Teachers Drop Holocaust, Crusades From History Lessons to Avoid Offending Children
We've changed adjectives, nouns, holidays and national pledges so as not to rub anyone the wrong way. Now we're changing history? Sorry; not changing, just omitting...
Little Shlomo's great-grandfather couldn't have been incinerated in a crematorium--that would offend poor little Hans.
It's history, and the majority of our people have messed up. I'm part Norwegian; the Vikings did their share of raping and pillaging. I'm also English--the sun never sets on the Union Jack? That all didn't come together tidily. Then there was that little thing called the American Revolution...
Minoring in Native American studies in college, I started to get a guilt complex just for being white. Look what my people have done to them! Someone kindly pointed out that A) the tribes warred with each other before the white men came along (and tried to decimate them), and B) you aren't the one who did it.
There are ethno-sensitive ways to teach, and I suggest these people try harder to find them. "Japs" and "Krauts" would probably not be on my vocab list for World War II. Throw in a little equal-opportunity cruelty, though, and mention the effects the atomic bombs (we dropped) had on the Japanese people. Talk about how people had designs from their clothing tattooed onto their skin by the blast. Those black letters spelling "Nike" on your little white shirt? Picture them burned onto your chest. Mention people jumping into the water to avoid the fires. Picture the person who, from a boat, reached into the water to pull someone to safety...and the person's skin slid off in his hand...
And then talk about why. Why did the US drop "the bomb?" We believed it would save more lives in the long run.
Why did German people do such atrocious things to Jewish people? Keep in mind that it wasn't all. Some tried to get rid of Hitler. Some people chose to protect their families and had to harm others to do so. Maybe try using the term "Nazis" rather than "Germans."
Why did so many Germans follow Hitler? Because they were looking for an economic and nationalistic savior, and Adolph availed himself to them.
The Crusades are harder to explain around. View A: Become followers of the Prince of Peace, or we will kill you. View B: I really want your land, and God said I could take it. Disillusioned post-WWI Germans following Hitler makes more sense than those.
We've changed adjectives, nouns, holidays and national pledges so as not to rub anyone the wrong way. Now we're changing history? Sorry; not changing, just omitting...
Little Shlomo's great-grandfather couldn't have been incinerated in a crematorium--that would offend poor little Hans.
It's history, and the majority of our people have messed up. I'm part Norwegian; the Vikings did their share of raping and pillaging. I'm also English--the sun never sets on the Union Jack? That all didn't come together tidily. Then there was that little thing called the American Revolution...
Minoring in Native American studies in college, I started to get a guilt complex just for being white. Look what my people have done to them! Someone kindly pointed out that A) the tribes warred with each other before the white men came along (and tried to decimate them), and B) you aren't the one who did it.
There are ethno-sensitive ways to teach, and I suggest these people try harder to find them. "Japs" and "Krauts" would probably not be on my vocab list for World War II. Throw in a little equal-opportunity cruelty, though, and mention the effects the atomic bombs (we dropped) had on the Japanese people. Talk about how people had designs from their clothing tattooed onto their skin by the blast. Those black letters spelling "Nike" on your little white shirt? Picture them burned onto your chest. Mention people jumping into the water to avoid the fires. Picture the person who, from a boat, reached into the water to pull someone to safety...and the person's skin slid off in his hand...
And then talk about why. Why did the US drop "the bomb?" We believed it would save more lives in the long run.
Why did German people do such atrocious things to Jewish people? Keep in mind that it wasn't all. Some tried to get rid of Hitler. Some people chose to protect their families and had to harm others to do so. Maybe try using the term "Nazis" rather than "Germans."
Why did so many Germans follow Hitler? Because they were looking for an economic and nationalistic savior, and Adolph availed himself to them.
The Crusades are harder to explain around. View A: Become followers of the Prince of Peace, or we will kill you. View B: I really want your land, and God said I could take it. Disillusioned post-WWI Germans following Hitler makes more sense than those.
Point: somebody has to point out the horse crap in the road before you can avoid stepping in it.
"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." --George Santayana
"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." --George Santayana
2 comments:
I heard about this on the radio just on SAturday.... to think that we can "erase" history to please others just astounds the mind. Where will this all end? I suppose you and I know, but just think of the others that don't.... ~B
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