2nd Graders Taught that 'Government Gives Us Rights'

danjoseph | November 17, 2014
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A social studies handout given to students at a Connecticut elementary school teaches second graders that “..the government gives us rights.”

The handout entitled “Being a Good Citizen” was posted on Facebook by Andrew Washburn who claims that his daughter brought the handout home.

Washburn posted the handout on his Facebook page and blasted the handout's message in the comment section of the post.

“So Emma brought home a very interesting handout from school the other day,” wrote Washburn. “So informative! I didn't know that our rights come from the government! Thank you, government! And thank you, Fairfield Public Schools, for teaching my eight year old daughter all about her rights!”

The handout is part of a reading comprehension course offered to schools by a group called Edhelper.com and was authored by Phyllis Naegeli.  The handout includes other mentions of our rights coming from our government rather than being natural rights that the government cannot infringe upon.

“Because the government gives us rights, we have the duty to be good citizens.”

Ms. Naegeli has created some other worksheets that could be deemed as less than accurate interpretations of our nation’s founding principles and documents. 

In one worksheet uncovered by MRCTV.org, entitled “Our Living Constitution” Naegeli writes:

“Our Constitution is alive! That's right. It is called a "living document." That's because it can be changed. Since it was written, it has been changed twenty-seven times. It's a good thing the framers thought about that back in 1787.”

Obviously the idea that the Constitution is “a living document” is a controversial subject in legal circles and the concept is typically seen by liberal jurists as giving the courts the ability to change laws without Congress passing legislation. 

Edhelper.com provides teachers with educational materials for students from pre-school through high school.

 

Hat Tip: Info Wars

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