MICHELE BACHMANN v. AMY MYERS, TRUTH

Amy Myers mistaken on American history.

The original article was in a left-wing publication detailing how a New Jersey teenage girl accused Congresswoman Michele Bachmann(R-MN) of being incorrect in regards to remarks she had made about American history and the Constitution. In response, teenager Amy Myers wrote a letter to Rep. Bachmann, challenging her to a debate. I am not sure about everything that was said and do not have the transcripts.

The two main issues of controversy are factual matters, in which Rep. Bachmann was correct. Amy's history teacher, who supported her, did not even recognize the student's mistakes. It is possible he did not know the facts and taught the errors to his students. It would not be the first time a teacher had been wrong.

The first issue was Rep. Bachmann stated America's Founders fought endlessly against slavery, which is verified as fact. Not every Founder was anti-slavery, especially some from the south. Thomas Jefferson had inherited slaves, but he was one of the Founders who was against slavery. Many Founders belonged to anti-slavery societies and organizations. Some of the well-known anti-slavery Founders were George Washington, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, among many others.

The other main issue was Rep. Bachmann stated that Three-fifths Clause in the Constitution was to limit the power of pro-slavery states, which is also verified as correct. Pro-slavery southern states wanted slaves counted to increase their representation in Congress. The Framers knew that would make Constitutionally abolishing slavery extremely difficult, if not impossible, and did not want to count slaves. That is what led to what is known as the Three-fifths Compromise, and the Three-fifths Clause in the Constitution.

Books of actual writings and correspondence from the Founders expose truths that are usually not found in the public education system. However, many of these books are very interesting and dispel a lot of modern day myths. There are a number of books and articles that support my statements and go much greater detail telling the true history of America's Founders and slavery. An abundance of information on the subject can be found on the Internet.

The following includes two articles and a book, which contain information on the subject that is well researched, and has numerous quotations and citations:

"How The Founding Fathers Fought To End Slavery," by Denise and Frederic W. Henderson. Printed in The American Almanac, March 15, 1993. Made available with permission by The New Federalist Newspaper.

"The Founding Fathers and Slavery," by David Barton. Mr. Barton includes numerous sources and quotations. This article is from WallBuilders.com.

Anyone who is interested on the subject should also read the book VINDICATING THE FOUNDERS by Thomas G. West, PhD. Dr. West has been a Professor of Politics at The University of Dallas since 1974. He is also a Director and Senior Fellow at The Claremont Institute.

Realistically, how many members of Congress would engage in a debate with a child, or any person who is not a political opponent?

WORDS OF WISDOM

          "Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have."

---Ronald Reagan