A “pro-American curriculum” is the closest American politics has come toward resorting to fascism.
On Sept. 17, President Donald Trump announced a program dubbed the 1776 Commission. Described as a pro-American curriculum, this so-called patriotic education would aim to rid American’s education system of its “twisted web of lies.”
This twisted web of lies originates from the growing political divide ridden in American ideology. One side of the debate argues for America’s supremacy over other countries in terms of well-being and personal freedom. The other critiques. And, of course, there is everyone in between.
America’s history is overwhelmingly controlled by atrocities and hypocrisy. Manifest destiny, Native American genocide, slavery, indoctrination, WWI, WWII, corrupted politicians, homophobia, the AIDs epidemic, a broken judicial system, a broken healthcare system, Vietnam, unequal distributions of wealth. The list could carry on and on.
There is a lot of confusion when it comes to distinguishing the very fine line between patriotism and nationalism. As it stands, America is a land of nationalists. A land of men and women who refuse to admit America’s failings of the past and of the present. There is nothing patriotic about ignoring the truth.
Patriotism is recognizing our failings and aiming to do right by them, apologizing for our faults, mending our cracks and listening with empathy. Patriotism is wanting the best for America, but not settling for what it is now.
When the man in charge, the one who is supposed to be the most American of all of us, refuses to acknowledge our wrong doings, the future image of America fractures. When the man in charge wishes to perpetuate the same ignorant notion to impressionable children, he has failed the future of America.
Students should learn ALL of America’s history in order to hold a properly informed opinion. If a student chooses to dislike and critique America based on its entire history, that is their own jurisdiction. As the same for a student who would choose to like and approve of America.
The issue with patriotic education is not wanting children to like America. The issue is that they aren’t given the choice. We were built on choosing. We were built on freedom—the freedom of speech, the freedom of thought, the freedom to be free.
Historically, similar patriotic education systems exist in fascist settings. The 1776 Commission could infamously be compared to Hitler Youth. Are we at that stage? No, nowhere close. But it shouldn’t even be in our conversations.
Letting Americans learn our distasteful past will only result in progression. Setting a consistent pro-America norm will result in an aggressive cycle of arrogance.
Nonetheless, the federal government has no jurisdiction in determining what schools teach. We are in unprecedented times, however. Keeping our thoughts within the wheelhouse will help aid the fight against this notion.
Be wary of the future. Be open to the past. There is no shame in teaching our faults. Be patriotic, not nationalist.
Carter Kolpitcke can be reached at [email protected].
Harry Steimer
This opinion piece fails to acknowledge that progressivism is an ideology as much if not more so than nationalism, and with our current climate of tearing down monuments and attempts to erase Americas history being perpetuated by progressives on the left, you have no foot to stand on. Trump is simply trying to return our education system to the objectivity of our traditional factual heritage that was once taught prior to beBig taken over by the social justice cultural Marxist’s