Comments on: Lies My Teacher Told Me, Back in the Day

By: Ryan

Ryan — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 02:17:15 +0000

This book was assigned for reading in one of my graduate courses, Cultural Diversity in the classroom. While reading it I was excited about his ideas, but deeper thinking also made me think about his agenda. I think it’s something that teachers and future teachers should read because it’s gets the mind going and it would serve as a great tool. But, as you said it’s important to look at it’s publication date, Loewen’s source’s of text books, and his agenda.

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:36:27 +0000

klkatz after reviewing my response I hope I did not offend….

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:31:12 +0000

Kevin thanks for reading and deana good points, I agree…

By: deana

deana — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:50:21 +0000

As a history buff I found this book to be a good read. I do however feel that in writing the book Loewen had his own adgenda in writing it. While I see how your points on Lincoln are valid I don’t think it changes the fact that what he says about people such as Columbus are completely true. I mean we still idolize a savage by celerbrating columbus day. Also I don’t know how one can overlook the fact that when learning about history, at least at my school, you don’t hear anything negative about Lincoln or Wilson when both of them were very racist even if it was because of the time. It doesn’t mean that Lincoln was a bad president, even though it does change a lot about how I veiw him. We as students need to be taught the painful truth about our history, so that we may understand where our country has been, where we are going, and maybe move on to make it better than it has ever been before.

By: Kevin Levin

Kevin Levin — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:19:04 +0000

Great post Chris. I think you make a number of interesting points and I look forward to future posts that take on Loewen more directly. I’ve actually used sections of the book in class just to get my students thinking a bit more reflectively regarding what goes into a history textbook.

Kevin

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 04:49:00 +0000

"his views today would still seem very racist."

Thank you, you are a perfect illustration of my point. Or should I say, YOU COMPLETELY MISSED MY POINT.

By: klkatz

klkatz — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 03:39:57 +0000

lincoln was undoubtedly a man of his time. Even if he was more left than most, his views today would still seem very racist.

consider this quote:

I will say, then, that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races; that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people…

And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together
there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race.

-Abraham Lincoln, 1858

yes, lincoln thought slavery was wrong, but he still was a white supremecist.