Journey Toward A More Perfect Union: Travel to America's Founding to Alter the Constitution!

By Ron Schlegel

When scientists invent the world's first time machine, and selects a young American journalist, history buff, and descendent of Ben Franklin, to travel back to colonial Philadelphia to fulfill his noble mission of creating a more perfect Constitution and union, his lifelong dream is about to begin. Once transported, he meets America's Founders,

• Language: English
• Publisher: Palmetto Publishing
• Release date: May 2, 2023
• ISBN: 9798987333914

Ron Schlegel

Ron Schlegel grew up one mile from where General Francis Nash died after the Revolutionary War battle of Germantown. He holds an interdisciplinary PhD in education, communications, and technology. He has worked as a data visualization designer, information architect, web usability/user experience specialist, assistant professor of communication technology, and printer. He enjoys playing guitar, creating music, reading, writing, financial analysis, woodworking, and hiking in the mountains. He lives with his wife in Cary, North Carolina. He shares Alex's dream of traveling to colonial America and concerns for America's future.Visit his blogs at www.smartcitisumer.com/journey-juntos and www.uncommonsensesolutions.net.

Book preview

Chapter 1

The Contest

We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.

—President John Kennedy

In a time of domestic crisis, men of goodwill and generosity should be able to unite regardless of party or politics…. Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.

—President John Kennedy

Facts are stubborn things.

—John Adams

A

lex slammed the lid

closed to his laptop in horror! He had just read a news report that a congressional committee had authored a House bill and submitted it to Congress for consideration. It proposed to completely abolish the US Constitution and replace it with a socialist constitution, complete with explicit rights—to be granted to the Federal Government! It was submitted by a rogue committee of five radical democrats who had been secretly working on it for several months.

The most radical articles of the proposed constitution included:

The states shall be dissolved and shall be governed as a single body, as a member of the European Union.

The Executive branch shall be comprised of a council of thirty persons appointed by the European Union.

The Legislative branch shall be comprised of a House of nine regional representatives, appointed by the Executive Council.

The federal Judiciary shall be comprised of three justices appointed by the Executive Council.

To avoid unnecessary conflict, the nation shall adhere to a neutral stance on all international issues of conflict, and all branches of the military shall be disbanded.

To create a more equitable society, the nations’ wealth shall be redistributed equally among its citizens and residents, and worker wages, hours, conditions, and benefits shall be set by the Federal Government.

To manage and prevent extreme economic conditions, the prices, quantities, and quality standards of all goods and services shall be set by the Federal Government.

Religious practices shall be regulated to ensure they are in conformance with contemporary social norms of acceptability and speech standards set within this Constitution.

To promote the general welfare of its citizenry, children shall be raised according to the established Federal Parenting Regulations.

To promote the education of its citizenry, all children ages four through twenty-five shall be required to attend a federally regulated public school. All alternative forms of education shall be banned.

To promote social harmony among the citizenry, all media shall be monitored and regulated by the Federal Office of Information Management. Words and phrases deemed by the Federal government to cause violence, division, offense, or emotional trauma shall be banned from the public sphere.

Alex was stunned! He knew that socialism was tried many times before in America—the Shakers, Oneidans, Hutterites, Rappites, and Zoarites, and elsewhere—in Venezuela, Cuba, Russia, and China—each time ending in failure. His father, Gordon—an author, speaker, and retired History professor at the University of Pennsylvania, had warned him several months earlier this was coming, but he had dismissed it as alarmist nonsense.

Alex reopened his laptop and browsed other news. In another news report, a Gallup poll showed that 43 percent of Americans now thought that socialism would be good for America! Alex knew that capitalism—despite being imperfect, was still the best system of economy, and socialism was one of the worst! He buried his face in his hands and said a prayer for God to give the nation’s leaders wisdom, and open their eyes and mind to the truth. He wondered what he should do—what he could do.

Alex glanced down at his iPhone for the time. It was 5:37 p.m., time to drive downtown into Philadelphia from his two-bedroom, suburban apartment at Conshohocken, to the historic City Tavern colonial restaurant and bar for a traditional family celebration of his twenty-fourth birthday. The historic tavern was a site where many of the American Founders met regularly, when it was called the Merchant’s Coffee House. It was also Alex’s favorite colonial restaurant and hangout with his friends (See photo on p. 76).

Alex Bache met with his family at the tavern that rainy, spring, Friday evening—April 17, 2018, for a traditional family birthday celebration. Alex’s mother, Elaine, and his younger brother, Graham, sat beside him. Everyone in the family talked and laughed, happy to be together again.

Alex’s retired father, Gordon, also enjoyed dining at this historic site. He was not simply retired; he had been forced out of his job at forty-seven for expressing politically-incorrect, though factual views of history to his students, placing his students ahead of the institution, and outperforming his colleagues—inadvertently making them look bad in the liberal, socialist academic culture. Since his retirement, he spent his days writing history books and articles, speaking, and volunteering at his Presbyterian church.

Until the day his father sadly revealed the entire unjust incident to him, Alex had been considering following in his father’s footsteps into a teaching career. The injustice imposed onto his father had left an indelible mark on Alex—one that gave him a life-long, dogged passion for truth and justice—for himself, his family, and the nation. Since that sad day, Alex’s career path turned toward journalism.

Alex had been working in his job for two years since graduating with a degree in journalism and a minor in history from Princeton University. He enjoyed his career, as it provided him a means for writing and publishing the truth and to promote justice. It also enabled him to enjoy the comfortable, material things in life—a professional quality Takamine, Japanese, acoustic guitar, a vast music collection, books, an iPhone, a MacBook Pro, an Apple smartwatch, and a Tesla. However, his ambition and passion for truth and justice recently led him to enroll part-time at the University of Pennsylvania to study law, though unsure where it would lead him.

So, what book are you working on now, dad? Alex asked.

I’m working on a biography of William Bradford the 3rd, Gordon replied.

Wasn’t he the guy who governed the Plymouth, Massachusetts colony in the 17th century? Alex asked.

That was his grandfather, William Bradford the 1st, Gordon explained.

Oh, so, what was William the 3rd known for? Alex replied.

He was a printer and Sons of Liberty Patriot here in Philadelphia during the Revolution, Gordon explained.

The reconstructed City Tavern, the Merchant’s Coffee House in colonial times, a popular Founder hangout, and still a popular restaurant today. Source: Wikipedia

Oh, really! That’s cool, Alex remarked.

Changing the subject, Gordon asked, Say, Alex, did you hear that your uncle Ray bought a new, twin-prop airplane?

You mean he finally got rid of that old, two-seat, single prop plane that leaked oil? Alex asked.

That’s right. This one will seat four people. He’s trying to build a small business chartering flights between Philadelphia and Washington DC for business and government executives, he explained.

Oh, that sounds interesting, Alex replied.

So, how does it feel to be a member of the National Guard? Gordon asked.

It feels great, Dad! It’s challenging me, teaching me leadership skills and getting me into top physical shape, Alex explained.

I’ve noticed. Did you hear about the radical socialist constitution submitted to Congress for consideration? Gordon asked.

I did. I really can’t believe it! You were right! Do you think it stands a chance of passing into law? Alex asked.

I don’t know, Alex. That’s definitely something to keep an eye on. Today, anything’s possible! You, know, if that were to pass, it would result in tyranny, oppression, and impoverishment for millions. We really need some strong, wise, and Godly leadership in Congress. Alex, I believe you have some potential leadership capabilities. You really should consider running for Congress one day, when you’re ready, Gordon declared.

Me? Congress? I may have some leadership skills, but Congress? I dunno about that, dad. I’m happy with my life as it is right now, and I know that such a responsibility is quite demanding and stressful and unappreciated, Alex replied.

Gordon decided not to press the issue—it was Alex’s birthday. So, how’s the new journalism job going with the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper?

It’s going well. I’m working on an interesting assignment for the Politics section that’s a good challenge for me. Changing the subject, Alex asked, Hey, Dad, you know those weekly discussions I have every Friday night with my friends, Trevon, Matt, and Christina?

You mean your ‘Junto,’ modeled after Ben Franklins’ Juntos? his father replied.

Yeah. Well, last Friday, Matt brought up an interesting question that you—being a history expert, could have helped answer had you been there.

What’s that? his father asked.

If the Founders were all Christians and created the Constitution based on the Bible, then why didn’t they create a theocracy?’

His father pondered the question before replying. You mean a state like Iran, where the government and church are integrated, with its leaders being members of the clergy who are regarded as divinely-guided, and the state’s legal system is based on religious law? A government that regards a religious deity or philosophy as the sole source from which all authority is derived? That’s an interesting and important question.

Well, first of all, most, but not all the Founders were Christians. Most of them were Protestant Christians of various denominations and degrees of faith, predominantly Quaker, Presbyterian, and Anglican Episcopalian, and several were of an unknown faith. A few were Catholic, and a few were possibly deists. About half of them formally studied Christian theology in college, which later became our Ivy League colleges, and a few of them were preachers at one time. In fact, at least five of the Founders were practicing preachers and theologians who held degrees from major universities, including Reverend John Wither-spoon who taught and presided at Princeton University. Historian John Eidsmoe referred to Witherspoon as ‘The man who shaped the men who shaped America.’

What exactly is a ‘deist’? Alex asked.

A deist is someone who believes that after creating the universe, God stopped actively governing the world and performing miracles, leaving all of us here on earth on our own. Deists do not believe that God is a personal being, therefore, they don’t believe in divine revelation, divine intervention, or miracles. They believe that God can be known and understood only through human reason and logic, not through prayer or revelation, Gordon explained.

Well, that view says more about who or what God isn’t than what he is—and implies that God changes, and didn’t perform any more miracles after creation, Alex exclaimed. At that point, Alex’s younger brother, Graham, began listening to the conversation.

Gordon continued, Second, the Founders created the Constitution from the various state constitutions, which were based on various New England covenants, such as the Mayflower Compact of 1620 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. These covenants were based on the Bible, so our Constitutional laws were based indirectly on biblical principles as well as principles espoused by Locke, Montesquieu, Blackstone, Bacon, Kant, and other Christian leaders of the Enlightenment.

So, those renowned enlightenment leaders were all Christians? Alex asked.

Well, those men that I mentioned were Christians. However, others, such as Voltaire, Bentham, and Rousseau, were not. As to a theocracy, you see, the Founders—knowing their history, understood that the original colonists—99 percent of whom were Christian, fled to America to escape the oppression of the established state-mandated Church of England. Because the Founders were diverse denominationally, they did not want to establish any particular Christian denomination, and they knew they could never agree on one. The Founders cherished religious freedom and freedom of conscience above coercive religious practices and rituals. They didn’t want the Christian religion or any particular Christian denomination to rule by the sword or by the pen. They appreciated that Christianity is uniquely and voluntarily spread by truth, light, and love, and not by the sword, as some other religions do—like Islam. They understood that light and freedom will reveal the truth, not lies, deception, or the sword.

Oh, yeah, that makes sense, Alex replied. I’ll have to explain that to the guys next Friday. I may also post that on my American Patriot blog. Thanks, Dad.

Alex turned to his brother, So, what are you planning to study in college, Graham?

I don’t know. I’m really just into baseball and stuff right now, his brother replied.

Stuff—like girls? Any particular sweet stuff caught your fancy? Alex asked.

Well, maybe, Graham shrugged.

When the waitress arrived, Alex ordered his favorite meal—turkey with cranberry sauce. So, how does it feel to be twenty-four, Alex? his mother, Elaine, an attorney, asked.

I feel a day older than yesterday! Alex quipped.

I still remember the day you were born. You were so cute—like a tiny loaf of bread! his mother exclaimed.

Some people still think I’m cute! Alex exclaimed.

After their meal, it was time for the birthday cake. Everyone sang Happy Birthday to Alex, and he blew out all twenty-four candles with one giant blow.

Next year, I think we’ll need to have just five candles—one for each five years! his father joked.

Here’s your favorite blend of French vanilla hazelnut cappuccino, Alex, Elaine exclaimed as she handed Alex a mug. Ya know, Alex, I still find your birth date sooo … creepy! Elaine remarked with a cringe, as she had remarked each year on Alex’s birthday.

Mom, will ya please drop it! It’s just a strange coincidence! Besides, no one had more influence on my birthdate than yourself—and dad. I don’t need to be reminded of it every year! Alex exclaimed. Alex also felt his birthdate was quite creepy, but he preferred not to think about it.

I’m sorry, Alex, his mother replied. So, how are your law studies going?

Fine. I’m just taking one class per semester—for now.

Why don’t you enroll full-time? she asked.

Well, Mom, I already have a full-time job, a weekend volunteer colonial acting gig, and I just returned from my first National Guard duty! Alex explained.

Alex. Don’t you think you’re overdoing things? I think you should drop that acting thing and the National Guard duty, and focus full-time on law school, his mother suggested.

Gordon interjected, Elaine, will ya let Alex do what he wants with his life!

I can handle it, Mom! Don’t worry, Alex assured her.

We’ll see, Elaine replied.

I met this girl in my law class, Alex said, changing the subject. Alex had met her three months ago in a law class at the University of Pennsylvania, and they had grown to like each other’s company while studying together.

Oh? What’s her name? Elaine asked.

Serena Davis.

Does she have a good job? Elaine asked.

She has a small home business—some sort of nutritional food preparation business. Her father’s an attorney, Alex explained.

Oh, how interesting! We have something in common, his mother replied. By the way, Alex, what’s that cologne you’re wearing? Elaine asked.

Cologne? Oh, that must be my lavender with shea butter and coconut oil soap! Alex replied.

Well, it smells lovely!

Thanks, Mom, Alex replied, embarrassed, not intending to be lovely.

After they finished their celebration, Alex hopped in his white Tesla and drove back to his Conshohocken apartment on Washington Street, along the Schuylkill River in the northwest suburbs of Philadelphia.

The weeks passed as Alex continued his journalism job, law class, National Guard duty, colonial acting, and dating Serena. Two months later, on June 19—a pleasant Saturday morning, Alex rose to his iPhone’s rooster alarm from a good night’s sleep in his two-bedroom apartment. It was a beautiful, spring day— his day off from work as a journalist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, and he didn’t have National Guard duty or colonial acting that weekend.

Alex entered the kitchen and made his favorite morning beverage—his custom-blend, French vanilla hazelnut cappuccino. He walked to his study room, sat down, grabbed his Takamine acoustic guitar from its stand, and played his favorite Beatles song, Yesterday, singing as he played. Feeling bored, Alex put his guitar down and browsed his collection of history and law books. From his bookshelf, he grabbed his favorite book, The First American, a biography of Ben Franklin that was lying atop the other books, relaxed in his chair by the desk, and opened it to the bookmarked page to continue reading. He had already read the book twice.

Being the son of a history scholar, Alex had developed a great passion for colonial American history. He vividly remembered visiting Independence Hall when he was ten, that instilled in him a lifelong passion for American history. While there, he talked with some of the colonial actors who explained some interesting facts about colonial life. After the tour, he had purchased a few colonial mementoes in the gift shop and kept them displayed with pride on his bedroom dresser for several years. He had also purchased a parchment replica of the Declaration of Independence and proudly framed and mounted it on his bedroom wall. Growing up, each Saturday morning, while cleaning his room, he admired his historic knickknacks, and dreamed about living in America during colonial times. Once he brought an authentic, colonial sword to school for Show and Tell that his family had passed down to him from his ancestor, Richard Bache, who served on the Board of War. His parents had also taken him to various places of historical significance during their vacations, including colonial Williams-burg, Jamestown, Valley Forge, Washington’s estate at Mt. Vernon, Virginia, Jefferson’s estate at Monticello, and Yorktown. Each of these experiences brought to life what it was like during this pivotal time in history and helped forge his fascination with colonial life.

He often imagined how the great Patriots— Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and his cousin Sam Adams might have influenced the Constitution, had they not been assigned as political ministers to Europe at the time the Constitutional Convention was is session. He wondered how Patrick Henry—the great anti-federalist orator of the Revolution—famous for his Give me liberty or give me death! speech, might have influenced the Constitution, had he not declined his appointment as a Delegate to the Constitutional Convention. He wondered how the Constitution might have been altered if just one congressman of Rhode Island had attended the Constitutional Convention. He wondered how America might be today had Franklin not stood and given his impassioned plea for prayer when the delegates were gridlocked with division. He wondered how America would be today had the Patriots lost the war with Britain, or had chosen to acquiesce to Britain’s intolerable tax acts. He pondered how America’s history might have been altered had General Washington failed to persuade his ragged, unsupplied, starving, frozen, and fatigued militia to endure the brutal winter at Valley Forge. He also wondered how America would be today if Washington had accepted a commission in the pre-Revolutionary War, British Army that was offered to him early in his career.

Alex also wondered about many important things regarding the nation’s founding. He wondered why 55 percent of the Christian Founders owned slaves and why they did not free the slaves in the Constitution in 1787, why they did not give Native Americans and women the right to vote, why they did not create a popular democracy, why they did not create a theocracy, and why they did not include a Bill of Rights with the Constitution. He also wondered what the primary sources of the Founders’ great wisdom were, whether Jefferson and Franklin were truly Christians—or deists. Most of all, Alex wondered what the Founders would think, say, and do differently if they could have, somehow foresaw the state of the American nation today, with its partisan division, immature and corrupt leadership, irresponsible and unsustainable spending, and the way the courts distorted the meaning of the words, intentions, and limits of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

This fascination and curiosity drove him to read many books on colonial history and the lives of the Founders, and to eventually find the answers to some of his burning questions. As a result, he had long felt that if he had been born and lived in those pivotal, historic times, perhaps he could have made some impact on creating a more perfect union. This passion had led him to minor in history at Penn and work part-time as a colonial actor. He was fortunate enough to acquire a weekend colonial acting job as Ben Franklin’s apprentice in Franklin’s print shop.

For a long time, he had been torn between his Patriotism for America and his interest in earning a comfortable living, which his journalism job provided. He thought that his volunteer work as a colonial actor at Franklin’s print shop on weekends would satisfy these conflicting passions. It certainly helped, but he still longed to live in those exciting, historic times of America’s founding. He imagined how his knowledge—particularly in journalism, might make him a leading journalist in those times. He also imagined how his education and knowledge of the current political, social, and economic problems in America could potentially help him forge a more perfect union at the nation’s constitutional inception.

He put the book back on the shelf, sat at his desk, opened his MacBook, and logged into his American Patriot blog site. After reviewing his latest changes, he copied and pasted some information from his last Junto social meeting with his colonial acting friends— Matt, Trevon, and Christina, and saved the information.

Then Alex navigated to his favorite news site. He browsed the morning’s news, looking for something of interest. He began reading an article about another congressional representative caught misspending taxpayer money for his own personal pleasure. The married representative was found guilty of using taxpayer money to pay for a second mansion, trips to the Bahamas, and a mistress. After he read the first two paragraphs, he slammed down the lid to his laptop. It seemed to him that none of the leaders cared about this great nation! He wondered what happened to all the great, heroic people of virtue, principle, conviction, courage, selflessness, morality, and reverence to God.

He sat motionless, staring into space, thinking about the Founders’ lives and living in those colonial times when America was yet to become the greatest nation on earth. He thought about how America was in jeopardy with an overwhelming national debt, corruption by public officers of all parties, inept, self-centered leadership, great political division, and distrust among its citizens regarding the government and the entire political process. He yearned to be able to speak with the Founders, to tell them about what had become of their great experiment in democracy. He wondered what he could say or do to save America from its impending self-destruction. He then re remembered some profound quotes made by some of America’s greatest leaders that he had read in one of his American history books. He browsed his bookshelf and found America’s God and Country, by historian William Federer. Opening the book, he re-read a number of profound quotes that he had previously bookmarked.

Alex’s heart sank as he thought about how his beloved country was declining as a great and prosperous nation. He longed to live at a time when America was good, moral, spiritual, strong, free, and prosperous, and wished there was something he could do to make it right again.

Alex’s moral and spiritual upbringing in the Presbyterian Church and by his parents had instilled a strong faith in God and country, as well as moral and political convictions that had become the core of his being. The fact that he was a descendent of Ben Franklin would not let him forget his significant heritage. He had grown to love the things that made America the strongest, greatest nation on Earth—strong families, faith in God, hope and optimism for the future, hard work, an independent mind and spirit, trust in and respect for his fellow citizens, love of freedom, democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and a free market economy.

He was greatly saddened to see how recent leaders, their laws, policies, values, and beliefs were eroding the nation, and he desperately wanted to do something about it—something significant—for himself, his nation, and their descendants. His father thought he had leadership potential, but deep down, Alex had doubts about it. His leadership potential had never really been tested. His National Guard exercises were one thing, but in a real-life crisis, Alex was uncertain of himself. The greatest crisis he had ever faced was in high school, being held after school in detention for fighting the school bully to defend his latest victim—his younger brother Graham. His brother occasionally found himself being picked on, as he carried a lisp—and a Bible with him almost everywhere. Although Alex perceived his defense of his brother as the honorable thing to do, the school administrators didn’t see it that way. After that eventful day, Alex proudly wore his schools’ letterman jacket the remainder of the school year—with the blood of both boys stained over his schools’ letter—as a badge of honor. He never washed it since that honorable day, and kept it carefully preserved in his closet.

Alex looked at his watch—it was time to leave to pick up Serena. They had planned to visit Valley Forge National Park. It was on this day—June 19, in 1778, that George Washington’s Continental Army marched out of the park encampment after having endured six months of severe hardships. The park was holding a re-enactment of the event that day.

He jumped into his Tesla and drove to her apartment to pick her up.

When he arrived at her apartment, he adjusted the rearview mirror, checked his appearance in the mirror, and combed his thick, dark hair, and thought he was about due for another haircut. He strutted to her door and rang her doorbell. Serena opened the door with a smile. Hey, Alex! she exclaimed.

Hi, Serena! Ready to go?

I still have to brush my hair and do my mascara!

We’re only going to the park! Alex exclaimed.

Yeah, but us girls need to look nice, even for a walk in the park!

Well, hurry! We don’t want to miss today’s annual ‘March Out of the Continental Army’ event. Besides, it’s a great day for a walk in the park!

Maybe you don’t want to miss that, she replied, hinting at her lack of interest. Alex felt disappointed that she apparently did not share his passion for colonial history.

After fifteen minutes, Serena was ready to go. They hopped into Alex’s Tesla and drove to Valley Forge National Park.

Along the way, they stopped at a Wawa convenience store and picked up a couple of Italian hoagies, chips, and drinks. Alex loved their sandwiches, coffee, and cappuccino. Wawa’s had become his favorite place to get a quick, delicious meal. Soon they arrived at the park. Ah, it’s a beautiful day, isn’t it? Alex exclaimed, as they got out of the car.

It sure is! Let’s go for a walk! Serena suggested.

They walked along a paved path while holding hands and enjoying the sun, the scenery, and the historical monuments. A group of men dressed as a colonial militia were reenacting their military exercises. Isn’t this great, Serena? I mean, just imagine—We’re walking in the same footsteps that George Washington and his Revolutionary War soldiers walked nearly two hundred and fifty years ago! I’ll bet there are still musket balls buried right beneath our feet! Ya know, if these soldiers had not won the war, we might still be subjects of the European Union!

After about an hour, they came across a large rock formation beside a picnic area. They decided to sit on the rock and talk for a while before eating their lunch. They were both disappointed to see that many park visitors had carved their names, initials, and dates into the rock. Serena noticed something else. Look at that! she exclaimed.

What? Alex asked, looking around.

Over there, among the rocks! That huge tree! she said, pointing.

Wow! That sure is huge! It must be three feet in diameter! Alex exclaimed.

How old do you think it is?

Mmm … I’d say, it could be, maybe … two or three hundred years old!

Wow! That means it may have been here during the Revolution! Serena surmised. What kind of tree is it? Serena asked.

It looks like a chestnut tree, Alex replied, studying it. They walked over to the tree to get a closer look.

It’s a very unusual tree, Serena said, pointing toward its strange, twisted, protruding roots.

Yeah. Having grown among the rocks, its roots wrapped like a snake around the rocks before entering the ground, as if it was searching desperately for soil to root in, Alex explained.

That’s strange! Look at the trunk! Some disease or injury must have caused the bark to split. And look at the leaves! Those brownish splotches make it appear diseased, Serena remarked.

Alex nodded, Right. In 1904, the chestnut blight hit, infecting all chestnut trees with a parasitic fungus from Japan. Every chestnut tree in America became infected. Scientists are trying to restore them using various techniques.

Oh, wow! I hope they can find a way to restore them, Serena replied.

After a while, they ate their lunch at a table with a nice view of the rock formation and chestnut tree. As they were finishing their lunch, they heard a man giving a speech in the distance.

I wonder what that’s about? Serena asked.

It could be an actor giving a historical speech. Let’s go check it out! Alex suggested.

They moved closer to get a better view and to listen. A man stood on a four-foot platform beside a bronze statue of George Washington, giving a speech. He was dressed in colonial garb and was reading the Declaration of Independence, speaking through a microphone to a growing crowd of about forty people.

Isn’t this great? Alex exclaimed.

I suppose, Serena replied dispassionately.

After completing the reading of the Declaration, the man explained its meaning and significance. After a few minutes into the monologue, a young man in the crowd wearing a state university sweatshirt, began shouting. Freedom only for the white racist men! A few others in the crowd joined into the rant.

America was founded by white racist men! The Founders were white racist men! The Founders were white racist men! they repeated, clearly trying to drown out the speaker.

An older white man in his sixties standing near the protester frowned in annoyance. Let the man speak, will ya? The speaker was becoming distraught, and did not know what to do. The apparent leader of the protest group was stirring several of his followers into a frenzy. It seems the group had gone there with a specific political agenda. Alex became concerned about how the disruption might develop.

Suddenly, their leader leaped onto the platform and grabbed the microphone from the speaker. America is based on racism! The Founders were white racist men who created a nation based on slavery! Four of his young followers then retrieved long, heavy ropes from plastic bags. Like skillful Texan cowboys, they lassoed the ropes around Washington’s bronze neck with their first toss and began pulling in the same direction, attempting to topple the statue. The crowd became frightened, some yelling for them to stop. After several tugs and continuous pulling, the statue’s mounting bolts gave way, and Washington toppled over. As his head hit the blacktop, it broke clear off his body. The crowd became riotous, pushing and shoving—one observer screamed as if someone had been murdered. The few radicals shouted once more before running off, leaving the toppled, headless statue, the speaker speechless, and the distraught crowd in somber chaos.

Alex, along with everyone else, was in a state of shock, not believing what he had just witnessed. How could this have happened? How did he let this happen?

Soon the police arrived and began to interview witnesses about what had occurred and to gather clues regarding the protesters’ identities. Alex and Serena gave their report of the event. Then they walked back to the car, speechless for several minutes. Finally, Alex broke the silence. How did I let that happen?

Serena looked at him, asking, What could you have done to stop it?

I don’t know, but I could have done something! Those protesters aren’t interested in democracy or freedom of speech. They just want to shut everyone up while they express their views!

But many of the Founders did own slaves, including Washington and Jefferson! she replied.

That’s true, but many of them did not buy their slaves—they typically inherited them—and they were dependent on them to maintain their inherited plantations. Freeing their slaves would require them to give up their plantations—their source of living. If you had inherited a profitable plantation that depended on slave labor to maintain it, how easily would you sell your plantation and free the slaves whom you depended on for a living—because you believed slavery to be morally wrong?

I admit it might be difficult, but I think I would free them. At least I hope I would, Serena replied, unsure.

Actually, many of the Founders—particularly in the north, didn’t treat their slaves any more harshly than an employer treats their employees, Alex pointed out. Jefferson never whipped his slaves, and he instructed his overseers not to do so.

But they weren’t free to quit their jobs! Serena remarked.

I know, Alex agreed.

As they reached Alex’s car, they decided to drive to his apartment to relax after their ordeal. When they arrived, they sat and chatted in his living room.

I still can’t believe what just happened, Alex repeated.

Serena agreed, I can’t either. Our nation has become so politically divided that it appears to be dissolving into another civil war!

Do you remember what President Lincoln said about a divided nation? Alex asked. Serena gave a blank stare.

Here, I’ll show you. Alex grabbed his American History book and began flipping the pages. Here it is! he said, pointing to the quote. "A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved—I do not expect the house to fall—but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other.’

You know what that means, don’t you? It means that America cannot continue being divided. It must eventually settle as either democratic or socialist, but this divisiveness is unsustainable. And remember, it took a civil war to settle the issue of slavery. If Americans can’t learn to hold a peaceful, respectful dialogue with others who disagree with them, we will have another civil war! That’s why the right to free speech was added in the First Amendment of the Constitution, as was freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion."

Freedom of religion? Serena inquired, confused.

Yeah! The First Amendment also provided Americans the right to express their religious faith in public and in private, and the right to hold public office. Here, the first Amendment states, ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.’ The amendment is clear. This means that Congress cannot make any law that affects any American citizens’ free practice of religion, speech, publication, peaceful assembly, or petition of the government to resolve any relevant grievance.

But what about the Separation of Church and State clause in the Constitution? Serena asked.

Really, Serena? I’ll give you a thousand dollars to show me that clause anywhere in the Constitution, or in any of our founding documents! Alex challenged.

You’re on! Serena replied, confidently.

Alex stood up, saying, Let me get you my copies of the US constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights. Alex browsed through his library and found his copies of the founding documents. Here ya go! Take your time. And good luck. I’ll go to the kitchen and fix us a steak dinner while you’re doing your research.

Okay, but next time I’ll make us sushi at my apartment, Serena replied, as she began her search for the Separation clause. Oh, and you better get to the bank and withdraw a thousand dollars! I have to warn you that in my Research Methods class, I won the information scavenger hunt and earned an ‘A’ for the course!

You earned A what? Alex replied in jest. Serena laughed at Alex’s silly humor.

About thirty minutes later, Alex returned from the kitchen. Serena slammed the documents onto the coffee table, rolling her eyes and looking defeated. I can’t find it anywhere! she complained with frustration.

That’s because it’s not in any of ‘em! Alex proclaimed.

Well, if it’s not in the Constitution or any other founding document, where did the seperation clause come from, and how did it get into the American legal lexicon? Serena asked.

Alex replied, "It’s quite an interesting story! In 1801, President Thomas Jefferson received a private letter from the leader of the Baptists of Danbury, Connecticut, expressing their fears about the new national government taking away their freedom to worship despite the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights having been established ten years earlier. In that private letter from the Baptists, their leader stated, ‘Our sentiments are uniformly on the side of religious liberty—that religion is at all times and places a matter between God and individuals, that no man ought to suffer in name, person, of effects on account of his religious opinions…. But sir, our constitution of government is not specific…. [T]herefore what religious privileges we enjoy [as a minor part of the State] we enjoy [merely] as favors granted [by the State], and not as inalienable rights.’

On New Year’s Day, 1802, in response to this letter, President Jefferson attempted to calm their fears, writing, ‘… Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God; that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship; that the legislative powers of government reach actions only and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and state. I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.

The First Amendment was created only to keep the government from interfering with the church— not the other way around, so Jefferson’s ‘wall’ metaphor was a poor choice of words—even in a private letter. And that’s how the ‘Separation’ clause made its way into the American lexicon, Alex concluded.

Then, in 1947, in the Everson vs. the Board of Education Supreme Court case, Chief Justice Hugo Black—a former Ku Klux Klan member and antagonist of Blacks, Catholics, and Protestant Christians, twisted the intended meaning of the First Amendment, stating, ‘The First Amendment has erected a wall between Church and State. That wall must be kept high and impregnable. We could not approve the slightest breach.’

Wow! That’s an unbelievable story, Serena exclaimed.

Alex explained, Well, this ‘fiction’ has been retold so many times in the courts and the media by professionals—who have never even read the Constitution, that even American professors now believe it’s true. Now, Jefferson was a brilliant man, but in this private letter, he chose a bad metaphor, not any legal document! Chief Justice William Rehnquist believed this was a bad law. He stated in 1984, The ‘wall of separation between Church and State’ is a metaphor based on bad history—a metaphor which has proved useless as a guide to judging. It should be frankly and explicitly abandoned."

Even George Washington said that the framers of the Constitution had no intention of endangering the religious rights of the American citizens, stating, ‘If I could have entertained the slightest apprehension that the Constitution framed by the Convention, where I had the honor to preside, might possibly endanger the religious rights of any ecclesiastical society, certainly I would never have placed my signature on it.’

Wow! Serena exclaimed. You can’t get any higher authority than the president or chief justice of the Supreme Court, can you?

Alex smiled, replying, Not in this world you can’t. You might be shocked to learn that most law students are not even required to study the Constitution, so they’ve never read the Founding document!

I can’t believe that, Alex. Really? Serena asked.

You’re a law student, Serena. Check your program of study to see if you’re required to study the Constitution, Alex challenged.

"I’ll do that. I’ll also ask my father if he was required to study the Constitution. He’s an attorney, you know, Serena replied.

I think every American should be required to at least read the Constitution, especially law students, don’t you think?

I agree. After all, it is the supreme law of our nation! Serena replied.

After they enjoyed their steak dinner, Serena resumed their discussion about the Constitution. So, Alex, you have to admit that the Constitution was basically racist and pro-slavery, as it didn’t ban slavery. In fact, it explicitly allowed slavery to continue for another twenty years!

Well, you’re right that the Founders didn’t ban slavery. Jefferson and many other Founders were well aware that if they had freed the slaves at the time the Constitution was written, the freed, black population still wouldn’t prosper as free people in the existing racist American culture and agrarian economy. By 1789, the bonds with their ancestors in Africa had long been dissolved, so they didn’t feel they had any family to return to in Africa. But, did you know that in his early draft of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson included a section blaming King George for promoting slavery in the colonies?

So, what happened to it? Serena asked.

It was removed by the southern delegates, which infuriated Jefferson.

Serena nodded, Mmm, I see. So, the Founders who inherited plantations must have felt caught between a rock and a hard place on the issue of slavery.

That’s a good way of putting it. Jefferson once described their situation this way—’We have the wolf by the ear, and we can neither hold him, nor safely let him go. Justice is on one scale, and self-preservation is on the other.’ However, the words ‘slavery,’ ‘slave,’ or ‘slaveholder’ were not entered into the Constitution until 1865 with the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery. Even the free, Black abolitionist Frederick Douglass found the Constitution to be benign toward slavery. Here, let me show you. Alex went to a bookshelf and pulled a book off the shelf, and flipped through it. Ah, here it is! Alex handed the book to Serena, while pointing to a quote from Frederick Douglass—The Constitution is a glorious document…. it will be found to contain principles and purposes entirely hostile to the existence of slavery.

How could that be? Serena asked. The Founders in Congress counted the worth of black individuals as just three-fifths of a whole person. How racist can you get?

Actually, that proportion was only used to allocate state representation, not individual rights. You see, by counting slaves into the total state populations, the southern states that were highly dependent on slave labor would gain representational power in Congress. Therefore, the southern delegates actually favored counting slaves 100 percent representatively, while giving them absolutely no individual rights, Alex explained.

So, the southern delegates were pro-slavery, and the northern delegates were anti-slavery? Serena asked.

Basically, but there were exceptions on both sides. In fact, some blacks were born free for having been born to white women, and there were some free blacks who actually owned fellow black slaves! Alex explained.

But those black slave owners purchased those slaves solely to set them free! Serena declared.

Alex continued, Some did, but some owned slaves strictly for their labor, just as the white slave owners. So, you see, people are human across all races. Jefferson had little to do with drafting the Constitution, as he was in France during its drafting. However, Jefferson supported a gradual emancipation, training, and colonization of African American slaves rather than immediate, unconditional freedom. In 1782, prior to the drafting of the Constitution, he drafted legislation allowing slave owners to free their slaves. In 1784, just three years prior to the signing of the Constitution, Jefferson also proposed abolishing slavery in all new western territories beyond the Appalachian Mountains, and limiting slave importation to fifteen more years. However, Congress failed to pass his proposal by just one vote.

Serena’s eyes widened. Wow! You sure know your history, Alex! I never learned these facts in school! I’m beginning to get angry with my history teachers!

Well, I was studying American history at age eight, I minored in history in my undergraduate studies, and my father was a history professor. Also, I wasn’t educated in the conventional way—I was home-schooled by my parents, so that forced me to become resourceful and to seek out information and answers to my questions. If I had a question or didn’t understand something, I had my parents and the Internet to find the answer, Alex explained.

You were homeschooled? That’s interesting, but didn’t homeschooling affect you socially? Serena asked.

You tell me, Serena. Do I appear socially awkward, or mentally or socially deficient to you?

No, but you are rather independent-minded, Serena declared.

Alex nodded, saying, Exactly. Homeschooling tends to make you more mature, independent-minded, and resourceful. Recall that Abraham Lincoln—commonly regarded as the greatest of all the presidents, was a self-taught man. He was great because he was independent-minded. He was able to transcend party politics, which enabled him to abolish slavery. Washington’s best major general, Nathanael Greene, and author Thomas Paine were also self-taught men. Patrick Henry, the great American orator, was homeschooled by his father. So was constitutional Delegate, Charles Pinckney III and the great inventor, Thomas Edison, the creative architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, Secretary of State and Stanford Professor, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, Oxford Professor and author C. S. Lewis, Nobel Prize winner, Erwin Schrodinger, award-winning author, Margaret Atwood, pro-football quarterback, Tim Tebow, and the controversial Wikileaks Founder, Julian Assange.

You’re kidding, right? Serena exclaimed. All these successful people were homeschooled?

That’s right! All, or at least part of their education was done independently, at home.

That’s so interesting! I never thought of home-schooling that way! Serena replied.

Most people are uncomfortable with stepping outside of the known, the conventional, and remain committed to public education, thinking that homeschooling is inferior simply because it’s unconventional. Homeschooling is not for everyone, but it’s a viable option for anyone who wants a personalized education, free from liberal indoctrination. You’ll never be taught our nation’s full history in any public school, as it is politically incorrect to do so. School officials don’t want to offend anyone. Alex explained.

Well, I’m offended! Serena proclaimed. It’s a crime that millions of innocent students are being taught an incomplete, distorted view of our nation’s history! As a result, they’ve become angry at our Founders when, really, they should be angry at their school board, administrators, and teachers for allowing this to happen in our public schools!

You can add congressional representatives and textbook publishers to that list of offenders, Alex agreed. However, many good public-school teachers remain trapped in a secular bureaucracy that’s become politicized by their college professors and teachers’ union. As for my credentials, I also happen to be a descendent of Ben Franklin!

The Benjamin Franklin?—The world-renowned Founder, statesman, scientist, inventor, printer, author, publisher, philosopher, philanthropist, Benjamin Franklin?" Serena replied with shock.

That’s the one! The First American! Alex exclaimed.

Wow, Alex! No wonder you’re an intelligent journalist and historian! It’s in your genes! But why is your last name Bache, and not Franklin? she asked.

Alex explained, I descended from Franklin’s daughter, Sarah Franklin, referred to as ‘Sally,’ who married Richard Bache. They also had a son, Benjamin Jr., referred to as ‘Lightning Rod Junior,’ after his grandfather. Ben Jr. became a great Jeffersonian journalist, printer, and publisher, but he died at age twenty-nine of the great yellow fever epidemic of Philadelphia in 1798.

Oh, that’s terrible! Serena exclaimed. Alex continued, Sally was not very close to her father, Ben, as fathers at that time were not very involved in their daughter’s lives as they were with their son’s lives. And perhaps due to Franklin having lost a son— Francis, because of Franklin’s failure to inoculate him from smallpox—despite his being an advocate for inoculations. Franklin could never forgive himself for that, and likely remained angry with his wife for that.

Franklin also had another son—William, whom he was very close to when William was young. William helped Franklin with many of his scientific experiments. However, they became estranged over the issue of independence from England. William became an English Loyalist—probably the result of his English education, and eventually became the British Loyalist Governor of New Jersey, while Franklin became a staunch Patriot for independence, Alex explained.

How interesting—and sad. It sounds a bit like the partisan division we have today, Serena remarked.

Benjamin Franklin, PA, Pro-independence patriot, moderate nationalist, statesman, leg-islator, President of the PA executive council, scientist, author, printer, publisher, postmas-ter, inventor, philosopher, philanthropist. Raised Presbyterian, deist early in adult life,turned non-denominational Christian later.

Alex replied, Yeah, you’re right. It’s also interesting that Franklin was born exactly four years to the day after his uncle, Thomas Franklin died in Ecton—a village in Northamptonshire, England. While visiting Cambridge once, Franklin met with some local decedents of Thomas, and was surprised to learn from them that his personality, character, and work ethic was exactly like his very successful uncle, Thomas. Benjamin claimed that it was as though Thomas’ soul had been transmitted to him upon his birth—exactly four years to the day after his uncle’s death!

Wow! That’s interesting—and a bit creepy! Serena replied.

Yeah, Alex replied, as he looked away, distantly, in silence. Snapping back to the present, Alex looked at his watch. Well, its’ nearly 9:30, and I need to get up early tomorrow for my colonial acting work, so I better take you home now.

Oh? What’s that all about? Serena asked.

Alex explained, I’m a volunteer actor, as Ben Franklin’s printing apprentice at his print shop in Philadelphia, demonstrating to the public how Franklin lived and worked at printing before he became a famous statesman. I’ve been doing that for the past two years now. It’s fun—and educational.

Oh, that sounds very interesting, and very fitting for you, Alex Bache-Franklin! Serena replied. She paused, her face turning serious. Alex, despite the event at the park, it was still a nice day, and an educational one for me. They shared a smile and got up to leave.

After dropping Serena off at her apartment, Alex focused his mind on his plans for Sunday. He was scheduled at 3:00 for his acting work at Franklin’s print shop. His role was only on weekends, so as not to interfere with his full-time journalism job. He loved his acting role, as it enabled him to live vicariously in colonial times. The only frustrating part was having to stay off the grid with his iPhone tucked in his pocket and out of sight.

Through his volunteer colonial acting position, Alex had developed close relationships with some of the other fellow actors. Christina, Trevon, and Matt, all single and close to Alex’s age, and all shared his great appreciation for America’s founding. Recently, Alex had formed a weekly Junto meeting with these close friends. Christina was a history classmate of Alex’s at Penn and was working at the Philadelphia Historical Society. Trevon was an African American political science graduate of Princeton and was working as a clerk to an attorney. Matt was a business major at Penn and was working as a financial analyst for the Franklin Templeton financial services company. Every Friday evening at 6:00, they would meet in a private room at the historic City Tavern, where they would eat, drink, and discuss historical, social, political, and economic issues—just as Ben Franklin had done at the Pewter Platter.

The next morning, Alex rose as usual, to his rooster alarm at 7:00 a.m. He dressed into his workout clothes and went downstairs to the fitness center and worked out for an hour. He then showered, shaved, and dressed for church. While shaving, he examined his face. He was a handsome man with strong facial lines, green eyes, and thick, dark hair. He had a strong, lean build that made him appear healthy and vibrant. He then attended his Presbyterian Church as usual, and heard an inspiring sermon.

After dinner, he sat at his computer to review the daily news, which was disturbing, as usual. He reviewed a story about a congressional representative charged with lying about his misuse of taxpayer funds to smear his opponent in the next election. He began to wonder why he even bothered to read the news.

Then another interesting article caught his attention. The headline read, Time machine in search of a purpose. He read the article with curiosity, for he had always had a particular interest in the idea of traveling back in time to colonial America. According to the article, professors at the University of Pennsylvania had invented a time machine. They claimed they had safely transported a chimpanzee to another time and back to the present. Soil taken from its paws was analyzed by carbon dating and found it to be 2,500–3,000 years old. In addition, they pumped the contents from the chimp’s stomach and found it to be from the same period. They had also attached a miniature camera to the chimp’s chest with an automatic shutter set to snap a photo every fifteen seconds. The images revealed a landscape resembling an ancient forest. Alex’s interest grew intensely as he read further. The professors were conflicted regarding what to do next with the time machine, so they decided to offer a contest to the general public, inviting them to submit proposals for how the time machine should be used, and what they would accomplish if they could travel back in time. The author of the winning proposal would have the opportunity to travel in time to realize their proposed venture.

Alex began to tremble! This opportunity was so exciting to him that he spilled his mug of cappuccino onto the floor. He quickly cleaned up the spill and resumed his reading. He bookmarked the link to the page containing the contest details and application, and continued reading with great interest. The deadline for the contest was July 1, and the winner would be announced at 9:00 a.m. on August 1, on the same news website as well as on his favorite radio news station. The opportunity seemed to align exactly with his dream of traveling back to colonial America! He knew exactly what he would do if he had the chance. He would meet with the Founders, explain what had become of their great constitutional experiment, and discuss the constitutional changes that could prevent these problems.

Losing all track of time, Alex began to draft a proposal on his laptop. After about forty minutes he had his initial draft, but he wanted to polish it to perfection before submitting it, so he set it aside and tried to put it out of mind, so he could review it later with fresh eyes. Then he remembered his 3:00 historical acting work. He quickly tidied his apartment, all the while imagining being back in colonial America with the Founders. He grabbed his jacket, laptop, iPhone, and keys and headed out the door, almost forgetting to lock it behind him.

On the way there, he thought about the prospect of traveling back to colonial America and came up with some new ideas to enhance his proposal.

His acting went smoothly, though he struggled to focus. By the end of it, he was free and ready to polish his proposal. He walked outside and sat on a bench beneath a large, wormy chestnut tree. He opened his laptop and began editing his proposal. The thought of him actually meeting these historic giants gave him goosebumps!

I just gotta win! he said to himself. After reviewing his proposal with satisfaction, he uploaded it to the site. Done! Alex shouted aloud, feeling a wave of relief and exhilaration.

Once he got home, he went to his wall calendar and marked on the August 1 block Win Contest—9:00 a.m! He smiled and highlighted the words with a yellow highlighter, so the event would not escape his attention. He vowed he would not miss that date!

That evening at 6:00, Alex attended his weekly Junto gathering with his friends at the historic City Tavern. Christina, Trevon, and Matt met him at the front bar with their laptops and cell phones in hand. After purchasing Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, fries, and a pitcher of beer, they moved to a small, quiet, sparsely-furnished room in the back for their discussion, where they sat at a round table.

After some small talk, Trevon began presenting his Junto topic on the maturity of the congressional representatives. I think the maturity level of many of our congressional representatives is sorely deficient. Some sound like idealistic adolescents who lack experience in the real world. They’re unwilling to listen to opposing views and can’t hold a substantive, constructive discussion on a controversial topic. A representative should be able to speak and vote for the majority of their constituents whom they represent. They must have experiences from many aspects of life, and they must have the character that only life experiences can forge. They should have experienced common trials such as unemployment, health issues, family issues, and financial setbacks. Such trials forge one’s character!

They must also be capable of controlling their biases, prejudices, and personal interests, and be able to resist corruption and divisive political partisanship. Such leaders must be mature enough to rise above partisan interests and self-interest to stand up for what is right for the majority of the citizens.

Christina interjected, Americans don’t mature like they used to. I’ve noticed that lately, young people often don’t become adults until around age thirty as a result of their being confined to an academic classroom bubble for most of their life, and overprotected by their parents.

Trevon continued, "This warrants the raising of the minimum age limit for being eligible for public office. Currently, an American citizen can be elected to Congress as young as age twenty-five, to the Senate at age thirty, and to the presidency at age thirty-five. However, our greatest presidents have tended to be older than fifty. Ronald Reagan was age sixty-nine, Dwight Eisenhower was age sixty-two, Andrew Jackson was age sixty-one, John Adams was age sixty-one, James Madison was age fifty-seven, Thomas Jefferson was age fifty-seven, John Quincy Adams was age fifty-seven, George Washington was fifty-seven, Abraham Lincoln was fifty-two, and Donald Trump was seventy.