Maybe I’m Not Seeing This Right
Once again, proving that batcrap crazy is contagious, Tennessee has decided that textbooks need reforming. Taking their signals from Mitt Romney, they are going to retroactively abolish American history.
A little more than a year after the conservative-led state board of education in Texas approved massive changes to its school textbooks to put slavery in a more positive light, a group of Tea Party activists in Tennessee has renewed its push to whitewash school textbooks. The group is seeking to remove references to slavery and mentions of the country’s founders being slave owners.
Can someone please tell me the positive light to slavery? I mean, were ice cream treats involved?
Thanks to Norma for the heads-up.
The radical right is conducting a growing war against facts. Long term I’d bet on the facts.
1I am concerned now that the Repressives have moved from reading Ayn Rand to reading Orwell’s 1984. But fear not, the Tennessee Ministry of Truth will soon take care of all these nagging text book problems.
2Yup, Sgt. Mike, right down the Memory Hole. Winston Smith would be proud.
3Rewriting history is a major pet peeve of mine. Chris Columbus was not a ‘good’ guy yet it is still taught that he was. Our founding fathers did a lot of good things and some really not so good things. All part of the human condition. What we, in this timeline, view as horrendous was happening in a different age and views. Teach it that way – don’t lie! Read ‘Lies my teacher told me’ and what was done is sickening – just as in the future much that is being done in our time will be viewed the same way. If we lie about it or try to spin it we will not learn from it. David Barton is a prime example of rewriting history the way he wanted it to be and it is being taught as truth. aaarrrggghhhhhh!
4Next up? The bright sides of the Trail of Tears and Japanese internment camps…
5Mark Twain’s statement about history, ink and prejudice is proving itself with these idiots.
6You know, after his NAACP sppech, when Romney went to the whitest corner of America, the Montana GOP, he told them “If they want more stuff from government tell them to go vote for the other guy — more free stuff. But don’t forget nothing is really free.”
Slaves got lots of “free stuff” – food, clothing, shelter, health care – plus lots and lots of religion. Pesky things like money, voting rights, education and, ya know, freedom? Well those were reserved for their “betters.” Maybe Mitt and his pals can write the chapter on the positive side of slavery.
It seems to be their plan again.
7Sarge, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Democrats view 1984 as a cautionary tale. Republicans view it as an instruction manual.
8Absolutely disgusting. They should all be ashamed of themselves. Then again, they probably have no idea what shame is.
9Like the folks in Tennessee don’t have real problems to worry about. Then again, the Rethugs and steeple people and TP idjits have been mighty successful at “distractions.”
10Well, since we are now a country known for torture, what is a little slavery?
11What is wrong with these people?
Chris Rock will be banned from Tenn. for his 4th of July quote:”Happy white peoples independence day the slaves weren’t free but I’m sure they enjoyed fireworks.”
It’s gonna be fun when the teachers try to convince black students that slavery was a good thing. I guess they will have to have a different set of books for the black students.
12I’m a retired high school social studies teacher, and I am appalled at the attempts of the far right to re-write history. Re-writing history allows them to soothe their consciences about the things that happened in the past that embarrass them today. History can be instructive. By studying accurate accounts of situations in the past that resemble what is happening today, we can see how they were handled and avoid repeating the mistakes that were made. We can also look at what worked and apply it in the present time. I think every aspect of history should be studied-the good and the bad. These historical revisionists should realize that even though they may change the social studies and science curriculum in their states, this can be very detrimental when these kids take AP History and Science tests. Parents will spend money for them to take these tests, but the kids won’t score high enough to earn any college credit. These far right folks need to leave curriculum planning to those who’ve studied the subject, earned degrees in the subject, and who have passed tests that show they’re certified in the field. What is happening in TX and TN is a direct result of low voter participation. The far right always votes. This is how they gain control of government at local, state, and national levels. I am a consistent voter, but I notice that some others I know don’t even bother to vote in many elections. This needs to stop.
13So if they don’t talk about slavery, how do they explain the secession of the South and the Civil War? Are they going to say that Southerners got their feelings hurt because Northerners said they talked funny?
(I’m from southern Indiana. Both sides say we talk funny.)
14Ralph, darlin’ these folks don’t have a problem with a different set of books for black folk – they think this is the way God meant for it to be. And the worst part is that as Texas textbooks go – so goes the nation!
15MCPO RET you can rest assured that Mark Twain, Will Rogers, even Mort Sahl and their ilk will never darken the new school libraries.Reading level 3rd grade, no analytical thinking – another lesson from slavery – no attempts at literacy – like sugar, ignorance makes it easier to swallow the R pill
16Hmmm. I know my great great grandfather who was born into and lived under slavery for thirty years would have loved a more positive light. Like not getting up at 4:00am and working in the fields until nightfall.
These people are making me sick.
17Origuy,
They already have a cut and dried answer for that: It was all over “states rights”, in other words: keep the federal gov’t out of controlling anything the state wants to do.
As far as the main question about “a positive spin on slavery”? Low labor costs, which means the “job creators” (plantation owners) could be more profitable.
18That makes perfect sense. Everyone knows that the slaves in Tennessee were so well treated that when the owners asked them to come back home, they responded like this:
“Sir: I got your letter, and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Jourdon, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again, promising to do better for me than anybody else can. I have often felt uneasy about you. I thought the Yankees would have hung you long before this, for harboring Rebs they found at your house.”
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/letter-freed-slave-former-master-draw-attention-151653952.html
19Maybe I would find this funnier if it weren’t for the fact that there is modern-day slavery right here in the good ol’ US of A. One place to read about it is here:
http://www.amazon.com/Tomatoland-Industrial-Agriculture-Destroyed-Alluring/dp/1449423450/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342466852&sr=8-1&keywords=tomatoland+how+modern+industrial+agriculture+destroyed+our+most+alluring+fruit+by+barry+estabrook
20Hey, Hey, Hey. We learned on a tour of southern plantations in Louisanna that the slaves had Sundays off to pursue their own “interests”. There’s the place to put a positive spin on slavery, although we got a little nervous when we wondered what kind of “interests” those might be, and that question was kind of ignored, so maybe not.
21At the risk of being Captain Obvious, their “interests” were escape and evasion.
Once a long time ago, in a county jail I worked around, due to internal construction, the jail staff missed one of their every 24 hours thorough junk on the bunk inspections. When things returned to normal, 48 hours from the last inspection, there was discovered amongst other weapons and contraband, a shiv made from a mop bucket handle. One end was bent over to form a handle and the round steel at the other end was becoming a pointed blade. 48 hours folks.
Enslaved peoples in those states behind the Cotton Curtain likely pursued similar “interests”.
22stuff like this makes me wanna’ dig up John Brown.
23Someday history will be rewritten to obscure the fact that blacks and whites, and homosexuals, weren’t allowed to get married, because by then our descendants will be embarrassed about it. (Some of us are embarrassed now, but not enough of us.)
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