A new political party is an idea whose time has passed. While I certainly sympathize with those who want to “do something” about the federal Leviathan, taxes, abortion, illiteracy—pick a cause—they’re simply mistaken in believing that becoming active in politics will change things. It hasn’t, and it won’t.

The Incumbent Party (with its two wings. Democratic and Republican) is firmly in control of government at all levels. After many years of being on the political front lines, I finally faced the fact a couple of years ago that my time and money had accomplished nothing. Looking back on all the campaigns and causes I’ve championed, starting in the late 50’s, I see that nothing has changed for the better. I’m now devoting my efforts to the one activity that will have an effect—getting children out of government schools.

The U.S. Department of Education’s 1993 report, Literacy in America, records the results of the largest survey of adult literacy ever undertaken in this country. The survey found that half of all adults can’t understand a newspaper or do simple math. Over 80 percent of black adults are similarly illiterate. While the readers of Chronicles recognize this as a disaster, national educrats are quite pleased with the results. Here’s a quotation from page xviii of the Executive Summary: “Perhaps the most salient finding of this survey is that such large percentages of adults performed in the lowest levels. In and of itself, this may not indicate a serious problem. After all, the majority of adults who demonstrated limited skills described themselves as reading or writing English well [emphasis added].” And from the final paragraph: “Today we are a better educated and more literate society than at any time in our history.”

It should have been no surprise that Bill Clinton’s approval rating soared to 73 percent two days after he was impeached. Leviathan, after 150 years or so of government control of education, has finally created a nation populated by self-satisfied morons who will think and do exactly what Baal Clinton and Dan Blather tell them.

We are wrong to claim victory when the superintendent or board of a government school grudgingly allows a student to say a non-sectarian (i.e., meaningless, non-Christian) prayer. They are masters at taking two steps forward, then one step back. If we truly want to change things for the better, we must concentrate our efforts on getting children out of the government schools and into sound Christian or home schools. Sadly, studies consistently show that over 80 percent of parents who claim to be Christian scud their children to government schools.

Renewal starts with our friends and family. Once we have taken our own children out of government schools and have thrown our televisions out the window, we will begin to see the fruit of sound teaching that will provide the coming generations with the ability to think logically and to make sound moral judgments. Only then will a return to the old paths be possible.