Campfyre Stories

Where are the articles?  Where are the bloggers?  Where are the teacher’s unions standing up to say "You cannot outlaw the teaching of critical thinking (in terms of history)?"  We’re all aware, to some level or another, that history is written by the winners, but to deem American history, as a whole,  as being entirely factual relegates every Florida student to a life as a brainwashed moron, parroting back ‘facts’ that are derived from *someone’s* interpretation of history.  And who determines which interpretation is correct?  By this logic, it seems to me that it’s being said that while slavery (for example) is abhorrent, until the 1860’s, there was nothing wrong with it.  Is that true?  More importantly, does it matter, since students are about to be taught that everything as written is true. 

Every day we learn new facts, actual concrete, provable facts that shed new light on history.  Every day documents are found or unsealed or released that change the perspective on which history is judged.  How does this impact previous interpretations of history?

WHY DOES NO ONE KNOW ABOUT THIS?

This scares the hell out of me, folks.  I can’t even begin to wrap my brain around the repercussions of passing a law of this magnitude.  Can it really be illegal to allow students to look at the historical facts presented and interpret them?  Who is writing these purely factual history texts?

I rarely do this sort of thing, but this has prompted me to tell everyone I know, as I talk to them or see them, that this is going on.  I am dismayed by the sheer number of people who had no idea that this was going on in their own country.  I have rendered some people speechless.  I have shocked others.  Some have said "I’m not surprised."  Where is the outrage?  Of all the people I told, only one already knew, from her mother, an educator.

This is not a political issue, or at least it shouldn’t be.  This is something that goes against everything the United States is supposed to stand for.  I implore you, please tell someone.  Please tell an educator.  Please tell a student.  This is something that people need to be talking about.

Is critical thinking going to become another issue that should be taught at home?  I know I’m already doing it, but how many people are going to assume that this is an issue that "shouldn’t be taught in schools."  I remember reading the book, Lies My Teacher Told Me and being amazed at the sheer amount of American History that was glossed over in high school and college.  Imagine the sorts of books that will be written if this law becomes more widespread…  Not that it would matter, though, since students who never learned critical thinking will be the ones least likely to seek out history books as adults.  They already know their history.  They must, since they passed the tests.