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History of History
Jan. 27th, 2010 02:33 pmSo, my Law of Totem Poles post continues to cause debate. ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
timakers wonders why the subject of slavery in America brings up such passion. He also deplores the tendency of some "civilized" people to bash and belittle the South.
Let me be clear - bashing the South for the sins of the Confederacy was not my intention. I've lived in the South and have friends and family down there. Stereotyping, bashing and labeling Southerners as stupid is wrong. But wondering why the subject of antebellum slavery still creates heat is an interesting one. I think there are two interrelated factors.
The first factor is what I call the "high school football coach theory of history." One of the people who taught history in my high school was also the football coach. He taught an unquestioned "America was always right" version of history. Now, I do think the USA is the greatest country in the world (and I'll defend that to my Canadian readers ETA and other foreigners), but "greatest" is not "always right." In fact, admitting we're wrong and fixing it is part of what makes us great.
The second factor, and linked to the first, is that this "football theory" of history has gotten linked to the American political right. So, people who advocate for right-wing positions tend to use this version of history to support their views. It gets even more pernicious and frankly insulting when people who point out that America was not always right are branded by these same folks as "unpatriotic" or "un-American."
So, when I see a sitting Governor of the State of Texas idly talk about leaving the Union, and saying "we left once - we can do so again" - well, I see a bit of red.
timakers wonders why the subject of slavery in America brings up such passion. He also deplores the tendency of some "civilized" people to bash and belittle the South.Let me be clear - bashing the South for the sins of the Confederacy was not my intention. I've lived in the South and have friends and family down there. Stereotyping, bashing and labeling Southerners as stupid is wrong. But wondering why the subject of antebellum slavery still creates heat is an interesting one. I think there are two interrelated factors.
The first factor is what I call the "high school football coach theory of history." One of the people who taught history in my high school was also the football coach. He taught an unquestioned "America was always right" version of history. Now, I do think the USA is the greatest country in the world (and I'll defend that to my Canadian readers ETA and other foreigners), but "greatest" is not "always right." In fact, admitting we're wrong and fixing it is part of what makes us great.
The second factor, and linked to the first, is that this "football theory" of history has gotten linked to the American political right. So, people who advocate for right-wing positions tend to use this version of history to support their views. It gets even more pernicious and frankly insulting when people who point out that America was not always right are branded by these same folks as "unpatriotic" or "un-American."
So, when I see a sitting Governor of the State of Texas idly talk about leaving the Union, and saying "we left once - we can do so again" - well, I see a bit of red.
