Get rid of the unconstitutional Department of Education

Sen. Tester, thank you for your efforts with regard to No Child Left Behind. However, we have a simpler solution that will save us common folk a lot of agony and save the federal employees a lot of confusion and spinning their wheels: Simply disband the Federal Department of Education, a tool of the Federal Reserve.

The states and local school boards are much more aware of their real needs and much more qualified to work on appropriate solutions for their situations. They are more accountable and accessible to the people. One size does not fit all.

Control of education belongs to local governments, which is why I found it necessary to take my boys out of public school in the 1980s and home-school them.

It appears each element of our federal government is increasingly finding every way they can to preserve and add to their own job security by convincing the public they are not qualified to govern themselves. It has become a personal short-term goal for their individual lifetimes, sacrificing the long-term goal of a healthy nation, where each individual is free to prosper or fail by their own behavior, held accountable by his own community to determine what is just.

That being said, I appreciate, and am overwhelmed by the effort your position requires to serve with integrity. If you have not read The 5000 Year Leap, I highly recommend this study of the making of our constitution.

I see no evidence from our government officers that they have any idea of the wisdom that went into creating our constitution and why they made the decisions they did. The attitudes and wisdom of our founding fathers displayed much more integrity, despite their differences, than we see enacted by our leaders in our day.

Those that stand for these principles seem to be shot down by the good ol’ boy network as soon as they get into office.

I would appreciate you working to urge congressional leaders to take our constitution seriously and not just as a token of a formal ritual  to gain rights to control. The oath taken seems to have no bearing on implementation once in office.

I do hope this reaches your desk, heart and mind, for all our sakes,