will our Children really get to the truth in a school textbook

1. 62

   dutchman1951posted 14 years ago

   As I read the below article today, I had to stop and wonder. What is it going to take for Schools to knock of the Politically correct Garbage, and get to the truth about what happened in the U.S.  What are we really that afraid of, that we can not teach a Child the truth? Your opinions please
   
   The Artice that started me questioning:
   
   RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia's Education Department approved a textbook that wrongly claims thousands of black troops fought for the Confederacy.
   
   The agency is now warning schools about the mistake after a fourth-grader's parent discovered the error in the Civil War chapter of "Our Virginia: Past and Present." The parent, Carol Sheriff, is also a history professor at the College of William and Mary.
   
   Sheriff said blacks occasionally took up arms to defend their masters, but it was illegal to use blacks as soldiers in the Confederacy until toward the war's end. None of those companies saw action on the battlefront and most worked involuntarily as laborers
   
   "Our Virginia" author Joy Masoff told The Washington Post that she found the passage on the Internet.
   
   (Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
   
   1. What has happend to Honest, real research and verification of facts?
   2. If you are going to approve a textbook for use, would you not at least read it for proof and content?

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      Randy Godwinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Not in Texas. it seems!  That's where many school textbooks come from.

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      Rochelle Frankposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Read it for content? Why? No one has to read things to make decisions. reading is hard. It takes up valuable time.
      
      Does the congress have to read the laws that they pass?
      Did anyone read the health care bill?

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   3. 67

      lifeinprimeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      To answer your questions:
      
      1. What has happend to Honest, real research and verification of facts? Answer: They have gone out the window, I'm afraid!  Instead, so-called experts interject their own opinions and biasis. An example of this is in today's media.  Whether you're left, right, or in between, the facts are rarely presented--only opinion.
      
      2. If you are going to approve a textbook for use, would you not at least read it for proof and content?  You'd think editors and publishers would do that, but it rarely happens.

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   china manposted 14 years ago

   Re-writing history is a common fault - one point of tension between China and Japan is that the Japanese refuse to teach in their history the truth about the atrocities they committed during their occupation of China in the 30's.

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      dutchman1951posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      they do not teach it here in the US either.

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      Sab Ohposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Presuming to rewrite other country's history books is a propaganda tool.

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3. 59

   Randy Godwinposted 14 years ago

   When I was in grammar school my Health book stated that only one joint of pot would make a person go insane. 
   
   Remember the big controversy about the textbooks from Texas teaching Intelligent Design because a fundamentalist happened to be in the position to certify it? 
   
   This is nothing new.

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   china manposted 14 years ago

   How are you Randy - with the neighbours all off down the hospital the last week - leaving you with nobody to shout at ?   

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      Randy Godwinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yo, CM!  Actually, Holle lives in a town about 15 miles from my country abode.  But we can still argue over the phone or online if we have to.  Plus, I still have my wife and the cows to shout at if I need to!  Had any good Chinese food lately, or do they have McDonald's there too?  I would love to visit the country!

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         china manposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Yep - we got McDonalds and KFC and yes I always go for the infinitely superior Chinese food
         
         Now is a good time to visit China while some of the old stuff is still there, the new facilities make life easier for foreigners, and the exchange rate is still favourable for visiting - If you wait too long you won't be able to afford to come ! 
         
         If you ever get around to actually doing it - call me first for the best advice and best deal !

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            Randy Godwinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks CM, I really would like to visit before things change too much.  I envy your experiences there!

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               china manposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               I can highly recommend it - it explodes almost every pre-conception, and the people are really lovely.  Thousands of tourists going through Guilin here every day !

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                  Sab Ohposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  To which preconceptions are you referring?

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            Jeff Berndtposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            "I always go for the infinitely superior Chinese food"
            
            Of course, over there it's just called "food."

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5. 86

   rebekahELLEposted 14 years ago

   there were the Colored Troops who fought in the Civil War.. why would they say it was not true? 
   
   http://www.archives.gov/education/lesso … civil-war/
   
   here's another one which discusses the confederacy. there are numerous books written on the subject.
   http://americancivilwar.com/colored/colored_troops.html

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      Rochelle Frankposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      That article does not say that black soldiers fought for the Confederacy. We know there were colored regiments(under command of white officers) in the Union army.

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         rebekahELLEposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         there are numerous books and articles written about black troops serving the Confederacy. yes, I saw that article was only talking about the Union.
         
         here's a decent article that touches on it.
         http://americancivilwar.com/colored/colored_troops.html
         
         I guess the point of the OP is making sure what is being taught is correct. It's sad when they don't check history first before publishing these texts. Our students deserve to know the truth.

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            dutchman1951posted 14 years agoin reply to this

            exactly rebekah, if they are going to screen a book and approve it, at least check it for accuracy and content, and why not tell the truth, do not edit anything out, or change it.
            
            the author even told them she got the facts off the Internet?????
            
            it's not accurate, and I wounder what elese in the book is also wrong.

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            Texasbetaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            You are correct, but they DID look at the facts. I followed the SBOE debates very closely. The 7 member block of Christian Conservatives FORCED things like this, while ignoring hundreds of professors who came in to speak, ignoring all of the "experts" who produced the material, and instead brought in people like David Barton, the self proclaimed historian who outright lies in order to propagate his Christian Identity agenda. Folks, the school boards have been hijacked by these people. It isn't just large lies they spill, they also do smaller things to focus impression of the youth like in a recent math book there was a picture of a woman in a business suit and a briefcase. They changed it and put her in the kitchen. It goes much deeper than just the historical lies. Don't forget, these are the very same people who fought against women's rights, civil rights, etc.

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               Jim Hunterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               "the school boards have been hijacked by these people."
               
               Actually they were elected to the school board.
               
               So it represents the people it serves.

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                  Texasbetaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  The public school system shouldn't represent a constituency. That is a shameful thought. The greatest threat to America isn't terrorists or deficits, but rather the streaming of absolute ignorance into the education of our children.

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               Brenda Durhamposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               Oh how horrible!  Everyone knows women don't belong in KITCHENS!   For shame!  What IS the world coming to??? 

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      china manposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      As I understand it they were on the side of the North and were shamelessly used and sacrificed - when looking at the history of that period it is hard to see the argument that it was about slavery when Northern black people were treated in some ways much the same.

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         Randy Godwinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         The whole Civil War mess was stupid throughout.  While doing some research for a hub, I discovered the same Commander of the black troops featured in the movie "Glory" was involved in an incident in Darien Georgia. 
         
         His black troops, along with another black outfit, burned and ransacked much of the town.  This was before Sherman's march to the sea. The town consisted of many homes belonging to black people, both slave and freedman.  The commander's family later contributed to the rebuilding of the town. 
         
         I'm not familiar with organized black troops on the confederate side, but there are reports of slaves attending their masters during the war.  As I said, a stupid war.  It was about money, of course!  It always is!

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6. 73

   livewithrichardposted 14 years ago

   It would be nice to see a textbook written with opposing views as long as both views provided primary sources to support their views.  This type of book though would certainly confuse a student especially if the instructor was biased in his/her viewpoint.

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   Jim Hunterposted 14 years ago

   I don't know how many but there were certainly black confederate soldiers.
   
   Conscripts of course.

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      china manposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      There certainly were - and they dug the holes for the latrines, the cooking, cleaning the boots - you know, black soldier jobs in the armies of both sides.

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         Jim Hunterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         If you agree with me I'll have to rethink this.
         
         Nah, there were probably no black soldiers on the Souths side.

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            china manposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Yep there were certainly black people in the Southern army - doing the exact same jobs but not even for soldiers wages.

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               Jim Hunterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               "doing the exact same jobs but not even for soldiers wages."
               
               Ya think
               
               Uh they were slaves, that whole not getting paid goes hand in hand with slavery.

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                  china manposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  Well done!!!!   you can catch on real quick sometimes

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8. 69

   Tusitala Tomposted 14 years ago

   There is an old saying, "The victors write the history books," and it seems this is very true.   There is also an awful lot of false national pride in the hearts of most people.  So many of us believe that we belong to a race somewhat superior to those around us.  As a boy, when Great Britain had an empire 'on which the sun never sets.' I actually believed we British (I'm an Aussie citizen now) made up the best brains, the best soldiers, the best inventors, musicians, doctors - you name it.  One generally has to move out of the confines of one's own upbringing to even get a semblance of balance.
   
   But to get to the United States and this business of Negroes fighting on the side of the Confederates against the Union soldiers.  If they did, then they'd probably have been coerced into it, much like many Eastern Europeans were forced to face American and British Allied soldiers at Normandy in 1944.  They didn't do it willingly, I'll bet.
   
   No, the Negroes weren't regarded as fighting men even as late as Word War Two.  The Armed Forces employed the majority in menial tasks such as cooks, stewards, cleaners, storemen et cetera, I'm told.  Perhaps someone can set me straight on that...?

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   rebekahELLEposted 14 years ago

   texasbeta, I followed those debates also and I know history teachers that said they won't teach what isn't correct, even if it's in the book. the debacle that took place in Texas with the SBOE is just wrong.
   
   I'm also a firm believer that parents need to stay closely involved with their children's education. no one should be relying entirely on the school system to educate their kids.
   
   there is a series of books by E.D Hirsch that are available at the library or can be found online or in any major bookstore. The Core Knowledge Series. they are a nice supplement for a parent or homeschooler.

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      Texasbetaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Rebekah- I love it that others were interested in this debacle as well. I can't tell you how frustrated I get with these people. They actually think David Barton is legit and take his views over people trained in the subject matter for half of their lives.

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10. 85

    lovemychrisposted 14 years ago

    "Don't forget, these are the very same people who fought against women's rights, civil rights, etc."
    
    Have you ever read The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood?
    
    Sometime I think what she wrote is coming true.
    
    "The Handmaid's Tale is set in the near future in the Republic of Gilead, a country formed within the borders of what was formerly the United States of America. It was founded by a racist, male chauvinist, nativist, theocratic-organized military coup as an ideologically-driven response to the pervasive ecological, physical and social degradation of the country. Beginning with a staged terrorist attack (blamed on Muslim terrorists) that kills the President, a movement calling itself the "Sons of Jacob" launched a revolution, ousted Congress, and suspended the U.S. Constitution under the pretext of restoring order. Taking advantage of electronic banking, they were quickly able to freeze the assets of all women and other "undesirables" in the country, stripping their rights away. The new theocratic military dictatorship, styled "The Republic of Gilead", moved quickly to consolidate its power and reorganize society along a new militarized, hierarchical, compulsorily-Christian regime of Old Testament-inspired social and religious orthodoxy among its newly-created social classes."
    
    Kind of eerie, huh?

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       Druid Dudeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Better to shove them out the door. Let them experience real "life". That revisionist, PC bull isn't worth what the taxpayer is paying for. We rank with 3rd world nations in education. We cannot maintain world power status with a defunct edu sys. The rest of the world already knows this.

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          Jim Hunterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          "We rank with 3rd world nations in education."
          
          Do you think that might have anything to do with government being involved?

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             Texasbetaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

             Are you out of your freaking mind?! It is because people like YOU are involved. The essential message is that whenever right wingers get involved in ANYTHING, it goes badly. It is YOUR people, the conservatives, who want to teach our children that evolution is not real, global warming is fake, America has never done anything wrong, Columbus was a great man and discovered America, the market should be unregulated, the Civil War wasn't about slavery, the founders wanted a Christian nation, there is no separation of church and state, we should base our laws on the Bible, etc. The dumbing down of America lay on your shoulders.

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    Jeff Berndtposted 14 years ago

    As long as textbooks are approved by elected officials, the contents of those textbooks will be devoid of any facts that will make the constituents of those elected officials uncomfortable.
    
    Sad, but true.
    
    History is really interesting, but I didn't realize how interesting until after leaving high school (and boring, flavorless, inoffensive textbooks) behind.

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