Dear Fellow American,
Can you do me a favor?
Please take time right now to review and complete Hillsdale College's RECLAIM AMERICA'S HISTORY Three-Point National Battle Plan Survey.
My name is Bill Gray, and I'm the associate vice president of national donor outreach at Hillsdale College. It's my responsibility to invite like-minded conservatives (like you!) to support Hillsdale.
I don't use the word "battle" lightly, but with the stakes so high one must be blunt.
It's clear to me that we are in a fight for the future of our nation—a fight against progressives who are targeting our youngest citizens. These so-called "progressives" seek to undermine traditional patriotism and ultimately transform American government and society.
The New York Times' recent "1619 Project" is the prime example of this effort to inject into the minds of our youngest citizens a biased distortion of our nation's history.
If you haven't heard, the "1619 Project" places the founding of America in 1619, when the first slave arrived in Jamestown, rather than in 1776 when the Declaration of Independence proclaimed that "all men are created equal" and endowed by God with "unalienable rights." "Our democracy's founding ideals," the "1619 Project" proclaims, "were false when they were written."
Outrageous!
The New York Times' stated goal with the "1619 Project" is to influence the curricula of K-12 schools nationwide. They teach young people that slavery—not freedom—is and always will be the central and defining idea of the American experience, making our country irredeemable.
This project has garnered universal acclaim from the news media. In fact, the lead essayist just won a Pulitzer Prize! There are even talks about making the "1619 Project" into a feature film.
Given popular and widespread efforts like these, we should not be surprised that there is a decreasing sense of patriotism among younger Americans—and an increasing tendency to embrace socialism and other liberty-destroying ideas.
Education has become a battleground, and reviving a proper understanding of American history and government, especially among younger citizens, must be our most urgent priority.
Hillsdale College is at the forefront of this effort.
We are actively engaging the Left on the battlefield of education. And I need your help to make this effort even more effective.
Hillsdale is America's most powerful advocate for intelligent and informed patriotism—our best defense against the loss of our liberty and insidious beliefs like socialism. We do this on our Michigan campus, with an undergraduate and graduate student body of over 1,500, and through education that reaches and teaches millions of citizens each year on behalf of liberty.
And in response to new efforts such as the media-driven "1619 Project" that seek to turn the next generation of citizens against the principles of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, Hillsdale must expand this critical work—especially in 2020.
As I said before, to fight and win this battle, Hillsdale needs your help right away.
The FIRST step I need you to take right now is to complete the RECLAIM AMERICA'S HISTORY! Three-Point National Battle Plan Survey. This national project seeks to make it clear that people in your state and nationwide still revere our founding principles of liberty, and refuse to let them be corrupted by those who hold America in contempt.
As The New York Times' efforts make clear, powerful forces vehemently oppose this view of America, and their assault on our glorious history is taking place before our very eyes.
Our ongoing response, rooted in genuine learning, and proven to reach millions of citizens, must be escalated as quickly as possible.
And if, upon completing your Battle Plan, you feel a strong connection to Hillsdale's work, then I urge you to please consider including a generous tax-deductible gift in support of expanding these efforts on behalf of liberty.
Based on the costs of Hillsdale's multiple educational programs—which I will outline for you shortly—it has been determined that to fully implement this RECLAIM AMERICA'S HISTORY Three-Point National Battle Plan Survey for maximum impact, Hillsdale College must raise at least $1,016,700 within the next month.
And unlike most colleges and universities that rely on federal funding and subsidies, EVERY PENNY of funding for Hillsdale's educational outreach comes from the voluntary support of intelligent patriots like you.
This is because Hillsdale College refuses EVEN ONE PENNY of state or federal taxpayer funding—even indirectly in the form of student grants or loans.
That's so important, I need to say it again—Hillsdale College refuses EVERY PENNY of government funding!
In this way, Hillsdale remains truly independent, avoiding unconstitutional regulations that would violate the College's educational mission.
Hillsdale has built national support from hundreds of thousands of citizens. These intelligent patriots know that liberty in America is in trouble thanks to progressive control of our schools and institutions. And these citizens are determined to preserve our liberty—as I believe you are.
These supporters give what they can, when they can—gifts of $25 or $50 or more, sometimes much more … because they understand that every dollar given goes to reaching and teaching millions of people—including our nation's youth—with genuine learning about liberty and the Constitution.
The gift you choose to give today will determine whether Hillsdale can activate each component of the RECLAIM AMERICA'S HISTORY Three-Point National Battle Plan Survey.
And this entire plan is tied to Hillsdale's proven programs and publications that are educating millions of Americans right now. Here are the key aspects of Hillsdale's plan for your review and feedback:
BATTLE PLAN POINT #1: Identify the Critical Concerns of Everyday Americans
I mentioned that our network of supporters that is hundreds of thousands of patriots strong—such a broad base of support gives us invaluable public-opinion data on what Americans are MOST concerned about given the current state of our nation. We are always eager to add new perspectives (like yours) that can make our work the most relevant and timely possible.
Your participation today will allow Hillsdale to strengthen our educational outreach efforts by targeting them where they're needed most, on the areas of concern that matter most to the American people.
You were selected to be part of this effort based on your record of involvement in causes that strengthen America, AND because of Hillsdale's confidence that you will respond quickly and honestly, lending your voice to our efforts to restore the Constitution.
I'm counting on and very much looking forward to your survey response!
BATTLE PLAN POINT #2: Counter Progressive Teaching in America's Schools
In this section we dig deep into Hillsdale's proven educational outreach, and give you a sense of how we lead important conversations surrounding America's history and founding principles—AND ask what YOU think about these efforts.
And make no mistake—Hillsdale is uniquely qualified to drive this effort.
Did you know that Hillsdale is one of only a few American colleges and universities that requires each student, regardless of major, to complete a one-semester course on the Constitution?
This fact has earned the support of so many Americans who did not attend the College, and who have never even set foot on our campus—they understand that what we teach in our classrooms radiates all over America. Is this important to you?
In 2012, Hillsdale began offering online courses free of charge, because we see it as an effective way promote intelligent patriotism and civic virtue. We market the courses on social media and online to reach large audiences, especially younger Americans. The response has been tremendous—over 2.3 million citizens have taken one or more of our online courses.
Do you think this is an effective means of reaching and teaching millions of Americans on behalf of liberty?
We even have an online course that directly counters The New York Times' "1619 Project." This free course is called "The Great American Story: A Land of Hope" and presents an unbiased and complete account of America's past.
To me this is a great example of why these free courses are needed: They safeguard the country, through education, against the damage to liberty inflicted by the Left.
And what do you think about sending a free monthly digest of liberty, to millions of people?
This newsletter is called Imprimis, and it features speeches delivered at Hillsdale events by prominent scholars, journalists, and policymakers, focused on political, economic, historic, and cultural topics from a constitutional viewpoint. Imprimis is America's most widely-circulated publication in support of liberty, reaching more households and businesses than either the Wall Street Journal or the "fake news" New York Times.
Issues covering topics such as "Rediscovering the Wisdom of American History" and "Shall We Defend our Common History?" set Imprimis apart. The publication is as a powerful counterbalance to the biased media outlets that pursue narrow, ideologically driven distortions of history. (If you're not yet an Imprimis subscriber, we'll be happy to sign you up as soon as we hear from you.)
BATTLE PLAN POINT #3: Restore Excellence to K-12 Schools
In this section we explore how Hillsdale College is reshaping American K-12 education, especially through our Barney Charter School Initiative, which helps launch and guide classical K-12 charter schools nationwide, teaching thousands of K-12 students.
These schools all have a strong civics curriculum. The curriculum provides young Americans with a solid grounding in our nation's history, our limited constitutional government, and economics. In doing so, Hillsdale provides communities with a practical model of how schools can best serve students and the country.
Sustained by our supporters, Hillsdale's Barney Charter School Initiative has assisted in the founding of more than 20 classical K-12 charter schools in 11 states, with approximately 12,000 students enrolled. And more of these K-12 schools are opening each year.
Do you support this effort to set a new standard for K-12 education and give young Americans a proper education?
Hillsdale also launched a new initiative to send pocket Constitutions to thousands of elementary and junior high schools. We ship them with a promise to send as many pocket Constitutions as their schools need.
The response has been astounding. We've now sent out more than 500,000 pocket Constitutions across the country, and we receive more requests every week. Does this effort to restore the Constitution to K-12 schools sound like a good idea to you?
As you select your answers, I believe you will find that Hillsdale's educational outreach is a powerful way to confront and ultimately overcome the progressive forces that seek to instill in young people the ruinous idea that America stands for slavery, not freedom.
I know you love this country, and I hope you will partner with Hillsdale in defending America through education—education aimed at citizens of all ages nationwide.
The first step is getting your thoughts on our RECLAIM AMERICA'S HISTORY Three-Point National Battle Plan Survey.
With your response you will represent your state as part of a major sampling of citizen opinion that can help Hillsdale College more clearly understand the views and concerns of mainstream Americans—views that we can make available to policymakers and opinion leaders when we discuss the Left's agenda, and use to strengthen our educational outreach efforts.
What Hillsdale needs now is YOU—your thoughtful input on the work we're doing, and your generous support to expand our work. So please complete the Battle Plan Survey today.
When you give to Hillsdale and share your opinions, you will join a dedicated and growing team of intelligent patriots, who always step up when the time comes to defend America against the progressives' attack on American history and liberty.
Thank you for your commitment to liberty in America.
Warm regards,
Bill Gray
Assoc. Vice President of National Donor Outreach
Hillsdale College
Pursuing Truth and Defending Liberty Since 1844
P.S. We are in a battle for the future of America, because the Left is determined to transform our country … by fundamentally changing how history is taught to young people. Education is the battlefield, and Hillsdale College urgently needs you standing with us to support and sustain our efforts. With your help, we can continue to reach and teach millions of citizens of all ages, especially the youngest Americans, with the principles of liberty underlying the Constitution.
Please complete RECLAIM AMERICA'S HISTORY! Three-Point National Battle Plan Survey to shape Hillsdale College's defense of America against the progressive assault on history. Your response is needed within five days so we can finalize plans to expand our educational outreach on behalf of liberty.
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