Should Patriotism Be Encouraged or Discouraged In American Schools?
Are we raising an anti-patriotic generation in our American schools?
Shouldn’t American schools and teachers foster a passion for patriotism?
Facts linked to emotion inspire, and also make facts easier to recall. There seems to be a fashionable growing trend in schools by well meaning teachers to lead discussions in class that seem to humble American heroism, while signaling out the "sins" made in the building blocks of America.
We want our children to know ALL of our Nation’s history, both good and bad. While mistakes exist in our history, America today should be defined by our successes. There is an unbalanced view of America history disproportionately being taught.
Even if the curriculum is accurate and complete, have teacher led discussions in the classroom discouraged patriotism by emotionally exciting our kids through a hyper focus in discussions about injustices and prejudice vanquished in our nations history?
In reality, most of us American parents have taught our children from birth to be fair and kind, to accept diversity, and to live by the golden rule. We taught them to oppose injustice (be fair) and resist prejudice (be kind and accept diversity) treat everyone equally and fairly (the golden rule). We filled their consciences to know right from wrong. These are moral and ethical values we taught our kids at home daily through in everyday life from birth.
It’s possible, the consciences we built have been manipulated and exploited toward political agendas and select interests. Inadvertently, using teachers to instill a disdain for our country heritage.
Teacher led discussions that focus on “mending” or “righting the wrongs” in America’s past have self-defeating effects. The breed racial divisions, blame, and disproportionate protests, and overbalanced sympathetic views that validate racial divisions, and justify racial violence.
Is there an infiltration of political agendas and promotion of special interests using the classroom as a platform to emotionally engage and excite our children toward their agendas while undermining America's greatness?
Teachers need to offer a balanced perspective leading our youth in discussions that are infused with an excitement about our progress and growth. Emotionally connecting our kids to our American values. Highlighting the many valiant acts of heroism, and core values that propelled us forward, united us, and made us great. Class discussions should not direct the focus of our youth to protest their American heritage, but instead they should excite our kids with patriotism. Patriotism is caught not taught.
I've had many discussions with my kids over their school age years. Especially my youngest who is now 19. As a parent, I’ve noticed rapid changes over the years as my kids, now ages 19 to 24, came home from school.
Increasing more emphasis is placed on teaching our kids about mistakes made in our nations history. Also, arming them with a preposterous conviction that "our generation" didn’t know these things” and "in our education it was hidden from us.” Exact words from my kids. I now also hear similar statements from others especially in online posts and arguments.
The funny thing, I cant remember any of my generational accusers surprising me with any "new pieces of history" that I supposedly didn't learn. I had a regular average history education. It should be easy to enlighten me with all those facts my teachers left out!
I'm almost 50 years old. I learned about things like unfairness to Indians, Marco Polo, injustices done to Indians, atrocities of slave trading, equal rights movements for women and blacks, segregation and desegregation and a pretty well rounded clear view of America through history. And also, every morning we raised the flag respectfully and proudly, said The Pledge of Allegiance, and sang the Star Spangled Banner too!
I think our generation learned more balanced views of American history than my kids have learned over the last few decades.
Discussions with my kids were always good, but a struggle. The conversations were usually ignited by a sense of indignant injustice that seemed aimed at unraveling American patriotism in the hearts of my kids. The information my kids learned was undeniably infused with an unbalanced excitement for mistakes made as our country evolved.
Incomplete and unbalanced, their history education had less and less focus on content about the good things our country had done. And had an exaggerated focus on the bad.
In the recent political and educational environment, there seems to be a war within us, and in our classrooms, against true American pride. An agenda to discredit and devalue America through the eyes of our own kids.
Education today has an undercurrent of political and special interest views. Instead of teaching our kids to honor the lives sacrificed, our values, and our deeds of our generosity. And, teaching them pride in our influence abroad and in the actions we have taken to protect and defend human lives and freedoms everywhere.
Our children come home with an indignant excitement about our wrinkles, which they can easily recall and recant. While passion and excitement is missing in our countries valiant heroism and our great deeds are not attached with the same excitement.
Through history, America helped others, and gave to many other countries during numerous tragedies... from natural disasters, to threats of genocide. We fought with and also fought for a better life for people in every part of the world. We maintained peace during times of unrest and fear, and repaired war torn areas, and gave a better life to many that are not our own. All these good deeds done usually without thanks, and often to our own detriment.
In a little over 200 years, America became the greatest superpower on earth, with the rest of the world measuring world peace, health, and wealth according to what America does next.
Amazing!!
We have more freedom, equality, and tolerance here in America than anywhere else in the world, and we share it freely. Yet, we are under the greatest scrutiny and highest critisims from other countries, even countries we often helped. But now add insult to injury, we are teaching our own children those attitudes, attacking America from within!
Tear us down, remove us, then live in the world without America.
My guess, the world would become a very dark place if it weren't for us.
Its tragic about Indians and other atrocities in the fabric of our history.
Young America grew, we became strong and generous. With many growing pains both good and bad.
We grew up like a growing child and then in maturity we became a parent who guides and cares for all.
America added religious and cultural diversity, it spread out from ocean to ocean. Imigrants found a land to call their home. People from everywhere survived and thrived. They looked for a better life and found it. They found freedom and a fair way of life. They added to our numbers, added to our crowded cities, and chased gold. They built homes, farms, and communities, while resources they had been denied elsewhere were richly available here.
We built up way more than we ever tore down.
The wrinkles in our fabric are beautiful lines of wisdom that graced the face of a free diverse nation.
We should teach our children pride of who we have become in the short time just over 200 years.
Teach our children to embrace both the good and the bad. In balance, with pride, as strong and unified, with hope for the future.
It was a long journey made in a short time.
Honoring our American heritage honors those who paved the way through all the changes and adversity we faced together as a young nation.
Not just the pride of us living today in America. But honoring those whose bones our freedoms were built upon.
American heros who opposed tierney, slavery, racial divisions, supression, inequality and more. Many sacraficed everything for the American life we take for granted, as we teach our children to devalue their heritage, kill those that protect them, and then scream for more because America owes them.
Then we wonder why are influence abroad is disgraced and our streets are less safe.
Teach our children American Pride!
In just one lifetime of 100 years,
we used the land we fought for to benefit many. We filled it with people from every nation and every tongue. Most of whom would agree, America gave them opportunities and hope they never would have had anywhere else, including all those who are here inadvertently through wrinkles and adversity, but then found a home as Americans.
In a lifetime of 100 years, we ended slavery, took out unstable world powers. We ended atrocities and regimes like Hitler and others that abused their power. We aided countries everywhere helping them through devastaion of natural disaters. We built irrigations, aided in food supplies, provided medical relief, ended major diseases, and more and more and more.
All in all we blessed the world by being us. We are America.
