our system.
