A step forward for Hoosiers in a long march

October 15, 2014 4 Comments

The wonderful thing about America is that even in what seem like our darkest hours, there are occasional rays of hope.  These are what keep people in all fifty states going, determined to continue the fight to protect and restore the liberties upon which this great nation was founded.  One such ray of hope has broken through the clouds here in Indiana.  It is a small step in what ultimately must be a long march to reclaim control of policy-making from the federal government.

As the federal government has ballooned over the last several decades, its appetite to exert influence, power, and ultimatums on the states has become insatiable.  On most every issue, it is the federal government that charts the course of state executives and legislatures, rather than “the people” and those they elect to represent them in their statehouses.  In state after state, legislatures have almost been relegate to the status of being mere subcontractors, tasked to execute and carry out state policies set by the feds.

So powerful is the lure of federal funding that, far more often than not, it’s difficult to find a governor of either party who is willing to say “no.”  And yet, that is exactly what is needed – governors who are willing to stand at the constitutional line and reclaim the right of the states to govern themselves – to be responsive to their citizens rather than to the federal government.

This week Governor Mike Pence took a step forward in this fight.  He had the good judgment and courage to walk away from millions of potential federal dollars, by refusing to apply for the federal Preschool Development Grant.  Of course, there continues to be much work that needs to be done to return control of education to Indiana, but turning down this federal grant is a welcomed first step.  We applaud and thank Governor Pence for this decision, and hope that it is the beginning of a new day in Indiana.

We also applaud and thank the many Hoosiers who rallied to make their voices heard, after we wrote about this issue last week.  In a matter of days, people from all across the state called and emailed their concerns, which allowed them to be heard by Governor Pence.  We are proud of the role we played in making this happen, as well as to stand with groups such as the American Family Association, the Indiana Association of Home Educators, the Indiana Family Institute, Indiana Eagle Forum, and the numerous Tea Parties across the state, all of whom alerted their members.

May this small victory and the light of hope it shines be a sign of good things for Indiana that are yet to come.

Comments (4)

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  1. Mona says:

    This give me hope for us here in Hawaii
    We have a few people here that know of common core
    And it’s time to calls but no one is really doing anything to stop it

  2. Jim Bratten says:

    Thanks to all those who called and e-mailed Gov. Pence to do the right thing and refuse this carrot for more government control of Hoosier preschoolers. And superb recap here by Heather!

    Now, if only Gov. Pence would have been this strong when confronting the education lobby, the Chamber of Commerce, and assorted corporate cronies when we were attempting to reinstate superior Hoosier education circa 2009, in the efforts to Stop Common Core! (Rebranding is NOT eradicating…)

    Thank Gov. Pence for this one (even though he bought the Pre-K program) and ask him to stand strong.

    Then ask him how much Indiana spends on the new, corrupted APUSH (Advanced Placement U.S. History) materials…

    And thanks to Erin and Heather for carrying this battle against federal takeover of education forward. More and more parents, and even teachers, are coming around.

  3. Sandy Crist says:

    Great news! We must push Washington back!

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