"People do not like to think. If one thinks, one must reach conclusions. Conclusions are not always pleasant." – Helen Keller, (Loewen, 28)
What a fitting quote from this weeks readings to start my reflective blog with, for this is exactly what is required to complete these assignments. Though I would adapt this quote for the classroom something like this: People do not like to read. If one reads, they must think. If one thinks, one must reach conclusions. From the very beginning of this book, Lies My Teacher Told Me, I can see this will not be another boring history book. Loewen's quote made me chuckle when he wrote, "Those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat the eleventh grade" (Loewen, 1).
This idea of heroism has had me thinking all day. Is neglecting to give known negative information any better or worse than embellishing and adding to known truth? Are larger than life, flawless heroes actually more inspiring than those who are more realistic and flawed? When Loewen makes the point that students tend to think that historical figures are boring, I believe it must be because they have never really known them or about them.
Even as a history student, I was unaware of much of Hellen Keller's later life. The fact that she was a staunch socialist, and supporter of communism makes me wince a bit. On top of that, to hear more details about Woodrow Wilson and his anti-communist, colonialist, racist ideas and actions made me realize that in reality, politics have not really changed much over the past century. The clincher for me is the thought that the way Hellen Keller and Woodrow Wilson are typically taught would appear to make them contemporaries who may have been friends, gone to similar cocktail parties, and been shining models to the nation. Yet, in reality, knowing more information about them, it struck me, they were contemporaries, but they did not get on well together. The mis-information that has been generally taught has not allowed the student 100 years later to rightly understand the historical reality. If this is missed, what is the point?! What lessons can be learned? What applications can be made today? What is the relevance? Suddenly, I sound like a typical high-school student again...
Big Question: In real life, we all have unseemly parts of our lives that we do not share with everyone, does this negate the real good we may do or success we may attain? In history then, is omission of certain unseemly parts of a persons life negate their status as a hero?
Link: http://www.woodrowwilson.org/
Search around this site and try to find any evidence of his war invasions in Nicaragua or Russia, or anything negative at all about his life.
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