MANNY RAMIREZ was one of my favorite Red Sox players, perhaps in part because we share the same May 30 birthday. He wasn’t the greatest left fielder ever, but that guy could hit.
My favorite memory of Manny is of him running onto the field at Fenway Park waving an American flag to celebrate his new American citizenship. It being fashionable nowadays for so many dreary self-loathers to denigrate the land most of us love, we especially appreciate folks who still celebrate America.
Folks like Manny and also like Boston Celtic center Enes Kanter, who became a citizen on November 29 while legally changing his name to Enes Kanter Freedom. Or like Fahim Fazli, the Hollywood actor and Marine Corps interpreter whom I met in Afghanistan. In the process of collaborating on our award-winning book “Fahim Speaks,” his love for his adopted homeland shone through.
Manny, Enes, Fahim, and others had to study the United States Citizenship and Naturalization Service’s civics/history exam en-route to citizenship. This assessment provides a solid foundation regarding the fundamentals of American government and its deployment is a comfort to those concerned about “civics” classes that focus on climate change or critical race theory as opposed to the constitution.
Many states now require this test as a high school graduation requirement — to include New Hampshire after Governor Chris Sununu signed HB320 into law earlier this year. HB319 is a bipartisan sister measure requiring that public college graduates also pass the test. A co-sponsor of both bills was Manchester Democratic Representative Barbara Shaw, who passed away on Dec. 22. Having spent a lifetime in education, she appreciated the great importance of teaching civics fundamentals and both bills were priorities for her. She’ll be greatly missed.
Given all the statistical and anecdotal evidence showing profound civics ignorance amongst college students, the passage of HB319 by the N.H. House received much attention. A subsequent poll showed 80% support for the measure.
Unfortunately, HB319 got hung up in the Senate Education Committee before it could join HB320 in statute. The usual suspects from the education establishment did what they could to spook senators concerning HB319. Having spent 12 years in the University System of New Hampshire and 20 years in the Community College System, I’m familiar with edu-speak and have worked with others to counter the misinformation that’s been promulgated.
The full Senate will vote on the measure in January.
It’s relevant that numerous other states have put this healthy requirement in place, most recently Florida and Missouri. This despite opposition from those usual suspects with aversions to accountability. But such assessments increase student knowledge as well as support for public education. Obsessed with funding as opposed to fundamentals, these opponents disregard the will of taxpayers who directly or indirectly provide so much support for higher education.
Even elite private universities like Purdue University have made the USCIS test a graduation requirement. So why not the Granite State’s public institutions?
Despite protestations that such a requirement would create an egregious administrative burden, it could be easily administered online via a platform such as Moodle or Blackboard. Students could take it as many times as necessary to get a passing grade. And they’d actually learn things along the way. Important things.
Hopefully senators will support the will of the people as well as the vote of the N.H. House and pass HB319.
Manny, Enes, and Fahim don’t get to vote on it but I’m sure they’d agree as well!
