Lies my teacher told me by James Loewen - Essay Example

“Lies my teacher told me” by James Loewen The book written by James Loewen “Lies my teacher told me” is a description that tells that US history books are filled with outright lies, omissions, misrepresentations as well as the impact of these false facts on the students of America. Loewen in his book has argued that all those facts that are taught in US history classes like Columbus discovered America, Woodrow Wilson was a champion of human rights, etc are totally misfacts or outright lies. James Loewen has repeatedly established in his work that Americans have lost touch with their actual history. He surveyed about 18 leading high school texts used in American schools for this purpose. He also concluded that no one who is responsible in making these text books have not done a good job to make history responsible and memorable. According to him, all these text books are marred by a combination of misinformation, blind patriotism, optimism which is absolutely mindless as well as outright lies. Moreover in his book Loewen explores how the myths of history continue to be perpetuated in the present climate of the country and also includes a chapter containing lies on the Iraq war. The descriptions in this book are really thought provoking, nonpartisan, as well as really shocking. Through his book the author has unveiled the real America. Loewen’s book is a powerful attack on American history. But this book leaves a feeling that the author had something to prove rather than reveal something. Even though the author has hammered American history text books, it is very difficult to make a defense of his claims. Loewen has strived hard to prove that he is right, but to accept his conclusions based on his survey of a mere 12 history text books is really embarrassing. Another point worth to note in this work by Loewen is that it contains a long list of negatives by US. It may be true that US has misbehaved in some occasions, but it is equally untrue that US has done nothing positive. Moreover in his book, the author has argued that there should be balance and thoughtfulness in the presentation of history of America, if that is made many would think that America is the worst country ever to exist in this world. In this book Loewen makes no attempt to hide his liberal bias. This is reflected in his pointless character assassinations. Loewen does not address directly the equally distorting counterpart of heroification that is demonization. Rather than he uses figures which makes historical figures ‘Disneyfied’. The author does not provide a magical solution to the world history textbook question. However he clearly presents a thesis for each chapter’s in his book. His style is too repetitive as well as leftist. The teaching of history in American schools is dominated by history textbooks. According to Loewen, this practice is very boring. Majority of stories that history textbooks narrate are predictable. Each and every problem that is discussed in the textbooks is either solved or is about to be solved. These textbooks exclude conflicts and suspense. All those bad aspects associated with a national character are simply omitted. Text books never use the present to illuminate the past. Also textbooks rarely use the past to illuminate the present. Always past is portrayed as a simple minded morality play. All these textbooks extract the message ‘be a good citizen” from the past. These things can be a burden to students of color, working class, parents, as well as for any group who has failed to achieve socioeconomic success. The optimistic approach followed in text books will definitely prevent the real understanding of failure than blaming the victim. This is the reason that children of color gets isolated from others. According to Loewen, Nationalism is the real culprit in history textbooks. False nationalism leads to blind patriotism. By suppressing the thinking capacity of the students, these text books are denying them towards understanding the truth as well as the ability to think coherently about social life. The students should be taught the truth about historical events rather than depicting false impressions about national heroes. They should be developed into a thinking group rather than mere followers of falsified facts. Such a type of educational pattern should be followed in schools and colleges. According to Loewen, historical characters depicted in the textbooks are either racial or Hippocratic. He cited the example of Columbus who was a racist. Loewen highlighted the fact that it is always useful to think very badly about some people one has exploited or plans to exploit in the future. Modifying the opinions of a person in order to bring them into line with one’s action can be clarified as the most common outcome of a process that is known as cognitive dissonance. To mistreat another person who is just and reasonable simply creates tensions between acts and attitudes that demands resolutions. Through Columbus the first ever recorded cognitive dissonance in America can be seen. Even though the real character of Columbus is like this, he is glorified as a hero in the minds of American students. Loewen’s attack on the history textbooks may please liberals and angry the conservatives. He condemns the way that history is taught to American children at schools. He indicts everyone who has participated in this, namely the publishers, authors, adoption committees. Parents and teachers. He argues that teaching the bland Eurocentric history creates boredom among students as well as it is totally irrelevant to the students. In order to make learning more compelling, he argues that students should be taught history as an ongoing process not as collection of misleading facts. Students should be presented with different viewpoints. James Loewen has said that American students who enter the college after their school have less knowledge about the history of the country. According to him, history is the worst remembered curriculum in schools. The teachers alone should not be blamed for this .Loewen blames publishers and instructors for providing very little information or inaccurate information and no information. The history textbooks separate youth from truth. It also separates youth from interest in the previous generation. This has created a wide gap in the society where no one is really interested in knowing and caring about others. With regard to politics, the history books have created wrong and false images about politicians. Their actual character is hidden for the purpose of creating national superhero image. This has resulted in the youth losing interest in politics. The book written by Loewen criticizes the governments who are responsible for stating false facts in order to remove its most disrespectful aspects. To teach false American history in schools is the propaganda of the government. This phenomenon was used in Nazi Germany and communist Russia. The American government is simply following their footsteps. As a result no one can learn anything true about how the society works. In the American society, books that are dealing with true issues related to social class, race is blocked by right wing activists. For example in Texas, the state law explicitly states that textbooks should not contain material which serves to undermine authority. Due to this reason, the students of Texas are never taught the actual truth, that they have fought three civil wars. Though its bold left-wing viewpoint makes it doubtful to plead to the country’s unfashionable educational institutions, Loewen’s book should be a get up call for anyone concerned in history or education (Loewen). Works cited: Loewen,James. Lies my teacher told me: everything your American history textbook got wrong.Florida: The Touchstone books.1996. Read More