RUSH: This is from the Independent Journalism Review. You know, there’s a lot of young bubbling up there effervescent conservative websites out there. There are a lot of them and they are disdainful of the Drive-By Media, and some of them are even disdainful of the so-called existing conservative media, guys like James O’Keefe and Jason Mattera, but there are a bunch of others, the Campus Reform guys, GotNews.com.
There are a bunch of really pedal-to-the-metal young conservative — Conservative Review is one — websites out there, and they are take no prisoners. Independent Journalism Review is one of them and there’s a story here about North Dakota is taking a new approach to ensure that its youths learn the value of the greatness of the United States.
“In an effort to ensure that high school graduates are aware how the U.S. government operates, the state legislature in North Dakota is considering a new bill, which would impose one more requirement on seniors prior to graduation. From the Jamestown Sun newspaper: ‘A bipartisan bill being introduced in the North Dakota Legislature would require high school students to pass the same civics test as new Americans seeking citizenship before they could graduate.’
“The proposed bill has many backers, including the Civics Education Initiative, whose goal is to have similar laws enacted in every state by September 17, 2017 — the 230th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution. Some of the questions from the civics test that would be embodied by the new legislation involve American government, history, and integrated civics.”
You want to hear some of these questions? Okay, here we go.
Number one: “What is the supreme law of the land?” (interruption) See, now, Snerdley, there you go arrogantly, condescendingly answering the question as though everybody knows. Not everybody can answer that question. How many people — I gotta be very careful here. What is your answer to that question, what is the supreme law of the land? (interruption) That’s right, okay, you get a gold star. It’s the Constitution, 1787.
Now, you understand there are a lot of communities in this country you can go to, they’d be clueless, wouldn’t even know what you’re talking about. What do you mean, supreme law of the land? You mean cops can kill anybody they want? What do you mean, supreme law of the land? Understand there are a lot of people that wouldn’t even comprehend what’s being asked.
Next question: “What is freedom of religion?” Answer: It doesn’t mean belief in global warming. (interruption) Right, okay, okay, I know you can answer it. Right. You can answer it. The point is, they want to put these questions on a test in North Dakota that you can’t graduate ’til you know these things.
Number three: “What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?” The answer today is “nothing.” If you’re the executive branch, nothing. But the answer, of course, is… (interruption) Separation of powers. Exactly right.
Number four: “What are two cabinet-level positions?” Okay, now, you answer those easily, but not everybody else could. Secretary of state, secretary of Treasury, you know, police chief.
“Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?” Taxation. Okay, cool.
“Name one right only for United States citizens.” You say it used to be voting? What about life and liberty? What about pursuit of happiness? Name one right only for US citizens. The right to carry arms. It could be a trick question. Some people say a trick question.
“What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?” Ah, this is a trick question. (interruption) Right. It did nothing at the time, but it is perceived to have freed black people, so that’s true.
“Who was president during World War I?” Predecessor Barack Obama, that’s right, Woodrow Wilson.
“Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States?” Okay, Mississippi. What is the next longest, or what is another longest river? (interruption) No. Not the Rio Grande. The Missouri River. The Missouri River is huge. There’s a Missouri River, it bisects the state of Missouri north to south. Missouri River, oh, yeah.
“Why does the flag have 13 stripes?” Do you know how few people know that? I mean, that question befuddles people like you can’t believe. Anyway, there are people that oppose doing this, do you understand this? There are people in North Dakota who oppose this, and those people should be voted out of office as soon as possible. This is just a baseline requirement. What can there possibly be to object to in this?
You can’t say it’s too hard. You can’t say it’s discriminatory. You can’t say it’s racist. You can’t say it’s sexist. You can’t say it’s bigoted. How is it discriminatory? (interruption) Oh, it’s discriminatory because it discriminates against people who don’t know. Right. They don’t have white privilege and haven’t been taught this stuff. Right, right, right. Okay, anyway. Here again, folks, if I may… (interruption) Well, look, these are not all the questions. It stops here at number 10.
The question on when did the United States steal Mexico is not here. It’s just not here. They only had space to publish 10 of the questions. So when the United States stole Mexico is probably, I don’t know, question 18.
When I started these Rush Revere and these children’s books, I mean, there was a mission. It was to teach the truth of American history because, ego-wise, I love America. I wish everybody did. And I hope everybody will.
You know, I’m naive. I will admit that I’m naive. There’s a part of me, honestly, to the depths of my soul, that doesn’t understand why people hate this country. Intellectually, I understand it. I understand the politics of grievance, and I understand the way people have been taught, but compared to every other place human beings have lived before this country and since it was founded, it makes no common sense to hate this place, and yet people do.
Kids are never gonna listen to this program, so how to reach them? The children’s books idea came up, and they just took off. Now we’re up to three of them. The latest one is Rush Revere and the American Revolution. Our talking horse, time-traveling Liberty, can take students anywhere. They’re just so much fun to do. Our military tie-in with this latest one. So I love seeing stories like this, taking a new approach to ensure young people learn the value of the greatness of this country.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. Hi, Betty. Welcome to the EIB Network. Welcome.
CALLER: Well, I’m glad to be with you. You’re one of my idols. I’ve been listening to you since way back when you were able to look in Gimbels window.
RUSH: (laughing) That’s Pittsburgh!
CALLER: I lived in Pittsburgh at that time.
RUSH: That’s KQV! That’s 1972, 1971. That’s incredible, that you would remember Gimbels window?
CALLER: Well, I remember you. When I moved here to Lehigh Valley, I moved here in May of ’88, and I couldn’t find a radio — I’m a radio person rather than TV.
RUSH: Yeah, me, too.
CALLER: And I couldn’t find a radio person that appealed to me, and, lo and behold, in August I found you.
RUSH: That’s great. That’s great. I appreciate that.
CALLER: And the great part of it is I called my brother to tell him in Pittsburgh that I found you here, and shortly after that you started your Limbaugh Letter. I sent him the Limbaugh Letter for Christmas, and the same Christmas he sent me the Limbaugh Letter. (laughing)
RUSH: Wow.
CALLER: I already had it and so did he, so we each had two copies of the Limbaugh Letter.
RUSH: I really appreciate you guys. That’s a dual subscription. Had I known, I would have comped you, but I’m just now finding out about it. You’ve been subscribing all that time?
CALLER: Yes, sir.
RUSH: Wow.
CALLER: Now, my call will tie in what you’re talking about, the history lessons in North Dakota —
RUSH: Yeah.
CALLER: — and the value of children learning the history through your books. I have a new great-grandson. He’s six months old and he lives in North Dakota. He received so many gifts when he was born, gifts of clothing, toys, equipment and so forth, that I didn’t know what to buy him for Christmas until I heard you talking about the books, and then it hit me. I could buy him these books, wrap them up in a beautiful Christmas paper, put a sticker on them saying, “Do not open until Christmas, dash, 2018.”
RUSH: (laughing)
CALLER: I don’t know whether to put 2018 or 19.
RUSH: He’s six months old now?
CALLER: Yes.
RUSH: I’d say 2018 is cool.
CALLER: That’s what I thought.
RUSH: Yeah, because at that point his parents and even you could read to him. He would be old enough to comprehend being read to. Absolutely.
CALLER: Now, the baby’s name is Bradley.
RUSH: You know what, Betty, hang on here, because you know what would be ideal even before then, is the CDs, the audio versions of all three of those books, of course performed by me. I’m gonna send ’em to you. If you’ll hang on, Mr. Snerdley will get your address and we’ll get those out. You can add those to the list.