The "Restore Our American Republic" Act has been revised in order to make the bill constitutionally sound and immediately actionable.  The new title is the “Academic Freedom Act." 

Opening Notes:  A child raises her hand... and learns that she is free!  The original bill follows below, as nothing has changed regarding intent.  Upon the implementation of this revised bill, the system becomes forever self-correcting:  Let Freedom Ring!

Overview:  This bill is not trying to settle philosophical questions in law; rather, it is ensuring these matters can be discussed freely in the classroom without fear or intimidation.

Purpose:  Real freedom is a beautiful thing.  This bill protects something very specific:  Is a child allowed to say, “Here’s what I think…” and not be shut down for finishing her sentence?

Educational Liberty must be lived… producing:

… classrooms where students can speak freely
… schools where ideas can be defined and tested
… systems that are self-correcting over time

These not philosophical abstractions; these are America’s Founding Principles.  Here is the actual bill:

📜 HOUSE BILL (DRAFT)

118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION

H. R. __________. :  Academic Freedom Act

To protect academic freedom, ensure viewpoint neutrality in civic education, and safeguard the study of America’s founding principles.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Mr./Ms. ________ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

A BILL

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Bill may be cited as the “Academic Freedom Act”.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:

(1) A free Republic depends upon an informed and enlightened citizenry.

(2) The United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution contain essential historical, philosophical, and civic principles.

(3) These documents include religious, moral, and philosophical language necessary for a full understanding of American civic life.

(4) Students and educators increasingly refrain from engaging such material due to uncertainty regarding constitutional boundaries.

(5) The First Amendment requires government neutrality toward religion and non-religion, protecting both freedom of speech and free exercise.

(6) The founding generation articulated enduring principles of human equality and inherent rights which continue to inform American civic life.

SEC. 3. PROTECTION OF STUDENT EXPRESSION.

(a) IN GENERAL.—No State or local educational agency, public school, or institution receiving Federal financial assistance shall prohibit, discipline, or otherwise penalize a student for expressing a religious, philosophical, or secular viewpoint during classroom discussion, provided that such expression—

(1) is germane to the subject matter under discussion;


(2) is presented in a respectful and non-disruptive manner; and


(3) does not infringe upon the rights of other students.

(b) VIEWPOINT NEUTRALITY.—No restriction shall be imposed on student expression based solely on the religious or non-religious nature of the viewpoint expressed.

(c) CONSTRUCTION.—Expression described in subsection (a) shall not be considered school-sponsored speech.

SEC. 4.  ACADEMIC FREEDOM IN CIVIC INSTRUCTION.

(a) IN GENERAL.—No State or local educational agency or public school receiving Federal funds shall prohibit or discourage—
(1) instruction on the text, history, or philosophical context of primary founding documents;
(2) academic discussion of religious, moral, or philosophical references contained in such documents; and
(3) the presentation of multiple scholarly interpretations regarding the philosophical foundations of American civic institutions.

(b) LIMITATIONS.—Instruction under this section shall—
(1) be educational and not devotional;
(2) not compel any student to affirm any belief; and
(3)respect the rights of all students.

SEC. 5.  RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to—

(1) authorize or require religious instruction;


(2) compel belief; or


(3) diminish any right protected under the First Amendment.

SEC. 6.  GUIDANCE.

Not later than 180 days after enactment, the Secretary of Education shall issue guidance clarifying that—

(1) academic study of primary source documents, including those containing religious or philosophical language, is constitutionally permissible; and
(2) student and educator expression consistent with section 3 is protected under the Constitution.

SEC. 7.  SEVERABILITY.

If any provision of this Act is held invalid, the remainder shall not be affected.

Closing Notes:  This bill is not just workable—it is durable.  It does not try to win the philosophical argument in statute.  It protects the space where the argument can be had freely.  The bill is:
Content-neutral (it doesn’t privilege one worldview) 
Process-protective (it protects how ideas are discussed) 
Constitutionally aligned (it fits within existing First Amendment doctrine) 

The bill defines:
When a student can speak → germane, respectful, non-disruptive 
What cannot happen → silencing based on viewpoint 
What schools must allow → open academic discussion 

Once the classroom becomes a place where:
Students can ask 
Students can challenge 
Students can compare ideas 

…then the system is able to correct itself over time.

A child raises her hand... and learns that she is free! 

 

Below is the original bill:

For the U. S. CONGRESS: 

"Restore Our American Republic (ROAR)"

A Joint Resolution of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the United States: Month, Day 20___ 

“We can succeed only by concert. It is not “can any of us imagine better?” but, “can we all do better?” The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise ~ with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.”  ~ Abraham Lincoln 

Our founding standard of “self-evident truths” has been gradually dismissed in favor of esoteric fabrications of institutional elites. Most assuredly, apologies are owed to the ancient Israelites who have long been castigated for the golden calf they crafted in the wilderness. Postmodernism has taken things to new levels of hubris ~ rejecting the demands of reason and abolishing the idea of a Power above mortal men. Nonetheless, like the proverbial Balm in Gilead, there remains good news ~ what has been lost can be found! Those who have experienced the ultimate adventure of Project American Life are witnesses to the transformative power of these still “self- evident truths.” PAL’s news from the front lines is both clear and decisive: America’s Founding Principles yield a great bounty of good fruit! The mission of Project American Life is to be about the good work of building the Shining City on a Hill... One Child at a Time.” 

Remember the “I’m Just a Bill” cartoon from Schoolhouse Rock?  Its enduring message actually inspired this bill to "Restore Our American Republic (ROAR)."  A citizen writing a bill isn’t unique to America’s history; citizens used to do such things routinely. Tragically, the initial drafts of bills these days are often written by lobbyists. If We the people desire our nation to be better... lamenting, cursing, blaming, slandering, etc. is not going to accomplish the goal. Instead, we must reclaim what is ours... the opportunities and duties of citizenship. We must rise... we must speak... we must debate... we must clarify... and let the best ideas prevail. This is how America is supposed to work! So, on this new day... upon this solid rock... we will begin the restoration of America’s Founding Principles from sea to shining sea. 

Without allegiance to any politician or political party, we offer the following bill... to be introduced on the floor of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. As we need our Representatives and Senators to accomplish this, maybe it is time for them to listen to ordinary citizens, instead of the plethora of lobbyists.

When we rise up rightly, the Congress will hear us; they are still our representatives. Imagine a nation wherein the coming generations are Free to think, Free to believe, Free to soar! We must press onward until this bill is passed in Congress and signed into law by the President of these United States... and this nation has a new birth of Freedom! “From every Mountainside, Let Freedom Ring!” 

 

Mr. or Ms. _____________________________________ (for himself, herself, and many others) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education. 

 

Resolution— 

Today, we reaffirm the commitment of the United States to create an enlightened citizenry* by advancing religious liberty and the Great Cause of America within our nation’s public schools: 

Whereas, according to the latest Pew Research Center’s Study of Global Restrictions on Religion, an estimated 79 percent of the world’s population lives in countries where religious liberty is highly restricted, either by the government or social conventions; 

Whereas religious liberty contributes to political stability, economic empowerment, and healthy societies free of persecution and extremism; 

Whereas the United States has long declared Religious Liberty to be a fundamental human right (expressly declared in both the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution); 

Whereas the United States has a proud history of actively promoting religious liberty around the world, this foundational human right must clearly extend to our own citizens... regardless of age; 

Whereas young Americans do not give up their religious liberty by attending the public schools funded by American parents and taxpayers; 

Whereas public school students are often conditioned (including unintentionally) to think it out-of-bounds, inappropriate or even illegal to make mention of the Source of our treasured Liberty; 

Whereas Americans have allowed a vocal minority to marginalize generations of citizens by keeping our national charters on the periphery... such that students are unable to appreciate or follow these priceless Principles for which so many gave full measure; 

Whereas America’s Founders used indispensable religious nomenclature in crafting The Declaration of Independence (Creator, Nature’s God, Divine Providence), public school students should be able to hear and employ the same language without penalty or persecution; 

Whereas each day in our nation’s public schools, students, parents, teachers and administrators are intimidated (legally and socially) from articulating, discussing, examining and applying America’s Founding Principles... prerequisites to performing subsequent Duties of Citizenship; 

Whereas for the past 100 years, communism has oppressed billions and willfully exterminated over 100 million of its citizens. Though the mission of this godless governance was creating a “worker’s paradise,” communism has yielded torments, famines, forced abortions, cruel gulags, religious persecutions, and a host of mass murderers, including Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, and Fidel Castro;

Whereas over half of American young people say they would rather live in a socialist nation than a capitalist Republic. This should not surprising when more than two-thirds of these citizens have no knowledge of communism’s atrocities, nor can they rightly define the term; 

Whereas the primary author of The Constitution (James Madison) clarifies the demands of religious liberty in his Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments: “It is unalienable also, because what is here a right towards men, is a duty towards the Creator.  It is the duty of every man to render to the Creator such homage and such only as he believes to be acceptable to him. This duty is precedent, both in order of time and in degree of obligation, to the claims of Civil Society. Before any man can be considered as a member of Civil Society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe.” 

Whereas religious liberty is essential for preserving our nation’s ideals, the highest aspirations of mankind, and America herself, it is our sacred duty to cultivate the still “self-evident truths” that have long informed, captivated, inspired, and guided We the People; 

Whereas for over 25 years Project American Life** has rekindled America’s Founding Principles within America’s youngest citizens... inspiring them to understand and appreciate our Founders’ noble ideals, sacred honor, and ultimate sacrifices. PAL is an enduring and efficacious archetype for compelling new generations to “rise up and live out the true meaning of our creed;” 

Whereas our Founders and their worldview are increasingly disparaged, Patrick Henry’s clarion call still echoes, “Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” 

 

Now, therefore, be it Resolved, the House and Senate— 

 

(1) Reaffirms the commitment of the United States to creating “an enlightened citizenry”* by protecting and advancing religious liberty and the Great Cause of America; 

(2) Acknowledges that America is the only nation in the history of the world not constructed on the basis of ethnicity or a form of tribalism. Rather, America is built upon moral propositions... still “self-evident truths” yielding treasured ideas such as “Created equal” and “unalienable rights.” Therefore, our Founding Principles must never be forbidden, restrained or misrepresented... by and within our public institutions; 

3) Reclaims the Founding Principles of The Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness;” 

(4) Recognizes that the citizenry has empowered government to use tax revenue to create schools serving the cause of an enlightened citizenry.* Thus, it is both right and proper to inculcate America’s Founding Principles into the hearts, minds, and souls of coming generations; 

(5) Demands that The Constitution’s 1st Amendment be operational: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Clearly, no “religion” is “established” by using our Founders’ language, as no “religion” is even identified; 

(6) Supports schoolteachers in reclaiming our Founding Liberty to employ the language, embody the worldview, and amplify the dream of America. To these heroic ends, references to a Creator, Nature’s God, Divine Providence, etc. may be exercised without fear or trepidation; 

(7) Instructs the Department of Education to clarify that individual states do not possess the authority to violate the moral demands of The Declaration of Independence or the legal demands of the 1st Amendment of The Constitution by restraining religious liberty within public schools; 

(8) Empowers the Department of Education to provide clarifications in legal applications as well as directives in policy. The DOE will encourage and assist states in providing large copies of The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution for display in all American classrooms; 

(9) Implores all educators, government agencies, and charitable organizations to share information, host training workshops, develop pedagogy, and teach American civic and history curriculum that helps in the advancement of an enlightened citizenry;* 

(10) Directs the Department of Education to compile and disseminate a database of supplemental resources in the service of this resolution (e.g., copies of this resolution, a list of speakers, and supplemental programming options such as the proven curriculum and pedagogy of Project American Life**); 

(11) Provides comprehensive and essential Liberty throughout the educational enterprise, as we embrace our Founding Principles and all the people they serve. Without regard to zip codes, we seek to infuse every public school with the sacred truths of our virtuous heritage... instruments of inspiration and empowerment of the total child: heart, mind and soul; 

(12) Declares the American Standards that have illumined the world... the transcendent ideas and Ideals constructed from a Divine Intentionality. We again recognize these still “self-evident truths”... the enduring foundations for human dignity and human “Rights”... the guiding rationale for societies built upon what is forever Good, not a brute calculus of the present might; 

 

And so, on this new day, we again come together to be One Nation, under God, Indivisible. We recommit ourselves to creating the best schools in the world... where everyone is free to think, discover, speak, dream and soar. Today, this Congress (the representatives of the citizens of these United States of America) proclaims with one clarion voice, “From every Mountainside, Let Freedom Ring!” 

 

© This bill has been written by Jamie Aiken, an ordinary citizen. 

• * “An enlightened citizenry is indispensable for the proper functioning of a republic.”
• ** ProjectAmericanLife.com 

Project American Life

732 Montgomery Highway, # 246 Vestavia Hills, AL 35216

(205) 823-8446 

ProjectAmericanLife.com   RagtagPatriots.com

 

At the end of each Project American Life week, scores of students sign their names to the large parchment document. Week after week for over 20 years, countless teachers and administrators witnessed the miraculous power of the still “self- evident truths” in inspiring and transforming young lives. Not even John Hancock signed with more passion than these students. Yes, there are many robust reasons to believe our best days can be ahead of us. Here is the American Promise... 

 

The Declaration of Dependence 

On July 4, 1776, our nation’s Founders gave us the priceless gift of The Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." We have heard these words before but have never understood their full meaning. These words uncovered a truth that had always been available, but no society had ever completely comprehended. The world has never been the same. 

Our nation will never be perfect as it can only be made up of imperfect people. Thankfully, The Declaration remains a renewing wellspring of strength and inspiration. In a world that has known so much darkness, America has been a brilliant beacon of light. We have certainly had more than our share of heroes to guide us. Today, we choose to join this “shining city on a hill" that we might continue to declare these founding principles. Though many say that these ideals are merely matters of personal opinion, we resoundingly reject this cowardly notion. These truths are still self-evident to all who are willing to see!

Today, there is much in the world to make us feel hopeless and helpless: fear, ignorance, apathy, and a profound sense of meaninglessness. Today, we must choose, and our choice is clear; we will seize the timeless standard of The Declaration. Right now, we recognize the precious gifts we were given. We honor those who lived and even died for these principles. We reflect upon who our forefathers were so we can best become who we really are. We yearn to be the person we were meant to be. We shout for joy, as abiding hope is within our grasp! 

As we are all Created equal, we must respect the sanctity of human life. We are neither a random accident nor a muddle of genetic traits; rather, each of us is an essential treasure. When something is created, it is done so for a purpose. We commit ourselves to seeking, and ultimately finding, this special purpose. Amidst the noise of the world, a still, small voice is calling our names. As our Founders understood, there will be consequences for genuine valor, but we will be brave. With an unwavering faith in our founding principles, we stand up! 

In doing what is right, we will always have a majority of one. Together, we will fight the good fight with a host of warriors. Their names echo in the wind: Washington, Jefferson, Adams... and so many, many more. Hand-in- hand we feel the longing of many hearts: a mother hugging her son as he goes off to join other young patriots, a farmer steadfastly working his field as he hungers for amber waves of grain, a merchant risking all of his savings to open a small country store, a teacher taking extra time with her students so that their minds might be opened to the great ideas of literature. 

On July 8, 1776, a former slave heard a loud clanging of bells from the tower of Independence Hall. He ran to see what was taking place, arriving just in time to hear the first public reading of The Declaration. The words brought tears to his eyes, joy to his heart, and enduring resolve to his soul. He was, and is, the embodiment of the American Dream. That bell of liberty is now cracked and silent, but its message forever rings! 

Our struggles are never in vain; goodness is never wasted. Truth will always prevail because we are not alone. In closing their majestic document, The Founders declared, “And for the support of this Declaration with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." Today, we join the cause of our Founders. With faith and conviction, we solemnly sign our names.  

©2001 Jamie Aiken