The Patriotic Education Agenda

The American educational indoctrination system is flawed. Nothing proves it more than the recent educational programming announcement by “45” called Patriotic Education. Apparently, our president is not supportive of changing the educational curriculum to more accurately reflect authentic, American His-torical events. He does’t want to see the old system changed but would like it to be more intrenched in the previous inaccuracies and omissions which have contributed to the racial divide that exists in these – – United States of of America. Some of our current American leadership have demonstrated a complicated relationship with trUth telling – – pathologically in fact – – even in the face of unequivocal evidence i.e. witnesses, previous public statements, video footage and documented evidence. So, it should come as no surprise that there is a national push to continue past pervasive falsehoods and half truths in our modern day educational system.

Many educators have strongly advocated changing the modern day education curriculum and previous HIS-torical narrative to reflect the actual realities of past events in American HIS-story (for example … the original sin of slavery and the black contribution to this country’s wealth etc.). Critical Race Theory has been promoted to explain how the United States was built on the backs of enslaved blacks who were tortured, murdered, raped and systemically oppressed by design. In 2019, the New York Times Magazine also launched “The 1619 Project” which reframes this country’s HIS-tory by placing the consequences of slavery and black people’s contributions at the very center of the American national narrative. Its launch coincided with the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in the Virginia colony in 1619. The 1619 Project is an interactive initiative directed by New York Times reporter, Nikole Hannah-Jones, and includes contributions by other writers, poets, artists, and photographers. These efforts have seemingly “unveiled” the hidden virus within the American framework and psyche that refuses to be examined trUthfully and healed triggering some to fight for the idealized version of the American reality.

“Critical Race Theory and the crusade against American history is toxic propaganda, ideological poison that, if not removed, will dissolve the civic bonds that tie us together. It will destroy our country.”

American President #45

In response to these efforts, 45 recently announced the 1776 Commission advocating “Patriotic Education” in schools in an attempt to promote American exceptionalism without telling how it achieved this feat. Interestingly, the previous curriculum glossed over American HIS-tory. The newly developed curriculum will take it to another level of American heroism void of a trUthful assessment. Some have expressed the view that it is “unpatriotic” to discuss the unpleasant and harsh realities about America’s formation and rise to POWER. They advocate that the contributions and mistreatment committed against blacks and others is overstated or flat out did not happen including many white nationalists labeling facts and historical trUth as hateful lies against white people’s power. Some view the facts about slavery, systemic racism and white privilege as hateful lies. The 1776 Commission will undoubtedly continue to gloss over these events perhaps going to more unbelievable extremes indoctrinating our children into an even greater false HIS-torical narrative.

If you have followed my writing about the educational indoctrination system then you already know my position on this matter. We need to honestly review what is taught in schools so that it reflects a trUthful understanding about this country. Children are intelligent beings who deserve the best education possible – – not one that attempts to misguide their understanding about their history, who they are and their place in the world. To not understand this core fact is a great injustice to all humanity because it attempts to force us into a permanent state of divisiveness and misunderstandings. It may also create an environment where a form of mental illness (false identity) develops when one is taught to discount your own past and present reality. Unfortunately, our leadership is too far entrenched to recognize these facts. Some honestly believe that there is one reality where America is only good and righteous (above reproach) in all its past and current actions.

In my opinion, the United States of America is still the one of greatest countries in the world even with its shortcomings. Its formation was triggered by great intellectual thought – – a miracle of what could be forged by incredible ideas (liberty, justice, equality and the pursuit of happiness) that has allowed groups of diverse people from around the world to coexist. It has provided some with the opportunity to grasp the sacred ideals within the American vision. But, America has also utilized some very dark and hideous actions to achieve its greatness causing incredible suffering and harm to some of its citizenry. Both realities are trUe and cannot be understood without the other (intertwined duality). The promise of America the beautiful has yet to be fulfilled but that doesn’t mean we should not try to make it a reality. It is “imperfect” within its “perfect” vision which means there is room for growth, expansion, and evolution. Perhaps this is the core problem with our current civil unrest – – an inability to clearly see and accept the unpleasant (sour) with the promises of life (sweet). Maybe, we have all been made a little mentally ill in how we’ve been indoctrinated as Americans. We’re all flawed living in an illusion designed to create a false internal sense of superiority or inferiority. We’re really not as fabulous or inadequate as we were indoctrinated to believe. In fact, it might just get harder to discern the trUth especially now in 2020 when some are on a mission to permanently mask the past.