The Warrior Spirit

In 1862 during the height of our Civil War, Abraham Lincoln signed into The US Code several pieces of legislation that impacted the culture and the tribalism that is currently today very much a part of the American experience and our politics. The Homestead Act(s) and the Land Grant Morrill Act that created State Universities in all the Western States were essential to establishing the American Dream after our Civil War. Many of these Universities were located in State Capitals and centers of commerce in agrarian rural locales throughout The West and The South.

Prior to our civil war, higher education was available almost exclusively to the elite classes. In the Northeastern United States Colleges gave limited access to students who were either legacy or sons of monied benefactors. All of a sudden with the influx of new citizens many of them first generation immigrants, having land made available to them for their families to work, able to homestead, create generational wealth, and with a technical and classical education they were able to advance their own lives and the lives of their fellow neighbors in ways that their parents could never imagine. Five generations later their great-great grandchildren have become leaders in science, agriculture, business, industry, government and education. Their families owned property and were in most instances good stewards of that property.

One hundred and sixty-five years later too many people in government at all levels are still educated in “elite universities” that do not reflect the values of the average citizen—Trump Voter. The advantage that people who graduate from these elite schools is not the education they receive, but rather their access to “the process of governance”. Internships in congressional offices, clerking for Federal Judges, seems to come with a recommendation from a professor at Harvard, Yale, or Penn. I venture to say that a former slave who graduated from Tuskegee or Hampton in 1890 was better grounded in the Classics, Natural Law Principles and theology, than a medical student or law student is today. Our Founding Fathers understood this relationship between moral philosophy, the law—natural and political, and the rules by which society runs, and most importantly why that connection is important.

The problems that we have with education today in our country are no different than the problems we see in medicine, the law and business. Not only are the Land Grant Colleges following the lead of the “elite Ivies”, but they are now joined to “the teat” of Federal Funds like a Romulus and Remus (and we the people are Remus). Almost all private liberal arts colleges find themselves in the same position—dependent on Federal Funds and thus subjecting themselves to Federal rules—follow the rules or loose the funding. The only place where the average non-elite student can get a “liberal classical education” is in places like Hillsdale College and College of the Ozarks that do not take Federal dollars.

It is also important to note that the majority of our Founding Fathers were “homeschooled” prior to going to William and Mary, Harvard or Yale. A Classical education was felt to be a priori to being a good citizen. Abraham Lincon taught himself. He was a true scholar when it came to the Classics and Natural Law. He read his Bible for hours every day while on long rides on the Illinois Circuit Court.

If we take a look at the map of the United States today and mark all the cities and towns where there are Division 1 College football programs, it will look very much like the map of the votes of the electoral college. In the Northeast where there are 60 million people there are only 12 D-1 football programs. Other sports like hockey, basketball and lacrosse are well represented in the Northeast, but big-time college football is not. It should also be noted that there is a paucity of good teams at the D-2 and D-3 level.

Then look at the Midwest—Trump Country. By the way congratulations to Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Penn State who advanced in the D-1 football tournament—all in Trump country and all who continued play during Covid—BYU also continued play. Look at the States that are now part of the Southeast Conference including Texas. Like Boise State, every one of those teams take the field with a player leading the team holding a large American Flag—just like our service academies. Before and after games the majority of those teams come together on the field and pray together publicly. So do our service academy teams.

My point is that in the Western and Southern States The Homestead Act(s) and The Land Grant Act were designed in such a way as to give power and upward mobility to future citizens that were attracted to the adventure of Republicanism, Federalism and capitalism. Their values were reflected in the values of the institutions that were supported by their tax dollars. It may be only a matter of time before the Federal rule makers will exert the leverage of Federal Grants to Universities if the teams don’t run onto the field with a “rainbow flag”. How about the Federal Department of education holding all grant monies to academic institutions that allow for the flags of organizations that hate our country like ISIS and antisemitic symbols to be flown on their campuses.

I listened to the Sugar bowl last night on the Southeast Conference (SEC) Channel and watched the game on ESPN. Before the game, the prayer, The National Anthem sung exquisitely by a Black Woman, and the massive chants of USA—USA—USA that lasted several minutes were all covered without commentary by the (SEC) Channel. ESPN cut away from all the pregame prayer and anthem and the chant. Remember that it was ESPN that gave wall to wall coverage of Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem. This is what the left has been trying to do to “deplorables” who don’t subscribe to the divisiveness and negativity of the progressive movement. At its’ very core this is “fake news” .

In the end I believe there is more of a connection between Mr. Lincoln and the Homestead and Land Grant Acts and the College Football experience in the Midwest and South than liberal elites and conniving media bureaucrats are willing to acknowledge. The “tribalism” of team sports held together by a spirit of shared adventure, shared risk, shared work, and shared accomplishment or shared defeat, is the antithesis of a moral and political philosophy where meritocracy is shunned and winning and losing are not worth the investment in the process of living.

There have been two places in my life where racial preference and bigotry have become almost irrelevant—in our military and in sports. The great majority of D-1 football teams have the majority of players represented by various minority groups—Hispanics, Pacific Islanders, and Blacks. Sport is a true meritocracy. That in and of itself is a reason to celebrate.

One final note as I review this article. I believe that if Mr. Lincoln were alive today, he would be an avid fan of The Ohio State University. Two of his most trusted advisors and confidents Solomen P. Chase and US Grant were “Ohio Boys”. The “warrior spirit” that was part of our country’s founding needs to be again part of our culture. Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Trump have that spirit. More people playing sports, more people learning the classics and Natural Law theory, more people reading the Bible and praying with their families are all part of a formula that will continue our “New Great Awakening”.