WHY JOHNNY CAN'T LEAD :

History to the Left of Us (Larry Schweikart, September 2002, American Enterprise)

USA Today recently reported on its front page that American high school seniors could not perform even at the most basic level in the subject of history. Less than half the students could identify or explain major events in U.S. history, such as the Monroe Doctrine, Nat Turner's rebellion, or the Bay of Pigs invasion.

Why can't Johnny learn history? The standard culprits deserve blame, including lack of competition in public schools, low standards, and entrenched unions. Another factor in the dismal state of elementary and high-school education however, seeps down from the college level: a pervasive bias that distorts American-history textbooks. A sampling of what passes for history in some of the main college texts will offer a glimpse of the hurdles that confront even unbiased, well-meaning secondary school instructors who rely on these "mainstream" texts.

George Santayana famously opined : "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." But what about those who never learn about the past or who are lied to about it? This admittedly selective survey of history texts makes for frightening reading, as you realize what a load of politically correct, Leftist tripe is being served up to our kids. Vouchers, now! Posted by Orrin Judd at August 10, 2002 7:15 AM