True or False Tests

"The statesman cannot govern without stability of belief, true or false." — George Bernard Shaw

A "True or False" (tro͞oˈfôlsˈ) test consists of a series of statements to be identified as either "true" or "false". "True or False" tests present an exclusive disjunction (i.e., a pair of alternatives of which only one is acceptable). A simple way to state this is: "One or the other but not both". Usually there are more true answers than false on most tests. Finally, since there is no guessing penalty and you have a 50% chance of getting the right answer, feel free to guess.

This is part one (1) of a three (3) part series of True or False tests. Each test contains statements for your consideration. Many thanks goes to David Barton of Wallbuilders for his scholarly work.

Statement #1

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The Historical Society of Pennsylvania!

In 1856, the Republican Party engaged in its first Presidential Election, running Republican John C. Fremont against Democrat James Buchanan. During this election, the Republican Party crafted and submitted its first ever party platform. The Republican Party Platform contained only nine (9) planks. Six (6) of the nine (9) planks were bold declarations of Equality and Civil Rights for Black Americans based on a literal interpretation of the Declaration of Independence. ¹ The Republican Party Slogan was "Free Speech, Free Press, Free soil, Free Men, Fremont and Victory!"

Statement #2

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The Historical Society of Pennsylvania!

In 1856, the Democratic Party Platform took the entirely opposite position, defending slavery with the following warning:

"All effort of the abolitionists … are calculated to lead to the most alarming and dangerous consequences and all such efforts have an inevitable tendency to diminish the happiness of the people." ²

The Democratic Party Platform supported the Kansas-Nebraska Act, pro-slavery territorial legislation and opposed free-state laws everywhere, including the Topeka Constitution of 1855 that banned slavery in Kansas. The Democratic Party Slogan was "An apple a day keeps the federalists away! Because the republicans farmed and the federalists like to make factories."

We Cannot Escape History ³

"History is the only laboratory we have in which to test the consequences of thought." — Étienne Gilson

Like Antebellum (Literally, Latin for "before the war") Slavers of the past believed the efforts of Abolitionists would "diminish the happiness of the people", todays Democratic Party Platform, "strongly and unequivocally supports abortion," even after viability (i.e., a point in the development of the child at which the baby may survive outside the womb), believing abortion is necessary to protect the rights, health and "well-being" of women. ⁴ When considering the current platforms of both the Republican and Democratic parties, I am not at all convinced, that either party has benefited from the lessons of their own history. If George Santayana is right when he says, "those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" ⁵ then it appears both parties are on a collision course to repeat the blood bought lessons of history.

Brothers, we really need to talk.

Reference(s):
1. Republican Campaign Edition for the Millin (Boston: John Jewett & Co., 1856), pp. 3-8; see also McKee, The National … Platforms, pp. 97-99.
2. McKee, The National … Platforms, p. 91.
3. Abraham Lincoln in Annual Message to Congress, Dec. 1, 1862.
4. The 2008 Democratic National Platform, "Renewing America's Promise" (http://bit.ly/ayADXJ); see also Supreme Court decisions: Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (January 22, 1973) and Doe v. Bolton, 410 U.S. 179 (January 22, 1973).
5. George Santayana, The Life of Reason, Volume 1, 1905 US (Spanish-Born) philosopher (1863 — 1952)

NOTE: The answers in this test are all: True.