There was a time in this country when teaching patriotism was an important goal. But today’s public schools teach only the ugliest parts of our history (“Public schools are teaching our children to hate America,” New York Post, Feb. 22).
A healthy democracy depends on an informed citizenry. That means teaching students all sides of controversial issues. But unfortunately, they are being taught only the negative side. I don’t know if that is an overreaction brought about by decades of dissatisfaction with the way history used to be taught. What I do know, however, is that students are being shortchanged when they are not presented with a balanced picture of our past.
There’s no question that racism and oppression exist in the U.S. But these blights do not constitute the sum and substance of our present and our past. Too bad history textbooks don’t make that clear.
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