This is infuriating and even more so that this school board member doesn’t back down when corrected. America is a Republic! Someone needs to give this guy a civics lesson!

“We are a Republican government. Real liberty is never found in despotism or in the extremes of democracy.” —Alexander Hamilton

At a recent Missouri State School Board meeting in Columbia, Missouri, a parent received an unsettling response from the vice president of the board on the role of the federal government in the country’s eduction system.

The board member, Michael W. Jones, seemingly suggested that the U.S. is a Democratic society as opposed to a constitutional republic and decisions about education shouldn’t be made at the local level.

“Your question seems to be set around the premise of us being a democratic society instead of being a republic,” the father said during the meeting. “I think that is where education may have went wrong. Maybe even in yours. Education should be handled right here at the state level without federal involvement.”

Jones went on to argue that the “War of Northern Aggression settled the issue about whether” America is made up of “50 different states or one national government.”

“The fact that we have got a federalized system of government is totally different than the issue of 50 sovereign states. So, that got resolved in 1864,” he added. “So, my question is, given the fact (inaudible) how do you create in an inclusive way, generally speaking, how do you create an educational system that assures that all children, no matter where they come from, have the ability to know what they need to know to be productive human beings for the 21st Century.”

Throughout Jones’ remarks, the father maintained his composure and let the board member fully explain his position.

“That is where you and I would completely disagree. Sounds like you are more of a globalist and I am more of a localist. I think it should be done, your education should come from the local level,” the parent responded.

“OK, we disagree,” Jones said.

Missouri is one of dozens of states that have opted to embrace Common Core State Standards.

Read more: The Blaze