“America: The Last Best Hope”

By: American Decency Staff

As we observe the troubled times in our country, the quickest reflex for many is to start being active. As vital and necessary as that is, it is equally and more so important that we begin to become informed. If we can not argue our beliefs, our beliefs are hollow and useless. As some wise man said and many wise and not so wise men have quoted, “the past is the key that unlocks the future.â€Â It is history that is the root of our beliefs. It is the recognition of mistakes made and the celebration of great ambitions accomplished, the stories of the constant and many faceted battle of good and evil that is our tool for carving out the future. It is for that reason that we deal with history revisionists trying to erase any mention of God in the early documents of our national archives and thus in our children’s history books. It is hard to find a curriculum that gives appropriate credit to our Creator for the founding of our nation. One title stands out in the crowd. Bill Bennett’s America: The Last Best Hope is an excellent resource for any history teacher or student. Not only does it lay out the honest facts, but it does it in an interesting way. The format of the book is not that of a traditional text book with the inlaid fact boxes and questions. It is written as a story, because that’s what it is. We know Bennett’s story telling skills already from his Book of Virtues and The Moral Compass. And as a former Secretary of Education he knows something about teaching as well. I heard a few minutes of The Laura Ingraham Show on Columbus Day and she was talking about the attacks on Columbus that are now likely to happen in the classroom. I will take the attacks on this holiday as an opportunity to give you a sample of this book. “The very frightful consequences of smallpox and measles – which would continue to take their toll among Indians well into the nineteenth century – could hardly have been known by the European explorers of Columbus’s day. Very little of the germ theory of disease was then known. And when it did become known, vaccines to protect against them were the product of that European culture – the same exploring, seeking spirit of Columbus – that is is now so widely attacked. Even if Europeans of Columbus’s time had had the scientific knowledge to test for diseases, the only way to have avoided infecting innocent aboriginal peoples would have been to  have stayed at home in Spain.â€Â These books are a great defense against the crushing of the American conservative spirit. They remind us what we are about and why we are about it. We found these books at the Value Voters Summit in Washington, D.C. and also had the opportunity to hear Bill Bennett speak. Dad sent me to the book table as soon as Bennett was done speaking, and I got there just in time to pick up the last set. There is a reason for that! I am reading them right now simply because they are interesting and fun to read. There are two volumes in a box set and they take you from Columbus through Reagan. They are also very affordable at $20.79 each. It’s a great opportunity to learn the true history of our country. America: The Last Best Hope. http://store.roadmaptolastbesthope.com/cart.php Submitted by Chris Johnson ===================================== Bill Bennett’s "America: The Last Best Hope" is being incorporated as official curriculum in various major cities and states across America. Whether you are a homeschooling parent, a Christian school parent or a parent of a public school child, I urge you to buy this set of books, read them and as God leads, use your influence to get them incorporated into the school curriculum. You will find the website very helpful in answering any questions you may have.  This powerful tool is desperately needed in this day of historical rewritten and societal confusion regarding our roots and heritage. http://www.roadmaptolastbesthope.com/ ==================== Here is an excerpt from their web page: American History Curriculum Textbooks and Online Supplements for Social Studies and History Education Including Advanced Placement U.S. History Once upon a time, not too long ago, we understood what our history was, we recognized it as glory and romance—the very words etched into the top of our National Archives, describing what the building underneath contains and protects. The story of America is a great story. In fact, it is the greatest political story ever told. We have prevented epidemics, improved the conditions of mankind, and saved other countries. We have fought wars for ourselves as well as others, we have liberated, and we have become not only a shining city on a hill, but a place of refuge since our beginnings. America is not just the story of great leaders; it is the story of a great people who wisely choose how to save themselves and others, how to correct wrongs, and how to preserve what is still the greatest nation in the history of the world. If we dedicate ourselves to studying our history, we will see what our Founders saw we could be, what foreigners who came here saw all along, and what we ourselves can—even today—see each day. Remember Abraham Lincoln's words in 1862: "We hold the power, and bear the responsibility. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth." Join author William J. Bennett and students and teachers across the country as we read America: The Last Best Hope; the story of America written as drama, romance, comedy, mystery, action, tragedy, and triumph. There is no time like the present to get excited and knowledgeable about the past. We look forward to your participation and ideas. ==================================== American Decency Association Bill Johnson, President P.O. Box 202 Fremont, MI 49412 ph: 231-924-4050 www.americandecency.org http://www.twitter.com/billwjohnson

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