How do we define history? Most people think of history as the nuts and bolts of facts, a telling f what happened in the past. But. As most historians will tell you, it means telling those facts in such a way that they have meaning for us in today’s world. Dictatorships have long known that defining the past influences how we see the present day.
Now, certain states have excised past uncomfortable facts from their teaching of history and have pressured major textbook publishers to reflect their desire to eliminate much of our American past. In response Gov. Murphy and nine other governors have written the major textbook publishers urging them not to accede to narrow political demands.
The governors stated that they would review the educational materials presented by the textbook companies and work with school districts to determine “which texts present comprehensive and accurate educational information” for the nine million students in the ten states. How can we have a democratic future without an understanding of our past?
Prayer for the Day
As storms rage about us and we fear our ship will take on water,
Calm us, O God, enabling us to see through the mist of our daily lives;
As the sky shakes with thunder and we find ourselves overwhelmed,
Quiet us, Gracious One, pointing us to the sun breaking through the clouds.
Bring us to a place where we can search our hearts and open them to you
Lead us to the shore of our minds so we can find your truth and peace.
In the name of the One who shares your truth with us,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
If we are to continue striving for a more perfect union, then we must carry out our duty of ensuring future generations understand our full history as well as the contributions of all its people.
- From the letter by ten U.S. governors to textbook companies
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
- George Santayana, Spanish-American philosopher (1863-1952)
Great are your judgments and hard to describe;
Therefore uninstructed souls have gone astray.
For when lawless people supposed that they held the holy nation in their power,
They themselves lay as captives of darkness and prisoners of long night,
Shut in under their roofs, exiles from eternal providence.
For thinking that in their secret sins they were unobserved behind a dark curtain
Wisdom of Solomon 17: 1-3