By Dr. Ray Kessler, who is, incidentally, a retired Prof. of Criminal Justice, former defense attorney and prosecutor is your host. I am also a part-time instructor in Criminal Justice at Richland College, an outstanding, 2-year institution in Dallas, TX.
https://richlandcollege.edu/
Note that I do NOT select which ads run on the blog.
Monday, August 17, 2015
Comic strip says it better than I ever could.
Although the author of this strip leans left, he sometimes actually hits the nail on the head. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. A comic strip should be worth a book. This strip mocks the Texas Education department's official curriculum.
The comic strip refers to the antebellum south which was a deplorable era in our country's history. The question is, do history lessons best describe the past from a modern perspective or from the views and/or values of those who lived it?
44, thanks for the comment. Interesting question. A person living today may have a "modern" perspective or one that is consistent with that of those who lived it. The latter is more likely. However, as discussed below, there is more to it than this. The point of the post was to criticize the Texas Dept. of Education curriculum and point out that what we learned from our history teachers, grandparents, etc. may not be accurate. To say that secession was not primarily about slavery and white supremacy is not accurate. The inhuman African slave trade would have been renewed with vigor if secession had succeeded. The second point is to consult original sources and not rely on what we learned at our parent's, grandparent's or teacher's knee. With regard to the point in your comment, even from the perspective of the 1860's, much of America and the Western world knew that slavery was wrong. Most, however, were probably not ready to give up white supremacy. Most of South America, most of Europe and even Mexico abolished slavery before the U.S. Even by the values of many back then, slavery was not acceptable. Slavery was acceptable to many religious groups, but not to others (e.g. Quakers). There were even a few who questioned white supremacy.
Your insightful response is appreciated. White supremacists' inherent greed, ignorance and malevolence was upheld by the south's confederacy. There is no denying the absolute wrongfulness of their exploitative culture and economy. And like you, I don't think slavery would have evaporated with the close of "old king cotton". The 1960s civil rights movement is offered as proof. History lessons should provide a retrospective analysis of those who lived it, all for the betterment of future generations.
44: Thanks for the post. Agreed. Unlike you and I, its seems lots of people fear original sources, original documents and reputable historians. They have no capacity for intellectual growth.
The comic strip refers to the antebellum south which was a deplorable era in our country's history. The question is, do history lessons best describe the past from a modern perspective or from the views and/or values of those who lived it?
ReplyDelete44, thanks for the comment. Interesting question. A person living today may have a "modern" perspective or one that is consistent with that of those who lived it. The latter is more likely. However, as discussed below, there is more to it than this. The point of the post was to criticize the Texas Dept. of Education curriculum and point out that what we learned from our history teachers, grandparents, etc. may not be accurate. To say that secession was not primarily about slavery and white supremacy is not accurate. The inhuman African slave trade would have been renewed with vigor if secession had succeeded. The second point is to consult original sources and not rely on what we learned at our parent's, grandparent's or teacher's knee. With regard to the point in your comment, even from the perspective of the 1860's, much of America and the Western world knew that slavery was wrong. Most, however, were probably not ready to give up white supremacy. Most of South America, most of Europe and even Mexico abolished slavery before the U.S. Even by the values of many back then, slavery was not acceptable. Slavery was acceptable to many religious groups, but not to others (e.g. Quakers). There were even a few who questioned white supremacy.
ReplyDeleteYour insightful response is appreciated. White supremacists' inherent greed, ignorance and malevolence was upheld by the south's confederacy. There is no denying the absolute wrongfulness of their exploitative culture and economy. And like you, I don't think slavery would have evaporated with the close of "old king cotton". The 1960s civil rights movement is offered as proof. History lessons should provide a retrospective analysis of those who lived it, all for the betterment of future generations.
ReplyDelete44: Thanks for the post. Agreed. Unlike you and I, its seems lots of people fear original sources, original documents and reputable historians. They have no capacity for intellectual growth.
ReplyDelete