"Canceling" patriotism? from Hillsdale College

[Wahoo Redux]

I must have visited the Hillsdale College website at some point, and they got ahold of my Google account.

I got this message from them today.

Friend of Liberty,

I have a special gift for you—a set of unique notecards featuring pictures of the "Liberty Walk" statues found on the Hillsdale College campus.

These beautiful cards include George Washington and Thomas Jefferson ... Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass ... Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, and Ronald Reagan. 

All of these statues stand proudly on Hillsdale's Michigan campus—one of the only institutions of higher learning that refuses EVERY PENNY of government funding, even indirectly in the form of federal or state student grants and loans.

You can view the cards at this secure link:

https://secured.hillsdale.edu/hillsdale/get-your-liberty-walk-notecards

Let the cards serve as a reminder to you of the vigilance and commitment needed to defend liberty—especially right now, a critical time for our country.

Sadly, several recent polls and events around the country show that increasing numbers of young Americans are being drawn to socialism and other ideas destructive of liberty.

And the unrest in communities nationwide, where statues of our Founding Fathers are being vandalized or torn down, is another symptom of this underlying disease.

What explains this development? As an educator and president of Hillsdale, I've been thinking about this for a long time. Here's one primary reason...

For decades, the "progressive" leftist academics who became dominant in most of America's colleges and universities after the 1960s have been teaching a biased and distorted view of American history.

The New York Times' recent "1619 Project" is a prime example.

According to the "1619 Project," the key to understanding America is not freedom, but slavery—and the Project's main goal is to inject this false teaching into the curricula of America's K–12 schools.

Imagine young minds in classrooms all over American learning this. Does it make you as concerned as it does me?

And given this trend in American education, is it any wonder that our young people feel less of a patriotic attachment to our nation and are increasingly attracted—out of ignorance—to failed ideas such as socialism, ideas that are destructive of liberty?

Another sign of the "progressive" Left's influence is the continuing attempt to erase our American heritage by destroying monuments, renaming schools and streets, and censoring works of literature in the name of "political correctness."

The Left knows that it cannot remake society according to its ever-evolving idea of "progress" until it has "canceled" patriotism and hallowed out the idea that we should be grateful for our blessings to the great men and women of the past—many of whom are depicted on the cards I'd like to send you.

This is why we are engaging the Left on the battlefield of education ... and why your generous support is needed right away.

After all, those on the Left are extremely well-funded, thanks to liberal billionaires like George Soros and his ilk.

With the support of citizens like you—citizens who understand the importance of education to liberty—we are ramping up its outreach efforts on behalf of liberty, especially to our nation's youth.   

It is even more urgent that we do so in the face of efforts such as The New York Times' "1619 Project" that undermine patriotism and lead to an increased pull toward socialism.

Hillsdale is the only educational institution in America that is reaching and teaching millions of citizens of all ages, from coast to coast, about America's great heritage of liberty. 

Your generous support today will... 

Expand the circulation of Imprimis, Hillsdale's digest of liberty, to reach millions more Americans (you can also receive a free subscription of Imprimis...for life).
Send millions of pocket-size copies of America's founding documents to schools across America, and to members of our armed forces, who have sworn to defend the Constitution.
Increase the number of citizens (especially younger Americans) enrolling in Hillsdale's free online courses such as "Constitution 101" and "The Great American Story: A Land of Hope."
Launch and support more and more Hillsdale-affiliated classical K-12 charter schools nationwide, returning excellence to American K-12 education and impacting thousands of our youngest citizens. 
One other thing you should be aware of...

As I mentioned, to maintain our independence, we do all of this liberty-defending work while refusing EVERY PENNY of government funding—even indirectly in the form of federal or state student grants and loans. NOT. ONE. PENNY.

So, your support is even more crucial to ensuring that future generations of Americans will be educated in American civics and prepared to defend freedom.

With a gift of $17.76 or more today to support educational outreach efforts that reach and teach millions, Hillsdale will send you a special notecard set featuring the statues on our "Liberty Walk." The cards are a thank you for your support.

Supplies are limited, so please make your best tax-deductible gift right away.

You can view the cards and give your best tax-deductible gift of $17.76, $25, $50, $100, or even $250 or more by following the secure link below:

https://secured.hillsdale.edu/hillsdale/get-your-liberty-walk-notecards

After receiving your notecards, I hope you'll send one to a young person you know, encouraging them to learn more about the Constitution and American history. You can even recommend that they take advantage of Hillsdale's many free educational resources.

The Left is going all out, as illustrated by The New York Times' "1619 Project." It is urgent that we engage forcefully on the battlefield of education ... which is why your support is needed today.

Because as always, our only sure defense is an educated citizenry prepared to defend liberty—no matter the cost.

Warm regards,

Bill Gray

Associate Vice President, National Donor Outreach

Hillsdale College

[Ruralguy]

Too long for a fundraising letter. Cut by 50 percent.

[Parasaurolophus]

...wow.

You know, I had no idea. I've heard of Hillsdale, but I had no idea it was such a shithole.

Too long for a fundraising letter. Cut by 50 percent.

Yeah, no kidding!

[marshwiggle]

All of these statues stand proudly on Hillsdale's Michigan campus—one of the only institutions of higher learning that refuses EVERY PENNY of government funding, even indirectly in the form of federal or state student grants and loans.

This illustrates what makes the US seem so odd to me as a Canadian. (It explains why public healthcare is such a divisive topic in the US.) I realize that government involvement in anything can lead to oppressive oversight, but this carte blanche avoidance of any sort of government funding as necessary to avoid domination seems extremely paranoid.

[mamselle]

The underlying assumption that the government MUST BE evil, and all the readers will understand that, is troubling as well...

M.

[Parasaurolophus]

All of these statues stand proudly on Hillsdale's Michigan campus—one of the only institutions of higher learning that refuses EVERY PENNY of government funding, even indirectly in the form of federal or state student grants and loans.

This illustrates what makes the US seem so odd to me as a Canadian. (It explains why public healthcare is such a divisive topic in the US.) I realize that government involvement in anything can lead to oppressive oversight, but this carte blanche avoidance of any sort of government funding as necessary to avoid domination seems extremely paranoid.

Is it "domination" they're avoiding, or federal affirmative action policies?

[marshwiggle]

All of these statues stand proudly on Hillsdale's Michigan campus—one of the only institutions of higher learning that refuses EVERY PENNY of government funding, even indirectly in the form of federal or state student grants and loans.

This illustrates what makes the US seem so odd to me as a Canadian. (It explains why public healthcare is such a divisive topic in the US.) I realize that government involvement in anything can lead to oppressive oversight, but this carte blanche avoidance of any sort of government funding as necessary to avoid domination seems extremely paranoid.

Is it "domination" they're avoiding, or federal affirmative action policies?

That's my point; the idea that ANY kind of government funding creates a problem. From everything I know, much of it learned here, there are such a hodge-podge of government programs in the US that it's hard to believe that there aren't any that are innocuous enough to allow, (regardless of your ideological leanings). For instance, does every kind of student aid require institutions to relax or abandon academic standards? That seems highly unlikely.

[dismalist]

Is it "domination" they're avoiding, or federal affirmative action policies?

No one can avoid federal affirmative action policies. But what applies to everybody is only non-discrimination.

Affirmative action controversy in universities has been about self imposed policies. There is some  twisted jurisprudence about this, but is entirely irrelevant to any college that does not have its own affirmative action policies.

What not taking federal government money gets one is avoiding the jungle of the US Dept of Education, including Title IX.

[Ruralguy]

Does Title IX not apply if you don't take federal funds? It was my understanding that it simply means you can't be punished by having federal funds denied, but I can't see anything that says you are actually exempt if you don't take federal money.

[dismalist]

Does Title IX not apply if you don't take federal funds? It was my understanding that it simply means you can't be punished by having federal funds denied, but I can't see anything that says you are actually exempt if you don't take federal money.

"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html

Non-discrimination law, e.g. the Civil Rights act of 1964, still applies, of course.

[marshwiggle]

Does Title IX not apply if you don't take federal funds? It was my understanding that it simply means you can't be punished by having federal funds denied, but I can't see anything that says you are actually exempt if you don't take federal money.

"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html

In Canada, student loans go to the student, not the institution. In the US, do the loans actually go to the institution? 

[dismalist]

Does Title IX not apply if you don't take federal funds? It was my understanding that it simply means you can't be punished by having federal funds denied, but I can't see anything that says you are actually exempt if you don't take federal money.

"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html

In Canada, student loans go to the student, not the institution. In the US, do the loans actually go to the institution?

No, but students are only allowed to obtain government sanctioned loans at a university that enforces Title IX.

If an institution didn't enforce Title IX, its students would not qualify for government sanctioned loans.

So, the loans go to students provided the cash is spent at an approved locale.

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.

[Ruralguy]

Bank loans go to students. Grants, such as Pell grants, are eventually allocated to the students bill, but I believe are processed through the school. That is, the grant goes to the school for use on Student X.

[dismalist]

Bank loans go to students. Grants, such as Pell grants, are eventually allocated to the students bill, but I believe are processed through the school. That is, the grant goes to the school for use on Student X.

Private bank loans go to students. The Feds support four types of loans, all "Direct" loans, subsidized and unsubsidized. The lender is the  DoE. A university accepting any means students get Title IX when you buy..

[Pell grants do go through the school, but that's not the point.]

Thus, an institution wishing to avoid Title IX must eschew students who borrow through the federal government.

It's not about dropping anti-discrimination laws.