I would have trouble teaching history in an American high school. My trouble would probably stem from my insistance on teaching the truth, and systemic resistance to this. After a lifetime of carfeul analysis, my conclusion is that the true history of the United States is simply not told in most textbooks.
Textbooks tend to teach "hagiography", shining favor on the subject matter. Historians like Gore Vidal, who tell the truth but do not shine favor on American history, are not taught. With most histories, the more hagiographic, the less truthful.
Children are taught that Washington was strong and brave, and Jefferson was brilliant. True enough, but seldom is anything else taught. People are multi faceted. What about Washington's pompous arrogance or Jefferson's hypocrisy? Why not present the complete person?
Did the United States deliberately prod Japan into attacking Pearl Harbor? Why did Truman really drop the atomic bomb? Who started the cold war, and why? These questions deserve serious consideration in high school, and probably sooner. Perhaps we don't talk about these things because we wish to avoid the answers. Maybe we would rather think of the A bomb as ending the war early, rather than as a way to impress the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment