Contributed by Stuart Thompson
Following is the text of testimony I gave to the Senate Education Committee in support of SB119 Oath of Office---which legally requires Alaska legislators to submit to supplemental education about civics and how to keep Alaska’s constitutionally set Oath of Office. Start of text:
“This bill is a good idea---being constitutionally and philosophically justified. It fixes the problem of politicians being---so sorry to say this---the foremost hypocrites about education in our society. All major professions in America insist on continuing education to maintain professional standing---except the profession of elected political official. Apparently whatever elected politicians think they know or are told by lobbyists is enough to wield power over their fellow citizens. Not good.
I recommend certain additions to this bill to effectively educate elected public officials on how to honor their oaths of office. Remember. Truly educated people can reason. People indoctrinated by others who think for them cannot.
1. Alaska Constitutional Convention Minutes---so lawmakers better understand the rationale and compromises behind Alaska Constitution construction.
2. “The Federalist Papers” and “The Anti-federalist Papers”----so lawmakers better understand the rationale and compromises behind US Constitution construction
3. John Locke’s “Two Treatises on Government” (particularly the second) and Charles Montesquieu’s “The Spirit of Laws”---two references that US Founding Fathers used to educate themselves about representative government and constitutions, and referenced in debates.
In case anybody needs more ideas on the value of education to address keeping the Alaska government’s Oath of Office, here’s some more points:
1. If given more time and a good setting, I can empirically prove that the modern definition used by elected public officials for the word “represent” is NOT the one used by our Founding Fathers. This miss-education sabotages the application of our Constitution’s Article 1 Section 2 SOURCE OF GOVERNMENT.
2. Here’s an excerpt from my Dereliction of Duty Complaint, presented to the Legislature’s Rules committees, that applies: ‘Infraction #1: In the voting for the extension of the COVID Disaster Declaration, offending legislators demonstrate repudiation of our Constitution’s Article 2 by refusing to wield legislative power---pursuant to the constitutional limitations and requirements of the Alaska Disaster Act. Instead of using Article 2 power to rationally and scientifically reduce or minimize the waning threat of COVID using far-sighted law, offending members are thrusting their duties & responsibilities onto the Governor. While this constitutional perversion could reasonably be laid at the door of systemic ignorance, it does not excuse legislators from competently knowing how to honor their oaths of office.’
3. It is a shame that for all Alaska Government’s pontificating and pumping money out to educate our Youth; elected officials don’t help realize quality education by applying the most powerful social tool there is---leading by example. Leading by example would show our Youth the true objective of public education: that acquiring second hand knowledge; practicing what’s learned so as to successfully apply it; and seeking new knowledge to make life glorious is a lifetime effort that they have only just begun.”
I omitted reference to the methodologies of 18th Century Iroquois Confederacy---a model (directly familiar to our Founding Fathers) used for the pre-US Constitution Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union. They had several hundred years of successful cooperation despite competing interests. And then there is the wildly successful Potlatch System of Alaska Natives. Its democracy power was so great, that the US militarily suppressed it for decades to control Alaska natives. Oh, if our legislators had the humility to study such government success stories! Wouldn’t that be better than using binding caucuses and Legislature control by an aristocracy of big shots-----who jealously punish those who think differently? It’s just a pity.
Stuart Thompson
lookitover@att.net