A Citizen’s Guide: Part I

A few weeks ago, I discovered a 1941 copy of the American Citizens Handbook in a bucket of an antique shop. The Handbook was issued by the National Education Association and was dedicated to the 2 million young adults that were to turn eighteen years old that year. In 1968, the NEA had nearly 15,000 of these books burned.

The Handbook is a great read. It truly identifies the greatness of the country while outlining the responsibilities of the individual to carry on the legacy of our great nation. It was interesting to see how times have changed in the 70 years since its publishing. Among other things, Hawaii and Alaska were not US states, yet Pluto was still a planet. More importantly, it was amazing to feel the reverence that these authors had for this country and the overwhelming sense of personal responsibilities which they believed was required for America to continue to be the beacon of light which the world looks up to.

The Handbook contains many sections which I will get into later this week. I am a fervent believer that experience is platform upon which all knowledge and reason are formed and applying knowledge gained from said experience is pivotal in growing as a person, country, species, etc. Many of the answers we are looking to solve today’s issues have post-modern solutions that are still equally effective today.