Big government thrives when we choose ignorance
Last week I expressed optimism that voters in 2016 would keep our country from falling into the hands of those who believe in more government control of our lives.
The response ranged from one reader who called me a “moron” to another who said I had provided hope for the future direction of our country and he was very encouraged.
My confidence in our democracy is grounded on my belief that people are informed, aware of our nation’s history, paying attention to current events and listening to candidate’s ideas of how public policy ought to be shaped.
If I’m right about that, it would materialize only if those who actually participate as voters are enlightened by real comprehension of what’s happening in our country.
Because there are a great many who certainly are not, we should be reminded of the admonition of a principal designer of our Constitution and our fourth president, James Madison: “A people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.”
For those who doubt there is any reason for concern, allow me to point you to an ongoing sample of how well Madison’s warnings are being heeded.
“Watters’ World” on the top-rated The O’Reilly Factor, regularly seeks answers to questions that every American should know, often from college students fresh from the classroom.
In a recent segment, people told Jesse Watters that they are bored with history, that our independence was declared in 1946, 1973 and 1737, that the war we fought for it was World War II, the Civil War and the Renaissance.
One identified George Washington as our second president and Abraham Lincoln as our first. Another said it was Ben Franklin.
Other interviews with random citizens questioned about current events produce alarming responses that clearly reveal at least two conclusions: Either our education system has failed or students have just tuned out.
Go to YouTube for the videos and see for yourself — and don’t dismiss them just because they are on Fox, the cable news channel watched by more people than all the others combined.
Then comes the annual Newseum Institute survey report. The nonpartisan Freedom Forum Foundation dedicated to “free press, free speech and free spirit for all people” operates the $450 million museum in our nation’s capital.
The organization’s most recent findings found that a third of Americans have no idea of their rights guaranteed by the First Amendment.
Fewer than two out of 10 realize freedom of religion is protected, and only 10 percent know that freedom of the press is shielded from interference by anyone.
That’s important because the news media are where most of us discover what we know or what we think we know. Yet, the Newseum report finds only 24 percent of us now think that we are getting news without bias.
They account for such a low confidence in the media as a result of high-profile news personalities such as NBC’s Brian Williams and ABC’s George Stephanopoulos having lost credibility among Americans.
Maybe it’s no wonder that so many can’t answer basic questions about our country and its leaders.
Prominent on the Newseum’s website are these words from Thomas Jefferson: “Our liberty depends on freedom of the press. And that cannot be limited without being lost.”
Here’s our challenge if we are to see our course for the future protected from the rise of big government: relentless commitment to stay informed, find the truth, share it with our fellow citizens and hope that ignorance doesn’t vote.
Richard Greene is a former Arlington mayor and served as an appointee of President George W. Bush as regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency. mayorgreene@mayorgreene.com
This story was originally published July 10, 2015 at 7:33 PM with the headline "Big government thrives when we choose ignorance."