Spring Break
Political correctness gives kids inaccurate information
Ben Tarr
Issue date: 2/17/09 Section: Commentary
The phenomenon of political correctness (PC) is sugar-coating many aspects of American life and is corrupting our students' learning processes. In an effort to "sensitize" the learning process, American students are getting a more distorted picture than ever of our history, our roots and our core values as American citizens.
In 2003, California conducted statewide review of history textbooks in public schools that made a few frightening changes.
The educators set to change the phrase "Founding Fathers" to "framers" in order to eliminate gender biases, even though every person who helped draft or sign the Constitution was male. Also, the California Board of Education implemented the phrase "older person" into their textbooks instead of "senior citizen," even though the latter is a widely understood term for those aged 65 or older.
Additional changes included the omission of Mount Rushmore from student textbooks because it may offend the Native Americans of the region because the exhibit was built on what was their land.
As author Diane Ravitch opined, "It's outright censorship. It dumbs down our textbooks [and] makes them bland."
But there are still people who actually defend such moves. Sue Stickel, deputy superintendent for the California Department of Education, fought back with a typical, ultra-PC statement:
"I think our textbooks should, to our greatest capacity, be free of any stereotyping," she said. "We need to make sure all ethnicities are represented."
And representing everyone involved is one thing, but the changes that Stickel proposes fundamentally alter American history. Everyone has a right to their own opinion; we are not entitled to our own facts. If a certain part of American history contained stereotypes or sexism, this should be presented as accurately as possible so students can appreciate the real history of the United States, and not one which is fabricated by the fringe Left in America.
In 2003, California conducted statewide review of history textbooks in public schools that made a few frightening changes.
The educators set to change the phrase "Founding Fathers" to "framers" in order to eliminate gender biases, even though every person who helped draft or sign the Constitution was male. Also, the California Board of Education implemented the phrase "older person" into their textbooks instead of "senior citizen," even though the latter is a widely understood term for those aged 65 or older.
Additional changes included the omission of Mount Rushmore from student textbooks because it may offend the Native Americans of the region because the exhibit was built on what was their land.
As author Diane Ravitch opined, "It's outright censorship. It dumbs down our textbooks [and] makes them bland."
But there are still people who actually defend such moves. Sue Stickel, deputy superintendent for the California Department of Education, fought back with a typical, ultra-PC statement:
"I think our textbooks should, to our greatest capacity, be free of any stereotyping," she said. "We need to make sure all ethnicities are represented."
And representing everyone involved is one thing, but the changes that Stickel proposes fundamentally alter American history. Everyone has a right to their own opinion; we are not entitled to our own facts. If a certain part of American history contained stereotypes or sexism, this should be presented as accurately as possible so students can appreciate the real history of the United States, and not one which is fabricated by the fringe Left in America.
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