Insidious efforts to indoctrinate college students were on full display in a recent column in the Wichita Eagle by Friends University professor Russell Arben Fox. As a history professor, he knows full well that the United States is a constitutional republic, but he doesn’t let the truth get in the way of his push to replace our republic with a pure democracy, which is essentially mob rule.
His statement, “Even if one insists that the American system is a ‘republic‘ and not a ’democracy’”… is a disgraceful attempt to get people to accept his version of reality. Schemes like this to rewrite history and redefine words are a key element of propaganda aimed at turning our constitutional system upside down. They attempt to seem reasonable on the surface, but these schemes are a serious threat to liberty and our American way of life.
In a constitutional republic, the rule of law exists to protect citizens from government and people, whereas democracy is simply majority rule. In a democracy, two wolves and a sheep can decide what is for dinner, but the rule of law protects the sheep in a republic.
Legislators can pass laws on a simple majority vote, but Professor Fox of Friends University knows that that does not constitute a democracy. If a court determines that new law to be unconstitutional, it is invalid. The rule of law – checks, balances, federalism – not a simple majority, reigns supreme in a constitutional republic.
Friends University professor dislikes federalism
Federalism is an important distinction of our constitutional republic, wherein power is clearly divided between units of government. This is set forth in the 10th Amendment:
“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
This means Congress cannot tell states what to do unless specifically authorized to do so in the constitution. But federalism and the 10th Amendment must not be taught at Friends University. Professor Fox takes issue with the Kansas Legislature overriding Governor Kelly’s veto of tax relief because the American Rescue Plan passed by Congress says funds going to states cannot be used to cut taxes.
But so far, 13 state attorneys general have sued the Biden administration over that providing, citing that pesky rule of law in the constitution that does not give Congress authority to dictate tax policy to states. The Kansas tax relief bill reverses tax hikes related to the 2017 federal tax cuts, by decoupling from the federal tax code on several business and individual tax issues. And while the broad issue will be fought in court, U.S. Treasury guidance issued on April 7 says tax changes related to conformity with the federal tax code are permissible.
The Kansas tax changes are clearly allowed because they are conformity issues, but Professor Fox still insists they are wrong because, you know, polling shows 70% of Americans approved of the federal relief plan. In other words, the mob has ruled against tax relief for Kansans.
Wichita Eagle assists in promoting mob rule
The words came from Professor Fox but the Wichita Eagle is complicit in promoting mob rule; not because they published the column, but because they broke their own rules in doing so.
The Eagle has a rule that says at least 90 days must go by between columns from the same author; I know because it has been imposed on me. But that rule apparently only applies to those who support constitutional principles, because Professor Fox’s May 9 column was his fifth since his December 4 column.
“A republic, if you can keep it”
Asked what form of government the founders created, Ben Franklin said, “A republic, if you can keep it.”
Our constitutional republic is under constant assault at the local, state, and federal levels of government and across most of the media. The question is – what are you going to do about it?
Worrying from the sideline only helps those undermining our constitutional republic. But like the founders who won our freedom, we will prevail if we work together with the same passion and determination.
That starts with letting the folks at Friends University and the Wichita Eagle know what you think about their efforts to undermine the rule of law. Private institutions are free to hire whomever they wish, and difference of opinion is healthy, but they still need to be aware of what their faculty is preaching.
But don’t stop there. Do whatever you can to support the principled people and organizations on the front lines of the principled battle to preserve our constitutional republic.