No Founding Fathers? That's our new history.

The Washington Times ^ | January 28, 2002 | Ellen Sorokin

[Grand Old Partisan]

The Pilgrims and the Mayflower also are excluded, as well as the word "war," which has been replaced with "conflict" in lessons about the early settlers, colonization and expansion.

Also gone are most references to the inhumane treatment many American soldiers endured in wars overseas during the 20th century. However, the standards specifically note that students should identify slavery, the Holocaust and modern Iraq as examples "in which people have behaved in cruel and inhumane ways."

[fortheDeclaration]

as well as the word "war," which has been replaced with "conflict

The enemies of truth understand the importance of words. A fact lost on modern day Christians.

[billbears]

Oh, I've read them much as I can see how you've never read the Official History of the Civil War published by the Empire and the Slave Narratives published in the late 30s, again by the Empire(which doesn't paint all them Yankees in such a good light as our 8th grade history books lead us to believe)

[JulieRNR21]

I share your distress at what has happened in NJ....but what gives me some hope is that McCullough's "John Adams" continues as a best seller after many months.

Americans, even before the attack on 9-11 had begun to hunger for a connection to those whose wisdom & courage gave us the Republic.....now I believe that hunger is even stronger.

There will be a backlash against this omission of our nation's true history!

[Doe Eyes]

Add to that that Martin Luther King Jr. was also a Republican.

I believe he gave the "I have a dream" speach at the 1964 Republican National Convention.

[arm958]

And this from the state where the battles of Trenton, Princeton, Monmouth and Springfield took place

Sickening, isn't it. I was born and raised in New Jersey, 10th generation in that state/colony. Many of my ancestors faught in those battles, as regulars, militia, enlisted and officer. The first generation left England for greater freedom. I've left New Jersey for the same. I'm sure my ancestors would approve.

[spunkets]

Patrick Henry was an obstructionist according to my daughter's history teachers. I corrected that, but there's only so much correction you can do before you have to come to the conclusion that the time spent in some schools is a total waste.

[Salvation]

This makes me mad. I think they need to be freeped.

[koba]

Some of this change in the teaching of history can possibly be attributed to the change in the American demographic pattern. If we take 1960 as the target year the population of American was 90% white and 10% black. Hispanics and Asains were not numerous, and they they tended to live on the West Coast. Today America is about 70% white and 30% non-white. As time goes on, the white percentage will be smaller, the non-white percentage higher. Generally, non-white groups are not going to be happy with an emphasis on pre-1965 history, as the heroes were generally whites and only whites played a central role in it. Non-whites generally fell alienenated from pre-1965 America because either they lost land in a war (hispanics) were slaves or were discriminated against (blacks) or played a very small role in America (Asians). Therefore, the achievements of whites in pre-1965 America slowly gets diluted in relation to the non-white population. The emphasis on the Civil Rights movement is to show non-whites actively involved in the shaping of America, where previously they had played only a marginal role. Non-whites generally like post-1965 America and its history better than pre-1965 America and its history. You can expect to see more marginalization of whites in the future in relation to the demographic situation of America. Much of this situation is a numbers affair, and as the demographic numbers change the cirriculum changes. Remember when America had George Washington's Day as a holiday? I can. Now the only Federal Holiday is for Martin Luther King. Non-whites like the King holiday, but they're not too happy with George Washington's Birthday. As America demographics change, America's history changers and much in the past gets re-written or fails into the "memory hole". The knowledge is there, yet few will seek it.

[Salvation]

New Jersey Department of Education history standards

New Jersey, either tell the truth or we will see that you do not get tax money for your educational programs. GRRRRRRR!!!AAARRRGGGHHH!

[Salvation]

And the ACLU is saying.........</sarcasm off

[Teacher317]

It's really quite simple, the educational bureaucracy is not interested in "education". All they are about is indoctrination.

Agreed

[Teacher317]

What the hell doe's spelling it G-d stand for other than your timidity to state what you believe in.

IIRC, there are those who do not believe in printing the name of the Almighty in any way that may be temporary. Erasing His name, even unintentionally, is a lousy thing to do in their eyes. Typing 'G-d' is a good way to communicate the message without being disrespectful. It doesn't communicate timidity, but devotion even in the 'insignificant' details. I usually use alternate terms out of deference... but I slip sometimes, especially if the thread has got me typing really quickly! =^)

[Exigence]

Ping!

[Exigence]

I demand that Mr. Doolan provide me with all the names of the people who contributed to the writing of these standards

Ah... names... that's Mr. Doolan's problem to begin with. He doesn't want to name names -- especially when they are the names of Founding Fathers that he is hoping will be written out of the history books.

Maybe we could all respond by sending him copies of maps that exclude NJ. We could just let a bordering state "incorporate" NJ. After all, using his "logic," everyone knows that there's a NJ so it doesn't need to be listed on the map.

[RobbyS]

Minor annoying regulation or not, the Illinois law provided a pattern for a law with a class of persons subject to a higher class of citizens, and holding them in place. In short, peonage. The difference in practice had to do with the numbers of black folk in the two states. How many were there north of "Egypt"? A handful of chicks can be left to run free in the yard; hundreds must be cooped up.

[GOPcapitalist]

The only Senator worth spit in the middle of the 19th Century was Charles Sumner (R). The only Speaker of the House worth remembering from that era was Thaddeus Stevens, (R). How many folks here even have the slightest clue who they were or what they really did for the nation?

Yawn...I would tend to hold that Clay and Webster, even though in their declining years, were at least as memorable as Bleeding Charlie. And John Quincy Adams was certainly memorable in the early middle part of that century. So were his family members. As were Seward and Douglas, at least for the prominent roles they played in history.

[GOPcapitalist]

The only Senator worth spit in the middle of the 19th Century was Charles Sumner (R). The only Speaker of the House worth remembering from that era was Thaddeus Stevens, (R). How many folks here even have the slightest clue who they were or what they really did for the nation?

Yawn...I would tend to hold that Clay and Webster, even though in their declining years, were at least as memorable as Bleeding Charlie. And John Quincy Adams was certainly memorable in the early middle part of that century. So were his family members. As were Seward and Douglas, at least for the prominent roles they played in history.