Kyle Pratt's Blog: Musings & Rantings, page 22
July 4, 2015
Founding Principles
I’m old enough to remember being taught about the Founding Fathers and the Constitution with respect and patriotic pride.

However, as I was growing up the mood of the nation was changing. Patriotism gave way to disdain and derision. The Founding Fathers were dismissed as “dead white men,” and the Constitution as a dated “living document,” subject to interpretation by modern liberal scholars. Patriotism may be enjoying a mild resurgence, but public school education about the period of our founding remains abysmal. The book The 5000 Year Leap, by Willard Cleon Skousen, goes a long way toward filling that void.
The premise of the author, Cleon Skousen, is that the freedoms guaranteed by the United States Constitution, and the free market principles necessary to such a free society, energized the citizens of our country and as the light of freedom spread to other nations it facilitated a worldwide great leap of progress. It is difficult to dismiss world progress over the last two hundred years; causation is the issue.
Both sections of the book are grounded in Judeo-Christian principles. Because modern secularism seeks to strip away this foundation, I found this emphasis refreshing. Each section consists of succinct easy-to-read chapters. The major points are backed by abundant quotes.
In the first section, Skousen correctly points out that in 1607 the settlers of Jamestown had come to America “in a boat no larger and no more commodious than those of the ancient sea kings. Their tools still consisted of shovel, axe hoe, and a stick plow which were only slightly improved over those of China, Egypt, Persia and Greece.”
The author also explains how the Founders saw the political spectrum. The Founders, Skousen states, tried to find that balance between tyranny and anarchy, while the major political parties of today lean every more toward the “Tyranny” end of the spectrum.
The second part is the heart of the book. This section covers 28 principles the author considers critical to the creation of the Constitution. Backed by abundant quotes from the Founding Fathers the author discussed federalism, limited powers, strong local government, checks and balances, separation of powers, the role of religion and much more.
In the end, I came away unconvinced that the Constitution, and resulting freedom, was the sole cause of the great leap of progress. However, to me that does not significantly diminish the greatness of the Constitution. In a time when no one was truly free, the Founding Fathers established a free republic. Yes, there were slaves (a legacy of British rule) and women were not entirely free, but the momentum was toward ever-greater freedom and progress. That legacy of freedom, which the Founders passed on to their descendants, is a great gift.
Because of references to Christian scripture and ideals, I cannot image this book ever finding its way into the public school system, but the respect and patriotism that it instills for our founding and for those who gave us this great republic should still be taught across this great land. I recommend you buy the book, read it, and teach the principles to your children.
July 2, 2015
A New Website Feature
I want to stay in touch with you, my readers.

I try to find ways that make it easy for you to know what I’m doing. All the important announcements about my books, and other news and trivia about my writing and life go in my blog. However, I understand that most people don’t have the time to visit a blog on a routine basis.
I don’t want to spam you with unwanted emails so, if you want this new feature, here is how to sign up.
For new subscribers
If you’re interested in receiving this once-a-week digest in your inbox simply go to the Contents or Contact page and sign up for, “A weekly email of new blog posts.” You can also sign up to be notified when a new book is release and to receive the monthly newsletter.
For newsletter subscribers

Click on “update subscription preferences,” at the bottom of any newsletter you’ve received from me. This will take you to the appropriate page to add the weekly email digest to your preferences.
If you’re not interested
Do nothing. As I mentioned above, I don’t want to spam you with unwanted emails. This is only for those who are interested and sign up.
July 1, 2015
A Great Complement
The editor of Backdoor Survival compares A Time to Endure to Patriots.
It amazes me how often events in life come in pairs. A few days ago I discovered that New York Times best-selling author, and the editor of SurvivalBlog, James Wesley Rawles recommended my novel, Through Many Fires.

A Time to Endure, by Kyle Pratt and Patriots, by James Wesley Rawles
Then Gaye Levy, editor of Backdoor Survival, one of the top survival and preparedness websites, reviewed A Time to Endure, the sequel to Through Many Fires and compared it favorably to Patriots, the first of a five book series, by Rawles. While the series as a whole has been well received the first novel, Patriots, has achieved a cult-like following in the prepper community.
A Time to Endure Compares to Patriots
In the review she states, “Halfway through (A Time to Endure) a lightbulb went off in my head. The...lessons I was learning not only rivaled those in Rawles’ Patriots, but they were kinder, gentler and less militaristic, in nature.” She goes on to say, “Whether you are new to the genre and to prepping, or an old pro like me, consider adding this book to your collection. You will not be disappointed.”
I’m grateful for the review and humbled by the comparison.
June 29, 2015
How Did I Miss This?
I regularly visit SurvivalBlog, but somehow I missed this.

For many years SurvivalBlog was the top site among preppers. While the blog has fallen to fourth place in the rankings recently, the editor, James Wesley Rawles, remains the best known writer in the prepping field. He is also the New York Times best-selling author of the Patriots Novels.
While I don’t visit the site every day, I do consider myself a regular reader. So, I don’t know how I missed it when Mr. Rawles recently recommended my book, Through Many Fires, Strengthen What Remains.
Thank you, Mr. Rawles!
June 21, 2015
Gathering Together
Like most writers, I’m an introvert.
I spend most of the day alone, in a small office, writing. The room is in my home so, my wife is near, but she leaves me to do my work. Hours can go by and the only people I talk to are the characters in my stories.

From L to R, Wayne, Anthony, Holly, Amy, Lisa, Larry and Kyle Pratt.
Picture by Jennifer Vandenberg
Staring at the page I’ll ask, “What are you going to do next?”
“Why did you do that?”
“Are you going to take that? Are you angry? Do you want to hit him? Do something!”
Writers get a bit crazy when they’re left alone for too long.
After weeks of writing, I looked forward to last Friday, when the Lewis County Writers group, pictured here, gathered at the Matrix Coffeehouse for a potluck. What do writers talk about when they gather together? Like most people, we talk about what we do and the people we know. So, while we ate we discussed writing, publishing and other authors. After that, we talked about everything else.
My mental battery is now recharged for many more days of writing.
June 20, 2015
Love the Picture
I know very little about this month’s cover photo, except that I like it.

The photographer is Grant McIver a graphic designer based in Sydney, Australia. I see the image as taken at dawn. While it is a dark, stark and simple photo, for me it captures the beauty of both the coming dawn and the waning night sky.
You can learn a little bit more about Grant on his website and Twitter feed.
June 7, 2015
A look Around Eek
I called Eek home for seven years.
The Yup’ik Eskimo village of Eek is 415 miles west of Anchorage, Alaska, on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. The delta is about the size of the state of Louisiana, but within that delta roads are rare and people are few.

The Eek post office in winter
Eek, with a population of 300, is a small village that sits on one bank of the Eek River. That river flows into the Kuskokwim and out to the Bering Sea.
For seven years I taught in the village school. I left at the end of the 2013-2014 school year to write full time, but the students asked me back for graduation.
While I stood on the play deck in front of the school to make this short video, happiness and sadness mixed together. I was happy to be back and be a part of the graduation, but sad that this would be my last afternoon in the village. My speech was done, the graduation complete. The next morning I would leave for home. A chapter of my life was complete.
June 2, 2015
A Visit from Dirk
School is out now in Eek, Alaska, and the staff has departed.

Dirk, a longtime co-worker and friend from Eek, took the slow route home. Along with his dog Katja, he visited Anchorage and Kenai and then traveled north to Delta Junction and across into the Yukon and south to British Columbia. Then he crossed the border into the United States and Washington State.

Dirk Martin and Kyle Pratt with Katja
I made a similar trip down the ALCAN Highway several years ago with my youngest son Robert. If you have an adventurous spirit I recommend it. More than once we had to stop because wildlife, such as moose, bear and buffalo, blocked the road. Dirk is a very adventurous sort and didn’t follow the highway as I did. He weaved his way down several small roads and through tiny Canadian hamlets before returning to the ALCAN.
Dirk took some time to hike, camp and fly fish along the way. We had a soft bed waiting for him when he arrived. Then we did some hiking on my own property. I’m not sure who enjoyed that more, him or Katja.
We had less than a day before Dirk had to head east toward his home, but it was nice to visit with him and catch up on the news from Eek.
May 24, 2015
Back to Eek School
Back to Eek School
Traveling to Eek School is an adventure.
My return to Eek started early in the morning of May 14th. Robert, my youngest son, drove me to the Seattle-Tacoma airport. Since the Alaska Airlines flight took off at 8:00am, we both got up way too early. The flight to Anchorage, on a regular 737, took about three hours.

A view of Eek, Alaska
The next stop was Bethel, Alaska, and the flight there is where the adventure begins. Bethel is about four hundred miles beyond the road system, so everything has to come in by ship or plane. Most planes to Bethel are combi aircraft. The cabin is partitioned to allow use as both a cargo and passenger plane. Most combi aircraft typically feature an oversized cargo door. I walked out onto the tarmac with other passengers to board the combi plane through the backdoor. In the middle of the cabin is the wall separating the cargo and passenger sections. There is no first-class section to Bethel. The flight aboard the 737-combi took about 50 minutes.
Clouds obscured my view and I worried that the flight might not be able to land. Once before, I had flown out to Bethel only to fly over the city and return to Anchorage without landing. Another time I had waited in Bethel for the plane to arrive. I heard the plane fly over and then away without landing. If the plane land in Bethel, you don’t leave.
This day was overcast, but we landed without trouble. Walking across the tarmac to the small Bethel terminal, a cold, wet, wind hit my face. I was certainly back in Alaska.
Each plane gets smaller as you travel toward Eek, and for the third, and last, leg of the journey, I would ride a Cessna 207 prop plane operated by Renfro’s Alaskan Adventures. As we taxied out to the runway, I asked if anyone would be meeting us when we arrived. The pilot didn’t know. Since I didn’t want to walk a mile in the cold carrying my luggage, and since there was food onboard for the graduation, I asked if he would radio back to his office and have them advise the school that we were inbound. Shortly after takeoff he did. This final flight took about 25 minutes.
On final approach to Eek I spotted Brett, the school principal, towing a trailer with an ATV in route to the dirt landing strip outside of town. Brett looked much as I remembered him, the rugged Alaskan, at home in the bush on an ATV. After arrival and handshakes we all unloaded the plane and I hopped on for a muddy ride back to Eek School.
May 19, 2015
The New Cover
A few weeks ago, I received a call from the principal of Eek School.
Eek is a Yup’ik, Eskimo, village 415 miles west of Anchorage, Alaska. Starting in 2007, I taught in the village school for seven years. Because it is a small village of 300 people, I quickly learned the name, and background, of nearly every student.
Everyone from pre-school to high school seniors are in one ten room building. Most of the time, I worked with small groups of students of various ages. However, the first year I taught a class of mostly sixth grade students. I watched them grow over the years from children, to teens and verging on adulthood. This year, in the largest graduation from in memory, eight students would receive their diploma from the school.
That’s why Brett, the principal of Eek School, called me a few weeks ago. Most of the students from my original sixth grade class would be graduating and, they wanted me to be there and speak at the ceremony.
I was excited to be back in the village, see so many friends and, most of all, to see these eight students graduate.

Back: Shawn Cingliaq Alexie and Evon Apataq White
Third Row: Terrance Cingarkaq Henry and Gerald Putuk Brown
Second Row: Florence Akuqaq Moore
First Row: Timothy Cirunaq Heakin, Christian Angassaq Pleasant and Frank Callaq Carter.
They are the students on the new cover of the website. I wish you all the very best as you begin your adult lives.
I’ll be writing more about Eek, the school and these graduates in the coming days.