We the oppressed

The current crowd of would-be secessionists quotes freely from the Declaration of Independence. They should read another of Jefferson’s great works, his first inaugural address, in which he says, the first principle of republics is “absolute acquiescence in the decisions of the majority”.

The president’s palace guard

Nineteenth century Americans would be horrified to see that the president of United States now lives surrounded by armed guards, bulletproof glass and surface-to-air missiles. They hoped that a chief executive elected by the people would not need protection from his fellow citizens.

A revisionist view on history tests

An Inquirer article reported that only 13 percent of the high school seniors who took the National Assessment of Educational Progress in history “showed a solid grasp of the subject.” Okay, but who decides what constitutes a “solid grasp”?