You and I are in a struggle. A struggle for what our country will be and how our children and their children will live their lives as Americans. It is the most salient event in your lifetime. The outcome will be in the history books your children will read.

To understand this struggle and where we are today, we need to understand the vision, and intent of our Founders. We need to understand a document never before seen in the history of mankind.  Our Constitution.

For over 100 years our government, the congress, the courts and presidents have been moving toward a form of government exactly the opposite of the vision and intent of our Founders. It's called Progressiveism. In short, Progressiveism envisions a large dominant central government. A government ruled by an elite intelligentsia who directs every aspect of our lives. They will decide how our society will progress toward perfection. We have finally begun to see the true face of Progressiveism with government controlled health care, take over of the auto industry, banking and soon the energy industries.

Thomas Jefferson captured the essence of the vision of our founders when he wrote, “A wise and frugal government...shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government.”

Specifically, how does Progressiveism compare to the vision of our Founders? To answer this question, I'm suggesting a powerful resource that's readily available and free. Hillsdale College – www.Hillsdale.edu

. Hillsdale has a series of free educational resources specifically designed to educate you about the Constitution.

The first is a series of 5 free online college level lectures.

(www.Hillsdale.edu/kirbycenter/programs/townhall/default.asp ) Session lectures include:

• “Americas Founding Principals”

• “Founders Constitution”

• “The Civil War”

• “The Progressives Constitution”

• “The Administrative State”

(Each session lasts about an hour and can be viewed at your convenience.)

The next free resource is being offered to commemorate the signing of our Constitution on September 17,1787. A series of web casts will be held beginning next week on September 16th and concluding September 17th. (Each presentation lasts about an hour. You can choose to view any or all of interest.)

Topics include:

• “Free Markets, Regulation and the Constitution”

• “Does Tea Party Constitutionalism Have a Future”

• “Founding Fathers”

• “How to Interpret the Constitution: A Debate

• “Civil Liberties and Islamic Terrorism: A Debate”

• “The Constitution and the 2010 Elections”

• “Why We Celebrate Constitution Day”

Sign up in advance at

www.avwebcasting.com/hillsdale/register.php?constitutionday.com 

I invite you to educate yourself. Celebrate the writing of one of the greatest documents ever written. You will come away with a far greater appreciation of the incredible freedoms we have and the need more than ever to protect them.TAKE ACTION

• Read and learn about our countries history and Constitution. Take advantage of the events and courses at Hillsdale and the upcoming COMMON SENSE Constitution Day celebrations.

• When you understand the brilliance of our Founding Fathers...how highly they valued individual freedom...how greatly they feared and loathed a central government, you will better understand how far we have strayed from the vision of our Founders and why the struggle to return to our foundations must be won.

• Discuss with your friends and family the need to return to the principals of our Constitution. Consider getting together as a group to view some of the web casts and follow it up with a group discussion.

• Email your friends about the Constitutional courses and the COMMON SENSE Constitution Day celebrations.

• Post online information and comments on website forums, Facebook, etc., about COMMON SENSE and the Constitution that defends our liberties.

• Use your newly acquired understanding of the Constitution to select candidates in the November 2nd elections. Has their voting record supported or eroded our constitutions principals?

• Use Constitution Day as an opportunity to learn and recruit like minded friends and family to “Common Sense” and our struggle to restore America.

As Ronald Reagan so aptly stated, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the blood stream. It must be fought for, protected and honored and for them to do the same.”

Never forget this is our time. This our fight. This struggle is for our children's children freedom. Ask yourself...what one thing can I do today, tomorrow, and the next, and the next, to help restore American...and do it!

* Personal motto of George Washington