Re-education in America

In my junior year my social studies/ history teacher dropped a bomb on the class.

She taught us that white people were solely responsible for raping and pillaging and eventually committing genocide on the Native American population. The funny thing about it was that the teacher herself was also white. But what she taught was also right their in the social studies text book.

Immediately, their was a stir in the class, though about 80 percent white I have never heard so many derogatory terms in my life.

Though, I don't attribute this as the cause. I did drop out of high school at the end of that semester. I never looked back either.

I did however attend college on my own terms, I did not study history or social studies.

But in my own life, I have found that 90 percent of the crap I learned in high school was bs. I am glad I dropped out.

Oh and just in case you were wondering that was back in 96.

I heard the same thing taught to my stepchild as he had repeated to me what was taught when I was in high school. I took a peak at his computer with his social studies course built in issued by the school. They taut about the failures of capitalism and how the founding fathers were all slave holding tyrants and the many wonders socialism and communism have to offer, even though those systems have always failed in the past.

They even had a camera built into it that couldn't be turned off. I accessed it and it was constantly trying to track my retinas.

Some school system we have eh?

Just wondering - but then what do you actually believe now that makes you question what she taught so radically?

Who taught you that what she said was wrong, and your current views?
Or perhaps you spontaneously decided by yourself that was all wrong?

What do believe now, and what is the source of the information?

Truth stings like a very stingy thing. Imagine how I felt when I found out my kindly benefactors, the royal family, weren't placed at the head of the table by divine right, but were actually there as the result of 100's of years of family squabbling and back-stabbing.

It was radical in the way she taught it.

But she was going by the book. But what she was teaching was prejudice and division.

I knew it was wrong at the time, it was an instinct and though I don't attribute it for the main reason I dropped out. I do now realize that's when I came to the conclusion that my education there was not beneficial less I became an indoctrinated servant.

It's no surprise really, when you consider the fact that the Rockefeller Foundation is responsible for publishing a good portion of school books these days.

reply to post by txinfidel

It was radical in the way she taught it.

But she was going by the book. But what she was teaching was prejudice and division.

She was teaching, the way she was taught to teach, its a slippery slope, but if you can agree that she taught by the book, then I guess its up to the individual on the way that they take the lesson.

You put your children in school then you have to also teach your children to decide what is right for them.

You choose to take the lesson as a form of division, and that is your choice, but I am sure there are students that came and went that took it as a lesson in what his-tory truly is.

Peace, NRE.

reply to post by NoRegretsEver

So what happened to all the Native Americans then?

reply to post by halfoldman


The same thing that is happening to almost everyone now, of course depending on where you live, the color of your skin, and who figures what rank in society you fit in.

They as so many others have lost their lives looking for what every other person in some fashion wishes they can have, happiness, health, and family, etc,. and yet wake up to the fact that not everyone has your best interest at heart.

Peace, NRE.

reply to post by NoRegretsEver

Well, that's well put, but isn't it also downplaying colonialism somewhat?

I always thought that if there's one group of people provably treated badly in history, then it was the Native Americans.

The fact that many remained patriots and fought in major World Wars for others is possibly even more gripping.

I'd think that if if the US cannot appreciate such a relatively small group of people, and explain some of their history, then how will it ever reconcile and discuss African Americans, the Irish, the Germans, the Italians, the Jews, the Chinese, the Mexicans, the homosexuals and so forth ...?

What's so wrong with simply admitting that the Native Americans were horrendously treated?
What other group could it possibly hurt?

I'm still trying to discover what exactly the teacher said wrong, and what a better option might have been.

Truth can hurt sometimes. Historically, marginalized populations have rarely been treated favorably; more accurately, they have been treated cruelly. Curriculum should provide an accurate and truthful account of mistakes made. Regardless of how you feel about Anglo-saxson influence and proliferation, this past century is our bloodiest to date. Over one hundred million casualties. Who had all the guns and power?

At least the teaching is basically accurate. Your curriculum needs much more work though, considering this past July 4th hundreds of tweets and Status's were sincerely wishing, and congratulating America on a Happy 2013th birthday. Head in palm here folks. And these were seemingly well positioned average Americans.

reply to post by halfoldman


Downplaying, absolutely not.

The reason for so much confusion is the lack of truth, and education. No, not the one in school, but the one that passes on in families, in culture, something that I have to emphasize was not only downplayed, but taken, and replaced by those that deemed the misunderstood for barbarism.

Until we can see that there has been damage done, and maybe people take a full, long look at history, then not only are we doomed to repeat it, but we will reinforce it for many generations to come.

Peace, NRE.