Honoring civics teachers
We should acknowledge the vital work of Hawaii civics teachers. If we hope to build a more civil, less divided country, civics teachers have an important role to play.
At the Bill of Rights Institute, we work with more than 70,000 civics and history teachers, including many in Hawaii. Civics teachers, perhaps more than anyone else, are working in the middle of our national divide.
Division and polarization have surfaced at contentious school board meetings, in bitter fights over curricula, and even among students influenced by divisive rhetoric.
A 2022 FiveThirtyEight/Ipsos survey found Americans rated polarization as a top concern, outpacing issues like immigration, health care and unemployment.
But civics education offers powerful tools, in addition to helping students develop foundational knowledge about our country. Civics teachers equip students with life-long citizenship skills, including the ability to engage civilly with people who hold different viewpoints. They teach students to think critically, consider issues from diverse perspectives, and work with their community neighbors to solve problems.
We need our civics teachers now more than ever. They deserve our gratitude.
David J. Bobb
President and CEO, Bill of Rights Institute
Sneaky pro- abortion move
Recently, the U.S. Senate defeated a bogus Equal Rights Amendment.
At first glance, a person would wonder why such a great-sounding amendment would fail in obtaining the required 60 votes to pass. The vote was 51 in favor with 47 opposing the U.S. Senate joint resolution.
Technically, the constitutional deadline to ratify the proposed amendment expired decades ago. However, that legal fact didn’t stop pro-abortionists in trying to expand governmental authority in greatly increasing the number of preborn children to immediate death, even to the moment of death.
Thankfully, there were enough U.S. senators who understand the value of human life in the womb in rejecting a sneaky, back-door maneuver to create a national “right” to abortion on demand throughout the country.
There is no tactic or strategy pro-abortionists won’t act upon in obtaining their evil objective in establishing a nationwide genocide law upon preborn children, including up to the moment of their birth.
People who believe in the sanctity of preborn baby life must always remain vigilant in protecting those innocent, helpless and voiceless lives.
James G. Borden
Hilo