The recent article “The Culture Wars’ New Front: U.S. History Classes in Texas,” by Stephanie Simon, states the issue that the Texas Board of Education is having regarding whether or not Christianity should be the base of teaching American History in the k-12 levels. This idea scares me. It’s obvious that the government influences what should be taught in schools, but I never stopped to think about how much grip and power they have over what they want to be taught (or what they want you to know). It makes me wonder how much of the things I’ve been taught have been twisted facts, that have managed to make not-so-heroic figures seem gloriously heroic. One good example is avowed in part of a quote said by W.E.B. Du Bois, written in the book Lies my teacher told me: Everything your American History Textbook Got Wrong, Revised, and Updated Edition, which says “We must forget that George Washington was a slave owner…and simply remember the things we regard as creditable and inspiring.” Teaching opinion through facts becomes particularly dangerous when the students are too young to tell the difference. In my opinion, history should teach facts that are not one-sided and show both sides of the stories, without showing preference on any side and allowing pupils to make their own judgments.
Allowing Christianity to become the base for learning history can make Texas’ teachings questionable. For one thing, America is a wonderful place which allows us to have freedom of religion, which doesn’t necessarily mean you have to belong to a religion or believe in God. Everybody has their own opinions, not that I’m inferring that the bible has not been a significant influence in the United States history, but it shouldn’t interfere with others opinions or with facts. Religion has its place, allowing it to become the central part of teaching history will vanish history and replace it with biblical studies. For people who feel strongly about having their education focused on bible studies, there are options available to them such as catholic schools.
Some social conservatives recommend to get rid of figures such as Thurgood Marshall (the first black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court), Anne Hutchinson (who was exiled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for teaching religious views other than the officially sanctioned faith), and César Chávez (who led a strike and boycott to improve working conditions for the farm laborers), because they’re suppose ably weak and unworthy role models for our children. I disagree to this because these people marked important points in history and brought improvements to America, we can’t replace or delete them like they never existed. Another important point brought upon by Jesús F. de la Teja, chairman of the history department at Texas State University, is that “we have tended to exclude or marginalize the role of Hispanic and Native American participants in the state’s history,” which I find myself asking “why?” I mean after all Hispanics and Native Americans played a key role in the finding of Texas and Texas’ roots are heavily influenced by them, why are they being marginalized as if they weren’t so important?
Allowing Christianity to become the base for learning history can make Texas’ teachings questionable. For one thing, America is a wonderful place which allows us to have freedom of religion, which doesn’t necessarily mean you have to belong to a religion or believe in God. Everybody has their own opinions, not that I’m inferring that the bible has not been a significant influence in the United States history, but it shouldn’t interfere with others opinions or with facts. Religion has its place, allowing it to become the central part of teaching history will vanish history and replace it with biblical studies. For people who feel strongly about having their education focused on bible studies, there are options available to them such as catholic schools.
Some social conservatives recommend to get rid of figures such as Thurgood Marshall (the first black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court), Anne Hutchinson (who was exiled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for teaching religious views other than the officially sanctioned faith), and César Chávez (who led a strike and boycott to improve working conditions for the farm laborers), because they’re suppose ably weak and unworthy role models for our children. I disagree to this because these people marked important points in history and brought improvements to America, we can’t replace or delete them like they never existed. Another important point brought upon by Jesús F. de la Teja, chairman of the history department at Texas State University, is that “we have tended to exclude or marginalize the role of Hispanic and Native American participants in the state’s history,” which I find myself asking “why?” I mean after all Hispanics and Native Americans played a key role in the finding of Texas and Texas’ roots are heavily influenced by them, why are they being marginalized as if they weren’t so important?
