What America has achieved, its form of government as symbolized by the Constitutution, would only be endangered if it’s survival had to depend on a pack of lies and half-truths. Our institutions survive precisely because they can handle accepting the bad in order to forge the good. In order to abolish slavery, we had to accept that this abomination existed and thrived, and then we decided that we would tolerate it no more.

I feel like singing a chorus of The Truth Shall Set You Free” and one of “We Shall Overcome” at this point. There is no challenge this country can’t overcome, unless we fall prey to fearmongering.

When you start doing that, you start naturally discussing people who were often on the “losing” side of battles. When a nation grows, it often grows at someone else’s expense. It’s like the difference between economic history as a history of GDP versus a history of workers.

Anyway, if you focus on the U.S. as an entity, the story is largely one of uneven growth and a gain in power. It all comes out kinda good. If you focus on American people, you end up with that story still, but also stories of slavery and people lacking the right to vote and the destruction of a hundred cultures. In such a scenario, there has been little direct attempt to change views of America, but there was a change in a view of history as a discipline, which suddenly brought different stories to light.

Just throwing a thought out there.

In particular, no particular preference should be given to America and her traditional values of strict constructionism, Christianity, the Protestant work ethic, the rule of law, or even the English language itself.

Is this supposed to imply that our schools should demonstrate a “particular preference” towards Christianity? If there’s a place for a “particular preference” for Christianity in education, it’s in church and private schools—not public schools.

Frankly, I’m confused about all the criticism over “multiculturalism” is overblown and will remain so until someone provides me with a definition of the term. Criticizing “multiculturalism” for its refusal to demonstrate a “particular preference” towards Christianity is a losing argument given that America is a nation of both Christians and non-Christians.

A far more pressing problems in our education system is ensuring that Americans have an accurate view of American history. That means teaching the good with the bad.

phin,
Your link refers to an even worse form of neoconservatism on steroids. So anybody who refuses to threaten nuclear war is an enemy of freedom? Talk about Orwellian.

And that will affect Texas (or any education) how exactly?

The claim being made is that in a few days Texas school children will return to be educated about how America is bad, capitalism is bad.

And frankly, the author mentions House Res. 808, and then condems it by citing among others Galtung who I seriously doubt will be developing any US curriculum.

But since you seem to admire the author, care to comment on his book “Stealing Jesus”?

I’m not sure what Marc is basing this on.

For starters, how about stuff like this.

It’s a totally vague notion, as presented here. To discuss it meaningfully, however, we would need specific examples to examine. I don’t question the need to be vigilant about preserving the core principles of western civilization. Vigilance is undermined by crying ‘wolf’ inappropiratel, though.

Since there are no specific examples to examine here, we’ll have to wait for a post that presents some specimens to dissect in order to judge wether the worlf is or is not among the sheep.

BTW, is our culture really so weak that the whole house would fall down if we gained knowledge agout other curltures? Knowledge is the best defense, I always thought.

I’m left with the impression, as I’ve said before, that “multiculturalism” is just a grab bag of whatever evils one sees in the world. I’m sure there are flaws to be remedied, but this article doesn’t get there.

I’m not sure what Marc is basing this on.

In particular, no particular preference should be given to America and her traditional values of strict constructionism, Christianity, the Protestant work ethic, the rule of law, or even the English language itself. What is better, is relative to one’s perspective, after all. Or so they will hear.

From what I’ve seen at the Texas Education Agency there doesn’t seem to be anything there to support the claim though I’d argue we Texans might find ourselves in some costly legal battles should we choose to give some sort of “preference” whatever that means to Christianity or any other religion.

The fact is, our schools are for the most part controlled by the local school districts (as it should be) and I believe if you looked into their individual policies you’d find a great disparity of ideas.

Lacking any detail about how Marc arrived at this view (or opinion though it isn’t expressed as opinion) and given what I know about Texas Public Schools I’d have to disagree with his claims.