Guthrie teaches students importance of government

February 5, 2019 | 3:00 am

Updated February 5, 2019 | 8:22 pm

Representative Gutherie talked to students at Sorgho Elementary and Heritage Christian today. | Photo by Owensboro Times

Brett Guthrie, U.S. Representative for Kentucky’s 2nd congressional district, traveled to Owensboro on Monday to teach a social studies lesson to groups of students at two local schools. Guthrie taught the students about his line of work as he educated, quizzed and challenged them to understand the importance behind each branch of government.

Students at Sorgho Elementary School and Heritage Christian School were given the opportunity to hear Guthrie speak. Guthrie’s visit fell on a somber day for HCS as news of Heritage Baptist Church’s founding pastor Ted Christman’s death had just been announced hours earlier.

Guthrie offered his condolences to the students and staff who’d gathered in the HCS chapel, but it wasn’t long before Guthrie was able to pique the governmental curiosity of the group of about 80 fourth- through eighth-graders.

Suzanne Miles, state representative for the 7th District, introduced Guthrie as the 2016 “Nicest Congressman in America” to the group of students, which allowed many students to let their guard down and actively participate in the discussion.

Guthrie started his lesson by tracing back historically to pre-1776, before the puritans settled on American soil.

“Who made the laws back then?” Guthrie asked. “Who enforced the laws? Who was the judge?”

Each answer the students provided pointed to King George’s monarchy, which had run the entire government in England prior to the Revolutionary War. The king was the law, Guthrie said. In fact, the king could even tell you where you had to go to church. There were no checks and balances, Guthrie explained.

“Either you worshipped the way the king wanted you to, or he could put you in jail,” Guthrie said.

The lesson went deeper than cut-and-dry political history as Guthrie dove into his job and its significance as part of the U.S. legislative branch. Guthrie said his position was born from the “no taxation without representation” line in the U.S. Constitution.

“So, how do you make it even?” Guthrie asked. “In the Senate, it’s equal. It’s only fair because it’s 53-to-6 in the House [in comparing California’s House to Kentucky’s]. The big states still kind of dominate the House, but it’s even in the Senate.”

Students raised their hands for each and every question Guthrie asked them at HCS. Some students gave long, detailed answers while others answered point-blank, but even then, all of the students expressed interest in Guthrie’s line of work and, inevitably, his relationship with President Trump.

“I had probably six or seven bills signed by President Trump last session,” Guthrie told them. “We don’t really see the president that much. President Obama was very private, and President Trump likes to have a bunch of people around him. President Trump and President Obama are two completely different people, different personalities.”

Students asked Guthrie who his favorite president was (Abraham Lincoln), which bill he’d been most disappointed in not passing (a reform of the Medicaid system, which gained 49 favorable votes instead of the 51 needed) and what his favorite part of the job was (giving people from home tours at the Capitol), among many others.

After the event, Guthrie said he was thrilled to be given the chance to speak to and with students at a variety of ages — who seemed to express a genuine interest in government.

Heritage Christian students who had a visit from Rep. Gutherie on Monday. | Photo by Owensboro Times

“It’s interesting because usually when you’re speaking at public schools, they’re all in the same grade, studying the same subject. So it was great, it was from fourth to eighth grade, and you can see they all knew what was going on, and they’re all interested,” Guthrie said. “So my whole biz is I get to share a little bit about what’s going on in government but, more importantly, that maybe they’ll remember it. I want everybody to vote, and I want everyone to be interested in government and so I try to encourage that.”

February 5, 2019 | 3:00 am

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