Earlier this year, I found a flyer in one of my kids’ backpacks. It was for a Constitution Day event at a local school district. I was immediately excited when I read “renowned constitutional scholar” Jeff Utsch would be speaking. More on Jeff in a bit.
Constitution Day was designated as a national observance in 2004 by Congress. It’s usually marked on school and college campuses by lectures about the Constitution. This year seemed no different.
The flyer said the event, sponsored by the Common Sense Lady Patriots, would feature a 5th grade poster and essay contest, a Revolutionary costume parade, hot dogs, and a Border Patrol flyover. That seemed fairly normal until the Border Patrol bit. I have a problem with tying military imagery to civics, especially as that particular agency is currently snatching people off of the streets without due process.
Perhaps I’m missing the point of this party: to celebrate our foundational document, not to study it. It’s a trap disguised in red, white, and blue that demands conformity or deems you unpatriotic. It’s a favorite tactic of Christian Nationalists: to wield their Bible and wrap themselves in the flag, shielding themselves from any criticism and all critique.
Back to keynote speaker Jeff Utsch. On his website, Jeff describes his constitutional expertise as being the result of “intensive self-study.” He is the founder of Heirs to the Republic Educational Foundation, as well as a Leadership and History instructor at the Leadership and Freedom Center in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It isn’t difficult to find some of the articles authored by Jeff.
In one, A Manifesto on Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, he asserts that Americans’ “first identity is that of a child of God.” He also very awkwardly forces together classic literature and the Trump Administration, writing: “Can Frodo save the nation from Obamacare?” According to Jeff, Trump is Frodo, the Ring of Power is the government, Gollum is the Establishment, the Freedom Caucus is Samwise, and it is our job to “carry the ringbearer.”
In another piece, he administers a test titled, “Jeff’s Simple Test to Reveal If You Are On The Right Side,” wherein the reader quickly discovers the direction this is going. There are questions like, “Do you believe our primary identity should be as sons and daughters of God?” and, “Do you understand how false narratives and false teachings, such as the 1619 Project can corrupt learning and skew perspectives to yield the America-hating we see today?” Per Jeff, if you answered “yes” to both of the above (and more), congratulations! You are on the right track and can call yourself a patriot.
At this point, I am reasonably suspicious that “renowned constitutional scholar” actually means renowned Christian Nationalist. And I do not want my children being taught about the Constitution by someone who promotes these views and tells them that being a child of God is their most important characteristic.
So, no, my kids did not attend the festivities. Instead, we stayed home to read the First Amendment. They learned all about the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause, the freedom of speech and the press, the right to assemble and to make a complaint to the government. Heck, we even had hotdogs.
I want my children to know the Constitution is a very important foundational document in our nation’s history, but more importantly, I want them to understand the rights and protections it provides them. More broadly, I want my children to know things as they truly were, so they may acknowledge the dark periods of our shared history and strive toward a better future.
If you take nothing else from this magazine, remember this: If we do not take proactive steps to teach our children about the Constitution and our country’s history, someone else will, and you never know who it will be or what they will tell them.