THE IDEA

Many of our current holidays have become overly commercialized or have lost their deeper meaning. We need to reinvigorate our appreciation and understanding of America’s spirit.

Patriots’ Week will focus on our First Principles, key historical figures, founding documents, and symbols (represented by flags).

Anchored by the key dates of September 11 (the anniversary of the terrorists attacks) and September 17 (Constitution Day, the anniversary of when the Constitution was signed), each day will have a separate focus.

Each day will be tied to Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations in Social Studies to encourage our educators to leverage Patriots’ Week to help students better understand Americans history and civics as they prepare for the MEAP and other assessments.

THE SCHEDULE

9/11: Celebrate the First Principle of Revolution; Thomas Paine, Patrick Henry, and John Adams; the Declaration of Independence; and the Bennington (’76) Flag

9/12: Celebrate the First Principle of the Rule of Law; Chief Justice John Marshall; Marbury v Madison; and the Betsy Ross Flag

9/13: Celebrate the First Principle of the Social Compact; George Washington; the Constitutional Convention; and the current USA Flag

9/14: Celebrate the First Principle of Equality (gender); Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony; 1848 Statement and 19th Amendment; and the Suffragist Flag

9/15: Celebrate the First Principle of Equality (racial); Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and Martin Luther King Jr.; and the Union Flag

9/16: Celebrate the First Principle of Unalienable Rights; Thomas Jefferson; the Bill of Rights; and the Gladssen Flag (Don’t Tread on Me)

9/17: Celebrate the First Principle of Limited Government; James Madison; unamended Constitution, 9th and 10th Amendments; and State, County, or Municipal Flags

Monday, May 25, 2009

Memorial Day - Honoring Our Sacred Dead

Memorial Day should be a time for something more than an excuse for a three day weekend and "once in a lifetime" carpet sales. Of course, we all benefit from a break from the hustle and bustle of our lives, but it is also a time to reflect on the sacrifices that our sacred dead have made.

We are the beneficiaries of hundreds of thousands of servicemen and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. On Monday, let us remember them, and let us renew our commitment to ensuring that that their sacrifices were not in vain. We need to deepen and renew the Spirit of America by defending our way of life, our Constitution, and our freedoms and liberties. We can do so by relearning our Founding First Principles and history, and ensuring that those power do the same.


For more on our founding First Principles and history, visit: www.AmericasSurvivalGuide.com.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

COOLEY LAW SCHOOL JOINS PATRIOTS' WEEK

Cooley Law School's Auburn Hills campus has committed to hosting a Patriots' Week event on September 11.