Textbook Vote

The Dallas textbook commission managed a final vote! So the children will be learning about America and its founding fathers. Is this not a good thing?

I have seen some comments on the net deriding and lamenting this decision. Why would that be?

Apparently teaching the facts of the origin of our country is contrary to the ideology of some. Do they want to CHANGE the facts into a fairy story that includes cultures that were not there, did not in fact help shape this country? Do they want to teach the children lies? In my opinion, ideology has no place in the classroom. There's time enough for politics after the children grow up.

(Can you change the facts? I don't think so. Would they not then be lies?)

Teaching our founding fathers should be an important part of teaching our history. Teaching a full, rounded history from facts and truth should also be a part of our social studies. If that leaves out a group or culture, well, this is history not fairy story time. The facts should not be changed to assuage feelings of being left out.

(Again, can you change facts?)

I mean, what if Americans cried out and gnashed their teeth because they wanted to be a part of medieval goings on or a part of the grand old civilizations? Are we going to rewrite that history to include us and make us feel better - even though America was not yet "discovered?" Be real!

Christianity and people of faith were a part of our foundation and an important part of our history. Islam wasn't there. That's a fact. Laws and fairness based on Christian principles were a part of our foundation. Shari'a law, burkas, and stonings were not. Saying so will not make it true.

So let's teach our children the truth -- not opinion, not ideology, not untruths -- teach them our country was founded on great, fervent beliefs. Not just faith in God, but faith in the common people.

Any good teacher can do that without teaching religion, which seems to be one of the worries of the non-believers. Just so, good teachers can also teach about non-believers without teaching non-faith.