Patriotic Education

Last week Donald Trump signed an executive order to develop a patriotic curriculum to be taught in schools. He says that current curriculum teach a twisted web of lies about racism and that it’s abusive to children. Trump wants to focus on feel good pro American, patriotic history. In other words he wants American education to be pro White.

I would say that I received a patriotic education. I began kindergarten in 1980 in a public school in a suburb of Detroit. While I was an elementary school student we stood for the Pledge of Allegiance and sung a patriotic song with our hands over our hearts every morning. I remained in the same school system until I graduated the local high school in 1993.

I remember being taught in the first grade about the first Thanksgiving and how the Pilgrims and Indians were friends. Half of the class dressed up as Pilgrims the other as Indians. We made our costumes and ate soup that the teacher made for us. I was a Pilgrim.

I am old enough to remember getting a day off from school for Christopher Columbus Day during my elementary school years. We were taught that he discovered America. I don’t remember the indigenous people of America being mentioned at all.

The only Black author I studied in literature classes was Richard Wright. Besides that the other literature we studied came from White authors a few of which had Black characters in their stories such as “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “Huck Finn”. There were Black history lessons but I would call them superficial.

After graduating high school I attended a public university and earned a BA in 1997. I earned a BA from a different university in 2003 and I earned an MLA in 2010. None of my schools were HBCUs. I would describe my education as White centered. My textbooks were most likely all written by White scholars with Eurocentric viewpoints. The exception would be the African American history class I took as an undergrad.

But even when you read the history that White people wrote they come across as stubbornly racist, greedy, selfish and savagely violent. In their stories where they think of themselves as the heroes they come across as sociopaths.

You can’t sweeten up American history. There is no way to clean up The Middle Passage. You can’t make The Trail of Tears a feel good story. Manifest Destiny was a White supremacist ideal and that occurred to me in school as I read it at a young age. You can’t explain away the part of the Constitution that stated that Black people were 5/8 of a human being.

You have to act like a lot of American history didn’t happen or you have to fabricate lies in order to make it sound like the US is a racially equitable society. Unfortunately, even current events continue to tell a very unflattering story of America and the way it treats many of its citizens.

I think that Trump’s reasons for pushing a pro American agenda is self serving. I anticipate that Trump and his disciples will not be treated kindly by history. Trump wants to make any discussion of racism more taboo than it already is. The only way they will be seen in a positive light is if criticism of an American president is prohibited. That’s a First Amendment violation.

I don’t resent my patriotic education. It is what it is. White people conquered North America and my ancestors were their prisoners. That’s how things work. The conquerors dictate the history.

Growing up Black in a Eurocentric educational system made me a critical thinker and a bit of a rebel which is what Donnie wants to avoid. It made me question things since I didn’t identify with most of America’s heroes. I believe my White centered education actually affirmed a lot of positive things for me about being Black American. It helped that I didn’t see myself as a part of the cruel American regime.

I think it’s a positive thing to teach children respect and to love their country. I grew up feeling proud to be American even though my race has been subjected to oppression, violence and hatred. There isn’t another country that I can claim.

I believe most Americans grew up with a sense of national pride which is why we are all appalled and heartbroken about the current political climate. I don’t think it’s wrong to raise children with ideals. They can figure out that institutions we look up to are far from perfect. It’s a part of growing up and when you’re grown it’s your turn to try and improve them.

My public education did what a public school education should do. I became literate, learned some basic historical and geographical facts and gained basic math skills. I also learned to research information which is very important. Once a student graduates high school it is up to them to continue seek knowledge and process it critically. If parents instill a child with a sense of self they will learn how it all relates to them and they will develop their own point of view.

Education in America can’t get anymore patriotic and pro White than it has been. The only way to make it more pro White is to omit most of the history and just start lying. Trump’s plan will fail because too much is already documented about this country unless he is planning to burn books and destroy history like in “Fahrenheit 451”. I won’t be surprised if that is the real plan.

https://www.npr.org/2020/09/17/914127266/trump-announces-patriotic-education-commission-a-largely-political-move

God Prevails over Man Made Leadership but Choose your Leadership Wisely

It a scary time in America right now. We don’t know what to expect from our political leadership right now. They seem to be trying to change the system that we’ve had in America to a new system that exclusively benefits the wealthiest of the wealthy and makes it difficult for middle class and poor people to survive. I think that the democratically elected Republican leadership in this country is downright evil and those that support it are stupid and evil as well. Perilous times are ahead.

But the Bible tells us that there is nothing new under the sun. The world has seen evil, self centered, arrogant, egotistical, conceited, cold hearted, foolish, greedy, tyrannical leadership before. The Bible is full of stories of heavy handed poor leadership. And those that were faithful to God always prevailed.

Please do not misunderstand me. I’m not one of these passive Christians that opts out of politics because “The Lord always reigns supreme” or “God is in Control”. I agree with these quotes but I don’t think that means you can’t have a political opinion and act in your best interest. I can’t stand any of these flaky Christians that don’t vote because “The system is not Godly”. I resent a lot of stupid, gullible Christians for helping to make America ground zero for future global economic collapse, xenophobia, racism, sexism, pedophilia, poor manners and general stupidity and ignorance.

At this point in human history Americans just have to take things day by day and be prayerful and have faith in God. Take inspiration from Biblical heroes like Daniel who stood up to King Darius in the book of Daniel. Also in Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar order three boys into a fiery furnace for not bowing down to him. Be inspired by the stories of Moses and the Jews who were brutally oppressed by Pharaoh in Exodus. Remember the persecution of infants by King Herod in the Gospels. All of those that were persecuted by evil leaders persevered with faith from God. They were blessed because the were steadfast in their beliefs and unafraid of evil.

So remember that there is nothing new under the sun. We live in uncertain times in America right now so have faith in God and love each other. With that being said vote better next time and stop being so dense. Don Don’s presidency has nothing to do with Jesus and it will not benefit you unless you are rich. There is no need to test God like this. I would believe in the Lord if I lived in Shangri-La so why did these fools open the flood gates of misery, poverty and pestilence. Have faith. Be smart.

Ecclesiastes 1:9King James Version (KJV)
9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

2 Timothy 3:1-5New International Version (NIV)
3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

Hillary Clinton for President – Shannon in Kansas City

I think that Hillary Clinton is going to be the next president of the United States. At least she is who I am supporting in this year’s presidential election. I think the country is ready for a lady to be in the driver’s seat. Or at least she will win because the other candidates are too extreme and frankly not convincing in their arguments.

I have always voted as a Democrat. It’s not that I think that the Democrats are really all that honorable, accomplished or honest but as a working class, unmarried Black woman from the rust belt of the United States they speak to my interests more than the Republican party does. With that being said none of the Republican candidates stand a chance at winning my vote.

I’ve never identified with the Republican point of view enough to vote for them but this current crop of Republicans is down right frightening. The Republican front runner would not have even passed my high school speech class. He probably would not have passed my high school composition class either based on his speech and illogical thought patterns. His competitors for the Republic nomination are not much better than him. They bicker back and forth like they are on a 1990s talk show.

The entire bunch of them is whiney, too sensitive and has the maturity of grade school children. Even if they made valid points while spreading their political message, which they don’t, I couldn’t vote for them based on the way they conduct themselves. I am not from a particularly affluent background nor do I make a great deal of money now but I have more class and intelligence than any one of the Republican hopefuls for the Presidency of the United States. That’s pathetic. I’m a forty one year old waitress for heaven’s sake.

I’m not terribly excited by the Democratic nominees either but they are far superior to what the Republicans managed to scrounge up. Bernie Sanders is a popular candidate among the hipster crowd. I like to think of myself as part of the hipster crowd. I’m well educated, I’m a bit of a starving artist, I enjoy the occasion coffee shop or dive bar and what can I say I’m pretty darn hip. But I’m not buying what Bernie Sanders is selling. I’m probably too old to fall for his bribe of free college.

I’ve lived long enough to know that nothing is free; not anything, not ever. Someone always has to pay. So if Bernie Sanders wants to make college free who is going to pay for it and what will the trade off be? Will Americans have to pay 75% income taxes or a federal 50% sales tax? If a young or not so young person gets a college degree on the governments dime will he or she be required to serve in the military for a time?

I can only speculate because I have heard Bernie Sanders elaborate on how he plans on accomplishing his socialist version of America. In that way he is much like the Republican front runner who plans on building a wall on the U.S., Mexican boarder and charge Mexico for the expense of building the wall. I don’t know how he expects to make Mexico pay.

Some Bernie Sanders supporters think that Black Americans owe Bernie Sanders our vote because he was active in the Civil Rights movement. I respect what Senator Sanders did in the 1960s but I don’t feel like I owe him anything. He stood up for what was right which I don’t think makes anyone a hero. Besides that, there are thousands of Black people that were active in the Civil Rights movement that will be lost to history forever. I don’t think many people would claim that their sacrifices should make them a presidential candidate.

I’m also very curious about Bernie Sanders position on Israel. He was raised in a Jewish family but he does not practice that religion. As a Christian person I am supportive of Israel and I think that America should support Israel as well. If Bernie Sanders does not support Israel that would be very weird to me. His family was killed by Nazis in Poland. If he isn’t supportive of Israel that would make him the Stacey Dash of the Jews. And I can’t support that. I’m bothered that he hasn’t been more outspoken on his views on the Israelis Palestinian conflict.

That leaves Hillary Clinton. Clinton has her critics that say that she is untrustworthy because some of her campaign contributors are Wall Street companies like Goldman Sachs. I agree that that is suspicious. Once again nothing is free and those companies will be expecting favors from our new president because nothing is free after all.

There are a lot of people on social media that say Black Americans should not vote for Hillary Clinton because the mass incarcerations of Black men started under the Clinton’s. I’m not sure if that is true or not but what I want to know is where have these critics been. Hillary Clinton became first lady in the 1990s. After that she represented the state of New York in the Senate. After that she was Secretary of State. But all these Black activists wait until about two months ago to discuss her husband’s involvement in the unfair treatment that Black men have received from the U.S. justice system. Where the heck have they been? Once again, I’m not buying what the Hillary detractors are selling. Congress makes laws not the president.

So the United States will probably have another history making election this November just like we did in 2008. I think we are on the verge of electing our first woman for president. It’s not that we are really all that enthusiastic about electing a woman just like most of the country was not excited about electing a mixed race, Black looking man a president. We settled on the only candidate available that was not an morally bankrupt fool. It’s a shame that this is what American politics has come to.

Fortunately, Barak Obama was a great president and he did a lot for all Americans. I will miss him and his wife terribly. I may even cry when they leave the White House. I believe that Hillary will do her best to serve America to the best of her ability. I believe her ability is great. As far as her character is concerned, I’m sure she is a little shady. There’s no way you can be involved in politics as long as she has and not be a little jaded. But I trust her more than I do any other candidate. And it will be a bit of poetic justice to watch Donald Trump lose a presidential election to a woman.