“Unite America!” declared Donald Trump on Truth Social earlier today.
I wish it were possible. Alas, it’s not. A people can only unite when a common core binds them together. But what core binds conservatives and liberals?
The Founding Fathers? No. We regard them as heroes, while liberals believe their statues should be torn down.
Freedom of speech? No. We cherish it while liberals demand censorship.
Freedom of religion? No. We revere our Judeo-Christian heritage, while liberals want to bankrupt religious businessmen who respect Biblical values that run afoul of the woke agenda.
Federalism? No. We champion the sovereignty of local governments, while liberals want a single set of rules to govern the entire country.
Equal opportunity for all? No. We treasure it, while liberals demand favorable treatment for certain skin colors, genders, and sexual orientations.
God? Please. That’s a non-starter. Democrats couldn’t even get a majority of their convention delegates in 2012 to agree to insert “God” in the Democratic platform.
So, what exactly unites us?
I’m afraid to say: Very little.
I suppose most of us speak English. What else? I don’t know. The Left no longer even believes in agreeing to disagree. It has become totalitarian, leaving no room for dissent.
So, what should we unite around? The flag that radical leftists burn and mainstream leftists forgot to put on the Democratic convention stage in 2016?
Many conservatives are praying for a Republican victory in November. I am, too. However, a second Trump presidency will only solve our short-term problems. The rot in American society, however, runs very deep, and very little of that rot will wash away simply because a Republican sits in the White House.
So, are we doomed?
No. America has one hope. Patriotic education. We can’t unite in 2024, but we can unite in 2044 if we educate the next generation to love America and Western civilization.
In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, two pigs, Snowball and Napoleon, vie for leadership of the utopian farm they seek to build. At every general meeting of the animals, the two pigs argue bitterly. One day, the dog on the farm gives birth. Napoleon volunteers to educate the cute puppies; no one thinks twice about it. A few years later, at one of the general meetings, Napoleon lets out a loud whistle, and from the back of the room, several ferocious-looking dogs emerge, chasing Snowball off the farm. These were the puppies Napoleon educated. With Snowball out of the picture, Napoleon becomes the uncontested leader of the farm and begins to transform it into an oppressive dictatorship.
The lesson is obvious. Whoever controls education controls the future.
For decades, liberals have held a near monopoly on America’s educational institutions. They teach impressionable minds that America was conceived in sin, that society is awash in sexism and racism, and that pretending that boys are girls and girls are boys is not delusional and cruel but tolerant and kind. With the left’s stranglehold on education, it’s a miracle half the country still votes Republican.
But that miracle won’t last – and we certainly won’t see a united America – if we continue conceding the educational field to the left. St. Ignatius of Loyola famously said, “Give me the child for the first seven years, and I will give you the man.” He was right. If we want the next generation to share our values, we must get more involved in education.
Recent years have seen a few promising developments: Hillsdale College is flourishing; Florida’s New College is now led by conservatives thanks to Ron DeSantis; the University of Austin, committed to the “fearless pursuit of truth,” is opening its doors in September; the classical education movement is growing (more than 1,000 classical education schools now exist); Oklahoma is now requiring that the Bible be taught in public school; and Louisiana has passed a law requiring the 10 Commandments to be displayed in public schools classrooms. We must do more, though.
Donald Trump wants a united America. I do, too. However, unity is impossible unless we re-establish the traditional American core that united us in former times. Right now, that core lies shattered in a thousand pieces.
Elliot Resnick, PhD, is the host of “The Elliot Resnick Show,” the former chief editor of The Jewish Press, and the author of several books, including, most recently, “America First: The Story of Sol Bloom, the Most Powerful Jew in Congress During the Holocaust.” Follow him on X at @ResnickElliot.